England kicked off their European Championship campaign in Germany with a 1-0 win over Serbia.
Jude Bellingham continued his stellar season with his 23rd goal of the campaign with a brilliant header from the midfielder handing the Three Lions the lead.
Serbia did their best to get back in the game and forced Jordan Pickford into some work in the second half with Dusan Vlahovic impressing for Serbia.
Here’s five things we learned from England’s victory.
Bellingham shines once again
It’s frightening to think that Bellingham is just 20 years of age but the Real Madrid midfielder continues to turn doubters into believers.
The Englishman got on the end of a deflected Bukayo Saka cross with a wonderful header right into the corner of the goal.
Apart from the goal, the former Birmingham City midfielder was on a different level for the Three Lions and he could be a vital cog for the national team in this tournament.
Guehi shines on tournament debut
Another player who was superb throughout the game was Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who was handed a start by Gareth Southgate.
With Harry Maguire missing, a new partner for John Stones was needed and the former Chelsea academy graduate was given the nod and he was exceptional.
With the injury issues the Three Lions have had in defence, Guehi has proven to be a reliable option and should be starting against Denmark next week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s midfield role fails
There had been some eyebrows raised when Trent Alexander-Arnold was played in midfield but that was the key decision made by Southgate.
However, the experiment did not work with the Liverpool defender struggling to play the passes that he has become so well known for.
Conor Gallagher was eventually brought on and the Chelsea midfielder looked much more solid.
Harry Kane struggles
It wasn’t just Alexander-Arnold who was the only one to struggle but Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane also had a quiet day at the office.
After what was an outstanding individual season for the English forward, Kane struggled in England’s opening game against Serbia.
Kane was in an individual battle with Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic but the Serbian was often coming out on top in the battle against the Bayern forward.
Kane had just 24 touches of the ball for the Three Lions as they struggled hugely.
Declan Rice outstanding
Despite Alexander-Arnold struggling in midfield, his partner in the middle of the park Declan Rice did not struggle, he was outstanding.
The Arsenal midfielder has had a brilliant debut season for the Gunners and he has become an integral cog for club and country.
His defensive work rate for the Three Lions was admirable and he is fast becoming one of the most important players in the team.
The post Five things we learned from England’s 1-0 win over Serbia, Arsenal and Crystal Palace stars excel appeared first on HITC.
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