Gordon's dazzling 2023/24 form evaporated. Has a failed Liverpool move, injuries, or team dynamics stalled his Tyneside journey?
When Newcastle United signed Anthony Gordon for over £40 million in January 2023, there was a sense of excitement that the club was signing a player that had bags full of potential, shown promising signs in a struggling Everton side, and was adaptable, being able to play on the wing or in the middle of the forward line.
The first few months of his Newcastle career did not meet the expectations the fans had of Gordon, with no real impact in games. This was put down to the work needed to mould him into an Eddie Howe player, given the style of play differed from what he was used to at Everton.
By the time August 2023 had come, Anthony Gordon had been able to get a good few months learning and adapting to the style of play required by Howe. It proved to be a fruitful season for him, with him finding the net 11 times, providing 10 assists in 35 games, whilst picking up 10 yellow cards and 1 red card in the Premier League.
Ultimately, the season was disappointing, with the club missing out on European football. Rumours of a move to Liverpool continued to dominate the summer, a move which surely was something that was covered by Anthony Gordon. Ultimately, Newcastle decided it was not a move they were willing to entertain.
Only Gordon can answer the question of whether the speculation of a move to Liverpool played on his mind the 2024/25 season with his numbers taking a dramatic drop, with only 6 goals and 5 assists from 34 games played in the Premier League. A downturn in form, which saw 21 goal involvements in the 2023-24 season to just 11 goal involvements in the 2024/25 season.
The current season has had a noticeable split, with Anthony Gordon’s form seeing just 6 goals and 2 assists from 26 games in the Premier League, but 10 goals and 1 assist from 12 games in the Champions League shows a different story. What has caused the dramatic drop in form from the 2023/24 season to what has been seen over the last 2 seasons?
Was the unsuccessful move to Liverpool a factor? Undoubtedly.
Could injuries be a reason for the declining form? This is only something that Anthony Gordon can answer
Can the departure of Alexander Isak in the summer become a factor this season? Losing a player with the quality of Isak will always be difficult but it is also where players like Anthony Gordon needed to step up and perform.
Links to Bayern Munich, Arsenal & Liverpool continue with Chelsea also being recently named to be interested. His form this season has many fans feeling that selling him would not be a bad move and would allow Newcastle to reinvest those funds. One thing is for sure, speculation of a move away for Anthony Gordon this summer will ramp up, and it is likely that Gordon may find his time on Tyneside coming to an end.