Jose Mourinho had three easy phrases for Anthony Gordon: “You are an excessive amount of.”
That was what the Benfica supervisor instructed the Newcastle United ahead as he embraced him at full-time at St James’ Park on Tuesday.
Commercial
Mourinho had simply watched Gordon open the scoring and arrange substitute Harvey Barnes’ second objective in a 3-0 win in opposition to his facet within the Champions League.
It was an evening when Gordon turned the primary Newcastle participant to attain in three successive video games within the competitors ever. It was additionally an evening when the person of the match seemed proper at residence at Europe’s high desk.
“It brings the perfect out of me,” Gordon mentioned. “The most important video games make me really feel alive. I like enjoying at this degree, it is the place I needed to play as a child so I am residing the dream.”
The problem for Gordon and Newcastle is to take that degree of efficiency into Saturday’s residence recreation in opposition to as a result of it has been a unique story within the Premier League within the opening months of this marketing campaign.
Commercial
Gordon has so typically been a big-game performer for Newcastle. The England ahead turned solely the second participant, alongside striker Jamie Vardy, to attain in opposition to and in a single Premier League season.
So maybe it isn’t a shock that he has relished life again within the Champions League.
Gordon ranks joint-first for mixed targets and assists (5), joint-third for targets (4) and large likelihood complete (six), and tied for fourth for fouls gained (eight) amongst all gamers within the competitors.
Alternatively, based on Opta, Gordon has created considerably extra probabilities within the high flight (5), accomplished extra dribbles (10), gained extra fouls (9), taken extra pictures (13) and had extra touches within the opposition field (18).
Commercial
However he’s but to seek out the again of the online or register an help, regardless of lining up in two further Premier League video games.
Gordon has even been self-aware sufficient to joke that it could assist to play with the Champions League ball domestically.