Newcastle United are considering appealing the red card shown to forward Anthony Gordon during Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. The dismissal, if upheld, would rule Gordon out of the upcoming Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday, March 16th.
Gordon was sent off for violent conduct after shoving Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke in the head. The standard punishment for a straight red card for violent conduct is a three-match ban. This is reminiscent of the 2023 Carabao Cup final when Newcastle was forced to go without goalkeeper, Nick Pope, due a red card.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe indicated the club would review the incident before deciding whether to appeal. “Of course. If we analyse the incident and feel there’s grounds for that [an appeal], we will do without hesitation,” Howe said. “I’d need to see it, I can’t sit here and give an honest opinion to that until I’ve done the work that you’ve done and looked at it. But knowing the player, I know there’s no malice intended there.”
Gordon, who has nine goals and six assists in 34 games this season, laughed at Van Hecke lying on the ground before being shown the red card. The incident occurred after the whistle had blown for an offside, meaning the play itself would not have counted.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, commentating on BBC Radio 5 Live, described the incident as “petulance” and “stupid” from Gordon. Former England midfielder Danny Murphy, speaking on BBC One, called it “a moment of madness.”
Howe defended Gordon’s overall character, suggesting the incident was out of character. “He plays hard – I want him to play hard, I want him to be competitive, but I don’t see an issue there at this moment. I think it would be very out of context with how he is generally, maybe a bit of frustration in the game that things weren’t going our way, but I’d say that’s not a common sight for me when Anthony plays.”
The potential loss of Gordon for the Carabao Cup final would be a significant blow for Newcastle. The club will now carefully consider the video evidence before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.
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