England 3-0 Wales: Marc Guehi had two assists for the Three Lions as he led Thomas Tuchel’s side to a clean sheet under the lights at Wembley.
Mark Gehi’s remarkable rise to fame is so convincing that you can’t help but wonder what his career will do next. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s already looking like a mainstay for next summer’s World Cup, and he could already have signed a pre-contract to join one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs by the time the glittering 48-team tournament gets underway. Guehi is no longer one of the Premier League’s best-kept secrets, a consummate and level-headed professional who hates being in the spotlight. In fact, the continent’s leading sides, including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are said to be considering competing with Liverpool for his signature in 2026. England’s defense appears to be safe with Guehi, although there are still some selection issues to be resolved at full-back. Not only has he assembled Crystal Palace’s statistically second-best backline in the top flight this season, he has also added international assists to his repertoire. For the record, there were two of them here at Wembley, and both were a perfect representation of Guehi’s tenacity, as well as his burning desire to compete and succeed. Morgan Rogers’ third-minute opening goal was about sheer will and not giving up on what was effectively a lost cause.
read more: Manager Thomas Tuchel nailed England’s starting XI with just five players, who had issues to deal with at the World Cup.read more: Marc Gehi responds to Liverpool transfer message with three words about his future
The ball looked like it was going to run in behind, but Guehi gritted his teeth and showed perfect control before feeding Rodgers to slot home.
But he didn’t stop there, eight minutes later he glanced a dangerous cut-back from Rodgers into the face of goal, allowing Ollie Watkins to slot in.
If anyone dared to wonder whether his failed loan move to Liverpool would have an impact on Guehi, they would not have expected it to have such a positive impact.
The next day he went to work at St George’s Park and just got to work. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, scoring his first goal for the Three Lions in Belgrade last month, and now looks like the player England can’t live without.
Remarkably, when Crystal Palace first approached Guehi in the summer of 2021, then-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel had no reason to budge.
The great irony, of course, is that even after spending an estimated £1.5bn under Clearlake Capital, Gehi is still walking into Enzo Maresca’s Club World Cup-winning side. Not only that, but the FA Cup-winning captain has now become a key part of Tuchel’s England team.
When Harry Maguire was left out of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad due to a calf injury, there was lingering doubt as to who would partner John Stones. Stones and Maguire never let their country down, despite their struggles at Manchester United. Replacing Maguire, an experienced fan favorite, initially seemed like a thankless task, but Guehi rose to the occasion and flourished from the start of the opening Group C game against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen until just before the full-time whistle against Spain in Berlin. It’s also easy to forget that Guehi was an unused substitute in Tuchel’s opening game as England manager, a 2-0 win over Albania in March. After seven months, he’s become almost indispensable. He is now part of Tuchel’s backbone and is seen as one of the few shoot-ins for the World Cup.
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