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Newcastle United will want to get back into the swing of things when Premier League action resumes after the international break is over and done, but the Magpies don’t exactly have the easiest batch of fixtures to contend with.
Brighton and Hove Albion is the first tricky test at St James’ Park, with clashes against Chelsea and Arsenal then following this meeting with the Seagulls, as Eddie Howe‘s men strive to remain near the top places in the division despite difficult matches ahead.
Howe will hope Anthony Gordon is back to his blistering best with the ex-Everton attacker cursing his luck last time out, having missed a costly penalty against his former employers in a 0-0 draw away at Goodison Park.
Anthony Gordon’s form this season
Away from that disappointing spot-kick, Gordon has shone brightly for his Tyneside outfit this season.
He even managed to fire home a confident penalty against Manchester City just the game before this stalemate versus the Toffees, with the pressure of playing against his ex-employers presumably getting the better of him.
In total, the entertaining 23-year-old has two strikes next to his name from seven league games so far, with the Magpies number ten craving his third goal of the season already against Brighton to atone for his poor showing at Everton.
As much as the Toffees faithful now revel in the distaste of their former youth product, the Newcastle masses equally adore the energetic left winger all the same, who amassed a stunning total of 11 goals and ten assists last season in the Premier League to fully justify his bumper £45m price-tag.
Despite entering the building last year for that hefty amount, Gordon isn’t one of the highest earners in Howe’s camp currently, with the England international raking in a reasonable £60k-per-week pay packet.
Away from Gordon coming good, Newcastle have been burnt in the past with overspending and dishing out lavish wages, with one former striker denting the Magpies’ bank account significantly during his disastrous year at the club.
Chris Wood’s time at Newcastle
Despite transforming himself into a feared goal machine for Nottingham Forest now, with four league strikes already notched up from seven clashes in 2024/25, Chris Wood never successfully managed to fit in at St James’ Park as a deadly option up top.
Costing an excessive £25m to get through the door, the New Zealand international undoubtedly goes down as a dud buy, with just a paltry five goals managed from 39 games donning a Magpies strip.
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Chris Wood’s record at Nott’m Forest |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games played |
Goals scored |
|
24/25 |
7 |
4 |
|
23/24 |
35 |
15 |
|
22/23 |
7 |
1 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
||
Perhaps Newcastle should have exercised more patience when it came to the 32-year-old centre-forward’s indifferent form in front of goal, with Wood going on to hammer home an impressive 15 goals from 35 games during his first full campaign at the City Ground, exorcising his Tyneside demons in the process.
But, the best decision at the time from Newcastle’s perspective would have just been to get him off their books, with Wood earning an extortionate pay-packet of £80k-per-week, with his weak displays advancing through on goal not justifying that salary whatsoever.
To add context, that’s £20k-per-week more than what Gordon currently takes home playing week in week out for Howe, whilst the likes of Harvey Barnes now remarkably pockets the same wage.
Wood did manage to have the last laugh last campaign when firing home an unbelievable hat-trick back at his old stomping ground, but Newcastle would have felt it was the correct call at the time to offload him anyway, with Wood costing the club an eye-watering £29m – when taking into account his transfer fee and wage costs – across his cursed one year stay.
Howe will just pray Isak is back to full fitness soon, having had to sit out his side’s last few clashes owing to a broken toe knock, whilst also keeping his fingers crossed there’s more to come from Gordon this campaign as he strives to put together even better numbers than his whirlwind 2023-24 output.
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