Why it's time for big-game Gordon to deliver in Premier League

Jose Mourinho had three simple words for Anthony Gordon.

"You're too much."

That was what the Benfica manager told the Newcastle United forward as he embraced him at full-time at St James' Park on Tuesday.

Mourinho had just watched Gordon open the scoring and set up substitute Harvey Barnes' second goal in a 3-0 win against his side in the Champions League.

It was a night when Gordon became the first Newcastle player ever to score in three successive games in the competition.

It was also a night when the man of the match looked right at home at Europe's top table.

"It brings the best out of me," Gordon said. "The biggest games make me feel alive. I love playing at this level. It's where I wanted to play as a kid so I'm living the dream."

The challenge for Gordon and Newcastle is to take that performance into Saturday's home game against Fulham.

Because it has been a different story in the Premier League in the opening months of the campaign.

Gordon has so often been a big-game performer for Newcastle.

The England forward became only the second player, alongside Leicester City hero Jamie Vardy, to score against Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United in a single Premier League campaign a couple of seasons ago.

Five of the nine goals he netted for Newcastle in all competitions last year came against Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that he has relished life back in the Champions League.

Gordon ranks joint first for combined goals and assists (five), joint third for goals (four) and big chance total (six), and tied for fourth for fouls won (eight) among all players in that competition.

From a small sample size, which includes two penalties against Union Saint-Gilloise, his shot conversion rate (50%) and xG (2.73) have been higher in the Champions League than in the Premier League this season.

On the other hand, according to Opta, Gordon has created significantly more chances in the top-flight (five), completed more dribbles (10), won more fouls (nine), taken more shots (13) and had more touches in the opposition box (18).

But he has yet to find the back of the net or register an assist - despite lining up in two additional games in the Premier League.

The England forward is self-aware enough to joke that it would help to play with the Champions League ball domestically.

The same could be said for one or two of his team-mates.

Newcastle may have scored eight goals in Europe this season, but only the bottom three teams in the Premier League have managed fewer than the Magpies' seven goals in eight games in the top flight.

Why is this the case? It's perplexing to many.

"I haven't got an answer for that - I wish I did," Gordon said. "I've just got to take it game by game, approach every game the same. I don't know what's different."

You can be sure Gordon will be desperate to find the answer following a stop-start period in his career.

Gordon missed last season's Carabao Cup final through suspension after a mindless red card against Brighton, and Newcastle went on to end a 70-year wait to win a major domestic trophy without him on the field at Wembley.

After subsequently suffering a thigh injury on international duty, Gordon could only watch on as fellow left winger Harvey Barnes flourished before he got back into the Newcastle starting line-up for the final few games of the campaign.

Gordon returned to pre-season eager to make his mark, particularly in a World Cup year, and he led the line selflessly in the absence of former team-mate Alexander Isak, who was trying to force through a move to Liverpool.

But Gordon's determination to impress spilled over against Liverpool in August when he was sent off for a late tackle on Virgil van Dijk in a 3-2 defeat, which led to him being suspended for another three games in the Premier League.

Yet it is easy to forget this is a player who is still only 24.

Gordon has already become a firm favourite of England manager Thomas Tuchel with the aggression and intensity he plays with when he is at his best.

The challenge now is to deliver week in, week out.

"I think there's more to come from him," said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. "He looked in a really good place on Tuesday. He was direct, full of running.

"He produced an assist and a goal, and I was really pleased with his performance. The challenge for him and all the players is to produce it on a consistent basis because if he can, there are very few who can do what he can."