Matt Turner has warned England not to take their favourites status for granted when they take on the USA on Friday.
The World Cup has already witnessed two huge upsets, with Saudi Arabia’s defeat of pre-tournament favourites Argentina, and Germany being humbled by Japan.
Against that backdrop, US and Arsenal goalkeeper Turner has warned Gareth Southgate’s men they could come unstuck if they underestimate Gregg Berhalter’s side.
“You can't take any game for granted,” said Turner, who has made four appearances for Arsenal in the Europa League this season. “The world of football is leveling out in a lot of ways - teams have game-plans, they've been investing in youth for a number of years.
"They have guys playing at the top level all over the world. I think the message is that when you have one team following the same message, you can beat anyone on any given day.”
A late Gareth Bale penalty saw the US denied a win against Wales, with Turner admitting they squandered too many chances to put the game out of reach, a mistake they cannot repeat against England.
“I think one of the main things for us is that we missed some opportunities in transition against Wales in the second-half,” said Turner. “We had chances where we just weren't particularly clean in the final third and the final pass was a little off or the timing was wrong.
“It’s all about the small details you have in the World Cup, where margins are so thin to score a goal. We know we'll have to be better in transition against England if we want to score goals and we've learned a lot from the Wales game.”
Turner, who joined Arsenal from New England Revolution in the summer, admitted the move was a big step up but praised Gunners boss Mikel Arteta for pushing him to be better.
“There’s definitely a steep learning curve,” said Turner. “Mikel is challenging me every day - tactically, technically and emotionally. The intensity they train at is really high and I’m looking forward to the challenge that presents itself.
“There’s definitely tremendous respect from people in the US towards football. English football is the most consumed league in the US by far. It’s the game that I grew up watching and now I’m experiencing first-hand.
“Playing Major League Soccer and for the national team, signing for Arsenal, going to Arsenal and coming back to the US after a few days to play some friendlies, you see the fans and how passionate they are for these teams. It’s something I can see from two different sides. From the MLS side and now as a Premier League player.”
