Anthony Gordon needed only seven days to convince Barcelona manager Hansi Flick that he should be given an early opportunity to establish himself in the first team.
The England winger joined Barcelona’s training programme on 9 August after taking less than three weeks’ holiday following his involvement with England at the World Cup. Despite his limited time with the squad, Gordon was named in the starting line-up for his first appearance in a Barcelona shirt, wearing number 17 in the friendly against Basel.
According to Sport, Flick had made up his mind after just a week. The report said the German coach “no longer wanted to wait to see Gordon on the pitch”.
Barcelona’s initial team selection appeared to suggest Gordon could be used in a different position. On paper, Raphinha was expected to operate on the left, Karim Adeyemi on the right and Gordon potentially as the central striker.
Flick opted for another solution. He moved Raphinha into a central role and placed Gordon on the left, the position he normally occupies for both Newcastle United and England.
That role allowed Gordon to use one of his main strengths: receiving the ball while facing forward, taking on his full-back and then cutting inside. He demonstrated the threat almost immediately.
In the third minute, Gordon collected possession on the left, confronted his marker and drove all the way to the byline. His cut-back narrowly missed both Raphinha and Eric Garcia, who might have converted the opportunity had they reached the ball.
The pattern continued throughout the opening stages. Gordon repeatedly appeared on the left but did not simply remain close to the touchline. Instead, he received the ball in an open position and moved inside, looking for the space between the full-back and the inside midfielder.
His movement forced Basel’s defence to make difficult decisions. In the 10th minute, he produced another direct run and dribbled infield, leaving Sinayoko on the ground as he attempted to contain him.
Gordon completed the move with a shot that went over the crossbar. Soon afterwards, he appeared again and delivered a cross towards Fermin Lopez, although the ball fell short of its intended target.
Barcelona clearly relied on their new winger during that spell, and his involvement was not accidental. Gordon was one of the side’s most consistent sources of attacking danger, with each touch carrying the possibility of creating an opening.
His activity also influenced the team’s overall performance. Gordon finished the first half with 41 ball involvements, twice the number recorded by Raphinha in the attacking position. The figure underlined how frequently Barcelona sought to bring him into the game.
Although his influence was strongest during the opening 15 minutes, Gordon remained involved afterwards. He continued to offer passing options to Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart, the pair responsible for controlling Barcelona’s midfield during the first half.
The significance of a pre-season friendly should not be overstated, but Gordon’s first 45 minutes provided an encouraging initial impression. He was replaced at half-time by Hamza Abdelkarim.
Gordon had arrived only seven days earlier and was still carrying the effects of his World Cup involvement in his legs. Nevertheless, Flick had already handed him a starting role while Barcelona wait for Lamine Yamal to regain full fitness and for Deco to settle the club’s number nine position.
There is still plenty to assess before firm conclusions can be drawn, but Gordon has made an immediate start to life at Barcelona and has not needed long to make his presence felt.
