An alarming slackness in possession
Much like they have done all season, Newcastle were set up to cede possession to their opponents Goodison Park and focus on breaking swiftly upfield when Everton had committed numbers forward in attack.
It worked to some degree on Monday night but, unlike against Arsenal when the same strategy was deployed, Newcastle were wasteful and slack when they had the ball, encapsulated by that overhit Perez pass to Slimani in the first-half that would have opened up a goalscoring opportunity.
Absent was the sharpness and shrewdness that United have shown in their use of the ball recent months, that casual inattentiveness perhaps a repercussion of banishing the threat of relegation with five matches left to play.
Benitez will need to recalibrate the focus of his players ahead of the visit of a resurgent West Brom who are playing for their pride under interim manager Darren Moore.
