All eyes will be on one man tonight when Newcastle United take on Everton at Goodison Park, but Toffees boss Sean Dyche has refused to make Anthony Gordon the centre of attention.
The Magpies are off to Merseyside tonight, which means Anthony Gordon is heading home for just the second time since signing for Newcastle United.
His last visit to Goodison Park went pretty well, with Newcastle winning 4-1 on a night where Alexander Isak produced one of the most beautiful ‘assists’ you will ever see.
As for Gordon, he spent the majority of the game on the bench, but he was introduced as a late substitute by Eddie Howe.
However, it will be a different story tonight. Gordon will certainly start, as he looks to continue his rich vein of form.
The 22-year-old is playing brilliantly right now, and Toon fans are eager for him to be the difference maker against his former club.
Sean Dyche dodges Anthony Gordon question to praise Newcastle
But it is a different story for Everton manager Sean Dyche, who was asked about Gordon’s current form after the Toffees agreed to sell him almost 12 months ago.
Dyche turned down the chance to wax lyrical about Gordon, and instead opted to look at Newcastle’s strengths as a whole rather than focus on an individual.
“I don’t know much about him in the sense of working with him on a daily basis,” he said.
“It seems like he’s settled into life up there. They’ve collected some very good players, put an amount of money into the team that’s helped, a good manager as well. It’s a good mixture and they’ve shown that.
“It’s not about one player. I think they’re a good side and, other than their injuries, I think they’ve got a good squad actually.”
Clever response from Dyche ahead of Everton vs Newcastle
It is probably a wise move from Dyche, as the Everton faithful aren’t too fond of Gordon after his departure – and they will remind him of that fact tonight.
But Gordon will just have to let his football do the talking. He will be full of confidence going into tonight’s game, while there is extra incentive for him to excel at his former stomping ground.
Dyche has actually been very complimentary towards Newcastle United, rather than disrespectful about Gordon. He is impressed with what has been going on at St James’ Park, and that includes Gordon’s contributions.
All eyes will be on Gordon tonight, but Dyche is well aware that Newcastle have various other threats that can hurt his team.
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