The only change to the lineup Gareth Southgate made was Ruben Loftus-Cheek making the teamsheet instead of Dele Alli. The Tottenham Hotspur star had not recovered from a thigh strain and so the 22-year-old Loftus-Cheek was given a start.
One expected the Chelsea midfielder to dictate proceedings in midfield but he did not grab the opportunity to impose himself and it was Jesse Lingard who stepped up to join the party. The Manchester United midfielder scored a peach of a goal in the 36th minute which he himself helped create.
The 25-year-old drifted to the left while trying to advance the ball forward and nobody marked him when he made an off-the-ball run after giving the ball to Raheem Sterling. Panama’s defenders were attracted to Sterling even though he had received the ball with his back to goal.
All he had to do was lay it off into Lingard’s path and he took a sublime shot just before three Panama players converged on him for England’s first goal from open play in the tournament.