England secured top spot in Group L with a 2-0 win over Panama courtesy of second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
Despite the scoreline, it was far from the stroll in the park that had been expected for Thomas Tuchel's men. They lacked fluency and bite in the first half, and briefly slipped into second-place in the group after Croatia took the lead against Ghana.
The two goals, which came within five minutes of each other, eased the tension and it was smooth sailing from there-on.
Here's how the Three Lions fared in New Jersey.
Manager rating (out of 10)
Thomas Tuchel, 7 -- Jarell Quansah's performance and subsequent injury will draw further scrutiny over his squad selection. He showed restraint after a poor first half and ultimately his patience bore fruit. Proving minutes for players on the fringes of the XI like Jordan Henderson and Ollie Watkins will help keep morale high going into the knockouts.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, 5 = average)
GK Jordan Pickford, 7 -- Panama managed just two shots on goal with a xG of 0.59. One of those games where the England No. 1 coasted through.
RB Jarell Quansah, 5 -- Jettisoned into the lineup due to injuries and looked overawed by the occassion. Caught out of position defensively and provided little from an attacking standpoint. His injury deepens the right-back crisis.
CB Ezri Konsa, 6 -- Was slow to close down Panama's forwards on occasion and was tested physically. Not his best showing and against a better attack, would have been punished.
CB Marc Guéhi, 7 -- Solid without being spectacular. He was at fault for the Panama goal in injury time that was ultimately ruled out for offside.
LB Nico O'Reilly, 7 -- His late runs into the box were a threat and struck up a good understanding with Rashford. With each passing game, he looks more comfortable with his role in the team.
CM Elliot Anderson, 8 -- Another solid showing from the soon-to-be Manchester City man. Tidied up when Panama broke on the counter and always looked to play it forward, especially in the first half.
CM Jude Bellingham, 9 -- England's best player. Kept things tight in the first half and didn't stop running. Raised the team's intensity after the break and his goal was clinically taken. The assist for Kane's goal was even better.
CM Morgan Rogers, 6 -- Combined well with Saka on the right and had a couple of nice touches. Never quite found his rhythm and didn't really find any synergy with Bellingham in the middle.
RW Bukayo Saka, 6 -- An obvious upgrade on Noni Madueke and looked incisive on the right wing. His end product was lacking, however his prowess on corners was evidenced in Bellingham's goal.
ST Harry Kane, 8 -- Went missing in the first half and took time to grow into the game. Missed a good chance soon after the break but took his chance well a few minutes later.
LW Marcus Rashford, 7 -- Boosted his case to start in the knockouts and was a constant threat on the right. Put some good crosses into the box and didn't let his intensity drop across the 90 minutes.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)
Djed Spence, 7 -- England looked better with him in the backline than Quansah. Tidy in possession and coped well at the back when called upon.
Noni Madueke, 6 -- Should have scored late from close range. Intent was good, some of his touches weren't.
Eberechi Eze, N/A -- Seems to be emerging as a key player for Tuchel when closing out games.
Jordan Henderson, N/A -- A nice moment for him as he becomes the first England player to appear in seven major tournaments.
Ollie Watkins, N/A -- Came on late for his first-ever World Cup appearance
