Anthony Gordon has moved from squad rotation to the heart of England’s team, with captain Harry Kane now describing the Barcelona winger as one of the Three Lions’ “main men” alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. The 25-year-old’s form has been building since the World Cup knockout stage, and the momentum has carried into England’s Nations League campaign.
Gordon scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, having also netted in a 3-2 defeat by world champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday. In the space of three goals and three assists across his last six England appearances, he has become the most productive player in the side by output per minute.
The numbers behind the surge
BBC Sport analysis puts Gordon’s average at a goal contribution every 69 minutes since the World Cup knockout stages began, ahead of Bellingham on 84 minutes and Kane on 90. His run started with assists in both of Harry Kane’s goals in a 2-1 last-32 win over DR Congo, and he also won the penalty in England’s dramatic last-16 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
The underlying statistics point the same way. Since the knockout stage began, Gordon has ranked in at least the top four of England players for expected assists (0.9), expected goals (0.9), passes into the box (14), touches in the opposition box (29), chances created (eight) and shots on target (five). Against the Czech Republic he attempted four shots, more than any England player.
Solving England’s left-side problem
Playing on the left of Kane has long been the weak spot in the England side. Marcus Rashford, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden and Noni Madueke have all been tried there in recent years without any of them making the position their own. Gordon began to emerge as a clear option during Lee Carsley’s spell in interim charge, and said last October that he had only shown “50%” of what he can do for England.
Thomas Tuchel, who favours clarity about roles and who is competing with his squad for starting positions, has been publicly decisive about the 25-year-old’s standing. Asked whether Gordon was becoming one of the first names on the team sheet, the England manager said: “He’s getting there. He’s defending his shirt, he’s defending his position – an excellent performance again after his performance against Spain. He was very decisive and had an excellent goal. It was very, very difficult but the technique and finishing was excellent.”
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Barcelona’s influence
Club and country have reinforced each other for Gordon. He has already picked up five assists in La Liga since the summer move, and he credits playing in Spain for changing how his qualities are judged at home. He told ITV: “I always felt in England, people respected me because I was fast and I pressed but they never actually respected the quality and IQ that I play with. In Spain, they really appreciate my IQ and quality because at Barca, if you’re not technical, if you’re not smart, you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.”
There is a subplot with Marcus Rashford, who was on loan at Barcelona last season but was not retained and returned to Manchester United, while the Catalan club paid £69m for Gordon from Newcastle. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live that Gordon’s pace and movement “cause full-backs all kinds of problems”.
Why it matters
England’s left flank has been a genuine strategic weakness for most of a generation, and a player who genuinely owns the position changes what Tuchel can do in attacking areas. The combination with Trent Alexander-Arnold, making his first England start in nearly two years, produced the opening goal against the Czech Republic, with Gordon noting he had been “dying” to link up with his Barcelona rival at Real Madrid.
What happens next
Tuchel is building a side he believes can challenge for the Euros in 2028, but Nations League comes first. If England are to win the competition, Gordon’s contribution is likely to be central, and the next question is whether he can sustain this level rather than fade as he did when he first broke into the side. His role in Barcelona’s title challenge will also determine how much energy he has left for England duty.
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