Anthony Gordon benched again as Newcastle reset

Anthony Gordon was left on the bench for the second week running, and Newcastle are not hiding the reason. Eddie Howe said the decision was tactical, linked it to a more defensive structure, and added that he is also “looking at the future”.

Bayern Munich has formal interest in Gordon, but the immediate picture at Newcastle is about selection and shape rather than a transfer story. Gordon has come back to fitness and is training well, yet Howe is using these matches to work out what next season might look like.

Why Howe is making the call

Howe put it plainly: “The team has performed well in Anthony's absence. Obviously, we have gone with a bit more solidity with Joelinton playing wide and one winger the other side just to try and strengthen us defensively, because we weren't happy with how we were defending. Since January, really, we have been disappointed - so a change of structure really. Ant has come back to fitness. He's training well but, also, I'm looking at the future as well.”

That is a stronger explanation than a simple fitness update. Gordon did miss the defeats by Arsenal and Bournemouth in April with a minor hip flexor issue, so the medical side is part of the story. But Howe has now said twice that this is about the team, the structure and the future, which is a more pointed reading than “rested” or “not quite ready”.

The Forest draw showed that in practice. Newcastle went with Joelinton wide, Lewis Hall filled in at right-back before Kieran Trippier came on in injury time, and Jacob Ramsey made an impact from the bench. Howe said Ramsey was “magnificent” and that Harvey Barnes also made a big difference.

Gordon’s numbers still make the decision notable. He has 26 Premier League appearances for Newcastle this season, so this is not a case of a player drifting out of the picture over a long spell. The more relevant point is that he played 71 minutes in his most recent league appearance and then stayed unused against Forest.

Howe also said it was “our duty” to see what the new team will look like next year. That is the clearest line in the whole debate. Gordon is still part of the club’s present, but he is being judged inside a wider reset, and that is why the benchings feel more deliberate than temporary.

Bayern's interest adds another layer, though not enough to change the basic reading. The bigger issue is that Howe appears willing to prioritise the new shape over automatic selection for a proven attacker, and the Forest game backed him up enough to keep going that way.

If Gordon starts the next league game, the story changes quickly. If he does not, the message from Howe is already clear.