Premier League round-up: Almiron striker sees Newcastle past Everton

Miguel Almiron’s fifth goal of the season gave in-form Newcastle a third Premier League win in four games as they cruised to a 1-0 victory over Everton.

The Paraguay international’s 31st-minute finish was enough to take the three points on a night when Eddie Howe’s side were not at their best and had to survive a second-half rout against the Toffees to extend their unbeaten run to six games.

Everton, for whom striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin played 73 minutes in his first start of the season, were by far second best before the break and perhaps lucky to be only a single goal behind.

They improved markedly as the Magpies tired, but without ever troubling goalkeeper Nick Pope, and slumped to a third successive defeat as a result.

Former Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford was given his usual Tyneside welcome as he fended off a series of harmless early balls and cleared his lines, and he could see Bruno Guimaraes’ speculative sixth-minute shot fly high over the crossbar.

However, Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a less comfortable opening, losing possession to Sven Botman early on before picking up a booking for a foul on Guimaraes.

Pickford was more concerned about Jacob Murphy’s deep strike in the eighth minute, although the Magpies’ attempts to impose themselves were repeatedly thwarted by a lack of precision in passing.

Kieran Trippier and Guimaraes worked a neat free-kick move to give Callum Wilson half a chance, but his 16th-minute header did not trouble Pickford.

Calvert-Lewin mustered Everton’s first attempt at goal with a header from Demarai Gray’s corner in the 26th minute but cleared the crossbar with a piece and Seamus Coleman had to hack away Wilson’s cross with Murphy waiting to pounce two minutes later.

The home side took the lead 14 minutes before the break when, after Murphy had headed Trippier’s ball back across goal, it was fed out to Guimaraes, whose pass was perfectly weighted for Almiron to curl a superb shot over the helpless Pickford and inside the far post .

Newcastle may have extended their lead considerably as they took the game by the scruff of the neck and Guimaraes twice fired just wide of Pickford’s save from Fabian Schar’s bullet header before Dan Burn narrowly missed the target.

The first half ended in acrimonious fashion after Anthony Gordon, returning from suspension, went to ground under Burns’ challenge with both the midfielder and Schar booked for his part in the melee that followed.

A rare mistake from Trippier allowed Gray to run down the Everton left three minutes after the restart, only for the midfielder to drag the cross behind the Blues arriving in the middle to let the Magpies off the hook.

Almiron whistled a 55th-minute try just high and wide, but the visitors enjoyed the best spell of the game with Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana belatedly making their impact.

Substitute Joe Willock saw a Trippier free-kick in the 77th minute go wide of the far post and head over with four minutes remaining and there was no way back for the visitors.

Bournemouth 0 Southampton 1

Southampton eased the mounting pressure on manager Ralph Hasenhuttl by climbing out of the Premier League’s relegation zone thanks to a nervy 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Che Adams’ early header proved decisive at the Vitality Stadium as Saints ended a five-game winless run and kept a clean sheet for the first time in 17 top-flight games dating back to April.

Bournemouth dominated the second half but created little on the night before going down to a first defeat in seven games under the guidance of interim manager Gary O’Neil.

Southampton’s late win lifted them to 14th, two points and three places below their hosts, while also providing a welcome respite for under-fire boss Hasenhuttl.

Saints traveled to the south coast with Hasenhuttl under intense scrutiny after four defeats and a draw from their last five outings had plunged the club into the relegation zone.

The Austrian appeared agitated on the touchline during a hectic opening period in which possession often changed hands, but soon had reason to feel a little more relaxed.

Romain Perraud delivered an inviting first-time cross from the left after receiving the ball from Mohamed Elyounoussi and top scorer Adams got away from Marcos Senesi to deflect a header into the far corner to claim his first goal since August.

Hasenhuttl greeted the ninth-minute breakthrough by raising his arms, clenching his fists and roaring with joy in the direction of the jubilant traveling fans.

Bournemouth tried to equal a club record by extending their unbeaten run to seven top-flight games, but rarely threatened an equalizer before the break as the end-to-end entertainment continued.

Cherries midfielder Philip Billing forced a routine diving save from Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu moments after Joe Aribo’s close-range drive was denied at the other end.

Despite Southampton supporters chanting “there’s only one south coast derby” in reference to their rivalry with Portsmouth, there was plenty of animosity in the competition between the nearest neighbours.

Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham and Saints midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles were both booked in the closing minutes of the half after a fierce head-to-head clash sparked by a lunging challenge from the former.

The home side began the second half on top, with Southampton pinning back and dropping deeper as they looked for opportunities to counter.

Yet despite the Cherries’ territorial advantage, Saints keeper Bazunu went untested as headed attempts from Senesi and Dominic Solanke flew over.

Southampton survived impassioned penalty appeals in the 74th minute after a cross from substitute Junior Stanislas hit the arm of defender Mohammed Salisu.

Adams then had a golden chance to grab his second and put the result beyond doubt, but his effort from another Perraud center was blocked by Adam Smith.

Bournemouth were given five minutes of added time to chase an equaliser, but after Salisu broke off the line late on, they became the first team since Arsenal on 16 April to fail to score in a league game against Southampton.