A round-up of how the national media reported on Everton’s 0-0 home draw with Newcastle United as Jordan Pickford saved Anthony Gordon’s penalty
The individual battle between Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon and the home crowd at Goodison Park dominated the agenda in the national media after Everton’s goalless draw with the Magpies as the winger’s penalty was saved by Jordan Pickford.
Paul Joyce in The Times wrote: “For Anthony Gordon it was, in many ways, just like old times. Goodison Park would rise almost as one in recognition of his efforts with throaty cheers that reverberated loud and clear for miles around. This time, however, the cries feasted only on his misery after a first-half penalty aberration and spoke volumes for how he is now perceived in these parts after his defection from Everton to Newcastle United in January 2023.
“Gordon would have anticipated the barrage of boos that had greeted his every other touch and so will continue to rue his inability to silence the taunts and have the last laugh by beating his England team-mate Jordan Pickford from 12 yards.
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“His fortune would not improve, either, with a late opening resulting only in a shot that sailed over the crossbar. Cue more angst and with that, too, went Newcastle’s hopes of finishing the day in the top four in the Premier League.
“That there was scarcely any danger after Gordon’s spot-kick was a poor reflection on the visiting side and highlighted the importance of the 35th-minute flashpoint sparked by James Tarkowski’s attempt to play the hardman when throwing (Sandro) Tonali to the turf WWE-style at another set piece. The review by Craig Pawson, the referee, and the wait for Pickford to ready himself would have felt interminable for Gordon, even allowing for the fact his confidence had been pepped by last weekend’s success from the spot against Ederson in the draw with Manchester City.
“This time, Pickford guessed correctly, diving to his left and saving with his right knee. As Abdoulaye Doucoure led the celebrations à la Martin Keown and Ruud van Nistelrooy all those years ago, Gordon, the target of an outpouring of giddy vitriol from the stands, stood and grimaced.”
Chris Bascombe in the Daily Telegraph wrote: “This was not so much Everton versus Newcastle United as the battle of Anthony Gordon and Goodison Park. The ex-Everton winger might concede he played the stadium more than the game when missing a 34th minute penalty, Jordan Pickford’s inside knowledge denying his England team-mate and earning his side a goalless draw.
“Gordon ought to have made amends when sent clear with seven minutes left, his anxious, snatched effort again leaving the impression that in any other venue he would have been the matchwinner.
“Howe knew such opportunities had to be taken to change the flavour of the kind of attritional game Sean Dyche loves, Everton hustling their way to a point by allowing Newcastle the ball but never a sense of comfort. It was an evening which suited the hosts when the aggro level intensified as the quality dwindled.
“For two clubs with much in common there is a perceptible mutual antipathy between Everton and Newcastle. They are giants in their region with aspirations to export their untapped potential, the takeovers they craved for so long seemingly taking them in different directions.
“Everton hope their most recent buy-out – still to be ratified – will enable them to build the kind of foundations Howe is still in the process of constructing. Three years into their new era under the Saudis, Newcastle stand as an example that no matter how capable and ambitious prospective Everton owner Dan Friedkin is, the days when a few mega-million-pound cheques will immediately propel an underperforming club to title contention are gone.
“But there was no kinship, the sight of Gordon in a black and white jersey a reminder that Newcastle possess the hope and resources Evertonians desire. Gordon was sold due to a combination of his determination to go and Everton’s financial needs. But to his former supporters, his actions constituted a betrayal when the club was fighting relegation – the winger’s flirtation with Liverpool last summer picked at the wound.
“The deafening jeering of his name before kick-off was merely an hors d’oeuvre. This reached a crescendo when Gordon strode forward for the spot kick after a VAR intervention correctly observed James Tarkowski grappling with Sandro Tonali, Everton’s centre-half indulging in a shove more worthy of the WWE. Incensed, the home supporters increased the decibel level when noting the penalty taker. Gordon faced a test of nerve to beat Pickford and failed, England’s No 1 diving to his left to make a save celebrated as much as any Everton goal this season.
