Grit, graft and discipline: we size up the Newcastle and Everton players who met the standard David Moyes demands.
David Moyes has never been shy about what he wants from his players: fight, structure, and a refusal to give anything away cheaply. When Newcastle United and Everton meet in the Premier League, that blueprint becomes the yardstick, and not every player clears the bar.
For Everton, the question is simple. Who pressed with purpose, held their shape when the game turned frantic, and won the second balls that decide tight contests? Moyes rewards those who do the unglamorous work, so the highest marks go to the players who made life uncomfortable for Newcastle. Flair is welcome, but only if it comes with graft.
Newcastle have their own demands. St James' Park is built for intensity, and the Magpies are at their best when they turn the game into a physical, high-tempo scrap. The standouts on their side are the ones who matched Everton's aggression, protected the middle of the pitch, and produced in the key moments rather than fading.
That is the lens for these ratings. Leaders, ball-winners and the players who kept their discipline score well. Passengers, and anyone who let the occasion slip past them, get marked down. It was a night for the kind of performance Moyes would happily have framed on his office wall.
