Eddie Howe named the same XI which drew 0-0 at Manchester United on Sunday and in the eighth minute, Jacob Murphy cut inside and let fly with a good right-footed effort which flew just over.

Then, from a cleverly-worked free kick, Bruno Guimarães whipped in a cross which Callum Wilson met, but his header, although on target, lacked the power to seriously trouble Jordan Pickford.

Everton created a presentable opportunity of their own in the 27th minute, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin connecting with Demari Gray's corner, but he could only direct it over the Gallowgate crossbar.

A minute later, Seamus Coleman cut out a low centre from Wilson with Murphy lurking following great work from Almirón on the right, but on the half-hour mark the Paraguayan opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the campaign - and his fourth of the month.

And it was another spectacular strike from Almirón to add to his growing collection - this time, a dipping first-time shot from the edge of the box which flew beyond the despairing grasp of Pickford.

If that was good, there almost came an even better goal three minutes later, with Guimarães, Joelinton, Almirón and Trippier involved in a wonderful move which ended in the former dragging wide before, with the Magpies' tails up, Almirón found Murphy's overlapping run and his deep cross was headed towards goal by Schär but Pickford palmed away.

As United pushed for a second, Guimarães sent a low left-footed shot off target after being allowed to advance with the ball then, in the 43rd minute, Dan Burn nodded wide from a Kieran Trippier corner.

At the beginning of the second period, with the Magpies kicking towards a raucous Gallowgate End, Wilson saw an attempted bicycle kick blocked by Conor Coady.

In the 55th minute, the electric Almirón jinked inside and sent a left-footed strike narrowly off target and while the visitors began to pose more of a threat after that, United could have sealed victory when Wilson spun and fed Trippier, who unselfishly played in Almirón, but his effort was blocked by Dwight McNeil.

Then in the 77th minute, Burn just failed to connect to a Trippier free kick when any touch at the far post would almost certainly have resulted in a first goal for his boyhood club.

As the final whistle crept closer, Botman directed a Trippier corner back across goal but Schär's header was too close to Pickford, then substitute Joe Willock headed wide from a good position - after an incisive attack he'd started - and Elliot Anderson was denied his first Magpies goal late on by a last-ditch piece of defending.

But while the narrow margin of United's lead made for a nervy finale, Everton failed to record a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes - plus six minutes of added time - against the top flight's best defence as Nick Pope racked up a fifth clean sheet of the campaign and Howe's side claimed another three points.