They call this the punishment round, yet for Newcastle it has been more like a mid-season joyride. The head coach has complained about the calendar not allowing for meaningful training time - well, here he had it, against the mannequins of Azerbaijan. His athletic volley came just a minute after Tonali had initiated and finished a move to open the scoring. As Howe said this week, his team seem to find something extra under the Champions League lights. Gordon scored in that defeat in September, but it came at a time when Newcastle were struggling for goals.

Source: Metro February 25, 2026 02:42 UTC