Newcastle United’s 6-1 victory over Qarabag in the Champions League play-offs was briefly overshadowed by a fierce clash between star man Anthony Gordon and captain Kieran Trippier.
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Despite the Magpies effectively sealing their place in the last 16 with their dominant performance in Baku, visible friction between Eddie Howe’s two key players became a hot topic of conversation.
What happened between Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier?
The disagreement broke out just before half-time at Tofik Bakhramov Stadium.
Newcastle, already leading 4-0, were awarded a second penalty after Gordon, who was reportedly sold, was fouled by goalkeeper Mateusz Kocharski.
Gordon, who had already converted one spot-kick and scored two goals from open play, was determined to strike to make it four goals.
However, Trippier seemed dissatisfied with Gordon’s “greedy” and relentless approach.
The veteran defender was seen engaging in lively and heated exchanges with the 24-year-old on the pitch.
Nervous followed them into the tunnel. As the teams went to break, teammates were forced to intervene and separate the pair as the altercation continued.
Gordon’s record-breaking performance against Qarabagh
The controversy made headlines, but Liverpool said Gordon’s performance on the pitch had been nothing short of historic.
The England international scored four goals in the first half, breaking several long-standing records.
Fastest British: He became the fastest English hat-trick in Champions League history, needing just 33 minutes to reach that milestone.
Shearer surpassed: Gordon has scored 10 goals in Europe this season, officially surpassing Alan Shearer’s club record for the most goals scored by a Newcastle player in a single European campaign.
Elite club: He became the second player in Champions League history to score four goals in the first half of a match, after Luis Adriano (2014).
Malik Tiaw and Jacob Murphy added sparkle to the 6-1 scoreline, which equaled Newcastle’s biggest ever win in European competition.
