FRANK GETS A GORDON TONIC
Wanted Toffees star is Lamps’ shining light
ANTHONY GORDON showed just why Everton are so reluctant to let him leave yesterday.
But Brentford super-sub Vitaly Janelt (left) struck late to deny the 21-year-old a perfect day out, and also the Toffees a first league win of the season.
Gordon is a serious target for Chelsea who have already seen a £45million bid turned down by Frank Lampard’s club.
‘Flash’ Gordon’s coolly-taken 24thminute goal, a first of the campaign, may just have put another £15m on his price.
But the Bees deserved at least a point from this thrilling encounter, in which they had earlier hit the woodwork three times.
And eventually Janelt unpicked the lock and broke the resistance of Everton and the impressive Jordan Pickford six minutes from the end.
Everton’s new arrival and former Brentford striker Neal Maupay was not signed from Brighton in time to play against his old club. And that saw Lampard, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin out and Salomon Rondon surprisingly left on the bench, go with an experimental and striker-free forward line.
The home side should have been ahead after eight minutes. Rico Henry broke from left-back, and his cut-back reached Bryan Mbeumo but he steered his shot wide.
After 17 minutes Brentford broke swiftly, finishing with Mathias Jensen’s 20-yard shot coming back off a post.
Pickford made an important save from Christian Norgaard’s flick at the near post from a Jensen corner. And the importance of that stop was magnified after 24 minutes as Gordon put Everton ahead in a Premier League game for the first time this season.
Conor Coady’s diagonal pass too easily freed the forward, and he picked his spot in the far corner and fired past David Raya.
The home side wasted two more chances after 33 minutes, Ivan Toney heading against the post and Yoane Wissa blazing the rebound over the bar.
Norgaard hit the bar after the break with an overhead kick and at the other end Gordon saw a volley saved by Raya.
Janelt brought another fine save from Pickford – but with just six minutes left he did get on the scoresheet, finishing at close range after Keane Lewis-Potter flicked on a Jensen corner.
At the end Gordon took off his shirt and threw it to the away fans. Was that a farewell? It remains to be seen.