The scoreline says 2-1. The football says England got away with one. Against a DR Congo side ranked 67th in the world, Gareth Southgate's team looked lost, disconnected, and alarmingly fragile. They won. Great. But if they play like that against Mexico in the Round of 16, they'll be on a plane home before the fish and chips go cold.
Let's not sugarcoat it: this was England's worst performance of the tournament. They had 62% possession, sure, but most of it was sideways passes in their own half. The midfield was a ghost town. The forwards were isolated. And the defense? One moment of madness from John Stones nearly handed the game to the Congolese.
The Midfield Disaster That Nearly Cost Everything
Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham — supposed to be England's engine room — spent most of the first half running after shadows. DR Congo's midfield three, led by the relentless Samuel Moutoussamy, swarmed every ball. England couldn't string three passes together in the final third. The result? Harry Kane dropping so deep he might as well have been wearing a center-back's bib.
Here's the stat that matters: England created only two clear chances in 90 minutes. Two. Against a team that had conceded seven goals in their previous two games. That's not just bad — that's a tactical black hole.
"We were sloppy. We know that. But we got the result." — Gareth Southgate, post-match. The kind of quote that should terrify England fans.
The problem is structural. Southgate's 4-3-3 morphs into a 4-2-3-1 in possession, but against a compact low block, the two holding midfielders become redundant. Rice and Bellingham ended up on the same line, passing to each other, going nowhere. It's the same issue that plagued England in the Euro 2020 final. Three years later, the lesson hasn't been learned.
Where Was the Width?
England's full-backs, Kyle Walker and Ben Chilwell, are supposed to provide the width. Against DR Congo, they were invisible in the first half. Walker, usually a rampaging force, attempted zero crosses before the break. Chilwell was better, but his deliveries were aimless. The wingers — Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden — kept cutting inside, running into traffic. DR Congo's defense, marshaled by the 34-year-old Chancel Mbemba, had a quiet afternoon.
Saka, who's been England's best attacker all tournament, was double-teamed every time he got the ball. Foden, for all his Manchester City magic, looked lost in a system that doesn't suit him. Southgate needs to figure out: is Foden a central playmaker or a wide creator? Right now, he's neither.
The Goal That Masks the Cracks
England's opener came from a set piece. Kane nodded in from a corner. It was well-worked, sure, but set pieces shouldn't be your only plan against a team that's conceding for fun. The second goal was a gift: a defensive mix-up by DR Congo's goalkeeper, who spilled a routine cross, and Kane tapped in. There was no sustained pressure, no intricate build-up play. Just a goalkeeper error and a corner.
Meanwhile, DR Congo's goal was a thing of beauty. A quick counter, a perfectly weighted through ball, and a finish from Cédric Bakambu that left Jordan Pickford with no chance. It exposed England's Achilles' heel: they are vulnerable to pace on the break. Mexico, with the electric Hirving Lozano and the tricky Raúl Jiménez, will have watched that goal on loop.
What Southgate Must Fix — Fast
First, the midfield shape. Drop Bellingham deeper, let Rice play as a single pivot, and push Foden into the number 10 role behind Kane. That means Saka and someone else — maybe Jack Grealish — on the wings. Grealish's ability to draw fouls and hold the ball could be crucial against Mexico's aggressive press.
Second, the full-backs need to bomb forward. Walker cannot be a spectator. Against Mexico, England will need to pin them back. If Walker and Chilwell play like they did against DR Congo, Lozano and Jiménez will feast on the counter.
Third, stop overcomplicating it. England's best moments in this tournament came when they played quick, direct football. Against DR Congo, they passed sideways and backwards. It's like watching a team that's scared to take risks. That's not England. That's not Southgate's usual style. Something went wrong in the dressing room.
The Verdict: A Warning, Not a Crisis
England are through. That's the bottom line. But if you're a Mexico fan, you're licking your lips. England's system has a flaw, and it's the same flaw that's been there for years: they struggle to break down teams that sit deep and are lethal on the counter. Mexico are exactly that.
Southgate has three days to fix it. He's been here before — after the 0-0 with Scotland in Euro 2020, he changed the system and England reached the final. He can do it again. But if he sticks with the same lineup and same tactics, this World Cup will end with a whimper.
One thing is certain: the warm-up is over. The knockout rounds are a different beast. England need to find their bite — or they'll be the ones getting eaten.
