Lampard relief as Anthony Gordon breathes new life into Everton survival bid
PRECIOUS: Everton's Michael Keane and Man Utd's Victor Lindelof battle for possession at Goodison Park.
ANTHONY Gordon’s first-half winner eased Everton’s relegation concerns and underlined the enormity of the task facing Manchester United’s new manager.
That role will reportedly go to Dutchman Erik ten Hag this summer but United’s latest setback under caretaker Ralf Rangnick saw United all but surrender their fading hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Instead, it was Everton who boosted their hopes of continuing their 68-year stay in the top flight and ensured that, for this weekend at least, they remained out of the bottom three.
United had made a promising start to the contest, a fact that added to the understandable tension among Evertonians, on and off the field.
An early Bruno Fernandes free-kick was headed on to Marcus Rashford whose shot was well saved by Jordan Pickford.
And Everton’s England keeper made an even better stop after 12 minutes, blocking Rashford from close range as he met another delivery from Fernandes.
But the home side, winners of just three of their previous 23 league games, weathered that storm and took the lead from their first meaningful attack on 27 minutes.
Richarlison’s pass saw Victor Lindelof challenge its intended receiver Alex Iwobi just inside the United area.
The ball broke to Gordon, on the edge of the box, and his terrific first-time strike took a helpful deflection off Harry Maguire on its way past David de Gea.
It was a goal that breathed life into Everton and left United, not for the first time this season, floundering.
Michael Keane headed just over from a Gordon free-kick and a 20-yard attempt from Richarlison came off Lindelof, requiring de Gea to acrobatically tip the ball over.
The visitors threatened briefly after the restart when Rashford failed to connect with a tantalising deep ball from Fernandes which eventually bounced just wide of the Everton goal.
It was the start of an interesting second half which flowed from end to end but did not offer too many concerns for either keeper.
United’s attack was incapable of creating anything meaningful, despite the introductions of Anthony Elanga and Juan Mata off the bench, and it took until the 80th minute for Paul Pogba to force Pickford into even a routine save, with a tame effort from 25 yards.
A frustrating afternoon for the Reds was summed upon in the closing minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for petulantly kicking the ball away.
And his mood was not helped deep in added time when Pickford made his one meaningful save of the half, deflecting away a Ronaldo shot from 10 yards after Maguire’s header had set up the chance.
(4-3-3): Pickford 6; Coleman 7, Godfrey 7, Keane 6, Mykolenko 6; Delph 7 (Doucoure 83), Allan 6, Iwobi 6; Gordon 9, Calvert-Lewin 7 (Gray 71, 6), Richarlison 8.Â
Kenny, Holgate, Begovic, Gomes, Braithwaite, Rondon, Alli.
(4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Wan-Bissaka 5, Lindelof 5, Maguire 6, Telles 6; Fred 5 (Pogba 36, 6), Matic 6 (Mata 63, 6); Rashford 6 (Elanga 63, 6), Fernandes 8, Sancho 5; Ronaldo 5.Â
: Jones, Lingard, Dalot, Heaton, Henderson, Mejbri.
J Moss 7
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