Roberto Martinez's men are the only team yet to suffer a defeat in the top flight and they have an opportunity to climb into the top four with a home win.
Everton v Newcastle
September 30, 2013 7:00pm
A 2-1 loss to Fulham last week ended their Capital One Cup hopes for another year but there has been a feel-good factor around the club since the transfer window came to an end with three eye-catching signings on deadline day.
Everton have gone on to beat Chelsea and West Ham United in September and one of those new arrivals, Gareth Barry, is now poised to become only the tenth player to make 500 Premier League appearances if he features against Newcastle.
Magpies manager Alan Pardew has admitted that Everton look stronger under Martinez and recognises that it will be a tough challenge to 'keep the back door shut'.
Goalkeeper Tim Krul has also revealed that he has had to do extra homework to prepare for the threat of Leighton Baines after the full-back scored twice from free-kicks against West Ham.
Redknapp's Everton v Newcastle Preview
Pardew has confidence in his side's attacking potential, though, and will have been pleased to see Papiss Cisse score for the first time this season in a 2-0 Capital One Cup victory over Leeds United.
Newcastle will now be determined to build on that result and bounce back from a 3-2 defeat against Hull City in their previous Premier League outing.
The shock loss to the Tigers halted Newcastle's momentum and the weekend's results have left them 16th in the standings.
Everton's home matches against Newcastle are usually close affairs that feature plenty of individual battles. This game promises to be no different, and also carries some extra weight for both teams.
For Roberto Martinez, he will be looking to rebound from defeat at Fulham, while Alan Pardew's men are seeking to reverse the ignominy of losing at home to Hull City Tigers last week.
Below are three battles that will be crucial to getting a result in this fixture.
