Kane steps up 

When his country needed him the most, Harry Kane stepped up as England came from behind to beat DR Congo. The Bayern Munich striker has 72 goals for club and country this season, including five at this year’s World Cup as he looks to spearhead England further into the tournament. The second goal was especially impressive, and not many players in world football come close to England’s number 9 when it comes to finishing. If Kane and Bellingham were to get injured, the chance of football coming home would seriously be in doubt. 

Subs make the difference 

As England trailed early on, they struggled to provide a threat in wide areas, with Bellingham the only player looking likely to score, forcing DR Congo’s Lionel Mpasi into some impressive saves. Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench on 60 minutes, bringing on Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka for Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke. Gordon proved to be the creative spark England needed, setting up both of Harry Kane’s goals. This gives Tuchel a dilemma going into the Round of 16 tie at the Azteca about who to put on the wings against Mexico. Add that the right-hand side issue, and the England boss has plenty to think about, 

Right hand side difficulties 

England'sright-hand side, consisting of Djed Spence at right back and Noni Madueke on the right wing, has caused some discourse within the England fanbase. It was ineffective against DR Congo, which caused Tuchel to put Declan Rice at right back on 70 minutes. It’s a problem that must be solved ahead of the Mexico game on Monday, and options at right back aren’t readily available due to injuries to Reece James and Jarrell Quansah. An option could be to put Ezri Konsa at right back and add John Stones to the line-up alongside Marc Guehi. Declan Rice feels too important to shoehorn to right back, as you want your best players in their correct positions. A settled back four has not been found for England this tournament, and hopefully it isn’t their undoing as they haven’t looked as solid as previous tournaments. 

Tough test up next 

The main thing is that England’s tournament continues, although they meet a tough test on Monday when they face Mexico at the Azteca stadium. I’ve seen more talk about the Azteca stadium then I have about the Mexico side, and the conditions will play a part of course, however if England’s XI turn up, they will win the match. Rightfully the match at the Azteca is seen as a daunting task, however we should remember the players we have at our disposal, that are more than enough to cause Mexico problems.