Merson: Bellingham is England's 'X-Factor' – Their Only Hope?

Bellingham's double in the 2-1 quarter-final win wasn't just pretty goals. It landed him in some serious company. He's the first England player since Diego Maradona in 1986 to net in consecutive knockout games at a single World Cup. Think about that for a second. His six tournament goals now match Gary Lineker and Harry Kane for England's best in one World Cup. That's legends. He's 21 years old.

Merson, chatting on Sky Sports, zeroed in on the youngster's knack for the big occasion. Nine of Bellingham's 12 England goals? They've come in major competitions. Some players shrink. This kid thrives. "Teams win leagues," Merson declared. "X-factor wins tournaments." And, according to him, England's got it in spades: "We have an X-factor player in Jude Bellingham, and also Harry Kane. We have X-factor in abundance with those two."

Don't let the semi-final berth fool you, though. Merson acknowledged that England's performance against Norway was... well, not exactly world-beating. Captain Kane had an off day, by his standards. Bellingham's relentless movement and clinical eye for goal were the only reason they didn't crash out. Still, Merson sees making the last four as bare minimum. Ranked fourth globally, anything less would have been a national embarrassment.

He even gave manager Thomas Tuchel a nod for his post-match honesty. Tuchel called out the defensive lapses. Good. Those mistakes will be punished, badly, by anyone decent. Merson figures a final, or even a World Cup win, would be punching well above this squad's weight. So temper those expectations, folks. Seriously.