It was not an international break to remember for Newcastle United star Anthony Gordon.
The 23-year-old won another cap for his country, starting England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece on Thursday night.
However, Anthony Gordon was criticised for his performance, with the Newcastle United winger struggling to influence the game on what was a poor night for the Three Lions.
Anthony Gordon was subsequently dropped to the bench on Sunday, as Lee Carsley’s side beat Finland 3-1. Gordon did not make an appearance, with other England players getting a chance to impress.
Newcastle target Angel Gomes stars for England against Finland
One of those players was Angel Gomes, who came into the starting lineup to join Declan Rice in the middle of the park.
The 24-year-old won his third cap for England, having only made his senior debut back in September.
It was another impressive performance from Gomes, at a time when he is very much a man in demand. His contract at Lille is set to expire next summer, with various clubs eyeing up the former Manchester United player.
Newcastle have been linked with Gomes, but a deal will not be cheap despite his contract winding down. It has been reported that Newcastle may have to pay Gomes around £150,000-a-week, which would make him one of the highest earners at St James’ Park.
Anthony Gordon’s message to Angel Gomes
But Gomes is doing his best to prove why he deserves to be paid that much money, as he impressed during England’s win over Finland.
Gomes helped England get the ball rolling, providing the assist for Jack Grealish to give Lee Carsley’s side the lead. It was an extremely clever pass from Gomes, who split the defensive line with his deft touch.
It was his first goal contribution in an England shirt, and Gomes’ teammates have taken to Instagram to celebrate his moment of magic.
Following the game, Gomes took to his official Instagram account to post some pictures from the win over Finland.
In response to that post, Anthony Gordon commented: “Top top.”
There was also a message from Jack Grealish, who benefitted from Gomes’ outstanding pass. He wrote: “What a player. Thank you.”
Roy Keane praises Newcastle United target
Gordon and Grealish were not the only people impressed by what Gomes did on Sunday evening. He also caught the attention of Roy Keane, who was on punditry duty for ITV.
“Yeah, real bit of quality,” he said.
“A brilliant goal. If we saw France or Spain’s scoring a goal like this, we’d be praising him. But, yeah, nice and patient.
“Here England, Gomes obviously just do what you do, pass it forward, and he just seems to wander in there. Jack draws a few players over, which obviously helps him eventually, when he gets in there.
“But this pass again, Trent, nice and simple. Sharp these couple of touch on Gomes and this last piece, honestly, I think pure quality, lovely and obviously Jack then finishes it off. But really lovely bit of quality.”
It really was a moment of quality from Gomes, and the type of defence-splitting pass that Newcastle could benefit from.
When Eddie Howe’s side face a stubborn defence, they can struggle to break them down. That was evident during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win over Wimbledon, with the Magpies barely creating any proper chances against their League Two opponents despite dominating possession.
That is why Gomes could be a good addition, but he does play in an area of the pitch where Newcastle are well stocked. He wants to play in centre-midfield, which is where Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley operate.
In that respect, it could be argued that Newcastle do not need Gomes, despite rumours of Toon interest.
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