England would be wrong to focus solely on Antoine Semenyo on Tuesday in Boston, but statistics suggest that doing so would improve their chances of beating Ghana and topping Group L. The explosive Manchester City attacker arrives at the World Cup after a 21-goal season with Pep Guardiola's Carabao Cup and FA Cup winners and former club Bournemouth.
Semenyo's threat to England's defence
Semenyo is tasked with exposing England right-back Reece James, a tough ask despite the Chelsea defender still building fitness after a late-season injury. With Mohammed Kudus absent, Ghana's attacking burden falls on Semenyo, particularly for chance creation and scoring. According to supercomputer Machine Football's analysis, Semenyo is ranked in the top 1% in world football for finishing and equally highly for attacking contribution. His ability to carry the ball from wide areas, drive inside, and create shooting opportunities is key to Ghana's attack.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has spoken about expecting "more ball possession" against Ghana than Croatia, explaining: "I expect Ghana to rely on counterattacks because they are very physical, very fast and dangerous in counter-attacks." Semenyo is the player most likely to turn a Ghana transition into a chance. The match-up with James is interesting because of their different strengths.
Reece James vs Semenyo duel
James, effectively a playmaker at full-back, has strong defensive numbers and will embrace the opportunity to lock up the City winger in a duel that could shape the game. England's stars know Semenyo is a live-wire with the sharpness to hurt you from any area in the final third. If he is on James's side as expected, it will be quite a battle, as the Three Lions right-back also likes to step into midfield. James must be careful because Semenyo has the speed and directness to exploit space quickly and needs no invitation to shoot.
James is not an elite one-versus-one defender in open space; his defending is built around positioning, anticipation, and engaging attackers before they build momentum. Against players who prefer combination play in tighter areas, that approach is often highly effective. Machine Football's analytics rank James as one of the top three Premier League right-backs of his profile, in the top 87.29th percentile for tackling, 95.84 for positioning, and 96.99 for creativity, making him one of the most well-rounded right-backs in world football.
Noni Madueke will chip in defensively, but his defensive work rate is not as high as Anthony Gordon's on the other flank, which is partly why James, who knows Madueke's game from their time at Chelsea, might be reluctant to burst forward. Semenyo's game is based on power, direct running, and attacking space quickly. If he receives possession early and can drive at James, the duel becomes much more difficult for the England full-back. If England lose possession with James advanced, there can be space in the channel behind him for Ghana to attack.
The Thomas Partey influence
The possibility of an unleashed Semenyo driving at England's centre-backs becomes more likely if Thomas Partey starts in midfield. The former Arsenal man missed Ghana's opener against Panama after Canadian officials refused him entry. The 33-year-old is due to stand trial next year after pleading not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault between 2020 and 2022. Without him, Ghana's biggest issue against Panama was progressing the ball quickly into attacking areas, particularly through early forward passes into wide channels.
Semenyo played the full 108 minutes and finished with one shot, no successful dribbles, two fouls committed, and an 80% pass completion rate from just 20 passes—a very low level of involvement in attacking areas. He still contributed defensively, recording seven recoveries and winning five defensive duels, but much of his work came away from goal. Despite being one of Ghana's most dangerous attacking players, he had limited opportunities to influence the game in the final third. Jordan Ayew's performance followed a similar pattern: in 93 minutes he had zero shots, completed 11 passes at 63% accuracy, and lost possession 16 times. The underlying issue was the absence of a midfielder able to receive under pressure, turn, and play forward quickly before Panama could recover their defensive shape.
That is where Thomas Partey's profile stands out. His performance in the Black Stars' 2-1 defeat to Germany in March offered a similar picture: Partey completed 39 passes, produced 13 forward passes, and recorded nine progressive passes, the highest total of any player on the pitch. For Ghana, the ideal scenario is straightforward: win the ball, find Semenyo early, and attack the space behind England's right side before the defensive structure resets. For England, the priority is preventing those situations from developing in the first place. How often Semenyo is able to receive the ball in those positions may go a long way towards determining Ghana's attacking threat. If England win, they will top Group L, allowing Tuchel to rest James and others against Panama in New Jersey.
