Alan Shearer believes that England’s triumph over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 will go down as one of their greatest ever performances.
In a welcome departure from their underwhelming last couple of performances, England turned up to a hostile Estadio Azteca and gave everything to claim the result despite playing for over 40 minutes with ten men.
The final whistle was the sweetest possible sound for the millions who stayed up until past 4am to watch the game back home after an unbelievably tense finale to an incredible game.
Play our FREE match predictor and win £1k
The first half started in compelling fashion with England putting in what amounted to a very good away performance.
A good low stop from Jordan Pickford was the only time Mexico offered a real threat before England sprung their trap to take the lead on the counter attack on 36 minutes: Pickford to Declan Rice, Rice to Bukayo Saka, Saka onto the head of a diving Jude Bellingham, 1-0.
There was nothing patient about England’s play as they doubled their lead almost immediately after the restart. Elliot Anderson robbed the ball in the final third and quickly found Harry Kane, whose ball across the six yard box was turned home. Bellingham again.
Yet by the time half time came, England were just relieved they still had their lead intact.
Julian Quinones volley home the loose ball off a free kick from the Mexico left to make it 2-1, and it took another fine Pickford save to deny Jimenez again as well as a last-ditch intervention from Bellingham on the resulting corner to keep England 2-1 up.
The second half started in equally dramatic fashion as Nico O’Reilly saw a volley come back off the post for England within five minutes of the restart.
Tempers flared in the dugouts when Jarell Quansah went in with a high tackle that initially went unpunished with even a foul – only for referee Alireza Faghani to show a straight red card after a very swift review at the pitchside monitor.
Still no time to breathe, though: just four minutes after that red card, the superb Anthony Gordon got onto Kane’s flick on to race into the box and draw a foul from goalkeeper Raul Rangel – penalty to England. Rangel went the right way, but Kane’s spot kick was just too well-placed for him to keep out.
Faghani was back at the monitor on 67 minutes to have a look at Kane’s challenge for a bouncing 50/50 ball inside the England box, with the skipper getting there fractionally after Brian Gutierrez – and the referee felt he had to point to the spot again, this time for Mexico.
Up stepped Jimenez, whose stuttering run-up committed Pickford the wrong way to begin with and left him with too far to go to keep it out of the bottom corner. 3-2 – and England now had over 20 minutes to play with ten men and just a one-goal advantage.
Make that over 30: the fourth official stuck up 11 minutes of added time, leaving Thomas Tuchel to spent the rest of the additional time going half-mad on the touchline.
With most of the added time still ahead, BBC co-commentator Shearer said: “We’ve been talking so much with England, talking about the altitude, the conditions, the atmosphere, and the energy in this stadium.
“So, if – and I know it’s a big if – they can get through this, it would be ranked as one of England’s greatest performances.
“I think the way they’re battling and sticking together, it’s so impressive. They deserve it.”
There was still a hearts-in-mouth moment to come as substitute John Stones bundled a loose ball inches wide the post with just seconds left on the clock.
But that was as close as Mexico got, and victorious England will now go through to face Norway in the quarter-finals after they claimed a big scalp by knocking out Brazil with a 2-1 victory earlier in the night.