Anthony Gordon set tongues wagging after insisting it was important for Carabao Cup finalists Newcastle to “stay humble”.
And fans are convinced the Magpies star aimed a subtle dig at Arsenal after Mikel Arteta’s side were battered 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals. It was a famous night at St. James’ Park as Eddie Howe’s team booked their place in next month’s Wembley showpiece, moving them within 90 minutes of ending their 70-year wait for a major trophy.
Speaking to Sky Sports at full-time, goalscorer Gordon said: “It is important for us to stay humble now. We had a good run and then two results we didn’t see coming, this is a good game to get us back on track but we need to keep our heads down.”
The England winger’s comments come just days after the Gunners’ heated encounter with Man City, where youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly controversially mimicked Erling Haaland’s goal celebration during a 5-1 victory.
Back in September’s 2-2 draw at the Etihad, Haaland confrontationally asked the talented youngster “who the f*** are you?” before telling Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” at full-time. Footage of the Norwegian goal machine’s remarks went viral, but Arsenal’s DJ savagely responded after the 5-1 triumph on Sunday, as Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ hit echoed around the Emirates.
And punters now reckon Gordon’s choice of words was a deliberate nod to that incident. One punter wrote on X: “Top class housery.” Another posted: “I see what you did there Gordon.” A third added: “Haha… Said it with a straight face too…” But the remark didn’t go down well with Arsenal fans, as one Gooner hit out: “Acting as if he’s in the Champions League Final. Disgraceful.”