Everton player ratings vs Newcastle United: several score 4/10 and one abysmal 2/10 - gallery

Everton sank further into the Premier League relegation mire as they suffered a chastening 4-1 loss to Newcastle United at Goodison Park.

The Toffees’ lacklustre defending and toothless attacking mean chances of survival have slimmed with five games remaining. Sean Dyche’s side are two points adrift of safety.

Everton started on the front foot with Idrissa Gana Gueye having a low drive saved in the seventh minute before firing a free-kick not too far over on 12 minutes.

Then on 19 minutes, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was slipped in on goal but Newcastle defender Sven Botman made a fine tackle.

And after weathering the storm, Newcastle took the lead with their first real attack in the 28th minute. Joelinton skipped past Toffees defender Ben Godfrey and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could only parry - with Callum Wilson turning the loose ball home.

Everton had thought they’d equalised in stoppage-time when Calvert-Lewin’s cute chip beat Magpies stopper Nick Pope. However, a VAR check deemed that the striker was marginally offside and the goal was disallowed.

Pickford was called into action within the first minute of the second period when he kept out Joe Willock’s low effort. Then Calvert-Lewin had a shot of his own on 52 minutes that Pope was equal to.

However, two Newcastle goals in four minutes sank Everton. In the 72nd minute, Joelinton was left in all sorts of space and headed home before Wilson notched his second of the game three minutes later with a fine strike from outside the box.

Dwight McNeil’s corner in the 80th minute somehow found its way into the net to give the Toffees a modicum of hope - yet that evaporated a minute later when Jacob Murphy finished from close range for the visitors after Alexander Isak was allowed to skip past several blue shirts.

Everton were lucky not to concede a fifth as Fabian Schar’s strike was disallowed in the dying embers.

Here’s how we rated the Everton players.