Everton have a had an up and down season which started from last summer. They lost their star man Romelu Lukaku and spent big to bring in several players to replace the Belgian, but the season with a serious struggle which led to the sacking of Ronald Koeman and the appointment of the more pragmatic Sam Alladyce.
The former Bolton manager was the most unpopular choice with the fans, but he has helped the Toffees this season no doubt. Despite their recent poor run of form, Allardyce has dragged them from relegation trouble into the top half of the Premier League table. They would most likely not get a Europa League spot, but the 8th position could be theirs by the end of the season. They have two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five league games.
Newcastle are even in a better shape at the moment and they visit the Toffees on top form. The Magpies impressively defeated Arsenal in their last league game to all but confirm that they would be in the top flight next season. They have now won their last four games on the bounce ahead of this game. They have struggled away from home recently though as only two of their last 14 trips this season have ended in wins.
