Newcastle United do not have the deepest squad in the Premier League.
Having failed to sign first-team players for what feels like an age now, Newcastle United’s options behind their largely excellent starting eleven are not all that compelling.
Still, Eddie Howe does have a few areas in which there is depth. Joe Willock, Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff are all capable replacements for Joelinton in central midfield, where Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes start.
Out on the left wing, there’s also a battle for a starting berth. Harvey Barnes is currently the starting option there, while Anthony Gordon is pushing to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.
Speaking after Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Brighton, Howe shared an interesting update.
Eddie Howe delivers Anthony Gordon verdict
Asked about the England international, Howe claimed it was Gordon’s “job” to impress him off the bench.
That could suggest the 24-year-old will remain there over the final few games of the campaign. Barnes has been excellent for Newcastle this season, while Jacob Murphy has been one of the Premier League’s most effective forwards out on the right.
Gordon replaced Murphy with Barnes shifting over to the right on Sunday and won what first looked to have been a penalty after he was fouled by Tariq Lamptey, although referee Craig Pawson overturned the decision after VAR deemed the contact had taken place outside the box.
Asked whether or not Gordon played well, the Newcastle United manager said (via The Northern Echo): “Definitely, that’s his job, when he gets an opportunity he has to come on the pitch and show his qualities.
“He did that. He made one lovely pass to Bruno that could have ended up with a different outcome. He influenced the game with the penalty decision and although it wasn’t given it gives a feeling the momentum is with us.”
Anthony Gordon’s stats against Brighton
Gordon’s positive running helped Newcastle inject some energy into their performance but it’s hard to imagine Howe would have seen enough to drop Barnes all of a sudden.
| Stat | Harvey Barnes | Anthony Gordon |
| Shots | 3 | 1 |
| Shots on target | 2 | 0 |
| Key passes | 2 | 0 |
Admittedly, Barnes had much more time on the pitch than Gordon did but produced far more in the way of shots and key passes.
That’s not to say Gordon can’t play a big role in the final three games. He’s been an excellent player for Newcastle but Barnes is deserving of his starting role.
It’s nice to have that strength in depth.
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