England boss Thomas Tuchel was watching on from the stands as 10-man Chelsea held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at the weekend.
There were plenty of contenders for the England squad on the pitch at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and Tuchel will have been impressed by a few starring performances.
On the Arsenal side, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly all featured, with Saka assisting their only goal.
On Chelsea’s end, Trevoh Chalobah scored the goal, Liam Delap came on in the second half, and Reece James put on a Player of the Match performance.
And it’s that masterclass from the Chelsea captain that might have Tuchel rethinking a couple of things.
Chelsea defender Reece James readying a pass
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Reece James can play in midfield for England
Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea was billed as the showdown between Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice, but it was a makeshift midfielder who stole the show.
James is Tuchel’s strongest right-back option for England — a complete player with literally no holes in his game.
Despite that being his natural position, James was world-class against Arsenal in the engine room, and was key to the Blues staying in the tie with a man less.
England v Latvia - European Qualifiers Group K - FIFA World Cup 2026
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
It gives the German another option for how he sets up his England midfield at the World Cup. Rice is going to play, and the debate between Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson to start will rage on all season.
But while those two are technically excellent, they don’t have the same physical presence as James. Few players do. If Tuchel wants a more conservative approach, this looks like a very convincing option.
James could make that position his own for Chelsea
The Chelsea boss made some interesting comments just a couple of weeks ago. Maresca said James as a midfielder is less of an injury risk, hinting at that becoming his more frequent role.
And why not?
James is the undisputed best right-back in the Premier League, but his game is so well-rounded that it does feel like the tiniest bit of a waste to have him in the back line.
Reece James set to be benched for Leeds vs Chelsea
“The reality is no!” ð
Enzo Maresca says Reece James will be unable to face Leeds on Wednesday following his sensational performance against Arsenal ✨ pic.twitter.com/5Bxb9EEVKa
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) November 30, 2025
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The Englishman has an eye for goal, deceptively good passing, and as mentioned, he’s unmatched by most in terms of strength and presence on the pitch.
With Romeo Lavia out again, James has been deployed in the middle of the park to great effect. Maybe he and Caicedo are the future of Maresca’s double-pivot, though Enzo Fernandez has to play somewhere too.
Chelsea’s plan to convert Estevao Willian to the 10 role that Cole Palmer has made his own means that it’s very possible that a longer-term plan is in place to change the system entirely. James could be a part of that change.