England vs Iran FIFA World Cup Live Score 21/11/2022
With England, the USMNT, Wales and Iran placed together in Group B, this is an absolutely blockbuster group brimming with narratives. Can the Three Lions take care of business with minimum fuss? Or will the USMNT, Wales and Iran cause upsets as their solid units all have talented attackers who can win a game in just one moment? From Harry Kane leading England to Gareth Bale leading Wales’ charge to Christian Pulisic primed to push the USMNT towards the knockout rounds and Iran’s hopes pinned on prolific forward duo Azmoun and Taremi, this is going to be a tough group to call. Many believe England are the favorites but Wales, the USMNT and Iran are very evenly matched and their world rankings (an average ranking of 15 if you combine all four teams) show just how tough this group will be.
Fulham are having a great time back in the big time and Aleksandar Mitrovic is finally scoring goals at this level but his recent injury is a concern for the Cottagers. Mitrovic’s injury is a big part of their success but so too is good recruitment this summer. Bernd Leno, Issa Diop, Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira and Willian have all made a big difference and Silva’s side are robust but also very dangerous on the counter. As for United, they are probably right where we thought would be under new manager Erik ten Hag. After a slow start the fact they are within touching distance of the top four ahead of the break is a good achievement. ETH will be hoping that this defeat at Villa last weekend was nothing more than a blip.
Fulham spine has been crucial to their great start to the season with Mitrovic, Palhinha and Leno all superb, while Diop has slotted in well and Willian has been a real spark in attack. However, Mitrovic may not feature so Carlos Vinicius has to stand tall. USMNT duo Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson have also had very good campaigns so far. As for United, Casemiro has been bossing it in midfield, while Luke Shaw scored at Villa last time out and has been more solid and Diogo Dalot has been excellent at right back. Marcus Rashford has also looked much better but he’s suspended for this clash.
You always need your goalkeeper to have a good tournament. Gordon Banks was solid back in 1966 and, if you look at teams who have won it, in most cases their goalkeeper is the best in the tournament. I’d go for Jordan Pickford because he’s tried and trusted. I’d go with Trent Alexander-Arnold on one side, with Bukayo Saka on the other. Both are excellent at getting forward, but they can also help out defensively when needed. I’d go with Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in the middle. Sometimes, I think if I was Argentina, Germany, or Netherlands, having those two in your team would be great. They would walk into a lot of teams, even Belgium. They’d probably walk into Brazil’s side too, I know they have Casemiro, who’s a great player, but no disrespect, they’ve also got Fred in there. These two guys for England are top quality. They’re young, exciting and going to be a big part of the spine, without a doubt.
Phil Foden could be sensational at this tournament if he is given the ball. I would also give James Maddison the opportunity to start. He gets in the box and scores goals, like Foden. Sterling for me would be the one to miss out at the moment, but he’d be a great sub. Foden and Maddison behind Harry Kane is what I would go with. That’s leaving Mason Mount out, who’s been brilliant for Gareth over a consistent period, but I think he’s looking a little bit jaded at the moment. Foden and Maddison are in great form at the moment and that would be very exciting for me to have those two players, as well as Rice and Bellingham. It’s quite an offensive team, but I also think how we do in the World Cup will be down to how we defend as a team throughout the tournament, especially when we play against some of the better opponents.
If we defend well, and have protection, we certainly have some firepower up front. We have players who can come in and change the game – Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling to name a couple. There are so many options – Callum Wilson, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount to name some more. There’s a lot of flexibility in the squad and also a lot of balance. England manager Gareth Southgate has named his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar. Leicester City midfielder James Maddison was rewarded for his fine form in the Premier League with a first call-up in three years. Arsenal defender Ben White, Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher and Newcastle striker Callum Wilson were also included. But who would you name in the starting line-up to face Iran on 21 November?
Event details:
NAME: England – Iran
DATE: 21 Nov 2022
TIME: 13:00 UTC
VENUE: Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
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