Newcastle’s Jewel is now as hard to drop as Gordon’s

Newcastle United took a big step towards qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 after demolishing Qarabag FK 6-1 last night.

Eddie Howe’s side held off their Azerbaijani opponents away, with the Magpies boasting a five-goal lead ahead of the return fixture at St James’ Park.

In the away win, the team had 22 shots, of which 14 were on target, seven times more than the hosts.

Howe’s side achieved an xG of 5.56 during the win and also created 13 big chances. This is further proof of how lethal the Magpies produced away play.

But after a performance like this, there is no doubt that some players’ names will be talked about more than others, especially after their individual performances in Baku.

Anthony Gordon’s great performance against Qarabag

Attacker Anthony Gordon has been a player who has been highly divisive among Newcastle’s fan base in recent months, but he certainly succeeded in silencing a few critics with his performance last night.

The 24-year-old started in the central striker role, a decision that paid off hugely as he scored four goals before going on to score his first hat-trick for the Magpies.

The forward became the fastest English player to score a hat-trick in the competition’s history, scoring twice from the penalty spot against Azerbaijan.

Beyond his goalscoring numbers, Gordon also managed to impress with his basic performance, which included 11 touches inside the opposition box, four of which were his goals.

He also completed 100% of his attempted dribbles and created two chances, further highlighting his impressive performance with the ball at his feet.

It was certainly a night to remember for the Magpies star. Manager Howe has finally confirmed the form of his forwards, who have been largely lacking throughout the 2025/26 season.

Newcastle’s star is now just as irresistible as Gordon.

In addition to Gordon, a number of players managed to grab attention in the impressive win, including winger Harvey Barnes, who once again started on the left.

The 28-year-old played 87 minutes of the victory and then assisted Jacob Murphy’s late shot, creating the most chances of any player on the pitch.

He also completed 88% of his attempted passes and took 12 touches inside the opposition box, underscoring the attacking threat he always possessed.

However, he did not reach the level produced by Azerbaijan’s Sand Tonali, and the midfielder managed to once again command attention in the heart of the team.

The Italy international has now started back-to-back games against the Magpies and Howe appears to trust him to deliver after his double against Aston Villa.

The manager’s decision to keep the 25-year-old in the central midfield was certainly the right decision, and his basic stats were proof of the quality he produced against Qarabag.

He completed 64 passes during the 6-1 win, the most of any player on the pitch, and did so with a passing accuracy of 93%.

The aforementioned figures highlight his dominance with the ball at his feet, with his quality of possession setting the tempo of the Magpies’ latest European win.

Tonali completed five passes into the final third and created one chance, allowing the likes of Barnes and Gordon to wreak havoc inside the final third.

But even without the ball, the former AC Milan star was just as impressive, achieving a 100% tackle success rate and making two interceptions in the process.

As a result of his performance, Tonali was given a match rating of 8/10, and with such a result there is no doubt that he has solidified his position heading into the return leg.

Gordon will undoubtedly steal most of the attention with his four goals, a feat that will surely earn him a place in the Champions League record books.

But Tonali’s cool-headed personality at the heart of the side made him an unsung hero during the win, and Howe couldn’t overlook him for now.