England saw off Nigeria 2-1 at Wembley in their first World Cup warm-up match and manager Gareth Southgate has plenty to mull over ahead of his team's final friendly before heading to Russia.
Dele Alli and Lingard in tandem
Pre-game talk had surrounded whether Tottenham's Dele Alli or Manchester United's Jesse Lingard might get the nod as an attacking midfield option; Southgate eventually opted for both.
He was rewarded with an industrious and energetic display from each, with Lingard, in particular, showing good movement in the channels and running beyond the forwards.
An early effort at the near post almost saw Lingard give England the lead, but importantly the duo was both active defensively, too, bringing balance to the midfield.
Harry Kane netted a fierce low drive from the edge of the box to put England two goals up before the break, admittedly with a little help from the goalkeeper who failed to get enough behind the ball.
It's now eight goals in his last seven international appearances for the star striker, who will head to Russia in high spirits.
Kane also netted six in his last seven Premier League games for Tottenham, leaving Southgate doubtless confident that his captain will remain a goal threat once the serious action starts.
A change in system from Nigeria momentarily gave England a few worries after the break, but they did well to wrest back control after a spate of substitutions.
Kane acknowledged that Nigeria was on top after the restart, but praised the way his team-mates managed to bounce back and see out the victory.
"We had trouble, they changed their formation and scored," he said to ITV after the final whistle.
"It always puts the pressure on but we got used to it and saw the game out well."
Pickford: England's No. 1?
England's goalkeeper situation has been one of the big talking points since the final squad was named for the World Cup, but it looks as though Jordan Pickford is in pole position right now.
The Everton stopper didn't have much to do at Wembley in fairness, but was dominant with high balls into the box, claimed routine shots well and received words of appreciation from Southgate after the match.
There was nothing he could do for Nigeria's goal, but being in possession of the shirtless than two weeks before the tournament gets underway indicates he's in a strong position to be a starter.
Iwobi providing cutting edge
Nigeria was poor in the first half but can take solace from their second-half response.
Alex Iwobi netted their goal, but the Arsenal man was also involved in most of their impressive build-up play after the break, working the channel well and supporting through the middle of the attacking line when possible.
He now has five goals at international level in his last six appearances and his ability to break into the box will be vital for the Super Eagles as they look to progress in Russia.
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