As England prepares to face Norway, much attention will be on Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, both of whom are expected to play pivotal roles and likely score. However, the key focus lies in the decisions made by Thomas Tuchel and Ståle Solbakken regarding their wingers, as neither team has fielded their intended wide forwards throughout the summer.
For England, the left flank has seen Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford take charge, while Arsenal’s Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka have been deployed on the right.
“All four of the wingers are competing against each other at the highest level,”
Tuchel remarked after the opening match against Croatia. The competition remains fierce, with none of the four wingers having played more than 57% of the available minutes at the World Cup or starting more than three of the five matches.
Tuchel appears uncertain about his preferred pairing, having experimented with five of the possible six combinations. Notably, Gordon and Rashford have not been paired due to their similar left-sided preferences. His in-game choices are likely influenced by the match situation, leading him to make earlier substitutions of wide forwards in each subsequent game.
The dynamics shifted during England’s match against Mexico, particularly after Jarell Quansah received a red card. Following the defender’s dismissal in the 54th minute, Saka was substituted, forcing England into a wing-less formation.
A consistent trend has emerged in England’s last three matches: the starting wingers have mirrored those who finished the previous game. Tuchel’s selections may reflect the tactical approach required against specific opponents. Gordon currently leads the squad in average ball carry length at the World Cup, with an average of 14.9 meters, while Madueke tops the charts for total distance carried per 90 minutes at 255.8 meters.
Rashford stands out as the top England winger for carries of five meters or more that resulted in a shot, having scored from one such carry against Croatia. Additionally, only two players in the tournament have assisted more goals following carries than Saka, one of whom is Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup.
Schjelderup’s only start came when Solbakken made ten changes for the final group stage match against France. After assisting Haaland for both goals in the match against Brazil, the 22-year-old may be poised to feature against England.
Contrasting with Tuchel’s approach, Solbakken has exhibited a more structured strategy with his wingers. The pairing of Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sørloth started three of the four first-team matches, while Schjelderup and Oscar Bobb were brought on to conclude each of those matches.
All four assists from this group originated from the left side, highlighting the importance of ensuring that whoever plays right back for England effectively disrupts the supply line to Haaland.
On the other hand, Norway’s defense faces a varied challenge in neutralizing threats from wide areas, although the primary goal remains to contain one of the world’s top strikers. While Kane or Haaland may steal the spotlight, the impact of their respective wingers could ultimately determine the match’s outcome.
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