Anthony Gordon enjoyed a perfect start to life at Barcelona, coming off the bench to provide two assists in the space of five minutes as the Catalan side thrashed Elche 5-0. The England winger was brought on for Lamine Yamal in the second half and created goals for Raphinha and Fermin Lopez, helping the defending champions begin their La Liga title defence in ideal fashion on Sunday.

Introduced in the 65th minute in place of Yamal, Gordon made his presence felt straight away by producing two assists within five minutes. Playing from the left side, the 25-year-old England winger first slid a pass through for captain Raphinha and then squared the ball for Lopez to finish into an open net. His swift impact completed a dominant 5-0 victory for the reigning champions in their opening game.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Gordon said he was delighted with the welcome he has received from his new team-mates and with how smoothly he has settled into life in Catalonia. Looking back on his debut, Gordon said: "I feel so good. I have felt so good since I arrived. The guys have made me feel so welcome, I feel at home already. The city is amazing. The people are so friendly. I will get better and better the longer I am here."

Assessing the team's performance, he added: "It was a top performance. I think it was the perfect start, five goals scored and none conceded. We played some lovely football, scored great goals and, more importantly, I thought the defenders made some excellent last minute challenges and blocks."

The emphatic win meant Barcelona kept pace with title rivals Real Madrid, who also began their campaign with an away victory at Espanyol. Fellow summer signing Karim Adeyemi also found the net on his debut after arriving from Borussia Dortmund, although the night was slightly overshadowed by a first-half injury to Gavi. Significantly, Gordon's two assists in quick succession equalled his entire Premier League assist tally from 2025-26 with Newcastle, where he ended the season as top scorer with 17 goals.

Barcelona resume their title defence on Thursday night when they welcome Athletic Club to Camp Nou. Hansi Flick will be hoping Gavi's injury is not a serious one as he aims to preserve midfield balance in the early stage of the campaign. Gordon's immediate influence, combined with Adeyemi's sharp display, gives the German manager strong attacking depth and added tactical flexibility going forward.