Eddie Howe explains reason behind Anthony Gordon substitution

As Anthony Gordon appeared clearly upset following his substitution against Brentford, Eddie Howe stated that there is no problem with the midfielder.

At halftime, with the Magpies behind the Bees, the 22-year-old was introduced off the bench. Yet, Newcastle had a 2-1 lead with just a few seconds left when Howe again decided to take Gordon off to waste more time.

Gordon was obviously upset that Matt Ritchie replaced him, despite the Toons' advantage. His reaction as he joined the other players on the bench was so obvious to see.

At the conclusion of the game, Howe comforted the star, and the midfielder was afterwards captured grinning broadly in a squad picture, suggesting that the problem had been resolved.

Speaking after the huge win, Howe said, “He had no problem with Gordon but that he needs to control his emotions in that moment".

The English midfielder was holding his ankle during the Brentford game which led to the manager taking him off towards the end of the game.

In an interview, the Newcastle manager said that he chose to substitute the former Everton player because he wanted to bring on a more seasoned player and the former Everton player was also holding his ankle.

Ivan Toney gave Brentford the lead after missing an earlier penalty, but an own goal by David Raya and a strike from Alexander Isak shortly after the hour handed Newcastle a crucial three points in the fight for a Champions League position.

Meanwhile, Micah Richards advises Newcastle forward to move on after Saturday's outburst. Anthony Gordon’s reaction to being substituted during their 2-1 win on Saturday over Brentford went viral