WHAT is it about the Champions League music that turns Anthony Gordon’s boots to gold?
‘Flash’ turned into Newcastle’s European superhero again by bagging a hatful in Baku.
Not even a row with team-mate Kieran Trippier could ruin his night.
Gordon ruthlessly helped himself to FOUR first half goals as Eddie Howe’s Mags romped to a 6-1 first leg play-off win over Qarabag – the most they have scored in 149 European games.
No player – not even the legendary Alan Shearer – has managed to get as many in a European game for the Toon.
And only Luiz Adriano, for Shakhtar Donetsk against Bate Borisov in 2014, has grabbed as many in a Champions League first half before.
TOON ARGY-BARGY
Gordon argues with Trippier at half-time… despite Newcastle being 5-0 up
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The deadly Gordon, deployed as striker, took his tally to TEN in this season’s competition – moving him ahead of Harry Kane as the top scoring Englishman.
He has achieved that amount in just nine appearances – one more than he has scored in 54 Premier League games.
Malick Thiaw and Jacob Murphy got on the scoresheet too and, in truth, Newcastle could have had ten as their recent resurgence thundered on.
It was only 11 days ago after a home defeat to Brentford that Howe faced questions over his future.
But after rallying troops and leading them to victories at Tottenham in the league and Aston Villa in the FA Cup, they head to Manchester City looking for a fourth away win on the spin with a place in the Champions League last-16 for the first time all-but assured.
With a nine-point gap to make up on fourth-placed Manchester United in the Prem and Chelsea or Barcelona awaiting the winners of this tie, there was a realisation amongst the near 2,000 fans here in Baku that this could be the last overseas trip for a while in the continent’s top competition.
And they were determined to enjoy every second and drink it all in. Planes were drank dry en route out here while the old town bars stayed open until the early hours of Wednesday morning, lapping up the takings.
The city was a sea of black and white again in the build up and, with a wall of military on guard in front of them, Gordon gave the travelling contingent something to cheer after only three minutes.
Dan Burn, living out the dream of every single one of those in the away end, picked up the ball on halfway from Kieran Trippier’s throw. The 6ft 6in centre-half transformed into a Geordie Gullit, gliding forward before delivering a sublime through ball with the outside of his left foot. Gordon was on it like a flash, rifling past Mateusz Kochalski first time right-footed.
That took his tally to seven in Europe – and it would not be long before he grabbed an eighth.
It was a dream start. But few would have thought Qarabag had come this far just to roll over. The Azerbaijan giants went through three qualifying rounds to make the league phase and made a fine start to that with back-to-back wins over Benfica and Copenhagen.
The highlight for them was holding Chelsea to a 2-2 draw here in November. And despite suffering a 6-0 thumping at Liverpool, Gurban Gurbanov’s men had proven to be a tough nut to crack on their home turf.
But they could not contain the sea of green shirts swarming at them. And by the eighth minute they were crumbling.
Trippier delivered a delightful floating cross from the left, and Burn’s defensive partner Thiaw rose highest to head.
The Toon tide continued with chance after chance. But when Matheus Silva handballed in the box, Gordon fired home for his second and Newcastle’s third.
Straight from the restart he was in again, nicking the ball from Kevin Medina and going around Mateusz Kochalski for his hat-trick – overtaking Shearer as the quickest English player to score a treble in the Champions League.
Gordon counted his fingers during the celebration, he was losing count, but it got even better.
He was sent flying by the diving Kochalski to win another penalty. Trippier had the ball during the VAR check, and looked to be telling the ruthless star to give someone else a go. Greedy Gordon was having none of it, placing the ball and whacking in his fourth.
But, as ever with Newcastle, drama is never far away. Trippier and Gordon were still arguing at the half time whistle, with Burn forced to step in to separate the pair.
It was a sour note on an exceptional night. And Howe will have been even more annoyed by the lack of concentration his side showed to allow Qarabag back into it as Elvin Cafarquliyev beat Nick Pope for a consolation.
But it was hugs and high fives between Gordon and Trippier when the man of the match was taken off on 68 minutes.
And it was smiles all around the Toon plane on the 2,500-mile journey back as Murphy bent in a sixth moments later from 20 yards.