England trio still could be dropped after Switzerland stinkers but Saka, Mainoo and Konsa impress

That was a close one. England have made the semi-finals of Euro 2024 after edging past Switzerland in a penalty shootout. Here are the player ratings.

It was a much-improved performance compared to last time, but England‘s issues with chance creation still shone through as the game went the full distance.

Here are the player ratings.

Jordan Pickford
Up until Breel Embolo put one past him in the 75th minute, Pickford didn’t have much to do. He was almost caught out by a clever Xherdan Shaqiri corner in extra time, but thankfully the post came to his rescue.

The 30-year-old boasts a good record when it comes to saving penalties and the shootout was where he really came into his own.

After delaying Manuel Akanji for as long as humanly possible, he easily saved the poorly struck spot kick.

Kyle Walker
The narrative around Walker really has swung during this tournament, hasn’t it? From a slip in the opening five minutes to switching off at the back post for Embolo’s goal, it was an evening to forget for the Man City star.

His place in the starting XI has been pretty much nailed on up until this point, but surely there’s a conversion to be had around him soon?

John Stones
Up until the goal, Stones had enjoyed a relatively comfortable game. The goal itself was a slightly disappointing one from his point of view as he had the opportunity to stop the cross before it reached Embolo.

Still, he remained tidy in possession and handled the threat of Embolo relatively well.

Ezri Konsa
Aston Villa fans have been raving about Konsa for quite some time and now every England fan knows why.

The 26-year-old was England’s best defender and having made seven clearances and two blocks, the stats back up that notion. In fact, he handed Embolo so well that the Swiss forward eventually changed sides in the second half after getting little change out of Konsa.

Considering that was his first start of the tournament, we reckon he did a fine job until he was withdrawn in the 78th minute.

Kieran Trippier
It sent shivers down our spine when he was burned for pace by Dan Ndoye early on, but thankfully he was well protected by the likes of Konsa and Rice throughout.

He managed to create a couple of chances, but England’s lack of an outlet on the left-hand side was painfully obvious from the start again.

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Declan Rice
The Arsenal man marshalled the midfield well throughout. He broke up the play well and sprang a couple of attacks after winning the ball back.

He also almost scored an absolute worldie in extra time, but Yann Sommer was level to his attempt.

Kobbie Mainoo
He really does look like the real deal, doesn’t he? Once again his passing looked sharp and he wasn’t afraid to drive forward with the ball either.

His highlight came in the second half when he sent two Swiss players for a picnic after a clever dummy that allowed him to skip past both.

Mainoo might not have a full 90 minutes in the tank, but he’s undoubtedly been Rice’s best midfield partner during this tournament so far.

Bukayo Saka
Most England fans expected Saka to start on the left-hand side after the XI was leaked, but Southgate kept him on the right – and for good reason.

He was England’s most threatening attacker throughout and his goal was richly deserved. Even when he was required to fill in at left wing-back in extra time he was astute in the role.

For most of Euro 2024, England have lacked a direct outlet but Saka offers just that. He had Michel Aebischer on toast a number of times and was undoubtedly England’s best player.

He also tucked away his penalty nicely.

Jude Bellingham
Bellingham came alive in moments but for the most part, he was kept relatively quiet by Switzerland.

He did craft a decent chance for himself in extra time, but Sommer was level to it.

One thing you can’t question with Bellingham is his mentality and that showed in the shootout. The kid’s got nerves of steel.

Phil Foden
The decision to move him into a more central role seemed to be paying off in the first half as Foden was more involved in the play and was linking up with Saka nicely.

However, his impact seemed to fade as the game went on as he struggled to create much after half time.

Harry Kane
Whether it’s the system he’s playing in, the fact he’s not fully fit or a combination of the two, there can be no denying that England aren’t getting the best out of Kane right now.

It took until the 82nd minute until he got his first shot away and he had fewer touches (26) than any other England player who started the game.

After becoming increasingly jaded, he was eventually withdrawn in extra time after tumbling into Gareth Southgate on the sideline. Fingers crossed that injury isn’t anything too serious.

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Substitutes

Cole Palmer (on 78th minute)
Palmer always looked like a bundle of energy when he’s introduced. He added some extra urgency into England’s play and linked up well with those around him.

As expected, he also buried his penalty with ease.

Eberechi Eze (on 78th minute)
Another decent cameo from the Crystal Palace man. He created a decent chance for himself near the end but dragged it wide and had some nice touches around the box too.

When required, he also defended well at the far post.

Luke Shaw (on 78th minute)
Considering he’s not kicked a ball since February, we can’t really have any complaints. England have certainly missed his left foot this summer and hopefully, he’s ready to kick on in the semis.

Ivan Toney (on 109th minute)
The Brentford man touched the ball once before the full time whistle went. Toney’s introduction was always going to boil down to his penalty and he stuck that away like a pro.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (on 115th minute)
Despite only being on the pitch for a handful of minutes, Alexander-Arnold looked positive with a couple of nice forward passes.

Taking the fifth penalty in a shootout is also never easy, but he handed the pressure with ease. A nice little cameo from Trent, for sure.

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