Djed Spence, Harry Kane & Jordan Pickfordplaceholder image
Djed Spence, Harry Kane & Jordan Pickford | Getty Images
Marks out of 10 for every England player after their 2-1 World Cup win over DR Congo.
The important thing from an English perspective is that the Three Lions progressed – but if they were hoping to allay any fears about their unconvincing defence, their sluggish use of possession and their over-reliance on Harry Kane to score goals, then their painfully narrow 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo wasn’t the best way to go about it.
This wasn’t a win which made England look like convincing contenders (especially when compared to an early-tournament juggernaut like France) but it did, crucially, keep them in the tournament. In the end, DR Congo were worn down and Thomas Tuchel’s side earned their win and it was, by any sensible standards, deserved. But on an individual level it was a mixed bag, with impressive performance interspersed with some rather more concerning displays – so we’ve rated every England player’s performance during Wednesday’s win below.
Pickford & Spence among England’s worries after DR Congo win
Djed Spence battles for the ball with Congolese goalscorer Brian Cipengaplaceholder image
Djed Spence battles for the ball with Congolese goalscorer Brian Cipenga | Getty Images
Jordan Pickford – 3/10: Pickford’s form is now an unexpected and very serious concern. He’s always had the occasional dodgy moment in him somewhere, but a dodgy tournament is new and he’s looked distinctly shaky from the moment that he failed to get a proper hand on Martin Baturina’s strike for Croatia. DR Congo’s early goal should have been a routine save but instead squeezed under his glove – and he was rarely completely convincing when playing out under pressure, either. A goalkeeper who badly needs to put a strong save in his back pocket to help him find some calm and confidence.
Nico O’Reilly – 5: O’Reilly offered some respectable support in attack and looked reasonably dynamic in possession but had an up-and-down time of it defensively – he won just one of his five one-on-one duels and committed three fouls, often pouring fuel on fires rather than putting them out.
Marc Guéhi - 8: Quietly superb since being restored to the starting line-up, Guéhi was unfussy and unflashy but dealt with absolutely everything that came near him and was almost invariably the man on the spot to deal with dangerous balls into the penalty area. He also completed every single pass he attempted as he provided a sorely-needed sense of calm at the back. The defence as a whole has been worrying, but Guéhi has been excellent.
Ezri Konsa – 6: Konsa wasn’t quite as inch-perfect as Guéhi and did have one or two moments in which his positioning or judgement in one-on-one situations let him down, but was solid enough for large periods of the match and typically calm in possession. Should have scored just before the half-hour mark, but failed to anticipate that Declan Rice’s free-kick could squirt through to him with the goal more or less at his mercy.
Djed Spence – 5: Spence had a distinctly rocky start, getting caught of position on a couple of occasions and struggling to make his tackles – indeed, even though he did settle into the game as England gradually took control, he failed with all four of his attempts to make a tackle. He was also the only England player who didn’t seem to be entirely trustworthy on the ball, giving it away far more frequently than his peers. In the end, Spence lost possession 17 times in the space of 70 minutes (during which, as it happens, he made 70 touches). Not a great advert for his continued selection at right-back.
Kane makes the difference once more
Harry Kane's late winner moved him level with Ferenc Puskás on 84 goalsplaceholder image
Harry Kane's late winner moved him level with Ferenc Puskás on 84 goals | Getty Images
Declan Rice – 6: Rice created a couple of decent chances with his set plays but wasn’t quite as imposing of a figure as he can be in midfield – this was a match free from noticeable mistakes, but in which he also failed to get the ball down and pick DR Congo apart as he can do.
Elliot Anderson – 7:Another fine display from a man who is about to cost Manchester City an awful lot of money. Anderson formed an impressive shield in front of the defence, blocking two shots and turning the ball over five times, and he also did some excellent work in the air as he got back to help out when DR Congo worked the ball out wide. Anderson also created three shooting chances, the joint most of any player on the pitch with Noni Madueke.
Marcus Rashford – 6: This is the second match in a row in which it’s been hard to know just how to rate Rashford’s performance – as was the case against Panama, he was probably England’s boldest player on the ball, often the only one seemingly willing to take chances to run at defenders, break lines and create something out of nothing. Unfortunately, the end product has been absent since he wrapped up England’s opening win over Croatia. All of Rashford’s crosses missed the mark, and he probably should have scored on 35 minutes with a slightly hurried effort which was cleared off the line.
Jude Bellingham – 6: If we’re using that logic to give Rashford a six, then we have to apply the same though process to Bellingham. So many of England’s most dangerous moments came through the Real Madrid midfielder, but he wasn’t able to take full advantage. He, too, missed every chance and every cross which came his way, and his dynamic movement ensured there were plenty of opportunities.
Noni Madueke – 7: Perhaps the same scoring should be applied to Madueke, too, but as he created the most chances of any England player both by volume and by quality – he offered 0.85 expected assists – we’ve been a little more generous. The Arsenal winger’s insistence on cutting inside can be frustratingly predictable, but he put a string of dangerous balls into the box and could so easily have produced an assist or two. Madueke has his limitations, but he threw everything at the DR Congo defence on Wednesday.
Harry Kane – 9: Another day, another masterclass in goalscoring. The movement to peel away from his marker to head home England’s equaliser was superb, and the conviction with which he lashed the winner home is what makes him his country’s greatest goalscorer. Without Kane, England would probably be headed home already – but they do have Kane. Thank god for that.
Gordon shines from the bench
Anthony Gordon previously had just one assists in 21 capsplaceholder image
Anthony Gordon previously had just one assists in 21 caps | Getty Images
Anthony Gordon (on for Rashford 61’) – 9: After a slow start to the tournament, Gordon hit his groove from the bench and provided both of England’s goals, the first with a fine cross and the second with some admirable tenacity and presence of mind to keep the ball under pressure and then find Kane to do the rest. His life was made easier by a visibly flagging Congolese defence, but the impact was undeniable.
Bukayo Saka (on for Madueke 61’) – 6: Fitness concerns have turned Saka into an impact sub rather than a starter for the time being, although in truth he didn’t have much of an impact in the final half-hour – Saka worked his way into a few dangerous areas, but the final ball was absent on this occasion.
Eberechi Eze (on for Spence 70’) – 5: Brought on as an extra midfielder as England pushed for a direly-needed goal, Eze ended up as a non-factor – he only touched the ball seven times and was completely unable to get involved in a meaningful manner.
John Stones (on for Rice 90’) – N/A: Eze did at least play a larger part in the victory than late substitute Stones, who didn’t touch the ball once or, for that matter, have anything to do whatsoever.
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