Anthony Gordon has shared insights into the challenges faced by Newcastle United due to Alexander Isak's transfer saga. Despite a goalless draw against Aston Villa in their Premier League opener, Newcastle showed promise. Villa played with ten men for the last 24 minutes after Ezri Konsa's red card for fouling Gordon. Eddie Howe's team was more threatening, achieving 1.47 expected goals compared to Villa's 0.13.

Newcastle has struggled without Isak, failing to win their last six Premier League matches without him (D4 L2). They haven't scored in their last four games despite taking 75 shots and generating 9.4 expected goals across those matches. Isak's absence is felt keenly in the final third, highlighting his importance to the team.

This summer, Isak has been a focal point of transfer rumours, with Liverpool reportedly interested despite having an initial £110 million bid rejected. The 25-year-old striker was excluded from Newcastle's pre-season camp and now trains separately from the squad. Manager Eddie Howe expressed a desire to resolve this situation quickly.

Gordon acknowledged that dealing with the news was initially challenging but believes it has ultimately strengthened the squad. "It has been difficult because we're a tight-knit group," Gordon told TNT Sports. "We've never really had any problems publicly and that being the first that's happened has tested us."

Despite these challenges, Gordon insists that the team's spirit remains intact. "But you see today we've still got that spirit and togetherness," he said. "We work on it every day and it's never gonna go away regardless of individuals." He emphasized that such situations can test and ultimately improve the team.