With the first round of World Cup group games now concluded, let’s have a look at how Arsenal’s internationals are getting on so far.
Wednesday night brought to an end the first round of World Cup group games, with Colombia and Uzbekistan the final two teams to play at the tournament.
Arsenal had 16 players called up for the World Cup, though Jurrien Timber subsequently withdrew due to injury. Of the remaining 15, 11 have been in action so far, with the other four still waiting for their first appearance.
Let’s have a look at how the players are getting on, and how likely their countries are to make the knockout stages.
As a reminder, the top two teams from each group will qualify, but eight third-place finishers will also progress, so three points might be enough depending on your goal difference, and four points almost certainly will be.
Group C – Brazil
Gabriel Magalhaes played 90 minutes and Gabriel Martinelli was an unused substitute as Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco. Brazil certainly have more work to do in their remaining games, but a win over either Scotland or Haiti would likely see them through to the knockouts.
Group E – Germany and Ecuador
Kai Havertz starred for Germany against Curacao, scoring a brace and winning the Player of the Match award. Germany’s 7-1 win will likely see them through to the knockouts on its own.
Unfortunately, Piero Hincapie and Ecuador suffered a last-minute defeat to the Ivory Coast, so they have it all to do in their remaining games against Curacao and Germany. Given Germany’s early form, Ecuador’s next match against Curacao could be make or break.
Group F – Sweden
Viktor Gyokeres provided a goal and assist in Sweden’s 5-1 win over Tunisia, which was vital, as their next two games are against tough opponents in the Netherlands and Japan.
The other match finished in a 2-2 draw, so if Sweden were feeling ambitious, they might start thinking about trying to win the group. They’re certainly in a good spot to progress.
Group G – Belgium
Leandro Trossard played 90 minutes for Belgium against Egypt, but they could only manage a 1-1 draw. The good news is that the other match between New Zealand and Iran also ended in a draw, so it’s still all to play for in Group G.
Group H – Spain
Arsenal’s internationals will be disappointed with their opening game against Cape Verde, as none of them started, only Mikel Merino came on, and the match finished 0-0.
Martin Zubimendi and David Raya will have to wait for their first appearances, and Spain will need to improve against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Again, the good news is that the other game ended in a draw, so all four teams sit on one point after one game.
Group I – France and Norway
William Saliba played 90 minutes in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, whilst Martin Odegaard played 81 minutes and provided an assist in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq. Both are in a strong position to progress, and they’ll hope to wrap that up in their next game, before facing each other on the final day.
Group L – England
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka both provided assists and Noni Madueke won a penalty as England won their opening game against Croatia 4-2. Ghana beat Panama in the other game, and the two winning teams will face off against each other in the next match next Tuesday.
That means a win in the next game could potentially qualify England for the knockouts and also win the group, depending on the other result. At the very least, it would put England on the verge of both achievements.
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