Four England observations from their 2-1 win over Belgium

 

England came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Belgium as the Three Lions met the Red Devils for the first time since the third place playoff at the 2018 World Cup. Romelu Lukaku had put Belgium ahead from the spot early in the first half before Marcus Rashford levelled shortly before the break. 

 

Mason Mount's deflected effort midway through the second half proved to be enough to England to move above Belgium in their UEFA Nations League group. 

 

Here we look at four observations from the clash at Wembley... 

 

Belgium blunt Alexander-Arnold's attacking threat 

 

Four right-backs, Gareth? Four? Gareth Southgate's decision to name three right-backs in his starting XI, and bring on another in the second half, on Sunday evening certainly raised an eyebrow or two. Granted, Kieran Trippier played left wing-back in the clash, but the inclusion of Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold meant three of 10 starting outfielders for the Three Lions operate at right-back for their club.  

 

With no registered left-back in the XI, it limited England's offensive down their right flank as Belgium sought to force the Three Lions to attack down the left via the right footed Trippier. Without a natural left footed player on his side of the pitch, it at times slowed England's attacks as the Atletico Madrid man would need to cut back onto his right foot before getting a ball into the box. 

 

This gave the Belgium defence an extra second or two to get back into position and organise in order to repel the cross and defend Simon Mignolet's goal. Whereas Belgium were happier for Trippier to have the ball, they ruthlessly pressed England when possession moved over to the right as they aimed to minimise Alexander-Arnold's time with the ball at his feet. In the first half alone, Alexander-Arnold made just six accurate passes. By comparison, Trippier managed 36, while by full time, 54% of England's attacks came down the left compared to just 25% down the right. 

 

 

In the end, Trippier managed more touches (101) than any other England starter, while only Mount (30) had fewer than Alexander-Arnold (32) as Belgium successfully limited the Liverpool man's attacking threat. 

 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's competitive debut 

 

One shot and one goal. Dominic Calvert-Lewin made an immediate impact for England on his first ever appearance for the Three Lions, scoring with his only shot in the 3-0 win over Wales. Leading the line at Wembley against Belgium, he may not have had the same effect, mustering four shots in total, but then he still did a fine job with the tools at his disposal on the frontline, yielding a WhoScored rating of 7.13 before his withdrawal midway through the second half. 

 

Gareth Southgate implemented a system to play to his strengths, with the two wing-backs - Trippier and Alexander-Arnold - both adept and putting balls into the box for the forward. It may not have had the desired effect, but Calvert-Lewin still won seven aerial duels in total and he's a solid alternative to Harry Kane in the final third. Going forward the 23-year-old will be a mainstay in the England setup and deservedly so. 

 

The lack of Jack Grealish 

 

There was very little invention for England in the first half at Wembley as the Three Lions struggled to forge opportunities. It was a similar case for Southgate's side against Wales, up until Jack Grealish took control of proceedings to turn provider for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The issue against Belgium was that Southgate elected to play a back five and a central midfield pairing of Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice. There was too much space between the midfield and an attack of Calvert-Lewin, with Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount in support. 

 

The match was crying out for the invention and unpredictability of Grealish, who was dropped after a superb showing in midweek. Rather, the approach was to get the ball wide and take advantage of the delivery of Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold from left and right wing-back, respectively. It was a dull approach that was easy to read and defend against, at least up until England's first half penalty. 

 

Yet England managed just one key pass in the first half in a blunt opening 45 minutes, with one of their two shots coming from the spot. Having excelled against admittedly weaker opposition in Wales, Grealish would have been the ideal link between the midfield and attack against Belgium, with a willingness to drop deep and drive the team forward found wanting on more than one occasion. This quality to Grealish's game would have helped pry apart the Belgium and drawn fouls that would have presented England with chances to go for goal. 

 

While England ultimately didn't need Grealish as they earned a 2-1, the Aston Villa man offers an alternative to Southgate's current attacking options and he deserves a more prominent role in the setup going forward. 

 

Inexperience aside, Conor Coady should start for England 

 

Conor Coady has only started two England games in his career, yet it's likely he'll be a member of the squad for next summer's European Championship. There is already an argument he should be part of the starting defence. If Southgate wishes to continue with a three-man backline, then the Wolves star deserves a place in the middle of the backline. 

 

Belgium were expected to dominate possession at Wembley, which meant England would need to rely on quick transitions to turn defence into attack. With the wing-backs the primary attacking outlet, utilising their speed on the right and left would have played into Coady's hands. 

 

He has made more accurate long balls (313) than any other outfield player since the start of the 2019/20 Premier League season and with England looking to counter Belgium, Coady would have been the perfect fit at the heart of the three-man defence. In the future, Southgate should be looking to implement a system that benefits Coady and England, especially if he wishes to use three-at-the-back.

Four England observations from their 2-1 win over Belgium