England Player Ratings vs Spain as Jude Bellingham Impresses and Marc Guehi Struggles
England were beaten 3-2 by Spain at Wembley Stadium in a thrilling Nations League encounter, with Jude Bellingham producing one of the standout performances of the night despite Thomas Tuchel’s side ultimately falling to defeat.
The five-goal contest had almost everything. Spain made the perfect start through Lamine Yamal, England fought back with goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane, and the visitors eventually turned the match around through Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal.
For England, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance, particularly the influence of Bellingham, Gordon and Elliot Anderson. However, there were also defensive concerns, with Marc Guehi enduring a difficult evening after making an early error that allowed Yamal to open the scoring.
The result will naturally dominate the headlines, but the individual performances provided plenty to discuss.
James Trafford – 6/10
It was always going to be a demanding evening for Trafford against a Spain side capable of creating chances from almost anywhere.
England’s goalkeeper was given little protection at times, particularly during the opening stages when Spain repeatedly exposed gaps in the home side’s defence.
Trafford did, however, produce an important save to deny Ferran Torres after the forward had been played through on goal.
He could do little about Spain’s three goals, with Yamal’s finish finding the corner via the post before Baena and Oyarzabal produced quality finishes.
There were certainly areas for England to improve defensively, but Trafford’s individual performance was respectable.
Jarell Quansah – 5/10
Quansah showed plenty of willingness to get forward and repeatedly found himself in advanced positions.
His defensive work was generally solid, but his delivery in the final third did not match the quality of the positions he reached.
The defender also had a chance to make a significant contribution when he powered a header towards goal, only to send the effort over the crossbar.
There were encouraging moments, but Quansah struggled to make the same impact in possession that England needed against Spain.
Ezri Konsa – 6/10
Konsa was arguably the most reliable member of England’s backline on the night.
He generally remained composed when Spain applied pressure and was one of the few defenders who consistently looked comfortable in possession.
However, even Konsa found it difficult to cope with Spain’s movement and incisiveness in the final third.
The Arsenal defender produced a typically disciplined display, but England’s collective defensive problems ultimately prevented him from making a bigger difference.
Marc Guehi – 4/10
It was a night to forget for Guehi.
The England defender made a disastrous start when Yamal dispossessed him deep inside his own half before the Barcelona star produced an excellent finish.
The mistake immediately put England on the back foot and highlighted the danger of losing possession against a side as technically gifted as Spain.
Guehi struggled to recover fully from that early error and found himself under pressure for much of the contest.
While individual mistakes rarely tell the whole story of a match, this was certainly not one of Guehi’s better England performances.
Nico O’Reilly – 6/10
O’Reilly provided an important contribution to England’s second goal.
He picked up possession in midfield before making an intelligent overlapping run and eventually delivered the cross that allowed Kane to find the net.
That was one of his better moments going forward.
However, O’Reilly later produced a costly mistake of his own when he gave possession away to substitute Baena.
The Spain midfielder punished the error with a superb curling finish beyond Trafford.
O’Reilly therefore had a mixed evening, contributing positively in attack but also making a mistake that ultimately proved costly.
Elliot Anderson – 7/10
Anderson was one of England’s more impressive performers.
The Manchester City midfielder provided the aggression and intensity that Tuchel would have wanted against a technically excellent Spanish midfield.
He repeatedly looked to disrupt Spain’s possession and was not intimidated by the presence of Rodri.
His work without the ball was particularly important, with his pressure helping England win possession and launch the counter-attack that eventually led to Gordon’s equaliser.
Anderson showed that he was prepared to compete physically and tactically against one of Europe’s strongest midfields.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – 6/10
Lewis-Skelly had a difficult opening period as Spain’s pressing game caused problems for England.
The Arsenal youngster initially struggled to find the necessary rhythm, but he gradually grew into the contest.
His ability to carry the ball forward became increasingly noticeable as the match progressed, allowing England to move up the pitch and escape pressure.
He was eventually replaced by James Garner in the 70th minute.
It was not a perfect performance, but there were enough encouraging moments to suggest that Lewis-Skelly can continue to develop at international level.
Bukayo Saka – 6/10
Saka was involved in an intriguing battle with Marc Cucurella throughout the evening.
The England winger regularly attempted to isolate the Spain full-back and managed to get the better of him on several occasions.
Saka provided England with an important attacking outlet on the right and helped stretch the Spanish defence.
However, he was unable to produce the decisive moment that might have changed the outcome.
A respectable display, but England needed more from their attacking players after Spain completed their comeback.
Jude Bellingham – 9/10
Bellingham was England’s standout performer.
The midfielder looked determined to influence the match from the opening stages and demonstrated the quality that has made him such an important player for both club and country.
His contribution to Gordon’s equaliser was particularly impressive.
