Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole was blown away by what he saw one of Everton’s star men do on Tuesday evening while on international duty.
The Toffees had three players at Wembley for England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium: Amadou Onana, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford.
Jude Bellingham rescued a late point for Gareth Southgate’s side in an eventful evening. Aston Villa star Youri Tielemans gave the Red Devils the lead before Ivan Toney converted from the penalty spot on his full England debut.
Tielemans restored Belgium’s advantage before the Real Madrid man struck with practically the last kick of the game to prevent consecutive defeats.
Cole, who was on Channel Four’s coverage, was particularly impressed with Onana’s work in the build-up to the opening goal.
What has Joe Cole said about Amadou Onana?
Speaking during halftime, Cole was eager to highlight the pass from Onana that allowed the Aston Villa man to slot into Pickford’s net.
“It’s a lovely touch from Onana there,’ he told Channel Four [20:48].
“And Tielemans has been very clever there.” He added: “This touch here [from Onana], don’t underestimate that, it’s a beautiful weighted pass.”
It was a moment to forget for Pickford, who produced a rare mistake after hisimpressive display against Brazil on Saturday evening.
How did Amadou Onana play against England?
In a fixture in which both managers played weakened teams, it’s hard to assess just how well the Everton man performed.
The £33million signing [The Guardian, 2022] played the full 90 minutes and was tested throughout, with Koby Mainoo, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Declan Rice dominating the midfield.
However, Onana appeared comfortable, completing 33/35 passes and registering one assist. Furthermore, per FotMob, Onana also created one big chance.
His passing was impressive, with 4/4 long balls completed and four passes into the final third. Furthermore, in what was a congested midfield, Onana was only dispossessed once.
Defensively, the 22-year-old also impressed, winning 6/7 ground duels and all his aerial battles. Indeed, it is a performance to be proud of and one to build on when he returns to Finch Farm this week.