High, Wide Central Midfielders Helped England Beat Senegal, But Could They Work .vs. France?
England’s win over Senegal ticked every box for Gareth Southgate.
Harry Kane fired his way onto the scoresheet. Jordan Pickford shut the door at the other end. And, most importantly, the Three Lions punched their ticket to the next round without any injury trouble.
When asked to describe the most pleasing aspect of his team’s performance, the 52-year-old said: “The relentlessness of our execution and the way the team worked off the ball.”
In his interview with ITV Sport, Southgate identified England’s two most influential ball-winners versus the Lions of Teranga: Jude Bellingham, the 19-year-old phenom everyone adores, and Jordan Henderson, the veteran with doubters to prove wrong.
“Jude and Hendo were outstanding in that aspect of the game,” he explained. “The team made a very complicated game look straightforward. It wasn’t but, because of the mentality and attitude, they made it look that way.”
With his bumpy start to the season in mind, the response to Henderson’s inclusion in the starting eleven was predictably negative. But his downward spiral didn’t show in the round of sixteen. The 32-year-old was rock solid for England.
“I’ve seen some of the rubbish said about him: it’s ridiculous,” Bellingham said of his teammate. “He’s so underrated technically [and] it’s about time he gets a bit of praise.”
Until he was replaced in the 82nd-minute, Henderson was a hive of activity in central midfield. He completed 39 of the 44 passes he attempted, made two tackles, and won every ground duel (three) he entered.
The Sunderland-born midfielder also broke the deadlock, arriving in the penalty area late to unsettle Senegal’s defence and beat Edouard Mendy with a smart finish.
“The biggest thing is his mentality,” Southgate said of Henderson. “We have done a lot of work over the years with young players and the mindset makes the difference, the drive, the desire to learn and improve and he has all of that… Hendo’s influence is allowing Jude more freedom and he responded to that remarkably well."
Foden added: "[Henderson is] massive. When someone is not doing something right on the pitch he is quick to tell you off. I don't mind that, he is a leader and a captain and he's definitely got that in his locker. It's a pleasure to play on the field with him, he ups your game and those around you. He's a really important player for us.”
England’s pass map neatly tells the story of their win.
Declan Rice sat in a deep midfield role, while Henderson and Bellingham pushed into higher and wider zones of the field. Their advanced positions allowed them to connect more easily with Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka on the flanks, which paid dividends once the floodgates opened.
While the official player of the match award was handed to Kane, Bellingham was England’s true star.
The Borussia Dortmund youngster completed 30 of the 33 passes he attempted, won nine of the 15 ground duels he entered, and drew two fouls.
He was spectacular throughout, but especially noticeable before the break — when the match was tight and the Three Lions were crying out for a match-winning moment.
However, the most impressive aspect of Bellingham’s performance was his driving runs from midfield. Like Henderson, he made the most of the protection offered by Rice and exploited the vacant space beyond Senegal’s high line.
England’s opener owes everything to an ambitious run from Bellingham, who broke free of his marker (Pathe Ciss) and attracted the attention of a second defender (Nampalys Mendy) as he entered the final third.
Senegal’s double-coverage of the former Birmingham City midfielder left Henderson in miles of space, which he parlayed into a clear shot at goal from 12-yards.
Goals two and three were similar, with both built on smart movement and intricate channel play. Again, it was England’s high and wide central midfielders who made the difference.
Southgate will inevitably consider a defensive switch for the quarter-finals — as he should with a contest versus Kylian Mbappe’s France on the horizon. But there are valid arguments for keeping his midfield trio intact.
‘Bellingham — Rice — Henderson’ was viewed as a defensive pick before they helped England put Senegal to the sword. Now, they have the chance to become the balanced unit the Three Lions have spent the cycle searching for. How the tables turn.