Elliot Anderson emerges as England’s only answer to major squad weakness, must make World Cup
Elliot Anderson showcased his talents at Villa Park in England’s narrow 2-0 win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying.
Thomas Tuchel gave Anderson a deserved place in his England squad for their qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, after the 22-year-old’s positive start to the season.
Tuchel then gave Anderson the nod to start the match against Andorra on Saturday evening, with the Nottingham Forest man lining up as a lone holding midfielder.
Anderson ran the show, and proved his worth to Tuchel with a player of the match performance that showcased his passing range and impact at both ends of the pitch.
Elliot Anderson solves one key need for Thomas Tuchel
During Nottingham Forest’s start to their Premier League campaign, on the pitch Anderson has been integral to everything they’ve done well, namely assisting Chris Wood with a sumptuous first-time through ball against Brentford on the opening day.
Anderson now comes to the aid of Tuchel who is bereft of central midfield players that will take care of the ball at the base of midfield but additional have the skill to play incisive passes too.
Anderson’s 94% pass completion rate ranked highest in the match for players to attempt over 60 passes in the match, while he also completed a match-high of six long balls, out of an attempted seven, as per Fotmob.
What Tuchel will like even more about Anderson’s performance was how he contributed at both ends of the pitch, making defensive contributions as well as appearing late in the box when England were on the attack.
Anderson provides Tuchel with a unique profile, as a player that is adept technically on the ball, but additionally will ferry around in a box-to-box role.
A look at Elliot Anderson’s midfield competition
While Anderson impressed, Tuchel has other midfield options to consider in the nine months between now and the World Cup kicking off next June.
Adam Wharton immediately springs to mind when mentioned England’s best technical central midfielders, but the Crystal Palace is currently sidelined with injury, and won’t provide as much robustness as Anderson in the middle of the park.
| Adam Wharton 2025/26 | |
| Passing completion % | 79 |
| Long pass completion % | 37.5 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.2 |
| Passes into final 1/3 per 90 | 5.2 |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 4 |
Angel Gomes was favoured by Lee Carsley during his interim reign, but seems out of Tuchel’s plans in the short term, and while technically gifted, the defensive efficiency is lacking.
While Anderson may not be on the all-round technical level of those two, his passing qualities and defensive work offers Tuchel a unique and well-rounded midfield option that the German surely can’t refuse ahead of the World Cup.