Wednesday 11 July 2018 19:20, UK
We count down England's top performers at the World Cup so far using Opta stats used to power Fantasy Six-a-Side.
Captain Harry Kane has dominated the headlines, with six goals putting him on course to secure the Golden Boot, but it is England's collective set-piece supremacy which has fired them through.
Gareth Southgate has also built his side on a ball-playing back three, which is also reflected in our countdown of key men based on the Opta stats used to power Sky Sports Fantasy Six-a-Side...
5) Kieran Trippier - 259 points
Kieran Trippier has been widely regarded as one of England's surprise standout performers of the tournament. The Tottenham full-back's expert delivery has been the root of 11 successful crosses, with seven of those troubling Tunisia in their Group G opener. England's aerial dominance has been built on not only Kane and his towering cavalry, but also the regular dose of menacing crosses alongside Trippier's deliveries.
He has been the source of 13 chances over four games courtesy of his crossing expertise and emergence as a feeder to the runs of Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard in behind the opposition defence. Trippier's tally of six tackles could rise on Wednesday as he contends with Ivan Perisic and Croatia right-back Ivan Strinic's willingness to press high up the pitch.
4) Kyle Walker - 266 points
A combination of Pep Guardiola's tactical ingenuity, Southgate's comprehensive introduction of a new system and Walker's polished skillset has seen the Manchester City man look at home in central defence. A matching impetus towards ball retention for club and country has equated to 290 completed passes in just four games, while his defensive strengths are reflected by 14 clearances, four interceptions and one tackle over the World Cup so far.
3) Harry Maguire - 314 points
The Leicester City defender's enforcer stature has been a pleasant juxtaposition to his grace as a ball-carrier. A growing cohesion with Walker, John Stones and Jordan Henderson has entailed cover for every bursting run and decision to step up. His 282 successful passes have been testament to his compatibility with Southgate's philosophies and underline his reliability against a high-pressing Croatian side.
Moreover, 30 successful aerial duels, 12 coming versus the height of Colombia, will likely see Maguire tasked as the key figure in combatting Mario Mandzukic.
4) John Stones - 346.5 points
England's lead defensive distributor has completed 319 passes to assert a necessary tranquillity to his side's approach. Stones will also be expected to add to his 16 successful aerial duels when Southgate's men strive to thwart the threat of Mandzukic, who won 10 in his round-of-16 clash with Russia alone. Two goals against Panama do serve as a reminder of his own attacking threat in the box.
5) Harry Kane - 380.5 points
Six goals in the tournament so far have put England and Tottenham's attacking talisman in familiar contention for a top-scorer accolade. Awaiting the striker in the semi-final is a matchup with Dejan Lovren, who he has fared exceptionally well against in the past.
Kane tormented the Croatian in a 4-1 win back in October when the Liverpool defender was hauled off after 30 minutes, having been at fault for two early goals scored and assisted by the England captain. His 18 successful aerial duels, 10 of which arrived against Colombia, preview Lovren and Domagoj Vida's toughest physical challenge as England look to maintain their set-piece prowess.
