Alan Shearer believes England’s leading players made the difference as the Three Lions secured top spot in Group L with a 2-0 win over Panama at the World Cup.

After a frustrating first hour in New York, England finally broke through when Jude Bellingham reacted quickest from a corner to score the opening goal. Harry Kane then doubled the advantage with a header to ensure Thomas Tuchel’s side finished first in the group.

Speaking on BBC Sport, former England captain Shearer felt England’s star names were decisive in unlocking stubborn opposition.

“The most important thing is winning the game,” said Shearer.

“You always want the performance as well, but that doesn’t always happen. England got the result and they did it through the quality of players like Bellingham, Kane and Elliot Anderson.

“Every successful team relies on its best players at key moments and England are no different.”

Defensive concerns remain despite clean sheet

While pleased with the outcome, Shearer felt England still showed some vulnerabilities at the back that stronger opponents may look to exploit in the knockout rounds.

Panama created a handful of openings during the match and Shearer highlighted Marc Guéhi’s recovery pace as an important factor in helping England avoid conceding.

“There were one or two moments where England got themselves into trouble,” he said.

“I thought Marc Guéhi dealt with those situations really well and used his pace effectively.

“But if England allow teams the same opportunities later in the tournament, they could be punished. That’s something they’ll need to improve as the competition progresses.”

Knockout stage awaits for Group L winners

The victory ensured England avoided finishing second in the group and secured what is expected to be a more favourable path into the knockout stages.

Tuchel’s side must now wait to discover their opponents in the last 32, with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal among the possible challengers.

Despite England’s performance falling short of their best, Shearer believes there were several encouraging signs heading into the next phase of the tournament.

“The positives are clear,” he said.

“Kane got his goal, Bellingham scored and provided an assist, and I thought Elliot Anderson was outstanding in midfield.

“England have won the group and built confidence. That’s a good place to be heading into the knockout rounds.”