4 things we learned from England's difficult victory over Serbia

England got the job done in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday night as they started their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory over a physical Serbia side.

Expectations for this English team refused to be tempered despite suffering a pre-tournament 1-0 defeat to Iceland, and the opening 30 minutes at the Veltins-Arena depicted a side capable of enjoying another deep run in Germany this summer.

However, the remaining hour wasn't for the purists. Stodgy, underwhelming performances have been ingrained in the English psyche, only it seems that Gareth Southgate's Three Lions continue to prevail in spite of such issues.

England will have to improve and drift away from their seemingly habitual retreating second-half act if they're to compete and topple the continent's best.

Here are four things we learned from Sunday's 1-0 win over Serbia.

This is Jude Bellingham's England

England's wealth of attacking talent has done the rounds for months leading into Euro 2024. Southgate has Europe's leading goalscorer, and both the Premier League and La Liga's best player on his hands.

However, there was only one man who stole the show in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. While Phil Foden struggled for rhythm floating off the left and Harry Kane tussled with an imposing Serbia backline all night, Jude Bellingham inspired England's victory.

An early bump into Filip Kostic while he gee'd up the English fans was a signal of intent from the Real Madrid superstar. He was not going to be bullied. Serbia's treatment of Bellingham was harsh, but England's number ten dominated the opening 45 minutes. His box-crashing brilliance, so often on display last season, led to the game's only goal, and Bellingham was intent on impacting the game in any way he could.

Voted Man of the Match by UEFA despite a quieter second half, it seems as if Bellingham may well be taking this England team by the scruff of the neck.

Nothing to fear at centre-back

Harry Maguire is a huge loss for this England side, but the Three Lions are certainly well-stocked in reserve.

Marc Guehi made his tournament bow on Sunday alongside John Stones, and the Crystal Palace man performed as if none of this was new to him.

Surprise at Guehi's assuredness was pretty remarkable given his form for Crystal Palace over the past couple of years. Eagles supporters weren't enjoying anything new on Sunday as Guehi produced a measured performance laden with timely, aggressive interceptions and pristine positioning when defending the box.

Dusan Vlahovic got no change out of the English defender, with Guehi ending the night having completed all 32 of his attempted passes and winning 100% of his duels and tackles.

Guehi has huge boots to fill in Maguire's absence, but Sunday's performance was a great start.

Luke Shaw is desperately missed

While Southgate opted against picking Maguire, who was hopeful of being fit for the knockouts, the England boss included Luke Shaw despite his ongoing fitness woes.

Once the Southgate era draws to a close, Shaw will be remembered among the defining figures. The left-back is a tactical necessity for the England boss.

Kieran Trippier started in Shaw's place on Sunday, and while the Newcastle defender has performed ably on the opposite side before, England's left-hand side dynamic suffered greatly. Bellingham and Foden attempted to rotate down the left in a bid to combine with the makeshift full-back, but very rarely did they have success bypassing Serbia's man-marking.

Trippier held his own defensively for the most part and positioned himself well to deal with crosses at the back post. However, his work with the ball was awkward throughout. England struggled to connect and progress down the left all night, and their predictability in possession allowed Serbia to press with greater vigour as the game progressed.

Shaw is pivotal for England's dynamics in possession. His return can't come soon enough.

Is Trent Alexander-Arnold cut out for midfield?

Southgate has teased the Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment on a couple of occasions over the past few years, but the ploy previously hasn't been regarded as a serious option.

However, Kalvin Phillips' struggles and subsequent omission from the 26-man squad opened up a spot alongside Declan Rice in midfield. On Sunday, the cautious Southgate went against the grain to include Alexander-Arnold in his pivot. The discourse surrounding the Liverpool star and a potential midfield future has bored us for years, and, in truth, we got no definitive answers over his capacity to play in the middle of the park on Monday night.

It was a mixed bag, for sure. Alexander-Arnold doubtlessly contributed to England's controlled opening 30 minutes, but he also handed Serbia their brightest opening of the first half by ceding possession in the build-up after an awkward first touch.

He did read the game well, however, and Serbia certainly didn't overpower or overwhelm him, but this wasn't the same Alexander-Arnold that flaunts his technical mastery on a weekly basis at Liverpool. He seemed to be playing with some trepidation and caution, but perhaps that was symptomatic of the setup he was a part of.

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