Morning all.
So England received off to a profitable begin at Euro 2024, due to an excellent aim from the excellent Jude Bellingham. Bukayo Saka was concerned, his cross deflected into the center for the Actual Madrid man to fulfill with a thumping header. It wasn’t simply brilliantly timed and nicely executed, it was courageous too as a result of the defender knew he wasn’t going to get the ball and tried to clatter the person as an alternative.
Bellingham was excellent within the first half, and I feel Saka had a extremely full of life opening 45 too. Particularly when you think about he’s been scuffling with damage having missed the ultimate recreation of the season because of a groin drawback. Together with Declan Rice (extra on him anon) and Marc Guehi, they have been the England gamers who performed at one thing near their finest degree, however these two particularly stood out.
It wasn’t simply what they did with the ball – and we all know how a lot high quality they each have in that regard – it was the best way they labored for the workforce, and the best way they made themselves out there to teammates in troublesome conditions. In a primary half when the England captain ambled round having only one contact of the ball in 45 minutes, and the so-called Participant of the Season Flat-Monitor Phil Foden dropped an absolute stinker, it was Saka and Bellingham who have been the center of the England aspect.
Within the second half, Serbia received again into it and England turned a bit disjointed. Trent in midfield didn’t actually work, which isn’t essentially his fault as a result of he’s being performed out of place, and I whereas I don’t significantly fee Conor Gallagher, he’s no less than extra naturally accustomed to enjoying in that a part of the pitch. The place England might be grateful is that Declan Rice demonstrated his means to be principally all over the place he was wanted final evening. The quantity of occasions he popped as much as make an interception, or win a deal with, was essential as England struggled to seek out any fluency and Serbia seemed for an equaliser.
They’d some half-chances quite than something clear reduce, whereas up the opposite finish I feel we noticed the save of the event as far as Predrag Rajkovic denied Kane, however by that point the sport had descended right into a low high quality scrap with little significant high quality from both aspect. England received’t care an excessive amount of, I’m positive – a win is a win and groups can typically develop right into a event – however I don’t suppose that midfield stability is kind of proper and I wouldn’t fancy it towards higher opposition. Lots for Gareth Southgate to consider forward of their subsequent recreation towards Denmark on Thursday.
Talking of whom, they drew 1-1 with Slovenia. Christian Eriksen scored the opener, and when you think about what occurred with him on the final Euros, this was a giant second for him and for Denmark. A deflected second half aim earned Slovenia some extent, and I used to be curious to look at Benjamin Sesko after our curiosity in him. There was the eye-catching second the place he hit the submit with a fierce shot (having put one simply large within the first half), however I feel you may see how staying at Leipzig would possibly simply be the perfect factor for him at this level in his profession. There are some uncooked elements there, for positive, however they’re very uncooked proper now, and maybe the correct atmosphere to develop is one the place he can play extra recurrently with out the calls for that will include being a participant for a workforce hoping to problem for the Premier League.
Within the early recreation, I believed Jakub Kiwior did nicely for Poland, however their day led to disappointment with a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands. Having gone forward, Poland have been pegged again by a deflected shot which wrong-footed former Gunner Wojciech Szczesny, and a late aim from Wout Weghorst (which I ponder if Szczesny might have completed higher with) sealed their defeat.
Right this moment, we’ve received Romania versus Ukraine within the opener, with Arsenal curiosity coming by way of Oleksandr Zinchenko. Within the afternoon it’s Leandro Trossard’s Belgium towards Slovakia, and within the night France face Austria. Will William Saliba begin? We’ll discover out in a while.
For extra on the Euros, be a part of us over on Patreon a bit later this morning as we recap yesterday video games in our ongoing podcast sequence, and we’ll even have an Arsecast Additional for you – however not till this night. Preserve a watch out for the decision for questions on Twitter @gunnerblog and @arseblog on Twitter with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or should you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
For now, have a very good one.
