Anthony Gordon: How Barcelona’s England winger hit the ground running

The Englishman hit the ground running in Spain and became an influential player in Hansi Flick’s attack at Barcelona.

Although he is still waiting for his first goal, Gordon’s pace and directness suit Barcelona’s attack well.

“Our idea of ​​the game is much more linked to Anthony’s,” said Barcelona sporting director Deco when asked why they chose Gordon over Rashford.

“His style matches what the coach wants.”

And it seems that Gordon got the hang of it very quickly.

“I already feel at home,” Gordon said. “The city is amazing. The guys made me feel welcome. I think the longer I’m here, the better and better I’ll get.”

Playing primarily on the left, he gave Flick another way to hurt opponents.

His ability to attack space stretches the defense and his movement off the ball creates opportunities for his teammates.

This was especially noticeable near Lamin Yamal and Rafinha.

Barcelona head coach Flick said: “I think as a striker, for your part, you want to score goals. He had some chances, but he missed them.”

“But he made the last pass to prepare the goal, and that is also very important.”

Gordon made two assists in four minutes against Elche in his league debut.

He also went one-on-one with the Elche goalkeeper and had the opportunity to score his debut goal.

However, Gordon instead opted to send the ball straight into Fermin Lopez’s net, who made no mistake from close range.

This moment told fans a lot about Gordon’s mentality. Instead of chasing the glory of a debut goal, he prioritized what was best for the team.

“You always want to win, but the team is always important first,” Gordon said after the match. “Especially in this club.”

For Barcelona fans, it was another sign that they had signed a player who was not just interested in making an individual impact, but in doing whatever it took to help the team succeed.