'Tired' Newcastle United star reveals what he desperate for after Manchester City defeat

Anthony Gordon admitted he “can’t wait” for the two-week winter break after Newcastle United suffered heartbreak against Manchester City.

With 26 minutes remaining, the Magpies were on course for an unlikely win over the Premier League champions. Ultimately, two moments of brilliance from super-sub Kevin De Bruyne - making his first top-flight appearance since August - earned City a last-gasp victory.

The late blow meant Newcastle slipped to 10th in the table ahead of the two-week hiatus. One of the stars of the first half was Gordon, who curled a brilliant effort past Stefan Ortega to put the Magpies 2-1 up.

However, his celebrations were short-lived as City spun the game on its head to snatch all three points late on. The winger, who has missed just one league all season through suspension was hooked on 86 minutes with the game in the balance.

Eddie Howe has been wary about highlighting the crippling injury list or fatigue for Newcastle's shortcomings in 2023-24. But Gordon, a player rarely given a moment’s rest since the under-21 Euros with England last summer, claimed Toon players are “tired” and relishing the upcoming lay-off.

“(I’m) really disappointed,” the 22-year-old told NUFC TV after the game. “I felt like, in the first half, we handled the way they play well. We identified where we could hurt them.

“I felt like the first half was good but, second half, where we usually come out and go for the throat, I thought we sat back a bit too early. It was probably because of how good they are as well. I don’t think we gave ourselves the best chance to win. The reality of it is we are really tired (and) they keep the ball a lot. They have top players and pin you back well.

“We have to keep the same mindset throughout the game. It’s about getting back in the habit. That comes with training, we haven’t trained a lot. After the break, we’ll train a lot and hopefully drill that back in. I’m desperate (for a break). I’m not going to lie. I can’t wait. It’s been a long season and we’ve had a lot of games but now we get a little break so we’re going to enjoy it.”