Everton and Newcastle United were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw on a night where Stephen Warnock spotted a Blues player ‘outsmart’ Anthony Gordon into a mistake.
The Toon gem travelled back to Goodison Park on Saturday as Gordon made his third outing as an opposition player at the stadium he once called home. He has now taken a win, tasted a defeat and accepted a draw on the Toffees’ turf since changing sides in January 2023, too.
Newcastle signed Gordon for an initial £40m, rising to £45m with add-ons, having only given Everton seven goals and three assists over 65 Premier League games. The 23-year-old is on 14 goals and 10 assists in 58 games for the Toon but failed to add to either tally at Goodison.
Everton’s Jordan Pickford ‘outsmarted’ Anthony Gordon to save Newcastle’s penalty
James Tarkowski conceding a first-half penalty for throwing Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali to the ground gifted Gordon a great chance to score against Everton. But Jordan Pickford emerged as Tarkowski’s hero by saving the spot-kick by diving down quickly to the goalkeeper’s left.
Warnock even felt Pickford had already won his battle with Gordon before the England star walked up to the spot. The ex-Liverpool left-back believes the 30-year-old won their mental battle – while Gordon failing to produce a clean attempt from 12 yards out also helped out.
“Jordan Pickford outsmarted Anthony Gordon,” Warnock said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “It is not a good penalty and Pickford actually saves it with his knee. He’s gone well before he’s even kicked the ball.”
Jordan Pickford is the first goalkeeper to save an Anthony Gordon penalty in senior football
Pickford committed himself to diving to the Everton goalkeeper’s left-hand side early while Gordon was approaching the end of the Newcastle winger’s run-up to the penalty spot. He gambled on the winger going for the corner without waiting for Gordon to reveal his hand.
It was a risk ultimately worth Pickford taking as he covered Everton’s goal line to the left and left no room for Gordon’s shot to squirm into the net. But if the Liverpool-born attacker had hesitated in his run, then Gordon would have had the opportunity to react to Pickford’s dive.
But as Gordon was fully committed to shooting to the Newcastle player’s right, Pickford had the penalty covered. It was even the first penalty in his professional career that Gordon has failed to convert, although it was also only the third that the six-cap England gem had taken.
Pickford has also now saved seven of the 59 penalties that the Everton goalkeeper has ever faced in first-team football. He last saved a penalty in May 2023 when James Maddison hit home for Leicester City in a 2-2 draw. Pickford had conceded his last eight penalties faced.
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