World Cup

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World Cup | Group Stage

Nov 21, 2022 at 1pm UK

Wembley Stadium

England
6 - 2
Iran

Bellingham (35'), Saka (43', 62'), Sterling (45+1'), Rashford (71'), Grealish (90')

FT(HT: 3-0)

Taremi (65', 90+13' pen.)
Jahanbakhsh (25'), Pouraliganji (48')

World Cup 2022: Why you should expect a set-piece goal from England against Iran

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 21 November 2022

Ahead of England's World Cup opener against Iran, Sports Mole looks at why to expect a set-piece goal to perhaps be the difference for the Three Lions.

England's 2022 World Cup campaign begins on Monday with their opening Group B clash against Iran, as Gareth Southgate's men make their latest tilt at ending what is now a 56-year wait for international glory.

The Three Lions have been getting closer in recent years, making it to the semi-finals in Russia four years ago and going one better than that on home soil in Euro 2020 last year before being beaten in the final.

England are traditionally not the fastest starters in World Cups, though, and even in 1966 when they went on to lift the trophy, there were boos from the crowd when they played out a goalless draw in their opener.

More recently, England have only won two of their last five World Cup openers, and both of those victories came by a solitary goal, including a narrow 2-1 triumph over Tunisia four years ago when they needed a stoppage-time Harry Kane winner.

England's Harry Kane scores their second goal in the game against Tunisia on June 18, 2018 © Reuters

Southgate's side are firm favourites to open up with a win against Iran, and they will again be looking to Kane as the most likely source of goals as the Tottenham Hotspur striker looks to become his country's leading scorer of all time.

Another slice of history could await him this winter too as he bids to become the first player to win back-to-back Golden Boots, and five of his six goals from Russia four years ago came in the group stage.

That tally included two penalties in a hammering of Panama in their second game, and history suggests that a set piece is again England's most likely source of goals against Iran.

Of the last 18 goals England have scored at World Cups, 12 have come from set pieces, including a whopping nine of the 12 they scored in Russia.

For their part, Iran boast an impressive defensive record in recent years to suggest that Monday's contest could be a tight affair, meaning that England's set-piece threat could be all the more important.