England 6-2 Iran: 5 Talking Points as Bukayo Saka scores a brace as the Three Lions rout their opponents | 2022 FIFA World Cup
England kicked off their World Cup campaign with a resounding 6-2 win over Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Monday, November 21.
The Three Lions entered this game on the back of an abysmal run of form in the UEFA Nations League. They drew three and lost three of their six games and finished in last place in League A Group 3. Iran, on the other hand, won three, drew one, and lost one of their last five, including friendlies.
Both teams fielded strong lineups as England reportedly had their lineup leaked well over a day before kick-off.
Your #ThreeLions to take on Iran! 🦁 https://t.co/uU7SA2TAJB
Both England and Iran made positive starts to the game but the Three Lions kept possession of the ball for longer and as a result created more chances. They kept 82% possession of the ball in the first half, barely allowing their opponents any time to settle. This allowed them to comfortably grab the lead 10 minutes before half-time.
Luke Shaw crossed the ball into Jude Bellingham's path, who headed in to make it 1-0 after 35 minutes. Harry Maguire then provided an assist for Bukayo Saka to make it 2-0 after 43 minutes. Harry Kane then set up Raheem Sterling in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-0 and essentially kill the game.
England carried a healthy three-goal lead over Iran heading into the break.
What a half. 👏 https://t.co/NtpXjspw5b
Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz opted to make a triple-change at the interval as he looked to shuffle his squad. However, it did not take England long after the break to score and pull away. Saka added his second goal with a thumping finish into the back of the net. Maguire provided his second assist of the night for that goal.
Iran pulled one goal back shortly after in the 65th minute, albeit a consolation. Ali Gholizadeh played the ball into Mehdi Taremi's path and the striker finished off the move to make it 4-1. Gareth Southgate then made several changes as he looked ot rotate his squad.
Marcus Rashford came on and added a fifth after 71 minutes. Substitutes Calum Wilson and Jack Grealish combined to score England's sixth goal. Taremi scored deep into stoppage time from the spot after Morteza Pouraliganji was fouled. The game ended in a remarkable 6-2 win for England.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5. Gareth Southgate has opted for an attacking formation for the 2022 World Cup
Many pundits and analysts predicted Southgate to continue picking a team to play a 3-4-3 formation for England. However, considering injuries to players in key positions, he has decided that 4-2-3-1 is the best way for the Three Lions to line-up.
This formation allowed the team to express themselves, playing a brand of possession-dominant football to win the game. They passed the ball with authority and played with great patience, waiting for Iran to slip up. In the process, they kept possession for 78% of the total game time, attempting seven shots on target.
This formation allowed England's forwards to stretch their legs as most bar Harry Kane scored in this game.
#4. Despite being ranked 20th in the world, there is a huge gulf in class between Iran and the top teams
Iran were ranked 20th in the world by FIFA prior to entering this edition of the World Cup. This meant they arrived in Qatar as the highest-ranked Asian nation due to play at the tournament. However, the result of their opener provided some perspective on the real gap between them and the top teams.
England looked the better side by far, and are 15 spots ahead of Iran in fifth place in the FIFA world rankings. However, their style of play and the 6-2 scoreline told a completely different story, one of domination and ruthlessness.
#3. England seems to have multiple scoring options now
Gareth Southgate's England team has been notorious for being set up in defensive shape to try and play only on the counter-attack. However, if tonight's display is anything to go by, they seem to have a renewed approach to games now.
England started in a 4-2-3-1 formation and looked to dominate possession of the ball from the get-go, gradually playing Iran out of the game. After killing Iran's momentum in the first half hour of the game, the Three Lions created chances in quick succession. Their forwards took them clinically as they raced into a three-goal lead in the final 10 minutes of the first period.
Rashford and Grealish, who came off the bench, also scored late in the game, showing the quality in depth the Three Lions have.
#2. England and other European nations decide against wearing the 'One Love' armband
The majority of the airtime prior to this game being kicked off was spent discussing the stance that captains of nine European countries had decided to take. They had planned to sport the 'One Love' captain's armband depicting unity and inclusivity for all.
However, FIFA passed a ruling during the week that stated the armband was banned, and any captain who wore it would be shown a yellow card immediately after kick-off. National boards, including the English FA, finally dropped the idea following unsuccessful discussions with FIFA.
As of now, none of the nine captains will sport the armband in a sensational turnaround.
#1. The Three Lions seem ready for this World Cup
Many questions were raised regarding the mettle and maturity of this England squad as most of them lost the final of Euro 2020 to Italy last year. They also failed to record a single win in the group stages of the Nations League this year. However, most of the squad has been playing well at a club level.
After years of English teams being accused of not putting their differences at the club level aside to succeed on the international stage, this team finally seems to have made progress in the right direction.