For years the left side of England's attack was a problem nobody solved. Marcus Rashford, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden and Noni Madueke all took a turn. Now Anthony Gordon, 25, looks like the answer, and captain Harry Kane has started calling him one of the team's main men.
The numbers behind the rise
Gordon scored the opening goal in England's 2-0 win over the Czech Republic on Tuesday, after scoring in the 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley on Saturday. His form has been building since the World Cup knockout rounds began, when he assisted both of Kane's goals in the 2-1 last-32 win over DR Congo. In his last six England games he has three goals and three assists, and he won the penalty in the last-16 victory over Mexico.
Against the Czechs he had four shots, more than any England player. Since the knockouts started he ranks in the top four in the squad for expected assists, expected goals, shots on target and chances created, and his six goal contributions match Jude Bellingham's over the same stretch.
Tuchel's undroppables
Thomas Tuchel likes players to know where they stand. Asked whether Gordon was now a first name on the team sheet, he said he was getting there, defending his shirt and his position. Kane went further, saying Gordon was showing he belongs at the highest level for Barcelona and England.
Gordon also linked up well with Lewis Hall, his old Newcastle team-mate, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made his first England start in nearly two years. Gordon had said he was dying to play with him.
Barcelona changed the way people see him
Barcelona paid £69m to take Gordon from Newcastle this summer, while Rashford, who spent last season on loan at the club, went back to Manchester United. Gordon has five La Liga assists already, and he says the move has changed how people see him. In England, he feels, he was respected for pace and pressing. At Barcelona, where a player who is not technical stands out like a sore thumb, his quality has been noticed.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said eyebrows were raised when Gordon went to Spain, but he has become a key part of the England team. With Tuchel building towards the 2028 European Championship, and the Nations League first, Gordon is likely to be in the middle of it.
Player context: Anthony Gordon, 25, winger, Barcelona (signed from Newcastle for £69m this summer). England: 27 caps, six goals.
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