Anthony Gordon Celebrates Impending New Contract with Crucial Penalty as Newcastle United Hold Manchester City to 1-1 Draw.
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon celebrated his impending new contract in style,
scoring a crucial penalty to deny Premier League champions Manchester City victory at St James’ Park, securing a hard-fought 1-1 draw in front of a lively crowd of 52,248.
Gordon, who revealed before kickoff that he was close to agreeing to an improved deal, converted from the spot with confidence after being brought down by Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson in the 58th minute.
The England international’s equalizer canceled out Josko Gvardiol‘s first-half opener, which had given Manchester City the lead.
Manchester City, missing injured midfielder Rodri, started confidently with Mateo Kovacic filling the gap, but ultimately had to settle for a point despite taking the lead for the second time in a week.
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Newcastle’s strategy of sitting deep and counter-attacking paid off as Gordon’s penalty earned a share of the spoils.
The visitors began brightly, with Manuel Akanji seeing a fifth-minute shot deflected wide before Erling Haaland forced the game’s first save from Nick Pope after Akanji and Ilkay Gundogan had linked smoothly.
However, Newcastle’s resilience and determination kept Manchester City at bay, with Jack Grealish blocking Kieran Trippier‘s shot after Bruno Guimaraes and Gordon had combined.
Proceedings became increasingly scrappy as a physical encounter unfolded, with Trippier preventing Haaland from converting Bernardo Silva‘s cross.
Manchester City took the lead 10 minutes before the break when Grealish left Trippier for dead and picked out full-back Gvardiol, who stepped inside Dan Burn before blasting past Pope.
Newcastle’s keeper was relieved to get away with a miscued pass, but opposite number Ederson had to be at his best in stoppage time to keep out Joelinton’s piledriver.
The second half saw Manchester City retain the upper hand, but Gordon’s penalty threw the game back into the melting pot.
Newcastle briefly threatened to take the lead, but Pope had to be on his toes to prevent Haaland from rounding him.
Substitutes Phil Foden and Sean Longstaff both had late chances, but Ederson and Pope were equal to the task.
In the end, a fine reaction save from Pope denied Silva a stoppage-time winner, and Haaland’s late header failed to trouble the keeper.
