England Player Ratings: Arsenal 'Weak Link' and Chelsea 'Disappointment' Get 4/10s Against Japan
By Toby Bryant, Senior Sports Journalist
Published 31st March 2026, 21:37 BST
Another disappointing night for England at Wembley. | Getty Images
Thomas Tuchel must return to the drawing board ahead of the World Cup after Japan stunned England with a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night. The England manager's experiment of fielding a starting XI without a recognised striker backfired spectacularly, leaving the Three Lions lacking potency in their final home friendly before the summer tournament.
The visitors fully deserved their win, with Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma scoring the only goal from a slick move after Cole Palmer was caught napping in possession. England showed slight improvement as Tuchel made eight substitutions, but the overall performance was underwhelming. Here is a detailed breakdown of how each England player rated in the match.
Goalkeeper and Defence
Jordan Pickford (8/10): The goalkeeper made no errors to jeopardize his position as number one. His distribution was decent without Harry Kane as a target, and he produced a superb save early in the second half after O'Reilly was beaten.
Nico O'Reilly (4/10): The left-back left much to be desired defensively, getting increasingly caught out in the second half before being substituted. He might have done better to block Japan's goal but looked his best when attacking, notably delivering a cross to Phil Foden's head after 36 minutes.
Marc Guehi (6/10): The centre-back should have done better with a free header in the 13th minute after creating space. He put his body on the line for a block in the second half but appeared leggy as the match progressed.
Ezri Konsa (5/10): Konsa looked flat-footed against Nakamura for Japan's goal and misplaced several passes throughout the game.
Ben White (4/10): The Arsenal full-back was perceived as the weak link in England's defence, targeted by Japan's left flank for his lack of pace. Booed by sections of the Wembley crowd, White will need to show more dynamism to win over Three Lions supporters.
Midfield and Attack
Kobbie Mainoo (6/10): Mainoo worked well with Elliot Anderson in midfield at times, offering Tuchel food for thought, but he tired as the fixture wore on.
Elliot Anderson (8/10): The Nottingham Forest midfielder was the only starter to boost his World Cup hopes, sparkling in an otherwise dull England performance. His commendable work ethic, accurate distribution, and classy display stood out.
Anthony Gordon (6/10): Gordon showed endeavour but lacked threat, often rushing moments when running behind. He displayed clever ball work but should have kept it simpler at times.
Cole Palmer (4/10): The Chelsea man was at fault for losing possession before Japan's goal, appearing cocky and unaware. While there were flashes of promise and good corner deliveries, it was a disappointing night for Palmer.
Morgan Rogers (4/10): Rogers tried to provide width but hit a poor free-kick into the wall and lashed a volley over late on, missing good opportunities.
Phil Foden (3/10): Tasked with leading the line, Foden never looked convincing, often dropping deeper and rotating with Rogers and Gordon. He was ultimately anonymous throughout the match.
Substitutes
The substitutes made a positive impact: Jarrod Bowen (6/10), Lewis Hall (8/10), Dominic Solanke (6/10), Tino Livramento (6/10), Marcus Rashford (7/10), James Garner (7/10), Harry Maguire (8/10), Dan Burn (7/10).
In other news, Arsenal have decided to axe an 11-goal player, with bidding opening at £50 million.
