Do Not Sell My Personal Information
It was a routine looking 2-0 win for Spain on Friday night as they brushed aside an underwhelming England side in Alicante.
The Spanish dominated possession throughout the game and broke the deadlock with a superb volley from Villareal right back Mario Gaspar before Gunners star Santi Cazorla added a late second to cap the victory and give Spain some much-needed confidence before Euro 2016.
It was the toughest opposition England have faced since the World Cup, after they were dealt a very favourable qualifying group, but it was a limp performance from Roy Hodgson’s first XI against top class opposition.
It’s clear England are suffering hugely from the injuries to Arsenal stars Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere. If all four were fit and ready to play, I wouldn’t put money against all four starting in the same team with Walcott up top, Welbeck on the right and the Ox and Wilshere in central midfield.
Danny Welbeck proved his worth in qualifying with six goals before a cruel injury and with Wayne Rooney playing poorly and Kane unproven at international level, Theo Walcott’s form up front for the Gunners has seen him fight his way into contention for the first choice striking role.
With Michael Carrick and Fabian Delph anonymous and looking out of their depth, Jack Wilshere is looking a huge miss in midfield – particularly after he scored two cracking goals against Slovenia in qualifying and was finally getting back to his best form. The Ox too is a favourite of Hodgson’s and has been trusted in important games in the centre of the pitch or on the right for England under his management.
Walcott and the Ox will recover in plenty of time for Euro 2016 to bring some much-needed pace and quality to Roy Hodgson’s squad. Unfortunately for Welbeck and Wilshere, they will most likely miss out this summer and will be looking to cement their place on the plane to Russia in 2018.
One thing is for sure – England look a far worse team with no Arsenal players in it.
