England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina was marked by an inability to defend their lead or retain possession after Anthony Gordon scored. The analysis argues that Thomas Tuchel’s tactical changes, including switching to a 5-4-1, removed England’s counter-attacking threat and left them under sustained pressure until Argentina equalised and then won.

England had only 12% possession in the 30 minutes between Gordon’s goal and Argentina’s equaliser, the lowest figure for a World Cup side leading for at least 10 minutes in 60 years. In the 19 minutes after Ezri Konsa replaced Gordon, England attempted 11 passes and completed only four; they also made no successful tackles after the 63rd minute and conceded just one free-kick before the 97th minute, highlighting weak game management.