The perfect start for England featured a brace for Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, but Jude Bellingham was the real star of the show.
England got their World Cup campaign off to the dream start with a 6-2 victory over Iran on Monday. Many of the plaudits will go the way of Bukayo Saka after the Arsenal forward netted a double.
But the real star of the show for those in white was Jude Bellingham.
A change of shape for Southgate
Gareth Southgate opted to go with more of a traditional 4-3-3 in this game, a slight variation on the 4-2-3-1 he has used previously. Though it was fairly fluid in possession, the new shape allowed Bellingham, deployed alongside Declan Rice and Mason Mount in the middle third, to push on from the right side of midfield and get into the penalty area.
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It meant that instead of attacking with four players, the Three Lions could attack with five. The numbers game paid off after 35 minutes as the BVB midfielder nodded England into the front. The 19-year-old ghosted into the penalty area to beat Majid Hosseini and send a looping header into the far corner.
If you pause the game when the ball leaves Bellingham’s head, England have five players in the Iran penalty area, with Mount, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Saka all joining Bellingham in the box.
That was no doubt what Southgate had in mind when he made the decision to play this shape. It was no doubt why the England manager went with the in-demand Borussia Dortmund midfielder over Kalvin Phillips.
Yes, the Manchester City midfielder hasn’t played much football this term but Southgate has previously been loyal to players who have served him well. Phillips falls into this category and the expectation was the former Leeds United man would partner Rice in midfield.
Southgate, however, has taken a few more gambles recently. He named James Maddison and Trent Alexander-Arnold as part of the 26, for example.
The gamble, and it was a gamble for a manager as conservative as Southgate, to start Bellingham in a middle three paid off.
In the opening 45 minutes, the England No. 22 completed all 40 of his attempted passes. He was one of only two players to have a 100% pass success rate with the other being John Stones.
Bellingham's star keeps rising
The Liverpool and Manchester City transfer target went on to finish the game having completed 97% of his attempted passes. He also completed 100% of his dribbles, won 100% of his tackles - he actually made the most of any England player on the day, and made an interception in what was an all-action display.
If this is a sign of things to come, this could be Bellingham’s World Cup.
