Gordon earns Spanish media praise as Guehi ridiculed after Nations League defeat

Anthony Gordon emerged as one of England’s few bright spots in a 3-2 UEFA Nations League defeat to Spain at Wembley, with Spanish media outlets singling out the Barcelona winger for praise even as they dissected a second-half collapse from Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Gordon’s incisive finish drew England level after Lamine Yamal had given Spain a lightning-fast lead, capitalising on a costly error from Marc Guehi inside the opening two minutes. Harry Kane’s go-ahead goal sent England into half-time ahead, but a second-half turnaround left the hosts with nothing to show for their early fight.

Spanish newspaper AS described Gordon as “the star of the night at Wembley”, noting that Spain right-back Marc Pubill — more accustomed to playing centre-back — “was outplayed by Barcelona’s Gordon”. AS rated Gordon among just five England players to earn a two-out-of-three score, alongside Jude Bellingham, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Elliot Anderson and Bukayo Saka. Marca extended that group to six by including Kane.

The treatment of Guehi was far less generous. Marca, which grades players on a one-to-three-star scale, awarded the Manchester City defender a zero-star rating — the only player on the pitch to receive that mark — after his slip gifted Yamal the opening goal in just 104 seconds. The outlet described his contribution as a “howler” and labelled the incident among “paranormal events”.

AS was equally cutting, describing how Yamal “pulled out the football book he used to teach in the parks of Mataró” to anticipate Guehi’s next move, “snatched his wallet, and positioned himself in front of the centre-back” before finishing smartly past James Trafford.

For Gordon, the assessments offered a measure of vindication. The Newcastle forward, who joined Barcelona on a permanent basis ahead of this season, has quickly established himself as a key figure for both club and country, and his performance against Spain underlined why Tuchel continues to rely on him despite the defeat.