How Anthony Gordon matched Harry Kane, Alan Shearer on record-breaking UEFA Champions League night for Newcastle forward

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Anthony Gordon scored four goals in the first half of Newcastle United's UEFA Champions League match against Qarabag on Wednesday. In doing so, the 24-year-old equalled numerous records for both Newcastle and English players in the competition. It also marked his first career hat-trick and puts Newcastle in a commanding position to advance to the round of 16.

Highlights: Glittering Gordon grabs four as Newcastle hit Qarabag for SIX

Video credit: TNT Sports

It took Anthony Gordon just 33 minutes to complete a first-half hat-trick against Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. And he went one better before the break, adding a fourth on the stroke of half-time.

In doing so, he matched numerous historic feats as Newcastle United turned the screw in a dominant 6-1 victory.

According to Opta, Gordon became just the second player in UEFA Champions League history to score four goals in the first half of a game after Luiz Adriano achieved the feat for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov in October 2014.

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Additionally, the 24-year-old became only the second English player to score four goals in a UEFA Champions League match after Harry Kane netted four for Bayern Munich against GNK Dinamo in September 2024, per UEFA.

And he is now the second Englishman to reach double figures for goals in a single UEFA Champions League campaign, after Harry Kane scored 11 times in 2024-25.

It was a mammoth journey for the hardy Newcastle fans to watch their team play in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 2,529 miles they had to travel is the longest distance ever travelled by an English team for a Champions League away match.

Gordon nets first senior hat-trick 11 seconds after restart as Newcastle run riot

Video credit: TNT Sports

But they were rewarded for their hard efforts just three minutes into the game when Gordon opened the scoring, decisively dispatching his effort into the bottom corner past a helpless Mateusz Kochalski in the Qarabag goal.

A header from Malick Thiaw doubled Newcastle’s lead moments later and Gordon had his second shortly after the half-hour mark, slamming home a penalty after Newcastle were awarded a controversial spot kick for handball.

And Gordon completed his first career hat-trick just 11 seconds after the restart, latching onto a mistake from the home defence, rounding Kochalski and poking home.

"It's a great finish. That's composure. It's really poor from Qarabag," TNT Sports' Ally McCoist said of Gordon’s third goal.

"Dear me. Take nothing away from the finish, outside of the boot, but defensively... oh my goodness. What is [Qarabag defender Kevin] Medina thinking about there?"

Gordon became the third Newcastle player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League after Faustino Asprilla and Alan Shearer.

He completed his four-goal haul on the stroke of half-time, converting another penalty having been brought down by Kochalski.

It wasn’t all happy in the Newcastle camp as they walked into the dressing room at half-time, with Gordon and captain Keiran Trippier seen exchanging words.

Gordon and Trippier bicker in 'strange' half-time incident

Video credit: TNT Sports

But, thanks to Gordon, Newcastle had scored five goals in a UEFA Champions League match for the first time in their history.

According to Opta, Newcastle became just the second ever team to lead a UEFA Champions League knockout stage game by five or more goals at half-time after Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals against FC Porto in April 2015.

"It should be seven or eight," McCoist said following Gordon’s fourth goal. "Credit to Newcastle. I've got to find a bit of balance.

"They've been at it from the first whistle but they've been handed it by their opponents, also. It's an excellent penalty again from Gordon."

'Emotions are high' - Trippier and Gordon explain half-time incident

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Qarabag did pull a goal back shortly after the break through Elvin Cafarquliyev and Gordon was substituted in the 68th minute with Newcastle’s victory all but assured. Jacob Murphy's deflected effort late on completed the scoring.

Gordon now has 10 goals from nine games in this season’s competition, with Newcastle looking well-placed to advance to the round of 16. The second leg will be played next Tuesday, February 24, at St James' Park.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Steve McManaman said: "Selfishly, Anthony Gordon will want to play next week. He's got 10 goals in nine games. He'll be thinking he could break records this season. He could get another hat-trick against this team. He'll want to play as it's such an inviting fixture."

"Elevates him across Europe"

Gordon's ten-goal haul means he is the second top scorer in the Champions League this year.

Only Real Madrid start Kylian Mbappe, with his 13 strikes, sits above him in the race for the golden boot.

Such a record is all the more impressive when considering the ex-Everton man has only bagged three Premier League goals this campaign.

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given says being mentioned in such illustrious company is a huge thing.

"Special [to be second top scorer in the UCL]," he told TNT Sports. "They signed [Yoane] Wissa, [Nick] Woltemade in the summer. But it nearly feels like when Gordon plays as a No. 9, they look more dangerous.

"When he scores four goals tonight, Eddie Howe might be thinking on Saturday, against Manchester City, that could be the way forward and Woltemade and Wissa have to be a bit more patient.

"To be in that company is special for him."

McManaman, meanwhile, thinks Gordon will now have tongues wagging across the continent.

He added: "It elevates his name across Europe.

"We know what a good player he is, but suddenly, people in Spain, people in France, people in Germany will be like: 'what, he's scored ten in nine games? This is something special, we're going to have to keep an eye on him.'"

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