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HomeSportsAnthony Gordon Misses Penalty on Goodison Return in Newcastle’s 0-0 Stalemate

Anthony Gordon Misses Penalty on Goodison Return in Newcastle’s 0-0 Stalemate

Explore the details of Anthony Gordon’s missed penalty during his Goodison return, contributing to Newcastle’s 0-0 stalemate. Read more for insights and reactions.

Introduction:

The long-awaited return for Anthony Gordon to Goodison Park was not as he might have imagined it, for the Newcastle United attacker, formerly of Everton, saw his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford in what would otherwise turn out to be a disappointing 0-0 draw for both teams. Even though Newcastle dominated the game, they couldn’t find a way to breach the resilience of the opponent, courtesy of the brilliance from Pickford and some extremely poor finishing at one end from Gordon and his teammates in the Premier League.

A Redemption Missed Opportunity

Gordon, who had unbelievably converted a penalty against Manchester City only the week before, looked Newcastle’s man for the big moments. This time, his failure from 12 yards proved expensive. By the 28th minute, James Tarkowski’s clumsy foul on Sandro Tonali gave Gordon the chance to open the scoring. Confidently, the winger was denied by Pickford, his former teammate, who dived to his left and managed to block the shot with his legs.
See also: McNeil’s Brilliance Powers Everton to Vital 2-1 Win Against Palace

Anthony Gordon
Image Source: Premier League

The save galvanized the Evertonians. And many of those who watched the match still have strong feelings about Gordon’s leaving for Newcastle in January 2023. The moment will ensure the game is level, but it marked the shape of a match in which both teams had craved that clinical edge to get all three points.

First Half

Game flowed with Newcastle looking to dominate possession while Everton were out there looking to make quick breaks. Everton were convinced that they had scored when Abdoulaye Doucoure headed a cross by James Garner in, only for VAR to intervene and overturn for offside.

Anthony Gordon
Image Source: Premier League

The game now was all pretty tight for the claim to authority after the disallowed goal. Tarkowski’s foul on Tonali in the box provided the first real opportunity for Newcastle, but Gordon’s penalty miss changed things back to Everton.

During the second period, the Toffees had their cause for a penalty when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was pulled down by Dan Burn after Nick Pope had parried his initial effort. The referee waved away Everton’s claims, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

Newcastle, however persisted and went forward. It was virtually a last-minute winner as Miguel Almiron released Gordon to that end. But Gordon’s chip from close range flew over the bar as his afternoon went badly astray.

Anthony Gordon
Image Source: Premier League

Defensive Solidity Amid Injuries

Everton’s rearguard solidity was remarkable, considering they were depleted of key players. Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko missed out owing to injuries that left the backline stretched to breaking point. Only James Tarkowski – one member from Sean Dyche’s favored defense – remained. Yet, Everton’s defensive backline did stand up.

Tarkowski had a patchy himself. At times, he really did struggle, most notably when he was punished for his reckless, late tackle on Joelinton, conceding the penalty, but was bailed out by his teammates, and by Pickford. Michael Keane beside him made some important tackles, and one late block did deny Joelinton a clear scoring opportunity.

Anthony Gordon
Image Source: Premier League

While Everton emerged with a clean sheet, anything but defensive fragility was glaringly obvious. And if there were a more pitiless counterpart to the Toffees, that team would’ve taken fuller advantage of Everton’s lapses at both ends of the pitch. Dyche knows improvement is needed, particularly heading into the international break when the Toffees face Ipswich Town.

Gordon’s Tough Welcome Return

Even at kickoff, Gordon, suspended for one game by the club for his unsportsmanlike conduct during the Everton game, was everywhere in town. The crowd jeered him every time he touched the ball. Early on, though, he did flash some brilliance and had an excellent relationship with Joelinton and Almiron.

Anthony Gordon
Image Source: Premier League

For all his optimism, however, nothing shook him quite as much as the penalty miss. In a game where Newcastle needed the triggers to fire in the absence of strikers Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, he remained unable to do so. But when the chance finally came in the form of Almiron breaking out with Gordon on goal in injury time, he saw his last chance go begging again, dragging an effort high over the bar.

Anthony Gordon
Image Source: Premier League

Conclusion

The 0-0 result was perhaps a fixture result that suited Everton more than Newcastle. To Everton, it was a hard point earned at the expense of Newcastle, which pushes them further away from the relegation zone. To Newcastle, frustration regarding a somewhat missed chance will be carried forward as they failed to break into the top four.

So, Eddie Howe would be looking forward to getting the input of Isak and Wilson, who will be back after the international break for his side at Goodison Park. For Gordon, it would be this opportunity to put this kind of performance behind him and get back to his form after such an underwhelming return to his former club.

Author

  • Ideapot

    Welcome to my world! I'm Goutam Kumar Dutta, the brains behind this platform. As an author and the proud owner of this site, I'm on a mission to bring you the latest and most intriguing sports news from various genres. But it's not just about sports - entertainment in all its forms also captivates my interest. Whether it's analyzing the latest match or delving into the world of entertainment, I strive to provide comprehensive coverage and valuable insights.

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