Anthony Gordon sent strong Newcastle United message ahead of Everton trip as £38m alternative named
Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon is set to come up against his former club Everton on Saturday.
Anthony Gordon missed a penalty on his final match at Goodison Park as Newcastle United drew 0-0 with Everton last season.
The 24-year-old joined Newcastle from Everton for £45million back in January 2023 and has gone on to make 120 appearances for the club, scoring 26 goals.
Despite impressing in the Champions League with four goals and an assist so far this season, Gordon has not registered a goal or an assist for Newcastle in the Premier League since January.
On Saturday, Newcastle will face Gordon’s former club at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium looking to make it back-to-back Premier League wins. The Magpies will also be hoping to bounce back from a frustrating 2-1 defeat at Marseille in the Champions League.
Gordon started up front in that game with Harvey Barnes on the left and Nick Woltemade on the bench. But with Woltemade tipped to return to the side and Barnes in fine scoring form, there are doubts as to whether Gordon will keep his place in the side against Everton.
"I think you judge it by form, you judge it by how the player is looking at this moment and not necessarily that it's his former club or I don't tend to look at it like that,” Howe explained. “But maybe if you're absolutely 50-50 on a call, that can sway you one way or the other. Of course I know his history with Everton and how he feels
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Eddie Howe reflects on Anthony Gordon’s season at NUFC
Summing up Gordon’s season so far, Howe said: “A little bit in and out really. He's had some really good games, the Benfica game and another game around that spell when he was electric, really good, one of his best games.
“Then he had the sending off against Liverpool, the hip injury so it's been a bit bitty for him. No doubt he'll be looking to find his best form and we'll try help him to get there. That's where it is.”
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Eddie Howe’s message to Anthony Gordon
Gordon was named Newcastle’s player of the season following his first full campaign at the club in 2023/24. He registered 12 goals and 16 assists for Newcastle in all competitions that season, breaking into the England senior squad for the first time on the back of his performances.
Perhaps the biggest frustration surrounding Gordon is that everyone knows just how good he can be. But getting back to those levels on a consistent basis is easier said than done.
“It's the same with any player, he has to train well,” Howe said. “The training performances of any player are an indicator of what they're going to do in the games.
“Now we have limited training time this year, so the individual development probably plays more than because you're not sort of doing big team sessions, you're doing more small-based sessions and that individual work and that one-to-one work that development work is so important in any player.
"So I think to find his goal-scoring form again, it will come through repetition and being in the right positions. If you look at just Harvey's goals in recent weeks, his positioning has been very good. He's ended up with a different array of goals and sometimes you just need one to kick-start yourself.”