Talisman Jude saves the day but Southgate has issues at the back
There are four numbers — 11:59 — tattooed on the back of Ivan Toney’s neck. Look closely and you see the numbers are made up of tiny letters that spell out a message. ‘even the longest of days,’ the message says, ‘will eventually come to an end.’
As the clock ticked down to what looked as if it was going to be a second england defeat in four days at Wembley, Gareth Southgate’s side trailed 2-1 to Belgium and it felt as if england, despite Toney’s penalty on his first start for his country, were marooned in their own version of that longest day.
And then, two moments of brilliance from two players who have become beacons of light for england provided blessed relief for Southgate, who had started to look beleaguered as he stood in the pouring rain on the touchline.
As the ball bobbled around the Belgium penalty area, substitute James Maddison controlled it near the goalline and improvised a clever scooped pass to Jude Bellingham, england’s talisman, who was lurking 10 yards out.
This is Bellingham’s england team now. The kid is only 20 but he runs this side. he demands responsibility and now he stepped up. he took a touch and as Belgium defenders desperately tried to scrabble in his direction, Bellingham rolled the ball calmly past Matz Sels in the visitors’ goal for the equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
england may not have quite deserved the equaliser. In fact, Dodi Lukebakio should have put the game out of reach for Belgium a couple of minutes earlier but he snatched at his shot and sent it high and wide. And so england took what they got. The game will boost their morale even if it will not erase wider concerns about their defence.
having lost John Stones early in the game, they were often alarmingly porous and vulnerable at the back. The truth is that without Stones and harry Maguire, england look exposed.
Lewis Dunk is struggling at this level and was partly at fault for both Belgium goals, both scored by Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, who was the best player on the pitch. Joe Gomez had a torrid night against Jeremy Doku and Ben Chilwell is desperately struggling for form.
even if Bowen, Bellingham and Phil Foden gave glimpses of their class moving forward, england will not even get close to winning the euros if they cannot fix their glaring defensive issues. Belgium are nottobeunderestimated, of course. They won their qualifying group without losing a game. But england were supposed to have moved beyond Belgium by now. england made a bright start. Bowen burst down the right and crossed for Toney, who twisted his body and hooked the ball goalwards from six yards out only for it to hit his own hand. But then england — and Manchester City — suffered a blow when Stones stretched to control a pass and signalled immediately to the bench that he had injured his groin. he played on for a couple of minutes before he was replaced by Gomez. england were still adjusting to Stones’ departure when they conceded a comically calamitous opening goal in the 11th minute. Pickford took his time to clear the ball but when he tried to pass it to Bellingham, it was easily intercepted by Amadou Onana. Onana played the ball to Tielemans and as both Pickford and Dunk rushed to try to cover the right-hand side of the england goal, Tielemans simply stroked it into the opposite corner. england had looked vulnerable at the back against Brazil but this was like a Laurel and hardy sketch.
Southgate urged calm from the touchline. And england hit back inside six minutes with their next attack. Bellingham slipped a perfectly-weighted pass inside Jan Vertonghen to Toney and as Toney ran on to it, Vertonghen brought him down.
One of the many reasons Toney is a beguiling choice for Southgate’s squad is his expertise from the spot. he had scored 29 times from 31 attempts before this game so it made sense for him to step up. he waited for Sels to commit himself, moving slightly to his left, before striking the ball to the keeper’s right. Now it was 30 out of 32 and Toney had his first international goal.
It was a thrillingly open game. Soon Belgium were on the attack again. Tielemans turned beautifully away from Bellingham in the centre circle and fed the ball into the path of Doku, who turned Gomez inside out before lashing a shot that brought a fine save out of Pickford.
A few minutes after that, Bowen, who was playing superbly on the right, attacking with pace and purpose, thought he had scored his first england goal, too, when he nodded home a back-post header across goal from Dunk. his effort was ruled out by VAr.
There was a chaotic feel to the match. If Saturday’s game against Brazil had felt flat, this had a manic edge. So when Sels tried to play the ball out short to Onana, Kobbie Mainoo dispossessed him in a flash, the ball ran to Bellingham and just when it seemed england’s gifted midfielder must score, he lifted his shot over Sels and over the crossbar, too.
The game offered no respite. Ten minutes before half-time, Dunk’s attempt at a tackle was weak and romelu Lukaku won possession. he curled the ball over Gomez with the outside of his left foot so that it fell perfectly into the path of Tielemans who dived full-length to head it into the back of the net.
Sels saved well from Toney early in the second half and then, 10 minutes after the interval, Gomez floated a ball into the box and Bellingham rose to meet it unmarked 10 yards out. his leap was majestic but he mistimed his header and it rolled limply wide.
england pushed and pushed for an equaliser but it seemed the breakthrough would not come. Then Maddison and Bellingham stepped up.
even the longest of days will eventually come to an end.