Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand is ‘eating his words’ after casting doubt on Anthony Gordon’s price-tag with the former Everton winger in outstanding form for Newcastle United.
It is becoming almost a weekly occurrence these days.
After finding the net against Liverpool and scoring the winner against Arsenal, Anthony Gordon added Chelsea to his impressive collection of scalps on Saturday, capping another scintillating performance with the sort of goal only a player at the top of his game can score.
Cutting inside and bending an inch-perfect shot into the far corner, almost in the same movement, 2023/24 is already the most prolific season of Gordon’s career and we’re not even in December.
In fact, Gordon has been so impressive of late that a six-time Premier League champion is being forced to admit that he was wrong to cast doubt on the logic of Newcastle’s £45 million investment.
Anthony Gordon in outstanding Newcastle United form
“He’s actually making me eat my words,” Ferdinand tells his Vibe with Five podcast. “I was going ‘£50 (sic £45) million?. I ain’t seen it yet, at Everton’. I’m seeing it now at Newcastle.
“His performances… do you know what? Without the ball, his intensity, his aggression, his determination, his desire. And now he’s adding goals and he’s adding assists.
“He’s been a problem for the full-backs in recent weeks. And it seems like he’s growing in a Newcastle shirt.”
Only Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak have scored more league goals under Eddie Howe than Gordon this term, netting five times in 16 games after finding the target just once in 18 during the second half of 2022/23.
And perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to the England U21 international is that, ahead of Newcastle’s Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, Howe was fielding questions about whether Gordon could be considered the Magpies’ own Kylian Mbappe these days.
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“Anthony has been great for us,” Howe smiles. “When we signed him, we knew he was a player of huge potential, reliability, pace and technical ability. He is unique. He plays on the edge and is a fierce competitor.
“He’s also been robust. That is something we’re putting more importance on, because those who can play every few days, that’s a skill in itself.
“The output he gives the team is extremely high, every week. He is managing to recover and go again.
“I’m delighted with his progress this season, he has really come on massively. The big thing for him recently has been adding goals and assists.”
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