Toffees compound Toon tumult

In answer to the question on a myriad of Geordie lips, Demba Ba probably was watching.

And it wouldn’t have escaped him that it took Newcastle 73 seconds to come to the erroneous conclusion that they might not miss the departing forward, only to then spend the subsequent 88-and-a-half minutes coming to the realisation that, actually, they just might.

All things considered, the thick end of £5m profit after a return of 27 goals in 53 starts over 18 months from a forward with a previously brittle fitness record isn’t a bad piece of business, but while their bottom line may have benefited from Ba’s imminent unveiling as a Chelsea player, the equally crucial figures that make up the Premier League table make for rather more uncomfortable reading.