Premier League: Everton 0 Newcastle 0
It was inevitable Anthony Gordon would feature prominently on his return to Goodison Park but this was not how the Newcastle forward would have envisaged the script. Gordon was denied from the penalty spot by his England colleague Jordan Pickford as Everton and Newcastle fought out a highly entertaining goalless draw.
The former Everton forward also wasted chances from open play as Eddie Howe’s side failed to build on last weekend’s impressive display in the draw against Manchester City. They also escaped a strong Everton claim for a second-half penalty when Dan Burn brought Dominic Calvert-Lewin crashing down in front of goal. The video assistant referee found Calvert-Lewin guilty of the initial foul.
It was a lively, incident-packed first half with VAR, Pickford and, predictably, Gordon to the fore. Everton’s determined start came against a backdrop of yet more disruption to their defence. Sean Dyche was able to field his strongest backline of the season against Crystal Palace last weekend when Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko returned from injury and illness respectively.
A first Premier League win of the season duly ensued. But both were back in the treatment room a week later and, with no recognised right-back available, James Garner had to fill that role with Ashley Young switched to the left. Newcastle were unable to take full advantage in the first half, despite controlling midfield through Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães and the pace in their attack.
Guimarães came close to volleying the visitors into an early lead when a Kieran Trippier corner glanced off Calvert-Lewin and found the Newcastle captain unmarked at the back post. The midfielder’s effort beat Pickford but Iliman Ndiaye somehow flicked the ball off the line and out for a corner with his instep.
Everton thought they had opened the scoring in fine style when Garner delivered a superb cross into the heart of the Newcastle penalty area and the soaring Abdoulaye Doucouré headed into the top corner. Doucouré had signalled where he wanted the ball as soon as Calvert-Lewin had found the makeshift right back in space. He timed his run just too early, however, and Everton celebrations were eventually curtailed by a VAR review for offside.
VAR intervened again when James Tarkowski foolishly hauled Tonali to the ground at a Newcastle corner. Both players had their arms around each other before the Everton defender dragged the Italy midfielder over by the collar. After a pitchside review Craig Pawson pointed to the spot to give Gordon the perfect opportunity to score for the first time against his former club and repeat his penalty success against Manchester City last weekend. The Gwladys Street berated their former winger mercilessly as he stepped forward to take the spot-kick. Pickford, enduring his usual barracking from the Newcastle fans for hailing from Sunderland, flung himself low to the left to tip away the penalty to leave Goodison in raptures.
Gordon’s frustrations continued when he squandered a free header from Jacob Murphy’s cross in first half stoppage time. The 23-year-old, again operating at centre-forward in the absence of Alexander Isak, tried to tee up Joelinton instead of heading for goal himself and Everton cleared gratefully.
The England international had licence to roam across Newcastle’s front line and caused Everton numerous problems from the flanks in the second half. Moments after the restart Gordon floated an inviting cross to the back post where Joelinton headed down for the incoming Tonali. Tarkowski made amends for his earlier rush-of-blood with a vital block.
Pickford denied Newcastle substitute Miguel Almirón before Idrissa Gueye cleared Tonali’s header off the line from the resulting corner. Everton chances were limited by comparison, with Calvert-Lewin isolated, but the home side should have edged ahead when Dwight McNeil gave the centre-forward the service he craved inside the Newcastle box. Calvert-Lewin’s low shot on the turn was palmed away by Nick Pope. As he closed in on the rebound the striker was sent tumbling by Burn’s challenge from behind.
It looked a clear penalty but Pawson was unmoved and VAR deemed that Calvert-Lewin had kicked Burn’s leg first. Either way, Gueye should have made the argument redundant when reaching the loose ball first but he somehow blazed over an open goal from four yards out. – Guardian
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