How link between Bellingham and Kane has unlocked England’s stodgy attack

<p>Thomas Tuchel’s side have struggled in open play in the US but midfielder’s partnership with his captain has started to change that</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/thomas-tuchel">Thomas Tuchel</a> faces an attacking conundrum. England have to extract the maximum output from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/harry-kane">Harry Kane</a> while getting other players to contribute more. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/jude-bellingham">Jude Bellingham</a>’s performance against Panama showed how both sides of this equation can be solved.</p><p>Kane has scored 13 goals in Tuchel’s 17 England matches, with no other player contributing more than three. He scored a penalty and a header from a corner <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/17/england-croatia-world-cup-2026-group-l-match-report">against Croatia</a>, then blazed over the bar from a rebound <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/23/england-ghana-world-cup-group-l-match-report">in the Ghana match</a>. There was little of note created for him in open play.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/29/jude-bellingham-harry-kane-england-attack-world-cup-2026">Continue reading...</a>