Anthony Gordon’s rise to a key role in England after Nations League goal

Anthony Gordon scored the opening goal in England's 2-0 Nations League victory over the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, further establishing himself as one of the Three Lions' "main men" and bringing his England tally to 27 appearances and six goals.

Gordon's emergence follows a standout World Cup and a summer transfer to Barcelona; he also scored in England's 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley on Saturday and has continued his form into the Nations League while recording five assists in La Liga. His productive run dates back to the start of the World Cup knockout stage, when he assisted both of Harry Kane's goals in a 2-1 last-32 win over DR Congo, and since then has averaged a goal contribution every 69 minutes.

England manager Thomas Tuchel praised Gordon's progress and role within the squad, noting the player's recent performances. Tuchel 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 [against the Czech Republic] and had an excellent goal. It was very, very difficult but the technique and finishing was excellent. "He scored against Spain so he has decisive actions and he's defending his shirt and his position. He does it on the highest level and he's a very important player." Tuchel also prefers to give players clarity on their roles and who they are up against in the squad for a starting position.

Gordon combined on England's left with former Newcastle team-mate Lewis Hall and connected with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was making his first start for the Three Lions in nearly two years and "is also playing in Spain for Barcelona's rivals Real Madrid," for the opening goal. Alexander-Arnold said: "It's a great compliment and it's great to play with him. "I tried to get the ball, and try and see what the best play is and try and play forward and create something. And I was able to get the pass." Captain Harry Kane praised Gordon's consistency: "showing that he belongs at the highest level, for Barcelona and England" and added, "His performances in the last couple of games have been some of his best that he has played in an England shirt," and "I think he is just relishing putting the shirt on and being one of the main men in the team. He is an important player for us and he showed that during the World Cup."

The 25-year-old's recent match outputs underline his influence: he attempted four shots against the Czech Republic, more than any England player in that match and more than any of his team-mates against Spain. Since the World Cup knockout stage began he ranks at least in 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). Over his past six England appearances he has scored three goals and provided three assists, and he won the penalty in the last-16 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.

There has been a notable subplot involving Gordon and Marcus Rashford for the left-wing role at both England and Barcelona; Rashford was on loan at Barcelona last season but the club did not make the move permanent and he returned to Manchester United, while Barcelona paid £69m to sign Gordon from Newcastle. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson assessed Gordon's development on BBC Radio 5 Live: "He has become a key part of the England team. There were certain games in the World Cup where he was substituted and he shouldn't have been - I think others should have come off instead of him. "Gordon [when he is] full of confidence running at pace like he does, he can go either way and he's causing full-backs all kind of problems."

Gordon has sought to change perceptions about his game since moving to Spain and spoke about that progress to 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. "Only the players I play with ever seem to notice that. I think now I'm at Barcelona and I play a different style, those qualities are highlighted much more and people are actually starting to take notice that I'm not just quick. "In England, it was never really respected because people just see me as really quick and really aggressive. "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."

Tuchel is assembling a squad he believes can challenge for the Euros in 2028, but his immediate objective is to win the Nations League, and if England are to do that it is likely Gordon will have played a huge part.