Aaron Wan-Bissaka has always been known as a lockdown one-on-one defender. But what he just pulled off at the World Cup is ridiculous even by his standards.
Over four matches, facing some of the most dangerous wingers in the tournament, the DR Congo right back did something no other defender in the competition can claim: he was never once dribbled past. Not by Rafael Leão. Not by Anthony Gordon. And definitely not by his former Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford.
That last one is worth zooming in on.
Rashford’s rough summer keeps getting worse
Marcus Rashford arrived at the World Cup with uncertainty hanging over him. Barcelona had just decided not to make his loan permanent, and instead of bringing Rashford in for good, they went out and signed Anthony Gordon. So when England’s first group game rolled around and Gordon got the start on the left wing, the message was pretty clear.
Rashford did score off the bench against Croatia, which earned him a look. He started England’s next two matches. But the performances never quite clicked. His crossing was off. His finishing looked rusty. And then came the round of 16 matchup against DR Congo, where he ran into Wan-Bissaka — and basically disappeared.
The former United fullback shaded Rashford completely out of the game. There was no room to turn, no space to cut inside, no joy at all. Wan-Bissaka just locked him down, the way he’s done to Premier League wingers for years.
An unlikely World Cup run for DR Congo
Nobody gave DR Congo a real shot at getting out of the group. But they did it anyway, sneaking through as one of the best third-place teams, thanks in large part to a defense that also featured another ex-United player, Axel Tuanzebe. That group included a Portugal side with Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, and DR Congo held them scoreless.
They eventually ran into Thomas Tuchel’s England team in the knockout round and lost, ending their tournament. But for Wan-Bissaka individually, it was a showcase.
West Ham got relegated from the Premier League last season, so the 28-year-old is almost certainly looking for a move back to the top flight. And after a World Cup where he didn’t get beaten on the dribble a single time — by anyone — he’s earned the right to pick his next club.
(Fans online have already started the discourse: which team in the Premier League needs a right back who can shut down an entire flank by himself? Probably a lot of them.)
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