Newcastle United have started 2026 on the front foot, beating Crystal Palace at St. James’ Park after a battling win at Burnley before the New Year.
Up into ninth in the Premier League standings – only five points behind Liverpool in the top four – the Magpies have reached a promising position, ready to springboard forward, with three successive home games in all competitions.
But the alternative is grim: Newcastle fail to kick on and find themselves locked in a further cycle of inconsistency.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, the superstars around Bruno Guimaraes need to follow their captain’s suit, with Anthony Gordon among those who now need to return to top form.
Anthony Gordon's form in 25/26
It took Gordon a while to click into gear after he joined Newcastle from Everton for £45m in January 2023, but he won the club’s Player of the Year in 2023/24 after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the Premier League.
Gordon kept United afloat throughout that injury-ravaged year.
But the England international’s clinical edge was blunted last term, and he has failed to get up from the wayside at present, with only two goals and one assist to his name in the top flight.
One Newcastle content creator remarked earlier in the season that the 24-year-old is in danger of entering “Gabriel Obertan territory”, with bundles of talent but unable to apply his strengths.
Anthony Gordon at Newcastle (Premier League)
Season
Apps
Goals + Assists
25/26 (NUFC)
15
2 + 1
24/25 (NUFC)
34
6 + 5
23/24 (NUFC)
35
11 + 10
22/23 (NUFC)
16
1 + 0
Data via Sofascore
He’s shown signs of green shoots recently, winning seven duels against Burnley and maintaining a tenacious and driven approach down the left flank. What we need now is numbers.
However, Gordon’s hardly the only elite member of Howe’s squad who has flattered to deceive of late, with arguably the most talented player at the club currently punching below his weight class.
Why Newcastle superstar is struggling
Newcastle journalist Joel Bland called Tonali “one of the best midfielders in Europe”, and few would argue against the Italian being among the finest around when on his A-game.
But, equally, the £120k-per-week talent has struggled to maintain his typical level of late, with Howe even claiming that he’s “not quite hit those levels” he so imperiously set last year.
Newcastle podcast host Taylor Payne even asserted that he was “really sloppy on the ball” against Palace. It was a strong victory, but not exactly the cleanest of performances from a side who have lost their mojo.
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That’s not like Tonali. The Italy international is a bona fide maestro, one of the silkiest and most gifted midfielders in Europe. Pundit and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes even claimed in October that Tonali is “the best midfielder in the Premier League”.
Those around him have known how good he is for a while, and this season, Tonali has started to put his name on the map.
But we cannot deny that the one-time AC Milan prodigy has dipped in recent weeks, and his fluency in the centre of the park is critical to the stability and coherence of Howe’s wider tactical unit.
The expectation – anticipation – is that Tonali will swiftly return to form, but there’s no denying he’s out of sorts, and while Gordon has been scapegoated for not offering enough throughout the campaign, currently he’s working harder and playing with more impetus than Newcastle’s midfield magician.
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