Newcastle United 2-1 Everton: Player Ratings as Callum Wilson Bags a Brace

Newcastle United held on to earn a 2-1 victory and inflict a second consecutive defeat for the early league leaders Everton on Sunday afternoon.

Miguel Almirón injected a spark of impetus into a match painfully lacking any such incident for the opening half an hour. The Paraguayan's run helped forge an opening for Allan Saint-Maximin to force a good save from one of Everton's two Premier League debutants, Robin Olsen.

However, the Swedish goalkeeper couldn't stop Callum Wilson's penalty ten minutes into the second half. Wilson won the spot-kick, tumbling to the ground after a mindless swipe when André Gomes connected with Newcastle's striker rather than the ball at a corner.

Newcastle's summer arrival up front doubled the lead in the 84th minute, converting from a matter of inches in front of goal after a searing run in behind from second half substitute Ryan Fraser.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin provided a layer of doubt to the result when he reacted first to a deflected cross to poke a shot beyond Karl Darlow in the second minute of second half stoppage time, but Newcastle held on against a Toffees side noticeably suffering from attacking absentees.

NEWCASTLE

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Karl Darlow (GK) - 6/10 - Flapped at a first half corner but barely forced into action before Calvert-Lewin's late effort.

Fabian Schär (CB) - 7/10 - Quietly went about his defensive duties without any fuss.

Jamaal Lascelles (CB) - 7/10 - Marshalled one of England's most in-form strikers for the first 90 minutes, frustratingly letting the clean sheet slip away in the closing stages.

Federico Fernández (CB) - 7/10 - Wasn't concerned with any aesthetics as he firmly and competently cleared any ball in his vague vicinity near the penalty area.

2. Midfielders & Wingbacks

Jacob Murphy (RWB) - 6/10 - Pushed further forward than his opposite wingback in the first half before firmly taking up position in Newcastle's back five as they saw out the game.

Jeff Hendrick (CM) - 5/10 - Was hardly wasteful in possession but never threatened to split Everton's defence on the rare occasions he looked forward.

Sean Longstaff (CM) - 5/10 - Delivered the corner which led to Newcastle's penalty, Longstaff did sporadically make a dart into Everton's penalty area.

Miguel Almirón (CM) - 8/10 - With a work rate so industrious it would exhaust a mere spectator, the wriggling Paraguayan diligently tracked back and got forward at every possible occasion, proving a constant thorn in Everton's side.

Jamal Lewis (LWB) - 7/10 - Defended well when he had to and provided the telling ball for Fraser in the build up to Newcastle's second goal.

3. Forwards

Callum Wilson (ST) - 9/10 - Having provided the pass for Saint-Maximin's golden first-half chance and carving out the penalty, Wilson's tireless work off the ball was rewarded with a brace, taking his tally to six for the season.

Allan Saint-Maximin (ST) - 5/10 - Failed to convert the only presentable chance of the first half, Saint-Maximin, at times, succumbed to the temptation of dropping deep and trying to beat the entire Everton team with little success.

4. Substitutes

Ryan Fraser (FW) - 7/10

Isaac Hayden (CM) - 6/10

Andy Carroll (ST) - N/A

EVERTON

5. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Robin Olsen (GK) - 7/10 - Having ended Jordan Pickford's streak of 120 consecutive Premier League appearances since joining Everton, the summer arrival produced two impressive stops in a match desperately lacking in clear cut chances.

Jonjoe Kenny (RB) - 5/10 - Tasked with providing width down Everton's right flank, there were one or two moments of miscommunication in a performance lacking much cut and thrust.

Yerry Mina (CB) - 4/10 - Couldn't put Wilson off for his spot-kick with some underhand tactics, Mina was then left in the dust by Fraser's second-half burst.

Michael Keane (CB) - 6/10 - Beaten by the first long, straight pass Newcastle launched his way, Keane recovered but couldn't keep Wilson quiet.

Niels Nkounkou (LB) - 5/10 - Filling the sizeable shoes of the suspended Lucas Digne, Nkounkou left the field with Everton trailing 1-0 to dampen a day which brought his Premier League debut and 20th birthday.

6. Midfielders

Abdoulaye Doucouré (CM) - 5/10 - When Kenny burst upfield, Doucouré dropped into the vacated pocket of space at right back but failed to make an impact at either end of the pitch.

Allan (CM) - 7/10 - Broke up play well as is his wont, the Brazilian couldn't quite unpick Newcastle's well-marshalled backline.

Fabian Delph (CM) - 5/10 - Replicating the same movement as Doucouré down the left in the first half, Delph moved permanently to left-back as Carlo Ancelotti tinkered in the second half with little success.

7. Forwards

Gylfi Sigurdsson (RW) - 6/10 - Despite half-heartedly swinging his left boot at a very presentable opportunity inside the penalty area shortly after the interval, Sigurdsson did at least threaten to thread pass into a decent shooting position for Everton's number nine.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (ST) - 7/10 - While his hold-up play was excellent, Calvert-Lewin was starved of chances until he pounced upon a loose ball inside the box in the final few minutes.

André Gomes (LW) - 3/10 - Playing in an unfamiliar role, Gomes tucked in field at any given opportunity but offered very little going forward. Completely unaware of his surroundings when giving away the penalty he was promptly substituted before the hour-mark.

8. Substitutes

Bernard (LW) - 5/10

Cenk Tosun (ST) - 5/10

Alex Iwobi (RW) - 7/10