Thomas Tuchel’s side were playing their final game of the tournament after suffering a crushing 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals. What looked like a mostly meaningless third-place match, with neither team particularly wanting to fight, quickly turned into a goal-producing spectacle. England built an impressive 4-0 lead at half-time with goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and a brace from Bukayo Saka in the first half. After the restart, the Arsenal forward completed a hat-trick, with Jude Bellingham adding a sixth goal in stoppage time.
Despite France’s reversal of resolve, England achieved their best performance at the World Cup since 1966. Both Saka and Bellingham threatened to extend the scoreline further, but French goalkeeper Mike Maignan thwarted them in quick succession.
The missed opportunity seemed to frustrate Murphy on the gantry, as Wilson described the action. The former Liverpool and England midfielder was seen sitting on the edge of his seat in reaction to the missed opportunity, slamming his microphone on his desk and using it as an outlet for his anger.
Naturally, viewers at home could detect the sound. Commentator Wilson quipped, “Danny, if you bang your microphone on the table people will hear it!” before Murphy apologized.
He said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It was either that or I yelled.”
After the crushing blow of missing out on the final, man of the match Saka believed he could have contributed more to his country’s campaign. “Of course I wanted to play a bigger role, but it’s already too late,” he said. “I tried to say my words on the pitch, but it’s time to take the next step. Yes, I’m healthy, I’m healthy.”
The 24-year-old went into the tournament with concerns about his fitness after stretching himself to breaking point and battled through injuries to help Arsenal win the Premier League. Saka also declined to comment on criticism leveled at England manager Tuchel, who came under increasing pressure to resign after Argentina’s dramatic late comeback.
He added: “I think it’s part of the game. When you win there’s going to be noise and when you lose it’s about how you react to it and use it as fuel. We had a strong result.”
“We’ve been building throughout the tournament. We had some great results, but in the end we weren’t as good as we were against Argentina. It’s very painful for all of us, and I’m sure it’s the same for the fans back home, but we have to keep our spirits high and focus on the next game.”
