In the group stage of this European Championship, despite England securing the top spot with an undefeated record of one win and two draws, their overall performance was far from impressive, having scored only two goals during the group phase. This led to widespread criticism and questioning of Southgate’s tactics, particularly regarding his reluctance to utilize Palmer. It wasn’t until the knockout stages that Southgate finally saw the light and began deploying Palmer, who indeed lived up to expectations.
In the Round of 16, England staged a comeback against Slovakia, winning 2-1 after extra time. Both of England’s goals came after Palmer was brought on, notably Kane’s winner, which originated from Palmer’s free-kick cross. In the quarterfinals, when England conceded first against Switzerland, Southgate promptly introduced Palmer, who made an immediate impact as England equalized and eventually prevailed in the penalty shootout, with Palmer converting the decisive spot-kick.
The semi-final against the Netherlands followed a similar pattern. After falling behind, Kane equalized from the penalty spot. As England’s attack struggled again, Southgate turned to Palmer, who assisted Watkins’ winner shortly after coming on, propelling the Three Lions into the final. However, in the final, although Palmer equalized for England soon after coming on, receiving a pass from Bellingham, he couldn’t secure victory for his team once more.
It is clear that of the eight goals England scored in the tournament, five were scored after Palmer’s introduction. Without a doubt, Palmer proved to be a valuable asset for Southgate. Sadly, while he was the X-factor, he wasn’t the lucky charm needed to reach the summit of European football, as they fell just short of glory.
