'Chip on shoulder' may help Bellingham to best form
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- Bellingham scored England's third goal in a 4-2 World Cup group-stage win over Croatia in Dallas, finishing a move that began with Elliot Anderson's pass down the right touchline and cutting infield to slide a low shot past the goalkeeper.
- Thomas Tuchel selected Bellingham over Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role behind captain Harry Kane, settling a pre-match selection debate that had been a main talking point.
- Marcus Rashford added a fourth goal late to complete the 4-2 victory, after England twice surrendered one-goal first-half leads before going ahead for the third time.
- Bellingham told BBC Sport he has "a little bit of a chip on my shoulder" entering the tournament and that the mindset helps him "find that focus early in the game and find that intensity."
- Bellingham acknowledged a "tougher season" disrupted by injury, with his club Real Madrid finishing eight points behind eventual La Liga champions Barcelona.
- Bellingham also scored in England's 2022 World Cup opener against Iran, making this his fourth consecutive major tournament for England at age 22.
- Micah Richards, working as a BBC Sport pundit, called Bellingham "a big-game player" who "in the moment where you needed him, he comes up trumps."
Why it matters: Bellingham answered pre-tournament questions about his place in the side with a goal in a 4-2 win, but the source notes he conceded a 'tougher season' at Real Madrid — eight points behind Barcelona — and that he 'sometimes deserve[s]' criticism. His 'chip on shoulder' framing means this is a response to doubt, not a settled answer, as England continue group play.
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