Newcastle will head to the blue half of Merseyside on Monday night in search of a fifth consecutive Premier League victory at out-of-form Everton.
After securing their top-flight survival with a superb win over Arsenal last time out, 10th-placed United know they can leapfrog the Toffees into ninth and move level on points with Leicester with a rare success at Goodison Park.
Rafa Benitez will have to overcome old rival Sam Allardyce, who is under pressure after a run of four wins in 16 games, if his side are to consolidate their position in the top-half and open up a six-point gap between themselves and Bournemouth in 11th.
Both managers have been curiously complimentary of one another in pre-game interviews, with Benitez condemning the response to a recent supporter survey which asked Everton season ticket holders to rate the performance from 0-10.
However, it’s unlikely the Magpies boss will show his counterpart much courtesy in pursuit of a victory that would leave supporters dreaming of a top-half finish in a campaign that was expected to end with Newcastle battling against relegation.
