Anthony Gordon has responded following his red card in Liverpool’s thrilling 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday night.
The Reds were leading 1-0 when, just before halftime, Gordon fouled Virgil van Dijk by dragging his studs down the Dutch defender’s calf, leaving visible marks.
Referee Simon Hooper initially showed a yellow card but then went to the VAR monitor to review the incident and upgraded it to a red, reducing Eddie Howe’s team to ten players for the rest of the match.
Gordon apologizes for red card against Liverpool
Gordon has since expressed regret over the reckless challenge on Liverpool’s captain, stressing that he never intended to harm another professional on the pitch.
According to The Independent, the Newcastle forward said: “I want to sincerely apologise to my teammates and the fans. My intentions were pure. I was just trying to bring energy to the game and mistimed the tackle.
“I also want to apologise to Virgil. I would never purposely tackle someone like that. We spoke afterwards and he understands.”
Gordon needs to learn from this latest disciplinary issue
This was Gordon’s third red card in 18 months, following dismissals against West Ham in March 2024 and Brighton in last season’s FA Cup. The previous one was due to a foolish act of frustration, and this recent sending off raises more concerns about his on-field discipline.
The match at St James’ Park was intense throughout, and while Gordon isn’t the first player to lose his composure with a rash challenge, his tackle on Van Dijk was harsh and could have caused serious injury.
Fortunately, Van Dijk recovered and played a strong game for Liverpool, unlike his less impressive defensive partner Ibrahima Konate, though Van Dijk’s reaction to the foul was understandable.
At least Gordon has admitted his mistake and apologized, but he will now miss Newcastle’s next three games, which is a blow as the team is already short on attacking options—explaining their firm ‘not-for-sale’ position on striker Alexander Isak despite his desire to leave.
For Gordon’s own benefit, it’s important he learns to control himself better on the field and avoids repeating dangerous challenges that lead to costly dismissals like the one just before halftime.