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Anthony Gordon missed a penalty as Newcastle United drew 0-0 with Everton at Goodison Park.
After the home side had an Abdoulaye Doucoure header ruled out for offside, Gordon stepped up for a spot kick when James Tarkowski stupidly threw Sandro Tonali to the floor just before a ball was played into the penalty area.
However, the former Everton player saw his tame kick saved by Jordan Pickford, leaving Newcastle with a point to take them up to sixth in the Premier League table, with their opponents remaining 16th.
Here, Chris Waugh and Jacob Whitehead analyse the key talking points from the game.
Not so flash, Gordon
Gordon was always going to be central to this story.
For Newcastle at the moment, he has had to cover as an emergency striker, given Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson’s respective toe and hamstring injuries, rather than continue in his favoured left-wing position.
Having led the line well against Manchester City last weekend — winning and scoring a penalty — Gordon terrorised Everton’s defence throughout the first half. By the 42nd minute, he had made 15 sprints, more than double anyone else on the pitch, and was constantly looking to run in behind.
The issue? Although Gordon’s unorthodox centre-forward play disrupted Everton’s back line, being fouled four times inside 45 minutes, it also meant Newcastle lacked a focal point. The 23-year-old often found himself in dangerous positions with nobody to cross to.
He also directed a point-blank-range header back across goal towards Joelinton, rather than aim it on target, when Jacob Murphy whipped in a delicious cross on the stroke of half-time. As threatening as Gordon is, he is not a natural penalty-box striker like Wilson, or as experienced at centre-forward as Isak.
When Sandro Tonali was aggressively thrown to the ground off the ball in the box by James Tarkowski in the 31st minute, and referee Craig Pawson belatedly awarded the penalty following VAR’s intervention, Gordon immediately grabbed the ball. He smirked at Everton defenders who tried to put him off but, having conducted the penalty routine he spoke so confidently about after the Manchester City game, his spot kick was poorly struck, allowing Jordan Pickford to save the effort with his legs.
That moment was greeted with a raucous celebration inside Goodison Park, given that Gordon, a player who left in controversial circumstances, was the culprit. In hindsight, perhaps Fabian Schar, who scored a penalty against AFC Wimbledon in midweek, should have taken it, but Gordon was never going to shirk the opportunity.
However, as difficult as Gordon made it for Everton’s defenders, the penalty was his only first-half shot. Then, in the 81st minute, Miguel Almiron played Gordon clean through on goal, yet he fizzed his effort over the bar, rather than managing to test Pickford.
Had Wilson or Isak been on the pitch, Newcastle would surely have been out of sight.
Scrappy scenes
Goodison Park was served up a scrappy game in which both sides lacked composure in possession.
Remember, these are two of the most direct teams in the league — Everton play the highest percentage of forward passes in the division (43.1 per cent), while Newcastle are third (38.4 per cent).
In Everton’s case, this stems up from a rejection of building out from the back — they want to win second balls in midfield or play in transition. The midfield pair of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Orel Mangala are picked for their off-ball presence, not their ability to manage possession.
For Newcastle, despite this being their first-choice midfield, they still lack some of the balance which Eddie Howe discussed after the Fulham defeat.
(Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
While Bruno Guimaraes offers control, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali (above) are more dynamos than dictators of play. With Joelinton handed a new long-term deal in April, and Tonali arriving last summer on a club record three, this is a situation which the club embraced.
Over the coming months, the return of Sven Botman from a long-term knee injury will help Newcastle’s ability to build play from deep.
But in the short-term, this led to a first half in which Newcastle’s best chances came from a set-piece and a rash off-ball penalty — and passages where Everton gave Newcastle the ball, only for the visitors to struggle with what do with it.
A clean sheet on the road
Newcastle could — and should — have won this match. Everton were there for the taking, Newcastle had more than enough shots (14) and countless openings to collect their second away win of the season.
But, while this may feel like two points dropped, it also felt like a step forward on the road, especially compared with their last away performance. The meek 3-1 surrender at Fulham last month was one of the worst displays of the Howe era and provided further evidence that Newcastle are a very different side on their travels to the one who boast an imperious record at St James’ Park.
At Goodison Park, Newcastle dominated the ball, with 68 per cent possession, and territory. Their decision-making in the final third was found wanting, but, aside from a magnificent Nick Pope stop from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a disallowed Abdoulaye Doucoure goal, Newcastle never looked like conceding.
Just a second clean sheet in 20 Premier League away matches — their last shutout on the road came at Fulham on April 6 — is extremely significant, regardless of how insipid their opponents were in attack. Everton only managed 12 touches in the opposition box. Newcastle had managed 42 in the Everton area by the same point.
Newcastle are still searching for consistency and fluency in possession on their travels, but resilience and defensive discipline are crucial to securing positive away results. It is only a start, but it is an encouraging sign.
NYT