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Football London
Football London
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Luke Thrower

Gareth Southgate can call upon key Arsenal star to save England's World Cup 2022 campaign

After England's 6-2 thrashing of Iran in their opening game of the World Cup, many seemed to jump to the conclusion that the group was all sorted. However, that's far from the case as a 0-0 draw to USA on Friday means there's still everything to play for in the final match.

USA face Iran that is essentially already a knockout stage clash, with the former needing a win to secure passage into the round of 16. As for the Three Lions, they face near neighbours Wales and should they avoid defeat by 4-0 or heavier, they will be through to the next round.

However, there remain plenty of questions surrounding Gareth Southgate's side going into the clash, mainly due to the tough showing against the US. Despite that, the manager has called for calm, telling the media after the game: "The objective is always to get out of the group and we've done that in two games in the past two tournaments - we can't expect to do that all the time."

READ MORE: Arsenal already have their own Jonathan David amid Edu's smart £30m transfer decision

There may be a desire for the manager to change things up as it's clear that despite being able to go through with as much as a 3-0 loss to Wales, the performance matters just as much to carry through momentum into the one-off set of games coming. While England had more of the ball in their clash against the USA, their main issue came from the press and trying to progress the ball beyond the defenders.

That either required difficult line-breaking passes or the ability to take on opposition forwards and drift beyond them to create space - something that John Stones and Harry Maguire tried occasionally but rarely pulled off. Should Southgate wish to address that, then he can call on Arsenal star Ben White.

While he has spent most of the season with the Gunners operating at right-back, he has played the majority of his time at centre-back. His progressive ability in both carries and passing has made him a standout for Mikel Arteta and he could well be able to do the same for his national side.

For expectant supporters of England, who have been treated to some of the nation's best footballing success in recent years, it's clear that the performance as well as the result are key factors to be considered.

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