Eddie Howe hails four-goal Gordon after huge Champions League win | OneFootball

Eddie Howe was full of praise for Anthony Gordon after he scored four goals in Newcastle’s 6-1 away win over Qarabag in the Champions League.

With Newcastle missing out on the top eight in the group phase, they had to play a round of 32 fixture against Qarabag to earn their place in the Champions League round of 16.

However, after their six goals in Azerbaijan, they look almost certain to progress now. Their manager Howe was full of praise for Gordon after he scored four goals in the match and now 10 overall in the competition.

“He was really good in that first half,” he said. “He started the press, a number of his goals came from his attitude off the ball.

“He could have had more, but a very good display.”

Despite the incredible performance, Newcastle conceded just after half time to make it 5-1 on the night, the Newcastle boss was asked if they got complacent at 5-0 up.

“We wanted to keep the momentum in the second half,” he answered. “The game changed and they played lower on the pitch which made it more difficult for us.

“Overall it’s a great day for us. We know the tie isn’t dead or over but we are in a great position.”

It was not only Gordon who put in a great performance for Newcastle, Howe hailed the whole teams performance.

“A tribute to the team today,” he said. “We were really good in the first half. That’s as good as we have played in a long time.”