Newcastle United lost 3-1 at Fulham on Saturday and Gary Neville has slammed the performance of one “shocking” Magpies player, not least his body language.
Newcastle suffer defeat at Fulham
Eddie Howe’s side knew a win at Craven Cottage could have put them top of the Premier League, following a strong start to the season, certainly in terms of results.
Newcastle’s performances in 2024/25 haven’t always been totally convincing, however, and a disappointing showing on Saturday afternoon ended in a deserved defeat.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe
Goals from Raul Jimenez and Emile Smith Rowe put Fulham in complete control in the first half, firing them into a 2-0 lead with only a quarter of the game played, but Harvey Barnes did at least reduce the arrears straight after half-time. Reiss Nelson completed the scoring in stoppage time, however, as the Magpies suffered their first league defeat of the season.
The loss in west London leaves Newcastle sixth in the table, and while the start to the season has been a solid one overall so far, there was arguably a feeling that a result of this ilk was coming, having beaten Tottenham and Wolves but not played particularly well in either, for example.
It was a day when so many individuals played poorly, but one star has come in for specific criticism, as his below-par start to the campaign continues.
Journalist slams “shocking” Newcastle player
Taking to X during the first half, Garry didn’t hold back in his negativity towards Newcastle ace Anthony Gordon, describing his performance as his worst in a Magpies shirt to date:
In truth, the criticism aimed at Gordon is completely fair, with the Magpies’ £45m signing totally out of sorts for much of the game against Fulham, offering nowhere near enough quality in the final third.
He only won five out of 11 ground duels at Craven Cottage, while a 75% pass completion rate suggests he was a little wasteful in possession. Meanwhile, his Expected Assists (xA) during his 83 minutes on the pitch was just 0.08, highlighting a lack of creativity on show when his side needed it.
Gordon, on £60,000-a-week, has made a forgettable start to the season, especially compared to his excellent 2023/24 campaign, with only one goal and zero assists to his name in five appearances. He is being outperformed by Barnes, who has netted in his last three outings, and as Edwards alludes to, his body language looks questionable at the moment.
Kieran-Trippier
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Whether the Englishman’s failed summer move to boyhood club Liverpool is playing on his mind remains to be seen, but he arguably doesn’t look the happiest player right now, and more performances like the one produced against Fulham could lead to Howe dropping him. Improvements are needed in the coming weeks, or his stock could start to fall.
