England scraped through to the World Cup last 32 as group winners with a 2-0 win over Panama in New Jersey, but Thomas Tuchel's side head to Atlanta with a defensive crisis and a winnable tie against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday. Goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane – the pair combining for a goal from open play for the first time since September 2023 – secured top spot in Group L, yet the performance left far more questions than answers.
Panama, who exited the tournament with no goals in three games, still created chances against a shaky England defence. The right-back position has been cursed: Tino Livramento has flown home, Reece James is battling a hamstring injury, and Jarell Quansah rolled an ankle against Panama. Quansah was moving freely when he left the stadium on Saturday evening but is a doubt for the last-32 tie. Tuchel now faces the prospect of yet another defensive rethink.
“England beat Panama 2-0 but face defensive injuries and a last-32 tie against DRC.”
“It is a moment to keep believe and pushing,” Tuchel said after the win. Yet the data exposes a deeper tactical dilemma. Bellingham has looked like three different players in three group matches – an attacking midfielder against Croatia (three shots, 0.68 xG), a more withdrawn presence against Ghana (xG fell to 0.01, defensive duels spiked), and then the matchwinner against Panama, scoring once, assisting once, winning nine of 12 offensive duels, and recovering possession seven times in the opposition half. The question is no longer whether to build around him, but how to consistently put him where he hurts opponents most.
Meanwhile, Elliot Anderson’s journey from the playing fields of Tyneside to the World Cup stage is set to continue at Manchester City after the club agreed a record £116m fee with Nottingham Forest. Tuchel calls the 23-year-old “the full package”. Anderson’s former English and PE teacher Jonathan Roys recalled: “His brothers were decent, but … he’d get stuck right in.” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe called Anderson’s £30m sale in July 2024 “the most reluctant in my career”, a deal forced by profit and sustainability rules.
England now face the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who began their campaign by holding Portugal and possess threats in Noah Sadiki and Yoane Wissa. If Bellingham and Kane continue to thrive, England might outscore any opponent. But if the defence does not tighten, their stay in Atlanta could be short-lived.