Everton 1-4 Newcastle United: Lewis Miley helped the Magpies score three first-half goals to beat the Toffees and finally end their away struggles.
There were several times this season when Eddie Howe, one of Life’s fresh-faced characters, looked back on all of the 48 years he’s spent so far. Those times were mainly when he was away from St James’s Park.
But on his birthday aboard the Mersey, his sunny smile returned. And one of the people who was primarily responsible for its restoration was an athlete who had not yet reached the age of 20. He is a promoted player and a local youngster with a bright future ahead of him.
Lewis Miley’s goals and assists may not detract from the late-season highlights – Malik Thiau’s corner kick for the opening goal was good but ordinary, his strike was gently deflected away by Jordan Pickford – but his all-round performance was admirably achieved.
This is a player who is a key part of Newcastle’s long-term plans and a player who should be a key part of England’s long-term plans.
The 2026 World Cup will certainly be too soon, as Thomas Tuchel is well-stocked in that department, but Miley’s eye for passing, his composure, maturity and deceptive tenacity will see him promoted to senior status relatively soon.
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Perhaps that happened, but it was hard to recall the 19-year-old making a wrong pass or taking the wrong option. Miley’s smarts were indeed on display in Newcastle’s away win, their first Premier League win of the season.
It wasn’t brash or flashy, it was calculating and stylish. A bit like their center forward. It would be an understatement to say that Nick Woltemade’s first three-and-a-half months in English football were mixed.
But no matter what you think of Voltemaid’s pace, finishing or haircut, one thing is certain: the German attacker has a very good footballing mind. He has a quick mind and quick feet, and his turns and short passes allowed Anthony Elanga to win a corner kick and create the opening goal within the first minute.
Woltemade is never going to be a hard-pressing type, and he’s not going to leave defenders sucking up oxygen, but he’s a very smart link-up man. He is a good foil for Eranga.
Sometimes we find ourselves in deep depressions seeking engagement. Anthony Gordon was exaggerating a bit when he said Waltemade’s game reminded him of Harry Kane’s, but I can see where he was coming from.
And to be fair, Kane would have been proud that Waltemade scored Newcastle’s third goal just before half-time. Elanga stripped the equally hapless Tim Irogbunam before scoring a brazen victory over the hapless Pickford.
Manager David Moyes didn’t need the Everton midfielder in the second half, but in reality he could have substituted anyone in his starting XI. This was a truly deplorable display from Everton, as courageous as the victory at Old Trafford was.
While there was a general incompetence that no one should blame, it’s clear that Moyes’ main problem is a lack of elite-level strikers. This summed up Tierno Barry’s day, and indeed his short Everton career. He thought he had broken his duck, but VAR confirmed he had inadvertently set up a handball.
By that point, Everton were four points down and Thiaw’s second header of the night put an end to a rare away win. Keenan Dewsbury-Hall scored a very comfortable consolation goal, but it was all about Thiau, Woltemade and Miley.
And of course, about Howe. At times this season, the tension seemed to speak for itself, but this was a fitting birthday tonic. And if he celebrated by raising a glass of something on the bus back to Newcastle, he might as well have raised a glass to Lewis Miley. The young man has a talent for champagne.
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