Anthony Gordon’s great game for Barcelona in their win against Valencia got noticed, but some still saw it as a ‘negative.’
Anthony Gordon is off to a fantastic start in his new Barcelona shirt, helping out again with an assist during their big 5-0 win over Valencia. The team scored through Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal (twice), Pedri, and Raphinha, keeping them three points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga.
Gordon set up Lopez’s goal in the 22nd minute, making him only the third LaLiga player this century to get four assists in his first four league games—joining Cesc Fabregas and Luis Suarez in that special group.
Since joining Barcelona for £69.3 million from Newcastle this summer, Gordon has quickly won over the fans with his amazing performances. Playing from the left side, the England star uses his fast pace to trouble defenders and provide quality alongside teammates Yamal and Raphinha in a powerful front three.
Off the pitch, Gordon is also impressing by working hard to learn Catalan, even though he admits it’s a tough new language for him. At 25, he couldn’t have asked for a better start at Barcelona. However, fans have noticed he’s still looking to score his first goal and have mentioned he needs to improve his finishing.
During the Valencia game, Gordon missed several good chances. Some fans shared their thoughts on social media, saying things like: “Anthony Gordon is talented, but his finishing needs work, especially for big games like the Champions League,” and “He needs to lift his shots more; his movement is great, but his finishing looks shaky right now.”
Newcastle fans will remember this has been a challenge for him before, but Gordon keeps getting into good scoring positions, so it’s only a matter of time before he finds the net for Barcelona.
Barcelona will open their Champions League campaign at home against Feyenoord on Wednesday, where Gordon will be eager to keep his great record — he scored 10 goals in 12 games last season. After that, the team faces Levante on Sunday (September 13), giving Gordon another shot at adding to his assists.
If he keeps up this fast start, there’s even a chance he could break Lionel Messi’s Champions League assist record of 20 from the 2019/20 season. Exciting times ahead for Barcelona’s new star!