Barça’s memorable night in Elche brought plenty of good news. As well as the emphatic 5-0 victory, the summer signings took much of the spotlight. One of them, Anthony Gordon, began the game on the bench and had to wait until the 65th minute to make his competitive debut, replacing Lamine Yamal.
The English winger certainly made his presence felt. Within just four minutes of coming on, he had provided two assists, something no Barça debutant had managed in the last 15 years. The first was for Raphinha, who made it 3-0 and effectively put the game beyond Elche. Two minutes later, Gordon made an excellent run to find himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Despite having the chance to score his first goal as a Barça player, he unselfishly squared the ball for Fermín to finish.
It was a glimpse of precisely what the former Newcastle man can bring to the side: his ability to exploit space, create danger and bring his team-mates into play.
Feeling at home
After the final whistle, Gordon was understandably delighted. Speaking to the club’s media, the England international described it as a dream debut while insisting this was only the beginning: “It’s the perfect start to the league season. It was a good debut for me. The club has made a huge effort to bring me here, so I have to give everything I’ve got.”
Gordon also spoke about how quickly he has settled in since his arrival: “I feel at home. The city and my team-mates are incredible. They’ve made me feel welcome from day one.”