Why England’s wide men hold the key to beating France after Senegal masterclass

A willing tool of the Fifa machine in recent years, it is tempting to write off many of the things Arsene Wenger now says. Fresh from suggesting that the teams who made political statements at this World Cup were cosmically punished by exiting it, that temptation only grew. But his eye for the game itself, the one that so expertly guided Arsenal for so many years, remains as shrewd as it ever was.

"I personally think the team with the best wide players will win this tournament,” he had said at a Fifa technical briefing earlier on Sunday. A matter of hours later, England used their world-class width to devastating effect to down Senegal and book their place in the quarter-finals.

It was the third goal of the three here that illustrated it best, Phil Foden finding Bukayo Saka to score, from one wide man to the other, the Arsenal star lifting into the middle of the goal to seal a win that was forged on the fringes.

There is reason to Wenger’s thinking. More than half of all the entries into the final third at this tournament have come down either flank. Goals from open-play crosses are up and up by a large percentage from four years ago. With teams choosing to brace and bolster their middle, take-ons are down a third since Russia too, opponents instead opting to build up and attack from out wide. There is only one way to beat them, as they say, and it is around the back here in Qatar.

Gareth Southgate has been taking note too, his biggest problem at this tournament so far also one of his best as he juggles his embarrassment of riches on the wings.

It was Saka and Raheem Sterling who got the call to start the opener against Iran, both going on to reward their manager with goals, substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish also scoring in a 6-2 win.

After sticking for the dull draw with USA, the Three Lions boss twisted against Wales, instead throwing Rashford and Phil Foden into the fray from the off. They too would repay his faith, Rashford firing in a brace either side of Foden in a 3-0 victory that secured top spot.

It was the wide player missing who would catch the eye first against Senegal, though, Sterling absent as he returned to the UK following an armed break-in at his London home. Saka would go on to be restored to the starting lineup in place of Rashford. It would prove a fine decision.

England’s intent was clear from the start. With Foden returned to the left where he so impresses at Manchester City and Saka on the opposite side where he too is so at home, they would attempt to attack down each flank, the overlapping and underlapping Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw more than willing assistants to the cause.

That they are subtly different only helps England’s ambitions, Foden so good in the small spaces he is so adept at finding, Saka more direct and keen to beat a man to the byline. The balance, so missing against the USA the last time England were in this stadium, felt right here, the two halves of the team much closer linked and tied together with the supreme Jude Bellingham at its heart.

It was through him that the first goal came, Harry Kane dropping deep after being found by Foden on the flank before releasing for Bellingham to charge into space on the left. The cross from the channel could scarcely have been better, the timing of Jordan Henderson’s run matching it before the Liverpool midfielder slid home.

The second would soon come, Bellingham again bursting through before finding Foden once more ghosting in from his wing at the right moment. His pass was perfect, cushioned, Kane taking it in his stride before lashing in.

The third you suspect will have pleased Southgate the most, though, his two biggest selection calls for this game combining seamlessly to put it away.

That they were both withdrawn with a third of this contest still to go hints at how involved they may go on to be against France in the last eight. Central to England’s chances of upsetting the defending champions there could be the men least central of all.