There are four numbers (11:59) tattooed on the back of Ivan Toney’s neck. Look closely and you’ll see that the numbers are made up of small letters that spell out a message. “Even the longest days,” the message says, “will eventually come to an end.”
As the clock ticked down to what looked like it was going to be a second England defeat in four days at Wembley, Gareth Southgate’s side were losing 2-1 to Belgium and it looked like England, despite Toney’s penalty on his first start for their country, were left stranded in their own version of that longest day.
And then two moments of brilliance from two players who have become beacons of light for England provided blessed relief for Southgate, who had begun to look beleaguered as he stood in the pouring rain on the touchline.
As the ball swung around the Belgian penalty area, substitute James Maddison controlled it near the goal line and improvised a clever pass to Jude Bellingham, England’s talisman, who was lurking ten yards out.
This is now Bellingham’s England team. The boy is only 20 years old but he runs this way. He demands responsibility and now he has stepped forward. He took a touch and as the Belgian defenders desperately tried to run in his direction, Bellingham calmly rolled the ball past Matz Sels in the visitors’ goal to equalize in the fifth minute of added time.
Jude Bellingham scored in the final minute of added time to equalize for England.
Youri Tielemans scored two goals in the first half taking advantage of England’s mistakes.
Brentford star Ivan Toney converted a first-half penalty to score his first goal for his country.
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England may not have deserved the draw. In fact, Dodi Lukebakio should have put the game out of Belgium’s reach a couple of minutes earlier, but he took advantage of his shot and sent it high and wide. And so England took what they got. The game will boost their morale even if it doesn’t erase broader concerns about their defense.
Having lost John Stones early in the game, they were often alarmingly porous and vulnerable in defence. The truth is that without Stones and Harry Maguire, England seems exposed. Lewis Dunk is struggling at this level and was partly to blame for Belgium’s two goals, both scored by Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, who was the best player on the pitch. Joe Gomez had a torrid night against Jeremy Doku and Ben Chilwell is desperately fighting for form.
Even if Bowen, Bellingham and Phil Foden all showed their class in the future and Toney’s performance put him ahead of Ollie Watkins in the race to catch the plane to Germany, England won’t even come close to winning the tournament if they don’t They can fix your dazzling looks. defensive issues. His dependence on Stones and Maguire is a major concern.
Of course, Belgium should not be underestimated. They won their qualifying group without losing a single match and based on this evidence, Tielemans, Lukaku and Doku have the ability to destabilize any defence. But England were supposed to have already surpassed Belgium.
England had made a brilliant start. In fact, they almost joined the recent trend established by Austria and Germany of scoring in the opening seconds. Bowen burst down the right and crossed for Toney, who turned his body and hooked the ball towards goal from six yards only for it to hit his own hand.
But then England (and Manchester City) suffered a blow when John Stones stretched out to control a pass and immediately signaled to the bench that he had injured his groin. He continued playing for a couple of minutes before being replaced by Joe Gomez.
Seeing the Stones slowly moving through the tunnel was the last thing Pep Guardiola would have wanted to see. City right-back Kyle Walker was injured in the defeat to Brazil at the weekend and now this. City will play Arsenal on Sunday before traveling to play Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday.
Jordan Pickford made a rare mistake in the first half that allowed Tielemans to give Belgium the lead.
This came just minutes after John Stones was injured as England endured a nightmare start.
Lewis Dunk then slipped unnecessarily and allowed Romelu Lukaku to cross for Tielemans to put Belgium back in front in the first half.
England were still adjusting to the Stones’ departure when they conceded a comically calamitous first goal in the 11th minute. Pickford took his time clearing the ball, but when he tried to pass it to Jude Bellingham, it was easily intercepted by Amadou Onana.
Onana passed the ball to Tielemans and as Pickford and Lewis Dunk scrambled to try and cover the right side of the England goal, Tielemans simply stroked it into the opposite corner. England looked vulnerable at the back against Brazil, but this was like a Laurel and Hardy sketch.
Southgate urged calm from the touchline. “Calm down, calm down,” he told his players. And England counterattacked within six minutes with their next attack. Bellingham slid a perfectly weighted pass inside from Jan Vertonghen to Toney and when Toney ran at him, Vertonghen tackled him.
Vertonghen pleaded his innocence, of course, but to no avail. One of the many reasons why Toney is an attractive choice for Southgate’s team is his experience from the point of view. He had scored 29 goals in 31 attempts before this match, so it made sense for him to step up.
He didn’t deviate from his usual routine. He took a slow step forward to tackle the ball, his eyes fixed on Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels. He waited for Sels to commit, moving slightly to the left, before sending the ball to the goalkeeper’s right. They were now 30 out of 32 and Toney scored his first international goal.
It was an excitingly open match. Soon Belgium attacked again. Tielemans got beautifully away from Bellingham in the center circle and sent the ball into the path of Jeremy Doku, who turned Gomez inside out, before curling his shot into the corner and drawing an excellent save from Pickford.
Kobbie Mainoo impressed in his first start for England and received a warm hug from Gareth Southgate when he was substituted in the second half.
England pushed for an equalizer in the second half, with Jarrod Bowen looking lively
A few minutes after that, Bowen, who was playing superbly on the right, attacking with pace and determination, thought he had also scored his first goal for England, when he headed a header into Dunk’s back post. His attempt was annulled by the VAR.
There was a chaotic feeling in the match. If Saturday’s game against Brazil felt flat, this one had a manic edge. Then, when Sels tried to pass the ball short to Onana, Mainoo dispossessed him in an instant, the ball ran towards Bellingham and just when it looked like the talented England midfielder was due to score, he lifted his shot over Sels and also over the crossbar.
The party did not give up. Ten minutes before the break, Tielemans found space inside the Belgian half and played a good pass to the right for Romelu Lukaku to chase. Lukaku, still a Chelsea player but on loan at Roma, looked like he would be beaten by Dunk, but Dunk’s attempt to make a tackle was weak and Lukaku won possession.
Lukaku looked up and saw Tielemans running towards the far post. He swung the ball over Gómez with the outside of his left foot so that it landed perfectly into the path of Tielemans and the Aston Villa midfielder lunged at full length to head into the back of the net. It was a beautifully designed goal.
Bellingham was frustrated as he missed a couple of big chances in each half at Wembley.
But he finally got it right in the 95th minute to ensure England did not lose again.
It was also more impressive to defend from England. Dunk is struggling at this level and was at least partly responsible for Belgium’s two goals in the first half. Those who condemn Southgate for his caution when he protects England’s defense with two holding midfielders may be beginning to realize why he does it.
Sels saved well from Toney early in the second half and then, ten minutes after the break, Gomez lofted a ball into the box and Bellingham rose to receive it unmarked from ten yards out. His jump was majestic, but he mistimed his header and the ball went wide. Bellingham looked at the ground in disgust.
England pressed and pressed for an equalizer and Foden shot wide after finer work from Bowen, but it looked like the breakthrough would not come. Then Lukebakio squandered his chance and Maddison and Bellingham stepped up. Even the longest days will eventually come to an end.