Different people are motivated by different stimuli. Some of us need to feel secure to deliver our best work, struggling when put under pressure to perform, while others need provocation to get them going, indignance driving the desire to stop coasting in order to prove people wrong.

Chances are, Thierno Barry falls into the first category. He showed enough at Villarreal to persuade Everton to sign him but then struggled to settle into Premier League rhythm, subbed off 18 times in 21 league starts and beginning the other 17 games on the bench and returning a paltry eight goals. It was not an especially auspicious start.

As such, it was no surprise that Everton wanted to sign Folarin Balogun from Monaco – essentially, to go in front of Barry. But that move broke down on deadline day then Joshua Zirkzee, a desperate contingency, stayed at Manchester United – to what end is unclear – meaning, with Beto sold, Barry moved from second-choice to only choice.

Very quickly, crisis turned into fortune. Able to relax in the knowledge there were no options but him, so the chances of him being sub or subbed were minuscule, and no longer dealing with a newborn or playing with the shoulder problem that hampered his debut campaign, Barry looks a different player. He scored on the opening weekend of the season and most recently last Thursday, when Everton binned Newcastle from the League Cup – a contest which featured an affirming ruckus close to full-time. Having bagged seven in 11 appearances, he’s on a roll and will fancy himself to add to that tally this evening – though only bottom-placed Sunderland have managed fewer than his side’s eight league goals.

Newcastle, meantime, will hope to avoid a third Monday-night clattering of the season, already beaten 4-1 at Leeds and Coventry. There have been some good signs under Matthias Jaissle but also some absolute dross, the lack of physicality a particular issue and especially glaring given, until recently, that was a strong point.

Last weekend’s win at Palace, though, has earned a little respite and, with Will Osula given a start and scoring, they too have a centre-forward ready to go – or would have, had he not got injured, again. He’s unlikely to play tonight, exacerbating a pre-existing problem: only two clubs have created fewer than Newcastle’s 14 big chances and, with Jaissle so far unwilling to use the young attackers signed in the summer for anything other than late cameos, there’s no reason to expect things to change.

All of which is to say that this match, 12th v 14th, is unlikely to deliver a goalfest elevated by flowing football. But happily, different people are motivated by different stimuli, and it’s not possible to appreciate English football without enjoying aggression, intensity needle and incompetence – of which there will, without doubt, be plenty to enjoy.

Kick-off: 8pm GMT