'Solid, not spectacular' - five key England talking points

England’s Euro 2024 run started successful nan winning mode that head Gareth Southgate demanded, but it was not an easy thrust against Serbia successful Gelsenkirchen.

Jude Bellingham’s stunning show provided respective highlights successful a 1-0 victory which saw England get nan occupation done successful a coagulated alternatively than spectacular style.

Southgate will beryllium delighted pinch nan 3 points but location was still plentifulness of nutrient for thought for nan England leader earlier Thursday’s 2nd Group C crippled against Denmark successful Frankfurt.

Jude Bellingham's relentless brilliance that saw him cod nan Champions League and La Liga successful a stellar first play successful Spain shows nary motion of slowing down astatine Euro 2024 pinch England.

A past teenage Bellingham shone connected nan world shape successful beforehand of a world assemblage astatine nan 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, performing pinch nan assurance and correct measurement of footballing arrogance that are nan hallmarks of a genuinely typical player.

He is not yet 21, but Bellingham acts for illustration he was invented to play astatine this elite level and present he produced different headline-grabbing show arsenic nan inspiration down England's win.

Bellingham group England connected their measurement pinch a move tally into nan area and a flying header aft 13 minutes that simply carried excessively overmuch powerfulness for Serbia keeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Serbia had to edifice to forbidden intends connected respective occasions to extremity Bellingham successful his tracks, but he is truthful powerful physically, besides possessing nan added separator successful his crippled to relish nan beingness confrontations.

England's fans besides person a caller leader to worship, providing a songbook of respective chants successful honour of nan subordinate who head Southgate will count connected truthful overmuch present successful Germany.

And it is an adulation Bellingham not only takes successful his stride but encourages.

We witnessed his now trademark arms-outstretched ceremony successful beforehand of England's fans astatine 1 extremity of nan Arena AufSchalke aft scoring, earlier he ran backmost to nan halfway statement to request much sound from those pursuing Southgate's squad astatine nan different end.

It is simply a emotion matter betwixt Bellingham and England's fans that surely will tally for galore years.

Bellingham's play has been adjacent to perfection – now England will dream he tin springiness it a last flourish astatine Euro 2024.

Phil Foden was 1 of nan Premier League's stellar performers arsenic Manchester City claimed a 4th successive title but he still struggles to find a comfortable location successful England's line-up.

Foden’s earthy position is moving centrally, arsenic he did to superb effect successful Pep Guardiola's side, but successful England's existent strategy nether Southgate he is improbable to beryllium deployed location pinch Bellingham nan fig astir which this broadside revolves.

Southgate wants to utilise Foden, but against Serbia he erstwhile again struggled to make an effect successful an area wherever location person been awesome reports astir Anthony Gordon, a imaginable rival for his position, filtering retired of England’s training base.

Foden's left-flank business pinch Kieran Trippier did not look a earthy fresh and it is thing Southgate must see earlier England look Denmark connected Thursday.

There was nary deficiency of endeavour, but Foden was ne'er nan changeless threat he poses for City astatine nine level.

Foden had 64 touches but only 1 successful nan Serbia punishment area. He created 1 chance but it was a low-key, peripheral performance.

No-one would ever mobility nan talent of nan English footballer of nan twelvemonth but accommodating him efficaciously is simply a conundrum for Southgate.

Foden was not nan only 1 to person a quiet night, pinch skipper Harry Kane rubbing nan shot conscionable doubly during nan first half.

England looked connected people for nan benignant of regular nighttime that would person been nan cleanable opening to Euro 2024, wherever their acquisition of awesome tournaments and nan talent astatine Southgate's disposal makes them among nan favourites.

Bellingham's header provided nan cleanable level but, arsenic they person done successful nan past, England grounded to support strength aft nan break and offered an mean Serbia acold excessively overmuch encouragement.

Keeper Jordan Pickford made 1 important precocious prevention from Dusan Vlahovic arsenic England invited unit of nan benignant that mightiness person costs them dearly against a much accomplished broadside than Serbia. They must study nan lessons. Quickly.

In nan end, however, England sewage nan occupation done and deserved to declare nan 3 points that are ever truthful captious successful nan opening crippled of a awesome tournament.

England were besides capable to bask nan added prize of establishing early supremacy successful Group C aft nan first crippled betwixt Denmark and Slovenia ended each square.

Bukayo Saka was astatine nan centre of a statement astir whether he would beryllium edged retired of England's starting line-up for this tourney by nan emergence of Chelsea's Cole Palmer, a stand-out performer successful his first play astatine Stamford Bridge pursuing a £40m move from Manchester City.

Palmer has shown he is astatine easiness astatine England level successful his little appearances, and he whitethorn yet make his people successful Germany, but Southgate was correct to instrumentality pinch Saka and was rewarded pinch a good capacity from nan Arsenal man.

When England were astatine their astir progressive, Saka looked refreshed and vulnerable connected nan correct flank, nan precocious constituent coming pinch nan transverse that provided nan invitation for Bellingham to score.

Saka is 1 of Southgate's astir trusted players, nan added prize being he has established a beardown relationship pinch Trent Alexander-Arnold successful their appearances together for England.

He made his constituent and is surely a definite starter against Denmark.

Southgate's prime of a midfield partner for Declan Rice was 1 of nan basking topics successful nan build-up to England's run getting nether way.

The head decided to spell pinch nan affirmative attacking action of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold contempt having Manchester United teen Kobbie Mainoo and nan awesome Crystal Palace subordinate Adam Wharton successful his ranks.

Alexander-Arnold's outstanding scope of passing gives England an added dimension, while his expertise astatine set-pieces tin beryllium a world-class weapon.

The questions still situation whether he tin run successful this domiciled against opponents of nan highest people astatine world level. Southgate has made his prime truthful it is very apt we will find retired later successful Euro 2024 if England progress.

There were moments erstwhile Alexander-Arnold's unfamiliarity successful nan position was exposed, particularly erstwhile he conceded possession and Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic changeable inches wide successful nan closing moments of nan first half.

A full-back for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold besides showed moments of nan peerless raking passing that is his banal successful trade. It is specified imaginative expertise that Southgate is counting connected arsenic England commencement their quest to triumph a first awesome men's trophy since nan 1966 World Cup.