Bellingham combined with Gordon before producing a perfectly weighted pass that sent the winger through on goal.
He was also instrumental in winning England’s second-half penalty after being brought down by Rodri inside the area.
Although Kane was unable to convert from 12 yards, Bellingham had done his part to create another excellent opportunity.
His energy, technical ability and willingness to take responsibility made him one of the most dangerous England players throughout the match.
Even in defeat, Bellingham showed why he remains such a central figure for Tuchel’s team.
Anthony Gordon – 8/10
Gordon enjoyed an excellent evening.
His pace caused Spain significant problems, particularly when he was able to run into space behind the Spanish defence.
The England winger produced a superb finish for his goal after combining with Bellingham in a devastating counter-attack.
He remained a constant threat down the left flank and repeatedly tested Spain’s defence with his direct running.
Gordon’s performance demonstrated the value of having a player capable of turning defensive transitions into immediate attacking opportunities.
He received a warm reception from the Wembley crowd when he was eventually substituted for Morgan Rogers.
Harry Kane – 6/10
Kane endured a frustrating night despite getting his name on the scoresheet.
The England captain’s goal came somewhat fortuitously, with his header deflecting off Cucurella before finding the back of the net.
However, Kane had the opportunity to give England a two-goal advantage early in the second half.
After Bellingham was brought down inside the area, Kane stepped up from the penalty spot.
His effort struck the crossbar.
That miss proved significant because Spain equalised shortly afterwards through Baena before Oyarzabal completed the comeback.
Kane’s overall contribution was therefore mixed. He scored, worked hard and remained involved, but the missed penalty will inevitably be one of the defining moments of the match.
James Garner – 6/10
Garner provided a solid cameo after replacing Lewis-Skelly.
He worked hard and looked capable of contributing in possession.
The Everton midfielder nearly created a goal when his cross found Calvert-Lewin, although the delivery was ultimately overhit.
He did not have enough time to make a major impact, but his introduction added some fresh energy to England’s midfield.
Morgan Rogers – 6/10
Rogers showed glimpses of his quality after coming on for Gordon.
His ability to attack defenders and deliver dangerous balls into the penalty area gave Spain something else to think about.
One teasing cross in particular deserved a teammate to attack it, but nobody managed to get on the end of it.
Like Garner, Rogers had limited time to influence the result.
Morgan Gibbs-White – N/A
Gibbs-White was introduced too late to receive a meaningful rating.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – N/A
Calvert-Lewin also had insufficient time on the pitch to make a significant impact.
Jarrad Branthwaite – N/A
Branthwaite was another late substitute and could not reasonably be judged on such a short cameo.
Bellingham provides major positive for Tuchel
The defeat will obviously be disappointing for England, particularly after they had recovered from a terrible start to lead 2-1.
But Bellingham’s performance provides Tuchel with one of the clearest positives.
The midfielder was involved in England’s first goal, won the penalty that could have put the hosts two goals ahead and continually attempted to take responsibility against one of Europe’s strongest teams.
Gordon was another major positive, while Anderson demonstrated the kind of intensity that England will need in difficult international matches.
The bigger concern will be the defensive performance.
Spain created numerous opportunities before eventually completing their comeback, while individual errors contributed to two of the visitors’ most important moments.
Guehi’s early mistake gave Spain the perfect start, while O’Reilly’s misplaced pass allowed Baena to put the visitors back in control.
Kane’s missed penalty changes the game
The penalty was arguably the pivotal moment.
England had already overturned Spain’s early advantage and appeared to have momentum behind them.
A successful Kane penalty would have put England 3-1 ahead and forced Spain to chase the match.
Instead, the ball struck the crossbar.
Within minutes, Baena had punished England with an excellent finish.
Spain then found the winner through Oyarzabal, who took advantage of another opening in the England defence.
It was a brutal swing in momentum, but it also demonstrated the fine margins at the highest level of international football.
Spain show why they remain a major test
Spain ultimately demonstrated their quality.
Even after England turned the game around, they continued to create opportunities and eventually found a way through.
Yamal’s opening goal showed his individual brilliance, while Baena and Oyarzabal provided the quality needed to complete the comeback.
For Tuchel, the match will offer plenty to analyse.
England showed enough attacking quality to score twice and threaten Spain repeatedly, but their defensive mistakes and failure to capitalise on key moments ultimately proved decisive.
The final scoreline was 3-2 to Spain, but England can take genuine encouragement from the performances of players such as Bellingham, Gordon and Anderson.
The challenge now is turning those individual positives into a more complete team performance.
For Bellingham in particular, the evening underlined his importance to England.
Even in defeat, he was the player who consistently looked capable of changing the game.
That will be one of the biggest positives Tuchel can take from a five-goal thriller at Wembley.