‘It’s a different level’ – Anthony Gordon claims Premier League stars would struggle with La Liga demands after stunning Barcelona start
Gordon noted how Barcelona dismantled a stubborn Rayo setup through patient, positional play rather than direct physical force. “Football in Spain is different. Rayo retreated and tried to make the match difficult, something you also see in many mid-table Premier League teams,” he added. “The difference is that we don’t just resort to long balls or relying on ball-to-ball plays. We moved the ball, Pedri found spaces between the lines, Lamine and the others created numerical superiority and patiently disarmed them with our football.”
The winger feels this tactical environment perfectly suits his profile, adding: “My speed becomes even more effective here because the movement around me creates opportunities and spaces, rather than everyone simply running forward in straight lines.”
He concluded with a stark assessment of how English sides might fare in Spain. “Some Premier League teams would have a hard time playing this style consistently because they may not have the patience or quality in the midfield that is required,” he said. “That’s not disrespecting them, it’s just what I’ve noticed in my first games. There’s a different football intelligence here.”
