Alan Shearer has condemned Anthony Gordon after the Newcastle United forward was sent off during his side's dramatic Premier League defeat to Liverpool. The former England captain took to social media to express his frustration, writing: “What a stupid challenge man. It’s a red card all day.”
Gordon was initially shown a yellow card by referee Simon Hooper for his challenge on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. However, after a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a red card. Hooper explained: “After review, the Newcastle United number 10 commits a serious foul play challenge. The challenge is with speed and makes clear contact on the Liverpool number 4's calf. My final decision is red card to Newcastle United number 10.”
Sky Sports co-commentator Chris Sutton also weighed in, saying: “Does he catch him high? It's a wild challenge. Every time you see it, it gets worse. I'll be surprised if he stays on. It was an unnecessary challenge.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher added: “It's daft from Gordon. He was the best player on the pitch before that.”
The match itself saw Liverpool race into a 2-0 lead through Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, only for Newcastle to fight back with goals from Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula. With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Rio Ngumoha struck in the ninth minute of stoppage time to secure all three points for the Reds.
