England kick-started their World Cup preparations with a win as Gary Cahill and Harry Kane bagged first half goals to secure a 2-1 victory over Nigeria at Wembley.
Here are four talking points from the match:
1. Nigeria struggle with Wilfred Ndidi’s absence
Wilfred Ndidi hasn’t made an appearance for club nor country since Leicester’s 5-0 loss at Crystal Palace back in April owing to a hamstring injury. There were concerns that the 21-year-old would sit out the World Cup with the problem, but while he has moved to eased fears of any potential absence, Nigeria lacked the youngster in the middle of the park at Wembley.
Despite missing the final few games of the campaign, Ndidi made more tackles (138) than any other player in the Premier League last season, as per WhoScored.com, and his absence was felt in the defeat to England. The Super Eagles lacked the requisite bite in the midfield that would have come with Ndidi starting and it’s no surprise that at times struggled to contain the Three Lions over the duration of the 90 minutes.
The XI Gernot Rohr sent out in London will perhaps be his first choice Nigeria side, bar Ndidi who’ll likely take the place of Joel Obi in the middle of the park, and the Super Eagles will be hoping the Leicester star is fit and available for the start of the tournament later this month. They’ll certainly need him in order to increase their chances of progressing through the group stages in Russia.
2. Two-man strike force benefits England
Rather than use Harry Kane as the focal point in attack, Gareth Southgate instead deployed the Tottenham striker alongside Manchester City ace Raheem Sterling in a 3-1-4-2 formation. While some may have expected Kane to be the most advanced striker, the Tottenham star instead looked to drop deep and leave Sterling as the furthest man forward with Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli making runs behind the strike pair as and when required.
Kane often moved into midfield in search of possession in a bid to help spread the play. With the space vacated by Alli and Lingard, and their markers dragged out of position, the England captain had the chance to either pick out a teammate or go for goal himself and was rewarded with his eighth goal in his last seven England appearances five minutes before the break.
It was a difference in the norm for Kane, who will play as the lone striker for Tottenham, but the style was familiar for those who watch the 24-year-old week in, week out. For Spurs, he has willing runners beyond him in Alli, Christian Eriksen and Heung-min Son and it could well be that, with Sterling as the furthest man forward, England will see Kane at his very best as the Three Lions look to impress under Southgate.
- Harry Kane: 13
- Wayne Rooney: 10
- Alan Shearer: 6
#ENGNGA
#ThreeLions
3. Kieran Trippier on set-piece duty
It’s between Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold as England’s starting right wing-back this summer, with the former set to be given the nod on account of his experience. While Alexander-Arnold wasn’t in consideration against Nigeria having been given the extra time off due to the Champions League final, he will have watched on as Trippier put in a solid shift on the right.
Not only that, but the Tottenham defender staked his claim as England’s primary set-piece taker this summer. Trippier forced teenage goalkeeper Francis Uzoho into action early on from a free-kick before turning provider from the resulting corner as Gary Cahill powered a header past the stranded 19-year-old to put England ahead after just seven minutes.
With Kyle Walker set to be used in a three-man defence, Trippier has the perfect chance to nail down the starting spot for the Three Lions this summer and after the furore of England’s disappointing set-piece taking quality at Euro 2016 - the thought of Harry Kane on corners is enough to make any England fan shudder - the 27-year-old has earned his right to be on set-piece duty in Russia.
4. England’s goalkeeper conundrum
Gareth Southgate will likely field either Jordan Pickford or Jack Butland as his number one in Russia this summer with Nick Pope third choice for the Three Lions. Against Nigeria, Southgate opted for Pickford between the sticks, which means Butland is in line to start against Costa Rica next week. However, Southgate’s selection conundrum in goal remains, even if Pickford conceded against the Super Eagles.
There was little the Everton shotstopper could’ve done to deny Alex Iwobi from netting against England. Odion Ighalo’s initial effort that rebounded off the post was a precise shot from a tight angle, with the former Watford man doing exceptionally well to hit the woodwork from such a position in the 18-yard box. Pickford’s vision was then blocked as Iwobi stepped up to half the deficit in the early exchanges of the second half.
Despite conceding, Pickford did little wrong for England today, with the 24-year-old carrying out his basic goalkeeping duties well. Nigeria’s long-range efforts were dealt with comfortably, while the Everton man’s distribution with both his feet and hands was commendable to say the least. Yet this provides more questions than answers and having churned out a solid showing against Nigeria, Butland will need to make sure he doesn’t put a foot wrong if he, as expected, starts against Costa Rica in midweek, with Pickford at present perhaps the favourite to get the nod from Southgate in Russia.
