Newcastle United clash with Everton at St James’ Park in the penultimate slice of Premier League action this Boxing Day. The Magpies are unbeaten in three outings heading into this match-up, while the Toffees haven’t tasted victory in their previous quartet of league ties.
Despite besting Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the last four Gameweeks, Newcastle ranked joint-bottom for attempts (29), joint-third-bottom for shots on target (11) and joint-second-bottom for key passes (24), illustrating their inability to fashion many clear-cut scoring opportunities. On the defensive end, the Toon charted joint-second for goals conceded (seven) over that stretch, yet only two sides surrendered fewer big chances (four).
Everton’s offense delivered over the previous four Gameweeks, racking up seven goals while ranking joint-second for shots inside the box (37) and joint-fourth for big chances (nine). However, Roberto Martinez’s men shipped more goals (eight) than any other team and failed to register a solitary clean sheet. Moreover, the Merseysiders placed joint-fifth for shots inside the box conceded (34) and joint-sixth for big chances conceded (eight).
