England’s highest-graded XI shows Thomas Tuchel left two starters at home | OneFootball

As England prepare for their World Cup opener, Thomas Tuchel has left two starters at home, according to the data…

After the tournament kicks off on Thursday, England face Croatia next week in Dallas in their Group L opener, with Tuchel seemingly set on most of his XI.

But, statistically speaking, the England boss may have already boobed in his selection, with two of the highest-graded English players left out of the Three Lions squad.

‘What are these grades?’, you ask…

Gradient’s Player Grades measure execution rather than outcome. The grading process begins with Gradient’s team of analysts evaluating over 2,000 events per game – everything a player does during a match from aerial duels to dribbling to set-piece shooting, and everything in between.

Each event is graded on a scale of -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments; 0 representing expected execution, positive or negative grades are awarded for a performance that is better or worse than expected. Those grades are then translated into an easy to understand 0-100 game and season rating across over 50 grading categories, including an overall performance grade.

So, below is the best England XI, according to Gradient’s grades. See how it compares to WhoScored’s XI.

GK: Dean Henderson

The Crystal Palace (84.5) keeper is ranked ahead of Pickford (76.0) overall, with Aaron Ramsdale (80.5) even ahead of the England No.1, despite being returned to Southampton by Newcastle.

Henderson performed a slightly higher percentage of his actions as expected or above compared to Pickford, though the difference is negligible. Certainly not enough to shift Pickford from his position as Tuchel’s undisputed No.1.

RB: Reece James

The Chelsea skipper is graded as the best English full-back in the Premier League, which makes sense since he’s the one England full-back assured of his place.

The second-highest-graded right-back: West Ham’s Kyle Walker-Peters.

CB: Ezri Konsa

If Tuchel is looking for reasons to go one way or the other while deciding over Konsa and John Stones, he could look at Gradient’s grades, which make the Villa defender the best English centre-back in the Premier League, rated at 76.1.

Between Konsa and Stones, it isn’t close. The latter is rated at 62.4, way down in 14th among English centre-backs.

CB: Marc Guehi

Just to confirm Guehi’s already-assured place, the Manchester City centre-back (75.3) is behind only Konsa among English centre-backs.

Behind them come Lewis Dunk (72.3), Trevoh Chalobah (71.5), then Everton trio James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Michael Keane.

LB: Luke Shaw

Tuchel may still be deliberating over his choice of left-back, but among his options is not the Premier League’s best left-back. Or the second-best left-back.

Shaw is the highest-graded left-sided full-back on 75.1, narrowly ahead of Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. If rumours are to be believed, they might be in competition for one spot at Manchester United next season.

CM: Declan Rice

The numbers tell us the same thing our eyes do: Rice is the best and highest-graded (87.4) central midfielder in the Premier League.

Elliot Anderson also passes the eye test, but his numbers don’t match those of…

CM: James Garner

Garner was in contention for the World Cup squad and can consider himself unfortunate to be watching from home after a stellar season with Everton.

The ex-Manchester United midfielder (81.9) is graded above Anderson (72.9), even if it is the Nottingham Forest star being chased by both United and City. Kobbie Mainoo – in the squad – and Adam Wharton – criminally omitted – come in fourth and fifth respectively.

RW: Bukayo Saka

The Arsenal star (81.2) is the highest-graded English right winger in the Premier League, with his stand-in for club and country, Noni Madueke, is the second-highest on 70.7.

Between them among wingers overall are Jack Grealish (injured) and Mason Mount (usually injured).

AM: Jude Bellingham

Eberechi Eze (77.9) is the highest-graded attacking midfielder in the Premier League but the Arsenal playmaker falls just short of Bellingham’s La Liga grade: 78.2.

Should the grades be weighted due to the fact Eze plays in Our League, while Bellingham is playing Spanish farmers? Argue among yourselves…

LW: Anthony Gordon

We’re removing Grealish from the equation owing to his injury, which leaves Gordon (69.8) as the highest-graded left-winger in the Premier League.

Gordon’s grade is above Marcus Rashford (68.7) in La Liga. We’re not sure the slight difference justifies Barca paying around £40million more for Gordon than the price for which they can sign Rashford permanently, but maybe they will yet make a patsy of Manchester United.

CF: Harry Kane

Kane (93.8) is not only the best centre-forward available to Tuchel, he’s the best centre-forward anywhere in Europe. And it’s not even close.

The only debate is around who stands in for Kane should – God forbid – the England skipper be knacked at any point.

Ollie Watkins (71.8) gets the nod according to Gradient, though they haven’t yet graded players in the Saudi league because, like everyone else, they have better things to do with their time.