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.
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In the second half Gordon burst into the box to win a corner before drawing a fingertip save from Henderson with a curling effort after creating space with a clever turn. With 15 minutes to go, now without a recognised striker in front of him due to Rondon having been substituted off, he was able to jink in from the right but was once again denied by a diving Henderson.
After Gray, who along with Alex Iwobi was one of Everton 's better players in this game, equalised it was Gordon who picked the ball out of the Gwladys Street net and ran back to the halfway line to get the game restarted so he could search for a winner. He nearly provided it too, through those late efforts.
Ultimately, the homegrown starlet was not able to be the difference between Everton clinching a much-needed victory from another performance that offered positives but highlighted limitations. Some may argue that is indicative of Gordon's own limitations but he is a rough diamond who is still learning. Whether his education would benefit more from the responsibility of being Everton's number 10 or the freedom and lesser pressure of being part of a squad already filled with superstars is a question that has been repeatedly mused over in recent days and is one we may never know the answer to.
Where his development will take place will be known very shortly, however. When Everton next return to Goodison Park the transfer window will have closed. We will soon find out whether his efforts against Forest were a statement of intent for another season with his boyhood club or an audition the prompts further Chelsea interest.
Frank Lampard wants to keep Gordon on Merseyside and, in the week following the £45m bid from London, the player is said to have trained well and, according to the Blues boss ahead of this game, done nothing to spark any concern about fighting to retain him beyond September 1. He stayed late to applaud the home fans - but it did not look like the emotional display of a player who knows where his immediate future lies.
What happens over the next 12 days remains to be seen. Gordon is, understandably, ambitious. Chelsea's pockets are deep. Everton are in the early stages of a squad overhaul and, with financial constraints one of several factors in the background of those plans, the sums being discussed could prove helpful. No-one at Goodison Park on Saturday - from the stands to the dugout to the directors box - would dispute that more work needs to be done this summer.
"In the remaining 12 days of the transfer window, we will be continuing to support Kevin [Thelwell, director of football] and Frank in the transfer market as they shape the squad in line with their vision and plans."
Those were the words of Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, written in the club's programme ahead of the game with Forest. That is a commitment that must now be honoured because, while Everton snatched a late draw and provided some hope of better things to come, their newly-promoted opponents were another challenge the Blues failed to overcome. Forest, like Chelsea, have spent around £150m in this transfer window so far and in the closing stages they were the side that appeared more likely to find a winner. They thought they had when Brennan Johnson slotted past Jordan Pickford for a goal that had been coming. That it did not hand them another three points was down to Gray's composure as he brought down a long ball from Pickford and finished beyond Henderson.
The first goal scored by an Everton player this season allowed the Blues to escape the game with their first point of the season. It is a foundation, a starting point. But the escape is also a lesson - the next 12 days cannot just be about the future of Gordon. They also have to be about making sure Lampard the tools he needs to avoid another relegation fight.
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