Anthony Gordon does not have a point to prove but against Nottingham Forest he played as though he did.
In the opening 30 minutes he was everywhere. No longer sacrificed as a 'false nine' in a team without a striker he was back out wide - running at defenders, switching flanks, cutting inside and desperately trying to influence the game. In the last five minutes he drew an important save from Dean Henderson before coming close to snatching a winner after latching on to a confused header from Joe Worrall.
It was far from a perfect display. But he is not the perfect player and the passion and endeavour he once again showed are among the traits that provide so much hope in his future. There were signs of what he does best - running at Forest captain Worrall down the left and drawing him into giving away an early free-kick in a dangerous position, then switching flanks and cutting in from the right before teeing up Tom Davies for an effort that flew wide of the post. His defensive determination - so important as he helped Everton survive relegation - was also vivid as he hassled full-backs and engaged in a game-long battle with Lewis O'Brien, tracking back to steal the ball from him before creating a chance for Salomon Rondon but later receiving a booking for a foul on the same player. After 35 minutes the roles reversed and O'Brien fouled Gordon for one of several Demarai Gray free-kicks the away defence struggled to deal with.
