‘Beautiful’: Joe Cole celebrates £33 million Everton star for what he did on international duty last night.
Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole was astounded by what he witnessed one of Everton’s best players do on Tuesday evening while on international duty. Amadou Onana, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Jordan Pickford all represented the Toffees in England’s 2-2 tie with Belgium at Wembley Stadium.
In a dramatic evening, Jude Bellingham saved a late point for Gareth Southgate’s team. Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans gave the Red Devils the lead before Ivan Toney scored from the penalty spot on his full England debut. Tielemans restored Belgium’s lead before the Real Madrid player scored with almost the final kick of the game to avoid successive defeats.
Cole, who was present for Channel Four’s coverage, was particularly impressed with Onana’s work in the buildup to the opening goal. What did Joe Cole say about Amadou Onana? During halftime, Cole was anxious to emphasize Onana’s pass that allowed the Aston Villa forward to slide into Pickford’s goal. “It’s a lovely touch by Onana there,” he told Channel Four [20:48].
“And Tielemans has been very clever there.” He went on to say: “This touch here [from Onana], don’t underestimate that, it’s a beautiful weighted pass.”
It was a forgettable moment for Pickford, who made a rare error following an impressive performance against Brazil on Saturday evening. How did Amadou Onana perform against England? It’s difficult to judge the Everton manager’s performance in a game where both managers faced weaker squads. The £33 million signing [The Guardian, 2022] played the entire 90 minutes and was tested throughout, with Koby Mainoo, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Declan Rice dominating the midfield. Onana, on the other hand, appeared to be at ease, completing 33/35 passes and assisting once. According to FotMob, Onana also created one enormous opportunity.
His passing was excellent, with 4/4 long balls completed and four passes into the final third. Furthermore, in a crowded midfield, Onana was only dispossessed once. Defensively, the 22-year-old performed admirably, winning 6/7 ground duels and all aerial engagements. Indeed, it is a performance to be proud of, and one that he can build on when he returns to Finch Farm this week.