Anthony Gordon explains his 'Thierry Henry moment' - and Newcastle's sense of belief
AS they were sat in the away dressing room at the Emirates prior to kick-off on Tuesday night, Newcastle United’s players were convinced they could beat Arsenal. That, perhaps more than anything, sums up the transformation that occurred in the last couple of months.
Players will always say they believe they can win any game they are going to play, but there is a difference between hope and expectation. Good teams hope they can win. Great ones expect to.
Old Trafford, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Emirates. Three of the toughest grounds to visit in the country; all conquered in the space of less than a fortnight. Little wonder Eddie Howe and his players feel unbeatable at the moment.
“We believed, and I think that’s the transition we need to make,” said Anthony Gordon, whose second-half goal doubled Newcastle’s lead against the Gunners. “We need to come to these places and expect to win.
“I felt in the changing room, before the game, that we would win. I think if we want to be that top club that we really want to be, then the expectation has to be that we’re going to come to places like this and win games. And we did that. We gave the fans what they wanted to see.”
Newcastle’s 6,000-strong travelling army were chanting of Wembley at the final whistle, but while supporters are allowed to get ahead of themselves, Howe and his players need to fully buy in to the notion that the job is only half-done.
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The second leg on February 5 promises to be an electric occasion, but it would only need Arsenal to score the opening goal to completely change the complexion of the tie.
For now, Gordon and the rest of his team-mates will be concentrating on the five matches that are to be played before the second leg rolls around. Come the start of next month, though, their minds will be focused ensuring this week’s heroics at the Emirates do not go to waste.
“We can’t get ahead of ourselves at all,” said the England winger, in an interview with NUFC TV. “These (Arsenal) are one of the best teams in Europe, and they can certainly win a game.
“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, we need to be humble in how we play. When we’re humble, and we’re working for each other, and it’s a unit and a team, that’s when we’re at our best. When we don’t, and we play as individuals, we’re not a very good team. The recipe is there for us to keep doing what we’re doing, we just need to keep doing it.”
Gordon will hope to continue the fine personal run that has seen him score three goals in the last four games.
Tuesday’s was a poacher’s strike, with the winger stabbing home at the back post after David Raya could only claw Alexander Isak’s shot into his path, and he celebrated with a tribute to an Arsenal great by raising the corner flag out of the ground.
“As a winger, just gambling at the back post, you’re going to get five or six tap-ins,” said Gordon. “That’s what every coach I’ve ever had has told me. It’s not as easy as it looks, to gamble back post, but it’s just about getting into those good habits. Me gambling and being proactive got me the goal. It was just good to run away and celebrate.
“I had the celebration in my mind before the game. (Thierry) Henry’s just a legend isn’t he – one of the best in the Premier League. What better place to do a celebration like that than in the Emirates? I hope it wasn’t taken as disrespectful, it was a compliment to him and a great moment.”