“Gordon’s squandered opportunities left a lasting impression. Everyone could shake hands and call it a draw, but the England winger will have felt most bruised by the scrap.”
Andy Hunter in The Guardian wrote: “The cloud that Anthony Gordon left Goodison Park under has not lifted. A prominent role for the Newcastle forward was inevitable on his return to Everton but being denied from the penalty spot and missing several chances to silence the jeers was not how he envisaged the script. A highly entertaining goalless draw could not distract from his torment.
“Jordan Pickford won the battle of wits with his England colleague to save Gordon’s spot-kick as Eddie Howe’s team struggled to build on their encouraging display against Manchester City. Newcastle produced their best defensive display of the season, according to Howe, and controlled much of the contest. But wastefulness in front of goal cost the visitors, who escaped a strong Everton claim for a penalty of their own when Dan Burn brought Dominic Calvert-Lewin crashing down when he appeared certain to score. VAR found the Everton striker guilty of initiating contact. “It was an absorbing spectacle considering the lack of quality in the final third from both teams. Everton created little overall but after more disruption to their defence, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko sidelined through injury, a first Premier League clean sheet of the season was welcomed by Sean Dyche. James Garner, deputising at right back, was exemplary. Pickford and the often-maligned Michael Keane were not far behind.”
Simon Mullock in The Mirror wrote: “If Everton are still a Premier League club when they move to their spectacular new stadium on the banks of the Mersey next year then they will need Jordan Pickford to be at his very best.
“In an era when players need little encouragement to cash in on an international cap, England’s No.1 keeper has shown admirable loyalty by sticking by the Toffees during one of the most turbulent periods of their storied history.
“There would be no shortage of takers should Pickford ever indicate that he’s had enough of scrapping for survival down at the bottom of the table. The 30-year-old is at the peak of his career – and he illustrated his value to Sean Dyche and Everton’s perspective new owners once again with a penalty save to deny former Goodison hero Anthony Gordon.
“The mischievous Mackem would have no doubt taken extra satisfaction from his heroics after getting plenty of grief from Newcastle’s travelling Toon Army over his Tyne and Wear roots and Sunderland past.
“Pickford was called on to intervene after James Tarkowski was caught performing a textbook first-half bodyslam on Sandro Tonali by VAR official Chris Kavanagh.
“It was a move that might be legal in WWE, but not the Premier League – but Pickford would have taken note of Gordon beating Manchester City ’s Ederson with a shot to the Brazilian’s right last week and instinct told him his former team-mate might switch sides.
“He was right. The raucous Evertonian celebrations might have carried all the way to the waterfront.
“Gordon hasn’t been forgiven for leaving for St James’ Park almost two years ago – despite his £45million fee helping the Merseysiders avoid more Profit and Sustainability issues. Perhaps his confession that he grew up supporting Liverpool might also have something to do with it.
“This was Pickford’s night to settle some old scores. He has proved something of a penalty-saving specialist as England emerged victorious from a number of World Cup and Euro shoot-outs under Gareth Southgate over the past six years. But this was his first success in the Premier League since denying James Maddison almost 18 months ago.
And our own Joe Thomas wrote: “‘Cheer up Jordan Pickford…’, the away end sung as Newcastle United’s supporters resumed their battle with their arch-nemesis. Yet once again, there was only one winner in a war that has turned emphatically in favour of the England number one.
“Pickford sparked a brawl amid the celebrations as Everton smashed Newcastle at Goodison Park last season, a game in which he kept a clean sheet.
“At St James’ Park in April the 30-year-old was named man of the match after ignoring the dinosaur costumes teasing him from within the home crowd to keep the Blues in the game long enough to snatch a late equaliser that proved fatal to Newcastle’s hopes of qualifying for European football.
“On Saturday night, under the lights of Goodison, he held firm behind a patched up defence and produced the defining moment of this match as he dived to his left to block Anthony Gordon’s first half penalty. It was a moment that simultaneously swelled the influence of Pickford and diminished that of Gordon, who was booed on his return to the boyhood club he left after handing in a transfer request.”