The Blues were later penalised after James Tarkowski bundled Bruno Tonali off the ball but Jordan Pickford denied Anthony Gordon from the penalty spot.

Sean Dyche's side head into the international break holding onto 16th into the Premier League table with a two-point cushion from the relegation zone.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

To say Everton's defence was at bare bones would be an understatement.

Sean Dyche faced an unenviable task in cobbling together a backline that had been newly denied the services of Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko.

Predictably, Michael Keane was given the nod over Jake O'Brien to fill the void of Branthwaite's absence while Dyche improvised in the full-back roles.

James Garner stepped into the right berth while veteran Ashley Young switched to the opposing flanks to cover Mykolenko's usual defensive duties.

Yet the Blues' stopgap solutions acquitted themselves superbly as Garner offered Jordan Pickford competition for the hosts' Man of the Match accolade.

Had VAR not intervened, the midfielder by trade would have also added a goal involvement after teeing up Abdoulaye Doucoure's would-be opener.

Keane, too, had one of his better outings after several weeks and months of being Goodison's whipping boy of choice for costly mistakes leading to goals.

More out of necessity than choice, Dyche's ragtag bunch finally made a case for the defence.

Invariably, Newcastle's potential final trip to Goodison was likely to centre on Anthony Gordon after enjoying mixed fortunes on his previous two returns.

The self-styled 'Starboy' had revelled in a maiden visit to his old stomping ground in April 2023 before being subdued on a follow-up, eight months later.

On neither occasion did Gordon make any real impact but undeniably became a focal point on his likely final outing at the Grand Old Lady.

At the outset, the Kirkdale native attempted to leave a mark against the club which had nurtured his talent from an early age by haring down possession.

Evertonians that once adored him did not hold back in their invective when Gordon stepped up to take a potentially decisive penalty in the 34th minute.

His spot kick proved easy enough for international teammate, and one-time colleague, Pickford to keep out; sparking delirium from home supporters.

Scenes of unbridled jubilation that greeted the save were matched late on when Gordon spurned another gilt-edged chance in front of the Park End.

Both the winger and the Goodison crowd were guilty of playing their contest possibly more than the game itself but there was still only one clear winner.

The last time Everton entered an international break after banishing their early-season woes, their entire world came crashing down around them.

Last November's schedule concided with Goodison being hit with a record 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules.

Biut while there is no guarantee that arbritary matters could again take hold for Dyche's side, they will be heading off on various paths in upbeat mood.

A run of three games without defeat is not ordinarily a cause for celebration yet Everton's evolution since the last break has definitely not gone unnoticed.

It was five short weeks ago that Goodison proved a far gloomier place than it had been after the final whistle of their side's statelmate with the Magpies.

A seven-minute capitulation against Bournemouth appeared to leave the writing on the wall for Dyche and a cast of severely underperforming players.

Sustaining the recent upturn will doubltess be a priority for Dyche has he aims to avoid a repeat of the previous two seasons going down to the relative wire.