Bruno Guimaraes believes Anthony Gordon "wanted to help too much" which led to his red card during Newcastle's loss to Liverpool. On the stroke of half-time, Gordon lunged clumsily into Virgil van Dijk’s right leg from behind, leaving the Liverpool captain in pain. What initially looked like a yellow-card offence was swiftly upgraded to a straight red after VAR intervention, leaving Eddie Howe’s side fighting an uphill battle.

Guimaraes defends Gordon after horror redForward apologises to Van Dijk publiclyNewcastle still searching for first win of seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Realising the severity of his challenge, Gordon wasted no time in making amends. The 23-year-old forward issued a heartfelt apology to Van Dijk, stressing that his actions were not malicious.

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Speaking after the match, Guimaraes leapt to his team-mate’s defence, suggesting that Gordon’s dismissal stemmed from over-enthusiasm.

"I think he wanted to help too much. I think sometimes you are so excited to play you make some mistakes," the Newcastle star told "It's happened to me. We always try to give our best. There is a lot of noise outside that we cannot control."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite being reduced to 10-men, Newcastle clawed back from 2-0 down to level the scoreline within regulation time. However, a late strike from sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha tilted the balance in favour of Liverpool deep in stoppage time as the visitors clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory. 

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE?

The suspension rules Gordon out of the next three fixtures, a punishing blow for a Newcastle squad already struggling without wantaway striker Alexander Isak. Eddie Howe's side will next travel to Elland Road to take on Leeds United on Saturday as they seek their first win of the new season.