Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona start puts his England role in sharper focus

Anthony Gordon scored for England again in Prague on 29 September, heading the opening goal in a 2-0 Nations League win over Czechia three days after scoring against Spain at Wembley. The two performances have brought fresh attention to the Barcelona winger’s place on England’s left side and to the skills he says his move to Spain has made more visible.

England’s first Group A3 victory came against ten men. UEFA says Pavel Šulc was sent off midway through the first half before Gordon met a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross shortly after the interval. Harry Kane added England’s second goal. That sequence matters when assessing the result: England won, and Gordon supplied the breakthrough, but Czechia played much of the match a player short.

What Gordon showed against Czechia and Spain

The Guardian described Gordon as England’s best player against Czechia and said he created four chances, more than anyone else in the match. It also reported that he had the most touches in the opposition penalty area. Those figures point to involvement beyond his goal, though they describe one match rather than a settled level of performance.

Against Spain on 26 September, Gordon finished an England counterattack to equalise at Wembley. Kane then headed England in front, but Spain recovered to win 3-2. England Football’s account says Kane missed a second-half penalty before Spain’s comeback. Gordon’s goal was therefore part of a strong attacking spell, not a match-winning contribution.

The contrast across the two games is useful. England scored twice against Spain but lost; in Prague, Gordon’s header opened the scoring in a win. His contribution carried through both matches, while the outcomes depended on more than his form. UEFA’s account of the Czechia game also records England’s numerical advantage, an important condition alongside the winger’s performance.

How Barcelona has changed the demands on Gordon

Gordon joined Barcelona from Newcastle at the end of May in a deal the Guardian reported at £69.3m. By 30 September, the paper reported five assists in seven Barcelona appearances and no goals. AS had also reported five assists and no club goal in its 26 September account. Neither report specifies the counting convention behind that tally, so it is best read as an early snapshot.

Gordon told the Guardian that Barcelona’s approach, with more control of the ball, had suited him. He said people had often focused on his speed and pressing, while overlooking his decision-making. ‘I’ve got a lot more to my game,’ he said. That is Gordon’s assessment of what his new setting allows him to display, not evidence that abilities he lacked at Newcastle have suddenly appeared.

The Guardian reported that Gordon sees the move as requiring him to find the right spaces and build connections in a side that spends more time on the ball. AS separately described his efforts to settle into Barcelona’s squad and language environment. Together, those accounts explain why his early club spell is relevant to the discussion of his England role: both concern how he operates with teammates, as well as what he does when he runs at defenders.

The club return also sets a limit on the argument. Five assists show he has contributed to Barcelona attacks, but he had yet to score for the club in the cited reports. His England goals against Spain and Czechia are a different measure, in a different team. The available figures cannot establish that Barcelona caused his international goals or that the same pattern will continue.

What Kane and Tuchel said about Gordon’s England role

Kane told the Guardian that he thought the Barcelona move had helped Gordon’s self-belief. He called Gordon ‘the difference-maker’ against Czechia and said the winger had also been outstanding against Spain. It is a teammate’s view of Gordon’s confidence and influence, supported by the two recent goals but still an assessment rather than a long-term finding.

England manager Thomas Tuchel said Gordon had returned from the World Cup full of confidence and wanted to show that the left-sided position was his. Tuchel said Gordon was doing what the team wanted and receiving praise, while adding that expectations would rise. That makes the immediate question one of sustaining his influence in the position, not declaring the competition for it resolved.

There is a longer England sequence behind those remarks. According to the Guardian, Gordon had a slow start at the 2026 World Cup, then came off the bench against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32 and helped set up Kane’s goals in a 2-1 win. He later gave England the lead against Argentina in the semi-final before England lost 2-1. The recent Nations League games follow that uneven tournament rather than replacing it.

For now, the clearest change is in how prominently Gordon has figured in England’s first two Nations League matches after joining Barcelona. He scored in both, helped England take its first group win and spoke of tactical qualities he feels are receiving more notice. Whether his club move produces a lasting improvement, or changes England’s results over a longer period, remains unanswered by this short run of games.