Anthony Gordon’s return to Goodison Park took a dramatic turn as he missed a crucial penalty against his former club Everton.
The Newcastle winger’s spot-kick was expertly saved by Jordan Pickford, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
The penalty was awarded after a lengthy VAR review, with referee Craig Pawson consulting the pitchside monitor.
The Premier League matchday centre explained: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Tarkowski on Tonali is checked by VAR, who recommended an on-field review deeming that this was a non-footballing action.”
Anthony Gordon saw his penalty saved
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Despite the controversial decision, Everton and Pickford had the last laugh as the England goalkeeper denied his former teammate.
Gordon’s missed penalty came just a week after he confidently discussed his spot-kick technique.
Following a successful penalty against Manchester City, he told Match of the Day: “I practice a lot. I think coming through the ranks with the England youth teams, the FA brought in a process for penalties so now I have my own process which means basically nothing else matters in that moment except my process.”
The winger’s bold words now seem premature, as his poor execution at Goodison Park left him with egg on his face.
His previous assertion that he feels “really confident” taking penalties was not reflected in his performance against Everton.
The Everton faithful relished Gordon’s misfortune, with chants of “England’s number one” echoing around Goodison Park after Pickford’s save.
The atmosphere was electric, as the home supporters had already seen VAR overturn an Abdoulaye Doucoure goal for offside earlier in the match.
Pickford’s heroics provided a much-needed boost for the Toffees.
The save not only denied Gordon a goal against his former club but also maintained Everton’s hopes in a crucial fixture.
Jordan Pickford pulled out a fine save to stop Anthony Gordon
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The incident highlighted the intense emotions surrounding Gordon’s return to Merseyside, where he had previously made 78 appearances for Everton.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had anticipated the emotional nature of Gordon’s return to Goodison Park.
Speaking before the match, Howe said: “Having been back there twice, this will be his third time and I think each time, it’s been slightly easier for Anthony but, still, he’ll be emotional.”
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Anthony Gordon was making his return to Goodison Park
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Howe had praised Gordon’s recent performance against Manchester City, stating: “I thought he was excellent last week, leading the line for us really well on and off the ball.”
The manager also expressed hope that strikers Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson would be available for Newcastle’s next fixture against Crystal Palace on 19 October, following the international break.