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Monday | June 23

Newcastle United won't necessarily miss this place. The Magpies won just three of their final 21 Premier League clashes at Goodison Park and signed off with a goalless draw on Saturday.

Dan Burn was the first to admit that 'it's always quite an intimidating atmosphere coming here'. The same could be said of St James' Park, of course, and this final trip to Goodison felt timely ahead of Everton moving to their shiny new home. After all, it was just this week that Newcastle announced they will make a decision on their own stadium plans in early 2025.

Eddie Howe, perhaps, best summed up the delicate dilemma club chiefs and fans alike are wrestling with - just as their counterparts at Everton once did. On one hand, Howe suggested it would be a 'betrayal' to leave St James'; on the other, the Magpies boss acknowledged that 'there’s finances to think of and that will affect the long-term success of the club' at a time when Spurs make more than three times as much in match day income (£117.6m).

Finding a way to dramatically boost revenues has never been more important in a PSR world ahead of the third anniversary of the takeover. You only had to glance at the team sheet on Saturday to realise that after Newcastle once again lined up without a recognised striker.

Signing a proven goal scorer last summer would have been expensive at a time when Newcastle felt that money was better assigned elsewhere - only for the Magpies to fail to bring in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi - so the black-and-whites instead moved for a project player in William Osula, who will need polishing. How Newcastle missed Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson against Everton.

Anthony Gordon once again gamely led the line, just as the winger did against Manchester City, but the Scouser saw a penalty saved by former team-mate Jordan Pickford. It proved the Everton goalkeeper's last act of note. In the 35th minute.

Newcastle had 68% possession, 42 touches in the opposition box and 10 corners yet the visitors managed just three shots on target and failed to even test Pickford in the second half. That is why this 0-0 draw felt like a missed opportunity.

In saying that, it was a much more solid showing on the road compared to Newcastle's last away day, at Fulham, and it is easy to forget that this is a venue where the Magpies tasted defeat in two of their previous three painful visits. In fact, last season's 3-0 loss was one of 11 reverses the black-and-whites suffered away from home in the top-flight. Only Brentford, Luton Town and Sheffield United, who finished in the bottom five, lost more matches on their travels.

Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, gives the team instructions

In contrast, this time around, Newcastle have lost just one game on the road despite not being anywhere near their best. It still feels like there is an awful lot more to come.

"We are trying to break barriers and have an outstanding season," Howe said. "That's always my aim is to push the group for more. I think we are capable of more."

Newcastle certainly looked capable of breaking the deadlock in the early stages at Goodison. There were just nine minutes on the clock when Kieran Trippier's corner was flicked on by Sandro Tonali at the near post and Bruno Guimaraes met the ball expertly on the volley. The ball looked destined for the net - Jordan Pickford was beaten - but Iliman Ndiaye somehow blocked it on the line and Everton cleared.

Everton soon had the ball in the net, when Abdoulaye Doucoure's bullet header left Nick Pope with no chance, but the goal was chalked off for offside following a VAR check. It was not the last time that VAR intervened.

In fact, referee Craig Pawson was sent to the pitchside monitor after James Tarkowski brainlessly grabbed hold of Sandro Tonali's shirt and threw the Italy international to the ground. The referee duly awarded a penalty and there was only going to be one man to step up: Gordon.

Jordan Pickford of Everton saves a penalty from Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United

Gordon scored his last spot-kick against Manchester City a week previously and, following a lengthy wait, the forward placed the ball on the spot to deafening boos at Goodison. However, Pickford guessed the right way, diving to his left, and kept out his former team-mate's weak effort with his knee. The roar that followed from Everton fans was louder than when they thought Doucoure had opened the scoring.

Newcastle wasted a series of openings thereafter - Joelinton, for instance, could only blaze over just before half-time from inside the box - and Everton very nearly made the Magpies pay after the break. Sandro Tonali's sloppy pass was intercepted by Dwight McNeil, who turned away from the midfielder, before threading the ball through to Dominic Calvert-Lewin midway through the second half. The Everton number nine pulled the trigger, but Pope managed to get down low to claw the ball away.

Just as Calvert-Lewin was about to pounce to fire home the rebound, Dan Burn threw himself in the way and the pair both went down inside the box. Everton appealed for a penalty, but a VAR check confirmed that Calvert-Lewin had kicked the back of Burn's leg.

There was still time for Newcastle substitute Miguel Almiron to slip Gordon in behind Everton's defence late on, but the England international fired over when he should have at least hit the target. It summed up Newcastle's evening in front of goal.