Anthony Gordon is Newcastle’s own Mbappe! Eddie Howe is backing Toon talisman to shine on defining night in Paris as they face must-win scenario to keep Champions League dream alive

• Anthony Gordon’s importance to Newcastle is similar to Kylian Mbappe at PSG 
• Eddie Howe is convinced England boss Gareth Southgate is tracking Gordon
• It’s ridiculous to see Steve Cooper under pressure at Nottingham Forest. He’s been the best since Brian Clough – It’s All Kicking Off 

It was, perhaps, a little like comparing Newcastle’s Grey’s Monument to the Eiffel Tower. But, for Eddie Howe, is Anthony Gordon emerging as a talisman of similar importance to Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe?

‘A nice headline, that one,’ said Howe, although he did not shut down the suggestion. In fact, he was still talking about his winger 60 seconds later, here at the Parc des Princes and on the eve of Tuesday night’s must-not-lose Champions League group tie.

‘Anthony has been great for us. When we signed him, we knew he was a player of huge potential, reliability, pace and technical ability. He is unique. He plays on the edge and is a fierce competitor.

‘He’s also been robust. That is something we’re putting more importance on, because those who can play every few days, that’s a skill in itself. The output he gives the team is extremely high, every week. He is managing to recover and go again.

‘I’m delighted with his progress this season, he has really come on massively. The big thing for him recently has been adding goals and assists.’

Anthony Gordon (left) has drawn parallels to PSG’s talismanic striker Kylian Mbappe (right)

Gordon (right), like Mbappe, could play as a central striker for Newcastle on Tuesday night

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Five goals and three assists in the Premier League makes the 22-year-old Newcastle’s top contributor. 

On Saturday, against Chelsea, he was in opposition to the rival who kept him out of the last England squad, Cole Palmer. Only one of that pair looked like an international footballer during Newcastle’s 4-1 win, and it was not the recent Three Lions debutant.

It is, then, to those who routinely cover the Magpies, something of a mystery as to how Gordon did not win elevation ahead of Palmer. The Chelsea winger had scored four goals from five games before his call-up. Four penalties. 

Gordon, by comparison, has five from open play. And yes, there are shades of Mbappe by the manner in which he cuts infield from the left and finishes with his right. Thierry Henry, even.

Howe would have him in the England squad, even if there was relief that his £40million forward was one of only five players who trained on Tyneside during the international break, given the squad’s injury crisis.

‘I won’t critique Gareth’s (Southgate) decisions,’ said Howe. ‘Anthony’s emergence has been quite quick this year. 

‘He has started with those goals and assists in the last few months, so I’m sure Gareth will be watching him closely, with the summer (Euro 2024) in mind.’

Gordon, like Mbappe, can also play as a central striker, and he could start there on Tuesday evening. 

Howe (left) believes England boss Gareth Southgate will have a close eye on Gordon’s progress

Alexander Isak is Howe’s only fit frontman and he may be kept in reserve to make an impact from the bench, in a match Newcastle cannot lose if they are to stay in the Champions League.

Barring the 4-1 win over PSG in the reverse fixture, Howe’s side have not replicated their Premier League form in Europe. They have been unrecognisable at times, lacking the intensity of their domestic blitz. Indeed, PSG boss Luis Enrique watched their weekend win and was, like Chelsea, blown away.

This city has been plagued by bed bugs in recent months, but Enrique fears it will be Newcastle’s players swarming over his own on Tuesday.

‘If you saw the match against Chelsea, physically it’s really incredible,’ said the Spaniard. 

‘Six players are putting on so much pressure, they can pressurise eight players at the same time. This intensity in their game and this pressure is something we need to be prepared for.’

Howe as good as promised firing up his players to the max for a game that, in time, could change the club’s destiny over the coming years. They need to be in the Champions League to ‘push back the guardrails of Financial Fair Play’, as chief executive Darren Eales often says.

‘We need to play on the edge, I think we’re at our best like that,’ said Howe. ‘I expect that from the players tomorrow, we’re going to need every ounce of motivation and energy to get a result here.

PSG boss Luis Enrique was a stunned observer of Newcastle’s 4-1 demolition job of Chelsea

‘This is a defining moment in our Champions League campaign. We’re well aware of where we sit in the group (bottom) and know what can happen tomorrow (a defeat and Milan beating Dortmund means Newcastle finish bottom), so we’re going to give it everything.

‘Fear of failure is a motivating factor in my career, losing doesn’t sit comfortably. I don’t think the motivation could be any bigger for us. We want to be in the Champions League as long as we can, and that makes tomorrow a huge moment in our season.’

There was surprise among some observers when Howe chose not to train in either Milan or Dortmund before previous away games. That has changed here, and the head coach led a session beneath the lights on Monday night.

‘It’s a change of routine,’ he said. ‘You never know how it affects performances, but we are looking for an improvement on the two away games so far, that’s why we’ve come here earlier today. Some players might want that (change) or need it.’

One player who would have performed regardless is Gordon. But never mind sharing headlines with Mbappe, he must make them his own if Newcastle are to remain in this competition.

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