Newcastle United have a rather welcome selection headache with which to contend with right now.
After a fallow period on the transfer front over the last few years, Newcastle United naturally do not have the deepest squad around in the Premier League.
There are a few areas, however, in which they are blessed with options.
The likes of Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley provide ample cover for star central midfield trio Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, while the left-wing battle is also very interesting.
Harvey Barnes scored again as Newcastle thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 on Wednesday night, taking his tally up to nine League goals in just 11 starts this season. Dropping the former Leicester man right now would seem very harsh indeed.
Anthony Gordon, however, is available again. The England international is free of both the suspension and thigh injury to have ruled him out for a short while, making cameo appearances off the bench against both Palace and Manchester United before that.
Few would doubt Gordon’s quality but Barnes has surely earned the right to keep his place.
Indeed, club legend Alan Shearer sent the forward a message of support.
Alan Shearer sends Harvey Barnes message amid Anthony Gordon battle
Newcastle fans have been keen to see Barnes keep his place and he’s certainly rewarded that.
One goal against Leicester was followed by a brace against the Red Devils and another strike against the Eagles, while it was also Barnes who forced Marc Guehi’s second own goal for Palace against Newcastle this season.
After the game, the 27-year-old took to social media platform Instagram to caption a collage of himself in action: “All eyes on Saturday.”
In response, Shearer replied: “Brilliant again man.”
Anthony Gordon vs Harvey Barnes record compared
Praising Barnes does not necessarily mean criticising Gordon. The former Everton star has been brilliant since coming to life last season after a difficult first few months at the club.
However, their records are worth comparing.
| Stat | Harvey Barnes | Anthony Gordon |
| Starts | 11 | 25 |
| Goals | 9 | 6 |
| Assists | 3 | 5 |
| Shots (per-game) | 1.7 | 2 |
| Key passes (per-game) | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| Dribbles (per-game) | 0.7 | 1.3 |
Barnes has more goals in fewer starts, albeit his underlying numbers do not compare quite as favourably (as is listed above).
Gordon’s contribution is obvious and, at some point, he’ll get his chance again.
For now, however, Barnes should say in the first-team. The pressure is on Gordon to reclaim his spot.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
