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Anthony Gordon has made an immediate mark at Barcelona, earning the respect of his new teammates through his professionalism and humility. The England international completed a move worth around £69.3 million early in the summer transfer window, making him one of the club’s biggest investments in recent years.
Gordon announced himself in La Liga with a brace of assists in just 25 minutes during his debut against Elche. He then started the next two matches, contributing two more assists in a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, bringing his tally to four assists from three appearances. He is yet to score but has already become a fan favourite at the Nou Camp, with supporters chanting his name from the stands.
Spanish outlet Sport reports that Gordon has become “one of the team” in the dressing room, crediting his rapid adaptation to his attitude. Despite being one of the club’s most expensive signings, his behaviour reportedly gives no indication of that status. He addressed the Barcelona faithful in Spanish at his unveiling in May and is continuing to study the language, with Catalan also on his learning list.
Gordon has been direct in comparing the Premier League and La Liga, offering a candid assessment of the tactical demands he now faces.
“I’m not going to deny that the Premier League is incredibly intense. The rhythm is relentless, there are physical battles everywhere, long band kicks, corner kicks and a lot of contact. That’s why many English players believe it is the best league in the world. They’re used to that kind of chaos.”
“I loved playing in the Premier League and it played a huge role in my development. But Spanish football demands a different level of tactical and technical intelligence.”
“In England, sometimes intensity can cover up mistakes. You can miscontrol the ball and still recover by winning the next physical battle. Here, a bad first touch or a lack of concentration on your positioning can punish you immediately. The spaces are smaller, the decisions have to be faster and everything must be cleaner.”
“Football in Spain is different. Rayo retreated and tried to make the match difficult, something you also see in many mid-table Premier League teams. The difference is that we don’t just resort to long balls or relying on ball-to-ball plays. We moved the ball, Pedri found spaces between the lines, Lamine and the others created numerical superiority and patiently disarmed them with our football.”
Gordon spent three-and-a-half years at Newcastle after joining from Everton in January 2023. Across 152 appearances at St James’ Park, he recorded 39 goals and 28 assists before his summer departure.
Newcastle moved to address the vacancy by signing Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old scored on his Carabao Cup debut against West Brom but has been limited to bench appearances in the Premier League, with Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga holding down the wide positions.
Newcastle are unbeaten through their first three matches under new manager Matthias Jaissle. An opening-day 2-2 draw against Liverpool was followed by a 2-0 victory over Tottenham. The side returns to action on Saturday when they host Bournemouth at 12.30pm.
Read also: Barcelona Reject £70m Newcastle Striker to Land Gabriel Jesus on Deadline Day
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