Anthony Gordon was hailed as "outstanding" by Spanish media after he helped Barcelona beat Elche 5-0 on his La Liga debut. The former Newcastle United man agreed that his league bow was a "dream."
England international Gordon swapped St James' Park for the Camp Nou this summer, signing for an initial £70million. And so far, the 25-year-old has not disappointed.
He impressed on his first appearance for the club, a 5-2 friendly win against FC Basel, and landed his first trophy, albeit a piece of pre-season silverware, when helping his side beat Al Ahly in the 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy last week.
Impactful from the bench
But in his first competitive match, Gordon was impactful from the bench, setting up Raphinha and Fermin Lopez after replacing Lamine Yamal in the 65th minute. Asked about his outing after the game, Gordon said: "Of course [it was a dream debut]. I feel at home already and the city is amazing."
Media in Spain have been quick to praise his first domestic showing for La Blaugrana.
Spanish media verdicts
Mundo Deportivo needed just one word when summing up Gordon: "Dazzling." The outlet continued: "The only negative aspect of Barca's visit to Elche was Gavi's injury. It was clear that the new signings made a significant impact, such as [Karim] Adeyemi and in the second half, Gordon, who provided two assists and helped seal the victory with high pressing."
In only 29 minutes on the field, Gordon's electric pace caused havoc for the Elche defence. Two minutes after coming on, his cross was converted by Raphinha. Soon after, in the 71st minute, Gordon found himself face-to-face with the goalkeeper after being played through, but instead of taking a shot on, he squared it to team-mate Fermin, who swept home for 4-0.
AS had the same reaction with its report reading: "The Englishman's debut couldn't have been more fruitful, providing two assists. His generosity is undeniable. Flick turned to his bench to unleash Dani Olmo and Gordon. The latter blew the game open, combining blistering pace with outstanding decision-making."
Gordon's two assists led to the third and fourth goals. First, he set up Raphinha for 3-0, then delivered a perfectly weighted pass that allowed Fermin to make it 4-0. It was the sort of assist that arrived gift-wrapped, complete with ribbon and a flourish.
Ratings and reaction
Gordon was rated 8/10 by SPORT for his performance away at Elche. Its report added: "The moment he stepped onto the pitch, he delivered a brilliant assist to Raphinha, who made it 3-0. His introduction, as we saw in the Gamper Trophy match, always makes a difference."
It was a very good match from Barca and several standout players, despite the circumstances. But it was a great debut from Gordon, with two assists in five minutes.
