Premier League: Anthony Gordon apologises after reckless tackle on Virgil Van Djik

Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon has issued an apology to Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk following his reckless challenge during the heated Premier League encounter at St James’ Park on Tuesday night.

The clash already carried an edge due to the uncertainty surrounding striker Alexander Isak, who has expressed his desire to leave the club amid strong links with Liverpool. With Isak out of the picture, Gordon was tasked with leading the line, but his evening ended in controversy.

Midway through the contest, the 23-year-old lunged into a mistimed tackle on Van Dijk, catching the Dutch defender high on his right calf. The challenge initially earned Gordon a yellow card, but after referee Simon Hooper consulted the pitch-side monitor through VAR, it was upgraded to a straight red. The incident left Van Dijk on the ground, his sock rolled down to his ankle.

Gordon later took to Instagram to express his regret for his actions.

“I want to sincerely apologise to my teammates and the fans. My intentions were pure — I was just trying to create energy in the game, and I mistimed the tackle. I also want to apologise to Virgil, I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that,” Gordon wrote.

“More importantly, I’m so proud of the time I spent on the pitch and how we played tonight. The atmosphere from you all is what makes St James’ Park so special. I love everything we stand for as a club, and no more than right now. I’ll be back and better, the same as every other setback I’ve ever faced. See you soon,” he added.

Liverpool, who were leading 1-0 at the time of the incident, eventually secured a dramatic 3-2 win, with 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha scoring the winner deep into stoppage time.

Van Dijk, reflecting on the tackle, stressed the severity of the incident.

“I said to him, if that’s not a sending-off, I don’t understand football. Unfortunately, these things happen. Whether he meant it or not, it happened. We move on,” the Dutchman said.

The dismissal marked Gordon’s second red card in six months, and he will now serve a three-match domestic suspension.