Anthony Gordon relays Jose Mourinho’s four-word message after Benfica display

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho decided to speak with Anthony Gordon after his side were beaten 3-0 by Newcastle in the Champions League on Tuesday night at St James’ Park

Jose Mourinho handed Anthony Gordon a big compliment after the England star helped Newcastle demolish his Benfica side. Gordon scored one and assisted another as Newcastle beat the Portuguese team 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

He opened the scoring by tucking in Jacob Murphy’s low cross before Nick Pope’s long throw sent Harvey Barnes through to make it 2-0. Gordon then turned provider for Barnes’ second goal on a perfect night at St James’ Park for the Magpies.

Mourinho spoke openly of his love for Newcastle in the build-up to the match due to his connection to Sir Bobby Robson. And his complimentary words about the club continued beyond the full-time whistle as he ventured over to Gordon to offer some encouragement.

“He said ‘You are too much’ which is a big compliment for me because as a kid he was my favourite manager in the world growing up,” Gordon revealed later.

READ MORE: Jamie Carragher forced to make emphatic Arsenal U-turn with Liverpool comparisonREAD MORE: Barcelona boss makes Marcus Rashford prediction and sends clear message to Man Utd

“It’s quite weird because he was quite a defensive manager, but I just love the way even then, the bench was getting up. He really creates a team environment, it’s like us against the world.

“I recognise that from my own game so it was a big compliment. It means an awful lot. Even if I didn’t idolise him, a compliment from any coach at this level means a lot.”

Gordon now has four goals and an assist in three Champions League games this season, having failed to score in the Premier League. The 24-year-old was a constant thorn in the Benfica defence on Tuesday and he was delighted with the result post-match.

“It’s massive. We’ve got a clear goal – we want to get into the knockout stages and the home games are going to be massive to achieve that goal,” he said.

“We were favourites going into the game, that can sometimes go the other way. Outside it might not look like as bad a game as Barca but it was to us. I think defensively we’ve been so consistent.

“When I say inconsistent, I mean us attackers have created loads of chances, we just haven’t finished them off. Sometimes that’s the case, you’ve got to be lucky and one has to fall like it did in the first half. If it does you score the first one but then you need to score the second and third to kill off the game.”

Newcastle will now host Fulham at St James’ Park in the Premier League on Saturday before turning their attention to the Carabao Cup, where they face Tottenham on Wednesday. They need to translate their Champions League form domestically, where they sit 14th in the Premier League, having won just two of their eight games.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£49

£35

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.