Everton vs Newcastle United
Everton and Newcastle United are set to meet in a Club Friendly on Wednesday when these two Premier League sides lock horns at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, and both teams have experienced changes this offseason.
The Magpies parted ways with head coach Eddie Howe and some of their best players in the past few weeks, much to the dismay of their loyal fans. However, Newcastle United’s Club Friendly 2026 results have been decent thus far, with only one loss in the first four (D1).
Meanwhile, Everton have already lost two of their last five exhibition matches (W2, D1). David Moyes’ side also went through changes to their roster this summer, but at least their fans aren’t as dismayed as Newcastle United’s.
After this midweek contest, Everton and Newcastle United will play at least one more preseason match this weekend before opening their 2026-27 campaigns against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, respectively. The SBOTOP Club Friendly 2026 odds make it difficult to choose the winner of this exhibition.
Talking Points
Everton could see key returns
Everton opened their preparations for the 2026-27 campaign with a 4-0 win over Dundee, before notching a goalless draw against the Bolton Wanderers and beating Stoke City 1-0 in their next two matches. The Toffees then recorded a 2-1 win over Hamburger SV at the start of August before their 3-1 defeat to VfB Stuttgart last Saturday afternoon.
David Moyes’ side has made four new signings this summer, acquiring Merlin Rohl, Tyrique George, Hayden Hackney, and Christian Norgaard. In return, Everton parted ways with Seamus Coleman, Idrissa Gueye, Demi Akarakiri, and Tyler Onyango. George adds to their firepower in the final third, while Rohl, Hackney, and Norgaard strengthen their midfield depth.
There’s a huge chance Everton will have a stronger starting XI against Newcastle United this midweek, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Michael Keane, and Thierno Barry could return to the starting team, especially Barry, who scored the lone goal against VfB Stuttgart.
Meanwhile, we could also see Jordan Pickford back in action for the first time this preseason. The veteran goalkeeper represented England at the World Cup, so he needed to recharge his batteries after a deep tournament run. With Pickford out, Mark Travers has played between the sticks for the Toffees.
Newcastle United’s summer of changes
Newcastle United have appointed Matthias Jaissle to replace Eddie Howe, who was in charge for nearly five years, and Jaissle will inherit a drastically different squad. This offseason, the Magpies sold Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes, earning roughly €275 million. They’ve also let go of Emil Krafth, Kieran Trippier, and Matt Targett. In return, they signed Sean Steur, Bazoumana Toure, Aladji Bamba, Ewen Jaouen, and Lukas Hornicek, who will deal with the pressure of filling the void left by their predecessors.
The Magpies have already played four preseason matches, opening their preparations for 2026-27 with a 3-0 rout of Darlington before drawing 1-1 with Gateshead and losing 4-1 to Bristol City at the end of July. However, they bounced back with a 2-1 win against Valencia on Saturday.
Anthony Elanga is a doubt for the Magpies after sustaining a knock against Valencia due to a late challenge from Jose Gaya. Yoane Wissa could be reintroduced to the starting XI after scoring a brace against their La Liga counterparts. Jacob Murphy and Lewis Miley could also be brought into the side.
History
Everton and Newcastle United have shared quite a rivalry throughout the years, as Wednesday marks their 189th competitive encounter, with their first-ever meeting in September 1898 (League Division One). The Toffees have the edge in the overall head-to-heads with 78 victories, whereas the Magpies have 72 wins and 38 draws.
These two sides split their Premier League meetings last term. Newcastle United won 4-1 in November 2025 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, as Malick Thiaw (brace), Lewis Miley, and Nick Woltemade built a 4-0 lead before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a consolation goal for Everton. It was the Magpies’ first Premier League away win of the season at the time.
However, the Toffees got their revenge last February, as Thierno Barry scored a late winning goal. Jarrad Branthwaite and Beto also found the back of the net for Everton, while Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy scored for Newcastle United. The victory propelled Everton to eighth place, prompting them to dream about qualifying for European football at the time.
Newcastle United eventually finished 12th in the Premier League last season, with Everton right behind them in 13th place, and only two points separated the two clubs.
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