England’s ruthlessness and off-the-ball effort pleased Gareth Southgate in their 3-0 victory against Senegal.
The Three Lions overcame a poor start in their round of 16 matches, leading 2-0 at halftime thanks to goals from Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane. Bukayo Saka’s third goal early in the second half effectively finished the game, setting up a mouthwatering last-eight meeting with World Cup champions France.
It took a bit for England to get going, but once they did, some crucial players shone as they worked their way through the gears and secured another comfortable win in Qatar.
After the result, Southgate provided his opinion to ITV: “The ruthlessness of our execution, I believe, impressed him the most, but (also) the way the squad worked off the ball and without the ball.
“I believe we were a little too aggressive with the ball in the opening 25-30 minutes. Senegal had a lot of energy, pushed well, had fantastic form, and our greatest chances came from regaining the ball from them, and I thought Jude (Bellingham) and Hendo (Jordan Henderson) were brilliant in that element of the game.”
Southgate attributed England’s opener to their comparable skills as “forward-running, forward-thinking midfielder players” and added: “Hendo doesn’t get many opportunities for us, but I think he’s been excellent. He’s such a strong leader that he binds the squad together throughout the camp.
“He’s great, and I believe his performances have been the most appealing to us.”
