Welcome to another weekend of Premier League football here at The Score. A bizarre day today in that all of the leading sides are playing at 3pm on a Saturday for the first time this season. First up, though, is this intriguing side between a hugely impressive Newcastle United and an always-awkward Everton.

Thanks to a superb French scouting system, Alan Pardew’s alchemy and a tight formation that combines solidity (the best defence in the division) with creativity, Newcastle are the only other side other than Manchester City still unbeaten in the league.

The sticking point today though: Everton are the only side to have won at St James’s Park in 2011.

Today’s teams:

Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Marveaux, Cabaye, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Best, Ba

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Heitinga, Jagielka, Baines, Coleman, Neville, Rodwell, Drenthe, Osman, Saha

And, after a minute’s silence for Remembrance Day, we’re off at St James’s park

After a cautious start, a moment of marginal controversy as Leighton Baines leans into Demba Ba in the box… might have been a penalty.

Oh a half-chance for Coleman there as Louis Saha flicks on a header and it sits up nicely for the Irish winger about 15 yards from goal, begging to be crashed into the top corner… but he snatches at the shot and it flies wide.

GOAL! Newcastle United 1-0 Everton

Cruel on Johnny Heitinga who diverts the ball into his own net (and might have got a better shout from Tim Howard) but it was the result of a dangerous, inviting ball swerved inside the box from Danny Simpson. Top marks the defender.

That’s not good for Everton since their entire game this season has necessarily been based on keeping it tight and then snatching something.

Man of the moment Demba Ba with a, eh, bad moment… played through onside, the striker took an atrocious touch when a better would surely have set him up to make it 2-0.

After a period of decent probing, Everton almost hit an emphatic equaliser. Jack Rodwell leaps to get his head to a deep cross but Tim Krul gets down well and holds the ball.

Oh Saha! Running onside, directly on goal, the ball sitting up nicely just inside the box… and, like Coleman, he catches it atrociously, blazing it over the bar.

Everton beginning to get a hold on the game though now and piercing a few holes in Newcastle’s lauded backline.

GOAL! Newcastle 2-0 Everton

And that is an absolute cracker from Liverpool supporter and new father Ryan Taylor. On the half-volley from near the corner of the 18-yard box, he unleashes an unstoppable drive that ricochets off bar and post before nestling in the net. Supreme.

Everton have a job then. Which is particularly unfortunate then since they had enjoyed a decent spell before it.

Saha hits the post from a snapshot as Newcastle scramble the ball away. One thing that must be said: Newcastle haven’t been as assured at the back as in recent games.

And now Ryan Taylor hits the bar! This time the top side though as he attempted a deep cross from the left that almost caused Howard embarrassment.

Cabaye coming off with a niggle, replaced by former Everton player Dan Gosling, who makes his home debut.

Bit if rancour here as Gosling invoked an administrative error to force a move to Newcastle.

Worse news for Everton: Phil Neville limping here and has taken the captain’s armband off.

Former Newcastle man (wow, this game is incestuous) Sylvain Distin coming on for Neville.

GOAL! Newcastle United 2-1 Everton

To a certain degree, it had been coming. An absolutely superb, almost undefendable corner from Royston Drenthe is met by Rodwell who steers it past Krul with power.

And that’s half-time but game very much on.

And we’re back under way at St James’s, where Newcastle have responded positively to Everton’s late first-half goal.

Chance for Everton as Saha does superbly to get a shot away. It looked to be snaking its way into the corner but is just diverted wide for a corner.

Oh… replays show that could have been a penalty for Everton. Saha’s shot was diverted off Gosling’s arm.

Cahill on for Everton, and he hasn’t scored since before Christmas.

The game quite finely poised now with Everton threatening through a few dangerous long strikes and Newcastle always looking to break quickly.

Everton starting to flow now as Newcastle look a bit leggy.

A promising break there for Everton after Ryan Taylor misjudged a header but, after running about 50 yards with the ball, Royston Drenthe then squandered the opportunity by opting for a poor ball behind Seamus Coleman.

Drenthe: frustrating

Hatem Ben Arfa coming on for Leon Best, as Pardew predictably changes things up.

Everton showing a lot of grit here… but they need guile to open something now. Newcastle have recovered composure at the back and holding out well.

Everton building pressure with Cahill having the measure of Coloccini in the air. Saha has wasted a fair few attacking opportunities though.

Ben Arfa shows exactly why Pardew brought him on with a snaky run forward to alleviate the pressure on Newcastle.

Brilliant challenge there from Jonas, with a superb ball-clutching tackle on Dfenthe. That’ the kind of defensive tenacity that has marked Newcastle this season.

Newcastle attempting to run down the clock but not doing so brilliantly given they keep ceding possession.

FULL-TIME: Newcastle 2-1 United

Improbably, Newcastle go second in the Premier League after a gritty win over Everton. Sure, Alan Pardew’s side were neither as assured or as fluent as in previous games as they suffered a series of injuries but it was still an admirably tenacious performance in the face of Everton’s abrasive assaults on goal.