Gordon acknowledges Newcastle form must improve to seal World Cup spot

Anthony Gordon has insisted that his form with Newcastle United must improve if he is to confirm his spot in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for next summer's World Cup. 

Gordon enjoyed a productive international window with the Three Lions, scoring in their 5-0 win over Latvia to seal their place at FIFA's flagship tournament in 2026. 

He also ended that game with a team-high total for touches in the opposition box (11), further proving his case of being involved in Tuchel's plans from the start. 

But Gordon is yet to hit the ground running in the Premier League in 2025-26, failing to score in his four matches in the competition, albeit he has served a three-match suspension following a straight red card against Liverpool in August. 

"Amazing. It is something I have dreamed of as a kid. Probably didn't hit me till I got into the changing room and saw everyone celebrating," Gordon said. 

"I think definitely in the last three performances they have been my best for England. I still feel like I can do more.

"If I want to be a top elite world level winger, I have got loads more to do. I'm not scared of competition. It pushes me to be better, it pushes us all to be better.

"Every young lad dreams of playing in a World Cup for England."

And Gordon will be hoping to get his first Premier League goal of the season away to Brighton in their next top-flight outing this Saturday. 

Fabian Hurzeler's side are unbeaten in their last three league games, salvaging a point away to Wolves last time out courtesy of defender Jan Paul van Hecke. 

Those results see Brighton down in 12th on nine points after seven games, just a season after narrowly missing out on a spot in Europe for the second time in their history.

While the Seagulls are yet to hit the heights of last campaign, Brighton chairman Tony Bloom is keen to establish the team as regular European contenders moving forward. 

"I don't think you can ever be confident of winning a trophy. We have not won a major trophy, so we don't want to get obsessed with it. We know how difficult it is," Bloom said.

"The latter stages of any cup competition playing some of the best teams in the world, but we are absolutely aiming every season to be competitive. 

"To be aiming to win cup competitions – and that is the men's and the women's teams.

"What is a bit more in our control is the league, the league form, the league position and, as I said before, our aim is to be playing in Europe.

"We loved playing in Europe a couple of seasons ago, and we want to be regularly pushing for those European spots."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brighton – Jan Paul van Hecke

Van Hecke was Brighton's hero by netting an 86th-minute equaliser against Wolves last time out, but it has been his influence at the other end that has caught the eye.

He has made 101 line-breaking passes in the Premier League this season, more than any other player. 14 of those have broken at least two lines, with only Marcos Senesi (16) recording more.

Newcastle – Nick Woltemade

Woltemade has settled well to life in Newcastle, scoring three goals in four Premier League games, with all those strikes coming in front of the St. James' Park faithful.

The only players to score four or more goals in their first five appearances for Newcastle in the competition are Les Ferdinand, Michael Owen, Callum Wilson (all four) and Loic Remy (five).

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Brighton have never lost in eight Premier League home games against Newcastle (W3 D5). Indeed, the Magpies are the only side to visit the Amex Stadium five or more times in the competition without ever winning.

The Seagulls also have a strong record on the south coast of late. They have only lost one of their last 11 top-flight home games (W6 D4), alternating between drawing (four) and winning (three) their last seven since a 0-3 defeat to Aston Villa in April.

Brighton have also made a habit of showing their powers of recovery. Under Hurzeler, they have gained 30 points from losing positions in the Premier League, with this accounting for 43% of their points total under him (30/70) – this is both the highest total and ratio of any ever-present side in the division since the start of last season.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have seen all three of their top-flight away games this season end goalless. In English Football League history, only one side has ever had their first four away league games of a campaign end goalless, with Notts County doing so in the third division south in 1935-36.

They have also failed to score in each of their last four Premier League away games. They last went five without a league goal on the road between February and May 2015, while they've never failed to score in each of their first four in a single league campaign before.

And that run has not been helped in the final third. Only Nottingham Forest (6.3%) have a lower shot conversion rate in the Premier League this season than Newcastle (7.5%), who have scored six goals from 80 shots.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brighton – 38%

Draw – 26.4%

Newcastle – 35.5%