Magnificent Bellingham's moments of cinema make us wonder where this might end

Dynamic England midfielder looked capable of anything during his fine individual display in win over Senegal

- Barney Ronay

England's second goal just before half-time at Al Bayt Stadium, the goal that killed this World Cup last-16 tie, was a pure Jude Bellingham moment. Watching the three white England shirts surge and veer like an aerial display team across that wide-open lozenge of green, it almost felt like a moment of show-Bellingham, a gloss to go with all the close-quarter moments in between, the moments of graft that had kept England in this game in its early stages.

This, though, was pure cinema. England had been flat at times in the first half against Senegal, had seemed to be playing with a tension headache. But they were 1-0 up when Bellingham picked the ball up 40 yards from his own goal, shrugged his way into space, and looked up. You could almost hear the whirr of maths being crunched, lanes and distances overlaid, prelude to a moment of calculated abandon as Bellingham surged for the open space, sensing the tender point in front of him.

This was a cold decision, a calculated piece of timing. But it also just looked like fun, the pure pleasure in finding no resistance, of being able to move through all that lighted space. And Bellingham can move.

He has that easy, lengthening stride, a man who always seems to be running downhill. He veered away from one green shirt, bumped another off, then funnelled the perfect pass into Phil Foden's path, haring away down the left. Foden knew what to do. The pass inside was perfect to Harry Kane, who, frankly, just wasn't capable of missing this.