Gomes steps up rehabilitation by featuring in Toffees friendly
EVERTON midfielder Andre Gomes has returned to action after suffering an horrific fracture dislocation to his ankle in November.
The 26-year-old played an hour of a behind-closed-doors friendlyattheclub’sFinchFarm training base yesterday and medical staff reported no issues following the run out.
Everton tweeted an update, which read: “Andre Gomes today played the full 60 minutes in an 11-a-side game made up of first-team players and Under-23s, with no issues reported by the club’s medical staff.”
Gomes was playing for the first time since suffering the injury following a tackle from Son Heung-min during Everton’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham at Goodison Park on November 3.
He will now continue training with the first-team squad ahead of the Premier League trip to Arsenal next weekend.
The Toffees have, meanwhile, announced they will cut short their partnership agreement with online betting firm SportPesa.
The Kenyan gaming brand, which has been on the club’s shirts since a five-year deal was struck in May 2017, has agreed to the termination of its contract at the end of the season.
A club spokesperson said: “This has been a difficult decision but one that allows us to best deliver on our commercial plan and to grasp the new opportunities now open to us.”
Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale admitted at the club’s annual general meeting in January that “in an ideal world” the team would not be sponsored by a gambling company.
The close links between football and the betting industry remain firmly in the spotlight and board officials at the AGM were asked about their close association with SportPesa and how it could comfortably sit alongside the work the club’s Everton in the Community scheme did around mental health issues.
Barrett-Baxendale accepted it would be preferable to have a different sponsor going forward.
ARSENAL fans have learned to be sceptical of managers, players and false dawns. But as Mikel Arteta orchestrated his second Premier League win with a performance that, for the final hour at least, spoke of a greater coherence and, dare it be said, swagger from those in red, it would not be wrong to wonder if this is a breakthrough moment.
The Spaniard spoke of the winter’s break in Dubai as a “mini pre-season” and this 4-0 win over Newcastle had the hallmarks of a sustained finish to the season with fifth spot suddenly a position worth striving for.
Manchester City’s alleged financial malfeasance may well be to Arsenal’s benefit.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, they have always got a chance.
His 15th goal of the season, and 47th since debuting in February 2018 — only Mohammed Salah, with 49, has more in this period — allayed what fears had grown after a patchy start and opened a door that Newcastle could not close.
Just 156 seconds later, Nicolas Pepe had doubled the lead. The gloss, and then some, came with injury-time finishes from Mesut Ozil and second-half substitute Alexandre Lacazette.
Maybe it was the elongated break of 14 and 12 days for the hosts and challengers, respectively, that made the first half feel like a bout between two boxers who hadn’t stepped into the ring for a while.
Those opening 45 minutes seemed as much about just feeling each other out. Neither was keen to take any liberties just yet.
Newcastle were keener to engage, with full-backs Danny Rose and Valentino Lazaro, both on full debuts, adopting wide positions and offering both reflex-board passes for Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin or distractions to allow both space further in-field.
As such, Buyako Saka and Hector Bellerin were pinned back, meaning they could not provide similar support for their attacks.
Had it not been for Joelinton’s right foot, he might have tested Bernd Leno as early as the 15th
ARSENAL: Leno, Bellerin, Mustafi, Luiz, Saka, Ceballos (Torreira, 82 mins), Xhaka, Pepe, Ozil (Willock, 90 mins), Aubameyang, Nketiah (Lacazette, 85 mins). Unused subs: Papastathopoulos, Martinez, Kolasinac, Martinelli. NEWCASTLE: Dubravka, Lazaro (Hayden, 74 mins), Fernandez (Ritchie, 75 mins),
minute when a cut-back from Saint-Maximin was directed goalwards with his left. The Brazilian’s standing leg did the defence’s work.
If you are looking for a precise moment the game flipped, then you need to look no further than the 31st minute.
The previously subdued Ozil took two touches of brilliance — the first misdirecting Sean Long
Lascelles, Clark (Schar, 83 mins), Rose, Almiron, S Longstaff, Bentaleb, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton. Unused subs: Lejeune, Darlow, Atsu, M Longstaff.
Referee: Lee Mason
Man of the match: Nicolas Pepe
Match rating: 7/10
staff in the centre, the second an outside-of-the-foot pass finding Aubameyang lurking with intent just outside the box.
While the forward’s run and shot were tamed, not only did it register the Gunners’ first shot on target but it seemed to remind them just what they are capable of.
It is to the credit of the players and invariably Arteta that the half-time break did not impinge on that enthusiasm.
Ozil and Dani Ceballos, integral to the domination of those 15 minutes before the break, were just as in sync for the restart. Their interplay was brilliant to watch.
Eddie Nketiah — who has been recalled from his loan period at Leeds United — should have marked his first Premier League start with a goal five minutes into the second half.
Alas, he could only find the top of the bar when Pepe’s cutback had taken Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka out of the picture.
Four minutes later, that miss was forgotten.
What enthusiasm Rose and Saint-Maximin had shown going forward was lacking when Pepe received the ball wide on the right and shifted onto his favoured left foot.
The cross was just perfect, a wholesome blend of dink to elevate it to the back post and pace to ensure Aubameyang’s forehead did not have to work too hard to beat Dubravka into the far corner.
And less than three minutes later, Pepe would be further inside — between the penalty spot and the six-yard box — to sweep home his fourth goal of the season.
Saka was the provider this time around, showcasing those wide traits that come so naturally to him, nutmegging Lazaro and maintaining his composure into the box to set up the Ivorian.
No other Arsenal player has more than the 18-year-old’s eight league assists this campaign.