26-05-2025
Everton squad take dig at Newcastle as Jordan Pickford decision rattles home supporters
Everton ended their campaign with a satisfying win over a club they have battled intensely with across recent years.
There was little surprise, therefore, when the celebrations after a rare win at St James' Park demonstrated some bite. Jordan Pickford is a pantomime villain for Newcastle and he once again had the last laugh with another top performance against his old foe.
After the game, he was able to party on the pitch of his fiercest rivals while, in the dressing room, the squad cooked up their own dig at a team that once revelled in their misery.
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That, and other talking points, are covered in this look at some of the scenes beyond the headlines after Carlos Alcaraz's goal earned Everton three more points on the road.
Everton players have long memories
There was one picture doing the rounds among the social media accounts of the Everton squad after the game, with most of the players sharing the same image of the team celebrating the win in the away dressing room.
It may have looked like a run of the mill image to capture an impressive win that marks a satisfying end to the campaign, but the meaning ran far deeper than it would have looked to those outside the Everton bubble.
The Blues now feel on the cusp of brighter days with new ownership, stable finances, and a manager who has delivered emphatically since his return in January. A summer of opportunity in the transfer market will combine with the move to the Hill Dickinson stadium to potentially launch Everton into a new era.
The club has survived difficult times to get to this point, perhaps none more so than the hammering by Newcastle at Goodison Park two years ago. When Eddie Howe's side romped to a 4-1 win April 2023 it felt like a nadir for the club - for many it was the first time relegation to the Championship began to feel like a probability rather than a possibility.
So it was particularly infuriating in the Everton dressing room that night to see the Newcastle players pose for a celebratory squad picture down the corridor. Two years on, after a big win in the North East, it clearly had not been forgotten.
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Jordan Pickford rattles Newcastle supporters before HIS name dominates the airwaves
The main character every time these clubs face each other is Pickford. Revered by Everton supporters for the heroics that have kept relegation at bay, the Newcastle supporters have long targeted him for his links to their arch-rivals Sunderland.
Pickford has revelled in this and did so again on Sunday. Excellent in this game last year, he then saved a penalty as a depleted Everton earned a valuable point at Goodison earlier this season. His form against the Magpies led supporters to discuss whether to focus on him at all for fear it would spark another superb display and it was notable how few dinosaur costumes were visible in the home end - a stark contrast to recent years.
Pickford was not going to shun an opportunity though. Captain for the day, he re-iterated his position as public enemy number one before kick-off by switching ends after winning the toss - meaning the hosts would not be able to attack the Gallowgate End in the second half. That was one of several chorus' of boos inspired by the former Sunderland shot stopper.
The jeers eventually became sighs and groans of frustration though as he kept out Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes with a string of important saves.
For most of this match, in fact, the noise that dominated the airwaves was that of the Everton supporters celebrating Pickford with his new song.
David Moyes' adds cheeky line to post-match interviews
After the match, Moyes went to great lengths to praise Newcastle and Eddie Howe for the success they have enjoyed this season.
There was also mischief on his mind - himself a former Sunderland boss who would have been pleased at the club's promotion to the Premier League 24 hours earlier.
In the post-match press conference he let the silence linger before volunteering: 'Jordan enjoyed his clean sheet. He let the words hang for effect before adding: 'But it was a great team performance. It would have been easy for the players to be on the beach; instead we were magnificent.'
There She Goes debuts in the away end
The Everton away end has had some good afternoons since Moyes returned in January. At Fulham earlier this month, Pickford's new song became the big tune to take hold of the travelling thousands - that chant was popular again on Sunday and Pickford did little to hide his joy over it.
A new addition to the songbook was There She Goes, by The La's. Having been belted out when the emotions were at their highest during the Goodison goodbye last week, this was the first attempt to make it work away from home.
A few might need to swot up on some of the words over the summer but this will no doubt be on the soundtrack of the future.
Moyes fails to heed his own advice
After the match, Moyes told of his pride at how his players had produced such a dogged display in a game that meant little to Everton's season. He had feared a long afternoon after energy levels dipped at Finch Farm in the week - something he conceded was understandable in the aftermath of the Goodison farewell and with the Blues guaranteed 13th place.
This match mattered to his players and it clearly mattered to him. During the first half, as Everton established themselves and it became increasingly clear the game presented an opportunity for the Blues, Moyes found himself on the edge of the pitch urging restraint and calm as momentum ebbed and flowed.
They were instructions he was unable to heed himself though. Lively throughout, he repeatedly clashed with the officials on the touchline and often over minor calls like throw-ins. He ended up with a booking for his troubles. There was no end-of-season malaise in that Everton dressing room or dugout.
