Barcelona's supporters and media have quickly moved on from Marcus Rashford after Anthony Gordon delivered a sparkling league debut for the La Liga champions. The former Newcastle United winger provided two assists off the bench as Barcelona kicked off their title defence with a 5-0 victory against Elche.
Gordon's debut overshadows Rashford's loan spell
Gordon, who joined Barcelona for £69.3 million instead of the club activating the clause in Rashford's loan agreement for a considerably lower fee, has impressed with his displays at the World Cup with England, encouraging pre-season form and now his league debut. Rashford contributed to Barcelona's title triumph last season during his loan stint from Manchester United.
Spanish outlet SPORT said Gordon and fellow new signing Karim Adeyemi have brought "dynamism, pressure and a decisive burst of speed."
It added: "Against Elche, one scored as a starter and the other came off the bench to capitalise on the opposition's fatigue with two assists. Two different profiles for the same idea: to accelerate the attack when the game allows."
Praise for Gordon's impact
It was noted that the pair do not both need to feature on the pitch simultaneously to be "game-changers" for Hansi Flick's side. Regarding Gordon, the same outlet added: "Beyond the assists, his introduction allowed Barca to better exploit the spaces when Elche began to show signs of fatigue.
"Gordon accelerated the transitions and constantly threatened to attack behind the defense, a particularly valuable characteristic when the opponent is already forced to push forward."
Meanwhile, the Barcelona Universal website awarded Gordon a rating of 8.5/10, describing it as a "very promising debut." Mundo Deportivo also heaped praise upon the former Everton star, labelling him "unstoppable", while La Vanguardia described him as "electric and selfless" having "come out firing on all cylinders."
Rashford's return to United
Despite missing a penalty, Gordon also caught the eye in last week's final pre-season fixture against Al Ahly. He will now be hopeful of having done enough to earn a place in Flick's starting XI when Barcelona host Athletic Club on Thursday.
Meanwhile, with no buyers coming forward, Rashford is now back with United, coming off the bench at half-time during Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Hull City.
