England produced a perfect counter-attack against Spain, but made far too many mistakes. After the match, The Telegraph published an article highlighting four key takeaways, arguing that beyond the much-criticized defence, Anderson needs to continue learning from Rodri—both at Man City and with England.

Mistakes prove costly for England

Before England equalized in the 39th minute, they could have been 4-0 down. Nevertheless, several of Spain's goals stemmed from basic errors by England's defenders when under pressure.

First came Guehi in the second minute. Then Nico O'Reilly, under intense pressure, failed to look up and played a direct pass to Olmo. For the third goal, scored by Oyarzabal, any of the three defenders—O'Reilly, Quansah, and Ezri Konsa—should have marked the attacking substitute who came on.

When facing one of the world's strongest teams, this is the price you pay. In a World Cup final, Argentina facing Spain would have tried to keep their shape much tighter, at least in the first half.

Counter-attacking was England's winning weapon

England's opening goal was a textbook counter-attack: even if England played for many more years, they might never recreate such a brilliant attacking move.

Spain rarely gifted opponents such opportunities to regain possession. When they push forward to attack, if one of their players makes an error and loses the ball, seizing that chance is not optional—it's a must.

Sixty-nine days earlier, in the World Cup final, Scaloni's Argentina hoped for such an opportunity but never got one.

Anderson shoulders responsibility in midfield

With Rice absent, Anderson became England's most experienced midfielder on the pitch. The Manchester City player will turn 23 in November, and by the end of this international break, his England caps could reach 21. David Beckham had only 11 caps at the same age.

To disrupt Spain's rhythm in possession, Anderson's energetic pressing was essential. His ability to harry the ball carrier is top-class, but against a side of Spain's calibre, it's far from simple. In the 27th minute, Anderson's risky pass was intercepted by Rodri, and Spain immediately pierced England's defence, with Ferran Torres's shot going just wide.

However, England's equalizer came from Anderson's first touch after winning the ball from Williams. He struggles to control the tempo of the match like Spain's Rodri—England simply don't play that way. But whether at Man City or for England, that's the standard he should aspire to.

Overall, Anderson was England's best player. He has a keen sense of danger, and late in the match he tracked the substitute Pedri tightly, anticipating the opponent's through-ball. That defensive work showcased his playing style: aggressive in winning the ball, then calm and economical in possession, delivering sensible passes.

Star forwards showing good form

At least Tuchel can take some comfort from the fact that several star forwards displayed excellent composure.

While this was an important match, it wasn't on the same level as a knockout game at a major tournament in the summer. That said, England played more freely. It's unclear what impression this will leave on Tuchel, who will still be haunted by his side's lack of control. Clearly, the Wembley crowd preferred to see their team boldly face the world champions head-on rather than retreat passively into their own penalty area.

Alexander-Arnold remains on the bench

Alexander-Arnold has every reason to be confused: why was the right-back starting place given to Quansah, his former Liverpool teammate whose natural position is centre-back? This type of match, where both full-backs push high, perfectly suits the Real Madrid player. He returned to the squad after missing the World Cup, but this clearly demonstrates Tuchel's continued indecision about how to use him.

With Alexander-Arnold in the squad, he deserved some playing time. Quansah, playing in an unfamiliar position, was not always comfortable. Against an opponent of Spain's level, few would argue that Quansah is better suited to the role than Alexander-Arnold.

After the match, Tuchel explained that Quansah's "pace and centre-back qualities" gave him "a slight edge" over Alexander-Arnold. When asked which match Alexander-Arnold would feature in, Tuchel replied simply: "There are three more games."

Website AF đã ra mắt! Xem tin tức đầy đủ, bình luận, chi tiết trận đấu và thống kê trên máy tính. Truy cập: www.allfootballapp.com