Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon says Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to rivals Sunderland was “not good enough,” because the Black Cats are “not very good” compared to the Magpies. Sunderland completed a league double over Newcastle after winning the reverse fixture 1-0, leaving Newcastle winless in their last 11 league meetings—the longest run in the rivalry’s history.
Gordon scored Newcastle’s opener before Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbey staged Sunderland’s comeback. He said:
"Away games are tougher because of their fans, but at home we shouldn’t lose, especially after the first-half performance. Starting the second half poorly has been an ongoing problem."
The loss dropped Newcastle to 12th in the table, behind Sunderland, and came shortly after an 8-3 Champions League aggregate defeat by Barcelona. Gordon added:
"It was not good enough, no excuses. We were good for 45 minutes, but they were better in the second half."
Meanwhile, Newcastle defender Sven Botman underwent surgery on a facial fracture suffered during the game and is expected to return before the season ends.
