Anthony Gordon has called on his Newcastle United teammates to stay grounded following their victory over Arsenal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. The 23-year-old winger played a crucial role in the win at St. James’ Park on Wednesday night, scoring in the second half to extend the Magpies’ lead.
Gordon’s contribution helped Newcastle secure a spot in the final at Wembley next month. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, the England international stressed the importance of not getting carried away.
“I think it’s important for us to stay humble now,” Gordon said. “We were on a strong run, but then had two disappointing results that we didn’t need. This game helped us get back on track, but now we just need to keep our heads down and focus on what’s ahead.”
His remarks about staying humble may have subtly referenced Arsenal’s ongoing rivalry with Manchester City. Earlier in the season, following a 2-2 draw between the two teams, Erling Haaland told Mikel Arteta to “stay humble,” a comment that quickly went viral.
Since then, City have struggled to maintain their usual dominance, leading to sarcastic jabs from Arsenal fans. Ahead of the recent reverse fixture, Pep Guardiola defended Haaland’s remark amid criticism from rival supporters.
“For Erling, it’s not easy,” Guardiola said. “Arsenal is a very physical team in a good way. For 90 minutes, their defender Gabriel was pushing, hacking, hugging, and even kissing him. That’s the Premier League for you.
“You have to stand your ground. And now people are asking me to judge what Erling did? I don’t buy it. The game was emotional, and players react in those moments.”
Guardiola continued, “I never talk about ‘dark arts’ in the media. The referee is there to step in when things aren’t fair. I know my players and how they conduct themselves. Of course, I complain and share my views, but we are a very fair team—sometimes too fair. But that’s how we’ve had success, and we will stick to it.”
Adding to City’s frustrations, Myles Lewis-Skelly mimicked Haaland’s signature ‘meditation’ celebration after scoring Arsenal’s third goal in their 5-1 victory over City. His gesture reignited the ‘stay humble’ taunts aimed at Haaland.
However, it seems Gordon had the final say, eliminating Arsenal from the Carabao Cup.
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