England Euro 2024 LIVE: Latest news and updates with Gareth Southgate set to manage Three Lions for 100th time vs Switzerland

There was a minute left to run on Gareth Southgate’s reign, the clock ticking down on a dismal tournament that seemed a demoralising end to the second-finest tenure of any England manager. Until an airborne Jude Bellingham intervened. Until Bellingham underlined that he has that combination of talent, technique and temperament to offer the promise of greatness. There had been reasons for Southgate to replace him: booked for a rash lunge at Lukas Haraslin, he had been unwise enough to lay his hands on the referee. He had endured a poor game.

But there was an instance of brilliance; a bicycle kick, an injury-time equaliser, a lifeline, a goal that may reshape England’s history as well as Southgate’s time in charge. “Who else?” Bellingham shouted. The evidence of the previous 94 minutes was that no one was likely to score for England. The closest they came to a first-half shot on target was when, after 10 seconds, Dennis Vavro belted the ball at Harry Kane’s head and it rebounded 30 yards to Martin Dubravka. For much of it, they were simultaneously going nowhere, going backwards and going out. But Bellingham’s European Championship has now included two glorious goals, albeit with too little in the 347 minutes that separated them.

And Southgate looked in thrall to his supposed superstars, ignoring the evidence of the game, hoping against hope they would deliver, relying on reputations. But some reputations are forged for a reason.

The Trent Alexander-Arnold Experiment is dead. Time for another Trent Alexander-Arnold Experiment. Liverpool’s vice-captain seems a misunderstood, underused talent at international level. His time in midfield spanned 123 minutes against Serbia and Denmark and was of sufficient importance, such a scientific voyage of discovery, that it assumed a status of its own. It was an ‘Experiment’.

That it has been deemed a failure was apparent when Gareth Southgate worked his way through a series of partners for Declan Rice against Slovakia – Kobbie Mainoo for craft, Conor Gallagher for graft, Jude Bellingham for overhead kicks – and no scenario called for Alexander-Arnold.

Not as a midfielder anyway. But there felt a pressing need for Alexander-Arnold in his original incarnation, as the right-back revolutionary, the creator supreme, a player with a capacity to make the extraordinary happen. There appeared to be a shift in thought when Gary Neville, England’s most capped right-back until a couple of weeks ago, said it was “illegal” that Alexander-Arnold wasn’t playing. “He’s the best footballer at right-back we’ve ever seen in this country,” said Neville, a more prosaic talent recognising an extraordinary one.

Gareth Southgate believes Jude Bellingham’s goal against Slovakia can be a spark for England’s tournament, like Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland at Euro 96, as he made a point of stating the legend of that tournament and the 1990 World Cup has made people forget performances were initially poor.

The quarter-finals are set and England know they’ll be facing Switzerland in the last-eight – but what about beyond that, if they dare to look?

Here’s the rest of the Three Lions’ route to the final in Berlin and who they might face along the way.

England was on the brink of a major upset, leading for much of the game after Ivan Schranz’s early goal.

Southgate’s position was in jeopardy, but his decision to stick with his core players paid off as they transformed a potential defeat into a crucial victory, keeping England’s dreams alive.

But pundits were less than impressed with England’s performance, with boos frequently echoing across the stadium. And while others called for revolution at half-time, Southgate sent the same side out again – much to the disappointment of commentators and fans alike.

Join the debate on what the team should be:

There was a minute left to run on Gareth Southgate’s reign, the clock ticking down on a dismal tournament that seemed a demoralising end to the second-finest tenure of any England manager.

Until an airborne Jude Bellingham intervened. Until Bellingham underlined that he has that combination of talent, technique and temperament to offer the promise of greatness. There had been reasons for Southgate to replace him: booked for a rash lunge at Lukas Haraslin, he had been unwise enough to lay his hands on the referee. He had endured a poor game.

But there was an instance of brilliance; a bicycle kick, an injury-time equaliser, a lifeline, a goal that may reshape England’s history as well as Southgate’s time in charge.

Quarter-final 4, Dusseldorf: England v Switzerland (1700)

Having beaten Slovakia in the last-16, England will play Switzerland in the quarter-finals. After looking impressive in the group stages, Switzerland defeated holders Italy 2-0 in the last-16.

If England win in the quarter-finals, they will play either Netherlands, Romania, Austria and Turkey in the semi-finals.

England are no longer on course to face France in the semi-finals. That’s after France finished second in Group D. Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium will be in the other half of the draw too.

The Real Madrid man had struggled to make an impression on the last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen as England looked set to be heading home before his moment of inspiration, with Harry Kane then heading home in extra time to secure a 2-1 win.

Gareth Southgate’s side will now meet Switzerland in Dusseldorf on Saturday as England look to end a 58-year wait for a major men’s trophy.

“I had belief right the way through that we’d get the goal. I didn’t think it would be as late as it was. I wasn’t ready to go home yet and clearly the players felt the same way.”

Switzerland have impressed in the tournament so far and eased to a 2-0 victory over holders Italy on Saturday to progress into the last eight.

They will no doubt pose a threat to an England side still struggling to find their way but Stones feels they can overcome the challenge.

“I think we’ve got that belief now,” he told beIN Sport.

“I think we had it before but we didn’t fully show that and our performances didn’t replicate that belief.

“We’ve got to always look at the negatives and the things that we can improve on because it’s a massive part of the games, massive part of what we do.

“We’re coming up another great side… another great test for us that we’re we’re excited for; I’ve not thought about it too much, to be honest, after the emotions but tomorrow we’ll be preparing as usual, and we’ve got to enjoy this, because it’s been tough, tough for everyone, and I want everyone to enjoy it.”