England face a huge World Cup quarter-final against France after surviving a scare or two on their way to beating Senegal at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Manager Gareth Southgate opted for a front three with Phil Foden on the left, with Raheem Sterling unavailable due to a family matter, but Marcus Rashford’s goals against Wales weren’t enough for him to start. Foden and Bukayo Saka justified their inclusion, though, both playing their part in a 3-0 victory.

Southgate’s team survived an early let-off when Ismaila Sarr fired over from close range, with Aliou Cisse’s side perhaps shading the opening half hour. Just as England fans began to worry, though, they took the lead as Jordan Henderson was on hand to finish off a quick break, and it was two before half-time thanks to Harry Kane.

A nervy opening saw Harry Maguire called into action to halt a dangerous Boulaye Dia run, while at the other end a Jude Bellingham cross worried Edouard Mendy but didn’t find an England head. Dia looked a danger throughout, forcing the first big save from the evening as Jordan Pickford stuck out a big left hand.

Less than 10 minutes later, England had the crucial first goal. Jude Bellingham had found space down the left more than once, and this time Henderson was on hand to tuck the cross away with a tidy first-time finish.

Moments before the half-time whistle, it was two. It came from another break, with Bellingham picking out Phil Foden who fed Harry Kane to calmly rifle past Mendy. Senegal made a triple change at the break as they looked for a way back into the game, but England pulled away in the second period.

There was no way back for Aliou Cisse’s men after Kane’s first-half effort, and instead England extended their lead as Saka sent another Foden delivery beyond Mendy. Here are Mirror Football ‘ s talking points from what ended up being a comfortable win at Al Bayt Stadium.

1. Redemption for Henderson
Jordan Henderson’s inclusion ahead of Mason Mount was one of the big calls made by Southgate. The Liverpool captain is a more experienced head but also arguably a more defensive-minded selection, and one wonders whether a fully-fit Kalvin Phillips might have got the nod in different circumstances.

The selection appeared to be designed to free Jude Bellingham ahead of Henderson and Declan Rice. That’s certainly what we saw early on, with the youngster getting forward to support the front three and forcing fouls from his opponents, and it felt fitting that Henderson’s opener came when he arrived unmarked to meet a cross from – you guessed it – Bellingham.

It was a moment of redemption for Henderson, who missed from the penalty spot as England edged past Colombia at the same stage in 2018. The 32-year-old doesn’t score many goals – this was his first in more than 12 months – but that doesn’t feel like that will matter to him.

2. Kane’s wait is over
Harry Kane’s failure to score in the group stage wasn’t as big a worry for some as it was for others. The England captain was still contributing in other ways, and while he’ll be upset with the first-half chance he missed against Senegal, he quickly put it behind him with his first goal in Qatar.

The first opportunity came just moments after Henderson’s opener, offering the Three Lions a chance to deal what might have been a decisive blow. Unlike his team-mate, though, Kane failed to keep his effort down with only Mendy to beat.

Thankfully, though, it didn’t harm his confidence. Kane has previously shared Jermain Defoe’s maxim that when you miss one chance you’re more likely to score the next, and he never looked like missing his opportunity seconds before the break. Few will even remember that miss now.

3. Southgate’s selections justified
Ahead of the game, pundit Ian Wright recognised Marcus Rashford would be disappointed not to be rewarded with a starting place against Senegal after impressing against Wales. Saka thrived in the opener against Iran, though, and was given another chance in the last 16.

The Arsenal man kept Ismail Jakobs busy early on, while almost punishing some lax Senegal defending. However, his defensive lapse almost allowed Dia to open the scoring, and England’s manager – a defender in his own playing days – won’t have been delighted with what he saw.

Saka wasn’t picked for his defensive acumen, though, and nor was Foden. Southgate will have been delighted to see the pair combine for England’s third goal, and the cushion allowed him the luxury of introducing Rashford and Jack Grealish for the final half-hour.

4. Bellingham shows why he’s a must-pick

Senegal had a couple of nibbles at Jude Bellingham in the first period, suggesting the secret is very much out when it comes to his ability. However, being aware of his threat and being able to stop him are two very different things.

The teenager assisted the first goal, but his role in the second was just as important. Senegal were on the attack just outside England’s box when the Dortmund man pulled off an interception, but one carry and a few second later, the ball was in the net at the other end.

Jude Bellingham has been one of England’s stand-out players during the World Cup
Jude Bellingham has been one of England’s stand-out players during the World Cup ( Image: Phil Harris / Daily Mirror)
Hindsight is 20:20, but it’s bizarre to think that some pre-tournament England XIs didn’t include Bellingham. At this stage, he has to be one of the first names on the team-sheer for whatever’s left of the tournament.

5. Sarr offers Walker an Mbappe-lite test
The pre-tournament injury to Sadio Mane had some playing down Senegal’s chances of even making it out of their group. That they got this far owes a fair amount to Ismaila Sarr, though, and the man showed his threat once again in Al Khor.

The Watford man caused problems with his pace, drawing a foul from with the game still goalless, and reminded England that they couldn’t risk playing too high a defensive line. There are reasons the former Rennes star has been linked with top sides, and it feels odd to see him plying his trade in the second tier.

Walker may have survived this test, but he has a much tougher one in the next round. Kylian Mbappe gave Matty Cash a torrid time in the round of 16, and Walker will need to prove Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand were right to back him against the tournament’s leading scorer.

England might have looked comfortable when the second half kicked off, but that wasn’t always a guarantee. Pickford’s strong left hand to deny Dia wasn’t the only important let-off, and who knows what might have happened had Sarr kept his effort down with the scores level.

Harry Maguire and John Stones have looked like a good pairing so far. So much so, indeed, that there was no need to switch to a back five for the knockout stages.

France pose a different threat, though, with Didier Deschamps starting Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele in a very attacking XI against Poland. That kind of firepower would be a real challenge for England’s back four, and similar lapses to the ones seen in this game would be unlikely to go unpunished against Les Bleus.