West Ham face Newcastle United next in the Premier League and all the talk ahead of the game is about Anthony Gordon.
It looked like the stars are aligning for Graham Potter ahead of West Ham’s clash with the Magpies.
The Hammers are looking to salvage their miserable Premier League campaign.
West Ham have the chance of making it three wins on the bounce when Newcastle come to east London on Monday night.
After an uplift in form, the Hammers would fancy their chances against an inconsistent Newcastle United.
Potter would be feeling especially confident, though, after Eddie Howe was hit by a double blow ahead of the game.
Newcastle look set to be without two star players, Anthony Gordon and Aleksander Isak, at the London Stadium.
Gordon was sent off for pushing Jan Paul van Hecke in the head during Newcastle’s cup exit to Brighton.
Isak is also a serious injury doubt.
That was a boost for the Hammers, given how important Gordon and Isak have been for Howe’s side.
West Ham will be fuming if Newcastle get Gordon red rescinded
Gordon faces a three-match ban which will also rule him out of the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool after the West Ham clash.
Newcastle boss Howe has since confirmed he is considering appealing Gordon’s dismissal.
“Of course,” Howe said.
“If we analyse the incident and feel there’s grounds for that, we will do without hesitation.”
Newcastle have since confirmed they are ‘considering their options’ regarding an appeal.
Roy Keane described it as a ‘moment of madness’ from the winger.
While Newcastle may feel aggrieved, consensus among fans of other clubs online suggests Gordon was right to be sent off having clearly caught the Brighton defender fully in the head.
And West Ham will be fuming for two reasons if Newcastle get the Gordon red rescinded.
Firstly – and most obviously – Gordon will be available to face the Irons if it is overturned.
West Ham beat Newcastle 2-0 away with both Gordon and Isak playing.
But the pair missed chances to make the game comfortable for the Magpies before the Hammers got their goals.
Clearly Potter would much prefer to face Newcastle without Gordon.
Although the man who may deputise for him, Harvey Barnes, has a great record against West Ham.
West Ham will feel Kudus injustice if Gordon red is overturned
The other reason West Ham will feel wronged is Mohammed Kudus.
Gordon’s push to the head is very similar to what happened in an initial incident which saw West Ham’s Kudus sent off at Spurs back in October.
Micky van de Ven actually jumped up and instigated a face-to-face confrontation with Kudus after a challenge for the ball.
The Dutch defender called Kudus ‘crazy’ and other Spurs players surrounded the West Ham man before he eventually snapped and pushed Van de Ven away.
The referee initially only yellow carded Kudus. But VAR intervened and upgraded it to a red.
Kudus’ action was certainly no worse than Gordon’s.
The Hammers talisman saw his three-game ban ramped up to five matches after he then pushed other Tottenham players who confronted him.
Kudus and West Ham offered mitigation arguing the player had been provoked and was suffering stress due to the tribulations of the Ghana national team.
One of the three-person panel deciding the West Ham star’s fate even wanted Kudus banned for the rest of the season to send a message.
So if Gordon is let off, West Ham won’t just be angry that he will be free to face them on Monday night.
They will understandably feel it is an injustice given what happened with Kudus.
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