Gordon Scores 4, Breaks Shearer's Newcastle Record

Anthony Gordon refused to give up the penalty ball after already scoring a hat-trick, and that single-minded determination made history. The 24-year-old Newcastle forward became the club's all-time Champions League top scorer with 10 goals, surpassing club legend Alan Shearer in a 6-1 thrashing of Qarabag.

Gordon only needed two minutes to open the scoring, beating the offside trap to latch onto Dan Burn's pass before calmly slotting home. His speed and positioning left the Azerbaijan champions scrambling all night.

The breakthrough moment came when Gordon won a penalty to make it 3-0. Teammate Kieran Trippier suggested giving it to Nick Woltemade, but Gordon wasn't budging. He stepped up and buried it powerfully past the goalkeeper.

Just seconds after the restart, Gordon's relentless pressing forced a defensive error. He pounced on the mistake, rounded the keeper, and completed his hat-trick. By halftime, he'd won and converted another penalty for his fourth goal.

The performance shattered multiple records. Gordon became the only Englishman to score three or more goals in a Champions League knockout stage game and just the second Englishman to reach double figures in a single Champions League campaign.

Why This Inspires

Gordon's coach Eddie Howe praised more than just the goals. "His pressing today was incredible for us," Howe said, highlighting the forward's all-around game that gave Newcastle the platform to dominate.

When Gordon was substituted midway through the second half, BBC commentator Pat Nevin noticed something telling. "He is actually gutted," Nevin observed as Gordon reluctantly left the field to chants of his name from the away supporters.

Those traveling fans had made the longest journey any English supporters have ever taken for a Champions League match. The 2,500-mile trek to Baku proved worth every mile as they sang about not wanting to go home.

The moment echoed a 1999 game when Shearer, after scoring four goals, famously refused to let teammate Paul Robinson take a penalty. Gordon channeled that same hunger, and in doing so, wrote his own chapter in Newcastle history.

At 24, Gordon is just beginning to show what he can do.