England Make Strong Statement with a Thumping Win over Iran

England thrashed Iran in the second match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, sending a strong message to the other favourites. A one-sided affair, Iran's misery started in the 10th minute when a collision of heads between goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and center back Majid Hosseini saw Beiranvand sustain a concussion.

Iran fought bravely until the final minutes of the first half, when a Jude Bellingham header opened the scoring for England in the 35th minute. Goals from Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling made sure the game was over for Iran before the end of the 45 minutes.

The second half started in the same way as the first as Bukayo Saka doubled his tally in the 62nd minute. Mehdi Taremi gave Iran a glimmer of hope in the 65th minute, but Marcus Rashford hit back fast in the 71st minute to make it 5-1.

Substitute Jack Grealish's 89th-minute goal was the cherry on top of the cake for England, although Iran scored the final goal of the game. A 90+10th minute penalty from Mehdi Taremi.

Aftermath

England now lead Group B while Iran linger at the bottom with a 4-goal difference. Enner Valencia, Bukayo Saka, and Mehdi Taremi all tied on two goals for the golden boot.

Key Performances

Bukayo Saka: Two goals from the young Arsenal winger in his first World Cup appearance

Jude Bellingham: His header opened the floodgates for England.

Harry Kane: No goals, but two assists from the English captain made sure his team went on to win by a handsome margin.

Mehdi Taremi: The only shining light in a below-average Iranian performance. Taremi scored two goals in the game.

England’s magnificent victory over Iran was a strong message to their main rivals for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Besides, the USA and Wales should be more prepared when they face the English side in their group stage matches.