"Did more in 5mins than Foden did in 70min" - Fans hail England star for his impact off the bench in 2-1 win over Slovakia at Euro 2024
England fans have praised Ivan Toney for his impact as a late substitute after they narrowly defeated Slovakia 2-1 in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 (June 30).
Both sides had numerous opportunities to take the lead early in the first half with Harry Kane, David Hancko, and Kieran Trippier missing their chances. Slovakia took a shock lead in the 25th minute after Ivan Schranz finished well past Jordan Pickford after he was played through by David Strelec.
England found the back of the net in the 50th minute through Phil Foden but the goal was overruled by VAR due to an offside. Kane failed to convert another golden chance in the 78th minute after his header failed to threaten Slovakia's goal. To make matters worse, Declan Rice struck the post from a long-range effort three minutes later.
Just when it appeared as if the Three Lions were on the cusp of being knocked out of Euro 2024, Bellingham rescued his nation with a brilliant overhead kick. It came in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Ivan Toney was subbed on for Foden in the 90+4' minute. He then headed across the face of the goal in the first half of extra time, allowing Kane to head home, giving England the win.
Fans hailed Toney for his impact on his first appearance at Euro 2024. The Brentford forward provided one assist, created one chance, and won eight duels. One fan posted:
"He did more in 5mins than Foden did in 70mins"
Other fan reactions can be viewed below:
"Ivan Toney btw, he’s stepped up massively for England," one fan pointed out
"Ivan Toney was quite good since he came on," one fan tweeted
"Ivan Toney is the reason we won that game," another added
"Toney deserves to start over Foden next game," one fan typed
"Toney instant impact, what a performance off the bench," another chimed in
"Fantastic assist, baller," another posted
"Dude’s presence is scary," one fan tweeted
Who was the highest-rated player during England's 2-1 win against Slovakia at Euro 2024?
England left it late to seal a nervy 2-1 win against Slovakia at Euro 2024 to book their spot in the final eight after their Round of 16 clash at the Veltins-Arena. Let's take a quick look at who their highest-rated player was after Ivan Toney received the fans' adoration on social media.
As per FotMob, Arsenal star Declan Rice received a match rating of 8.3 - the highest of any player on the pitch. He played the entire 120 minutes, completing 80 out of his 89 passes with an accuracy of 90 percent. Moreover, he made 10 passes into the final third and completed all seven of his long balls. The 25-year-old was also solid defensively, making 10 recoveries and winning eight duels.
Despite their win, the Three Lions looked far from convincing with Bellingham's and Kane's goals being their only shots on target. They will seek to improve for their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Switzerland on Saturday, July 6.