Anthony Gordon has been slammed by the Spanish media after a difficult night in Paris, with one outlet labelling the Barcelona winger "disorientated" as the Catalan side lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Gordon played the full 90 minutes at the Parc des Princes, starting on the left of a front three with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha before finishing the game up front, but he could not make his mark as Barcelona's 11-game winning run came to an end. It was their first defeat of the season, against the European champions who remain, on this evidence, the team to beat.
The Spanish media verdict
The ratings made grim reading on Wednesday morning. According to Sports Mole, Goal.com Espana gave Gordon 6/10 and said he "lacked precision" in vital moments, while El Desmarque also handed him 6/10 and criticised his defending in the build-up to PSG's second goal. Mundo Deportivo went much lower, rating him 1/3 and pointing to his struggle in the physical duel with Lucas Hernandez, and La Vanguardia called him "disorientated", questioning his decision-making in the final third.
The numbers backed up the words. Gordon did not register a single shot on target in 90 minutes and lost possession 14 times, and he was beaten by Hernandez at the corner from which the defender headed PSG back in front at 2-1. For a player signed to deliver on exactly these nights, it was a performance that stood out for the wrong reasons in a thrilling Paris Saint-Germain win.
Gordon admits he was not at his best
To his credit, Gordon did not hide. Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, the 25-year-old gave a blunt verdict on his own display: "Ultimately, I didn't think my performance was great tonight. I've got a lot of individual work to do because on these nights, I really want to perform and I don't think tonight I was at my best."
He was equally honest about the gap between the sides. "They deserved it. They were the better team and had the better moments with real quality," he said. "Athletically, they were able to sustain the pressure and intensity for longer than we were." Gordon, who has scored twice in five appearances since arriving at Camp Nou, added that PSG "have been the team to beat for two years" and that Barcelona now have to become that team themselves.
So what: El Clasico offers no hiding place
There is no quiet week in which to recover. Barcelona host Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday, and Hansi Flick's attacking options have just narrowed: Dani Olmo was forced off in the first half in Paris and is expected to miss the Clasico, which could keep Gordon in the side for the biggest domestic game of the season whether Flick wants to protect him or not.
That makes Sunday a defining test. The Spanish media can turn quickly, but it can also forgive quickly when a player delivers against Madrid. Gordon knows the standard now — he said so himself in Paris — and a winger who was beaten at a corner, wasteful in possession and quiet in attack has three days to turn a week of headlines into a footnote.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Gordon's honesty is admirable, but honesty is not a shield in Barcelona. Two goals in five games bought him goodwill; a no-show against the European champions, on the night his team lost its unbeaten record, has spent much of it. The verdict from Spain is harsh but fair — on Tuesday he looked like a Premier League winger still learning what Champions League football at the highest level demands every single week. El Clasico will tell us whether he is learning fast enough.
Can Anthony Gordon answer his critics against Real Madrid on Sunday, or should Hansi Flick drop him for El Clasico? Have your say in the comments.
