Benitez expecting a ‘tough, tough game’ against Everton

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez says he is expecting a ‘tough, tough game’ as his side prepare to face Everton this weekend.

Benitez’s side host Everton at St James’ Park on Saturday, with the visitors arriving in good form following recent strong performance’s against Cardiff City and Liverpool.

Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham leaves Newcastle six points clear of 18th-placed Cardiff in their bid to beat the drop, and Benitez admits his players may have suffered from over-confidence at The London Stadium, after heading into the fixture following back-to-back wins over Huddersfield and Burnley.

“I was trying to avoid over-confidence in the group before the West Ham game but sometimes you can’t,” Benitez said in his pre-match press conference.

“We won’t make the same mistake. Everton is another final for us.

“We did well at Goodison Park, we played well, but they have good players and it will be a tough, tough game.”