NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon has apologized to Virgil van Dijk for a reckless challenge on the Liverpool captain that earned a red card, saying he was “trying to create energy” in a wild Premier League game between the teams.

A fired-up Gordon sprinted toward Van Dijk and lunged into the center back with an out-of-control tackle that left a visible scrape down Van Dijk’s right calf and the Netherlands international in a heap on the ground with his sock down to his ankle.

Having initially been given a yellow card, Gordon saw the punishment upgraded to a red card following a VAR review. The score was 1-0 to Liverpool at the time and the visitors ran out a 3-2 winner Monday thanks to a goal in the 10th minute of stoppage time by 16-year-old substitute Rio Ngumo

See Full Page