—- England winger Anthony Gordon turned in an explosive performance as Newcastle thrashed Qarabag 6-1 in Azerbaijan in their Champions League playoff first leg.
The first half saw Gordon become only the second player to score four goals in the first half of a Champions League game and the first to do so in the knockout stage. His 33-minute hat-trick was also the fastest by an Englishman in the Champions League, lifting his tally this season 10 goals – compared with only three in the Premier League.
The former Everton winger opened the scoring in Baku in the third minute and converted two penalties either side of completing his hat-trick. Malick Thiaw and substitute Jacob Murphy scored the other Magpies goals with Elvin Cafarguliyev pulling one back for the hosts.
Gordon is a player Liverpool allowed to escape them. He started as a boy in the Anfield academy but joined local rivals Everton at 11 and was then sold to Newcastle for £40m in January 2023. Five months later he was voted player of the tournament as England won the UEFA under-21 title.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has used Gordon this season as both a winger and centre-forward. His pace and trickery makes him a threat to any defence. However the Mapies’ need to strengthen their squad may make them vulnerable to a summer offer.