Everton 0-0 Newcastle
Premier League, Sat, Oct 5, 2024
Shots
8 - 14
Shots on Target
2 - 3
Possession
32% - 68%
Pass Completion
74% - 86%
Corners
0 - 10
Fouls
12 - 8
Yellow Cards
1 - 2
Red Cards
0 - 0
&c
Newcastle dominated their last ever league visit to Goodison Park but came away with only a point to show for it after Jordan Pickford bettered Anthony Gordon in the battle of the pantomime villains.
This was primarily in the form of a first half penalty save after Tonali was inexplicably hauled to the ground at a corner, VAR intervening in our favour.
As soon as Gordon, playing as a striker out of necessity, picked up the ball I had a sinking feeling born of too many years of watching us snatch failure from the jaws of success.
Jordan Pickford gurning and frothing in the Everton goal, Gordon desperate to get one over on a home crowd that, having hounded him out of the club, was heckling him at every opportunity.
Gordon having scored his previous five penalties.
All of these things added up to an xG of 0, with the only variable being how the miss would manifest itself.
In this instance, the ball was dribbled low, with no pace, and central enough that even Pickford could reach it.
Aside from the penalty miss, Gordon also had one glorious second half opportunity but blasted the ball over the bar when one on one with the keeper when all conventional wisdom said that low and hard across the keeper was the only option.
While there weren't many other chances for either team (a disallowed goal for a clear offside and a few long-range sighters from McNeil Everton's sum total of attacking output), we played well, and after the early season performances that should definitely count for something.
Tonali is growing into the season nicely and Bruno and Joelinton have settled down somewhat.
It's probably fair to say that with a proper striker we win this game.
Unfortunately, the days of relying on Callum Wilson are long gone, and Isak's broken toe doesn't exactly bode well.
If Osula can't be trusted to come on in games like this, it does beg the question of when we think he'll be ready and, to be honest, why we bought him.
For my money he's worth some minutes and his pace could have frightened the Everton defence.
But a point away from home, coupled with a good performance, is never a bad result, though if we really have designs on the European places, we need to find a way to win games like this.
That may require some actual upgrading of the squad.