Harry Kane is world-class - but England have NO chance of World Cup glory if performances don't improve quickly: Winners and losers as Thomas Tuchel's substitutions prove crucial in DR Congo comeback after another slow start

Who else? England have relied on Bellingham and Kane to drag them out of trouble in this tournament (perhaps more so than Tuchel would have liked), and no more was that clearer than here.

Kane was having one of those games where he operated on the periphery - involved here and there, but never truly making a mark. And then he sprung into life.

The first goal felt inevitable as soon as the cross left Gordon's right boot. Kane moved quicker, anticipated the flight in a way that truly great strikers do, and from there the finish was elementary. But the second goal was quite brilliant.

Kane is a special player, and this was a truly special finish, a spank into the roof of the net that left the goalie rooted to his spot. It was, no doubt, Kane's biggest moment in an England shirt, and yet another reason to suggest that the Three Lions' star men could drag them deep into this tournament, even if not everyone is at their best.

Take nothing away from DR Congo, who gave both Portugal and Colombia very good games in the group stage. Football is growing there, as is their talent pool. They will be back.

But with all due respect, England have bigger goals here, and even the most resilient of opponents have to be swept aside this early in the tournament.

It's difficult to figure out what caused this performance. Certainly, there is a clear formula to beat England: Defend deep, frustrate them and score on the break. But there are also larger problems here.

England even after they went 1-0 down, and fell flat again at the start of the second half. Not until after the second hydration break, when it came time to seriously panic, did they find the requisite levels to win this football match.

Tuchel claimed after the game that England were composed and calm throughout. Those watching in the stands and at home on television - including their potential opponents for the rest of the competition - surely thought otherwise.

England needed a spark off the bench, and Gordon provided it. A player whose biggest asset is the effort he puts in out of possession was able to showcase his quality in the final third.

Barcelona's new signing assisted both goals, first providing a perfect, teasing ball for Kane to nod home, before keeping an attack alive following a saved Bellingham effort and rolling the ball into Kane's path so that he could work his magic.

This was an important cameo for Gordon, who had been dropped in favour of Marcus Rashford for the last two games. He may well remain an impact substitute, but this was a very impressive impact.

Tuchel has toyed with his starters out wide thus far. On the left, he has alternated between Rashford and Gordon. On Wednesday, Rashford won out, but never fully delivered. He had a shot cleared off the line by his former Manchester United team-mate Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the first half, but otherwise lacked the kind of clinical nature that Tuchel said would be a real priority for the winger. There was not a total lack of impact, but Rashford didn't seize the opportunity as his manager might have hoped.

On the other wing, Noni Madueke toiled. He does a job for Tuchel, happy to stay wide and stretch the defence, but he was caught lacking in two senses here.

The first was in his most obvious job, where his final ball was wayward throughout. From a defensive point of view, meanwhile, his failure to track back left Djed Spence with two players to mark and Cipenga in acres of space to break the deadlock. These are the fine margins at World Cups, and Madueke didn't rise to the moment.

In his post-match press conferences, Tuchel refused to take any of the credit for what transpired over the course of 90 minutes.

"We didn't need to unlock something tactically, or we didn't need a new feeling or need to give a new solution," he said. "I felt them every time they came, every time they spoke to me, they were invested, they were clear in their mindset, and they did what was needed."

He was being far too humble. Games like these, when teams are struggling, require a bit of managerial intervention to make things happen. And Tuchel did two things absolutely right here.

The first was his substitutions. Madueke and Rashford were hooked at exactly the right time while Eberechi Eze made an impact in an attacking midfield role - and the corresponding switch of Declan Rice to right-back could offer a potential solution at a difficult position going forward.

The second is whatever Tuchel said in the huddle during the second-half hydration break. He looked an animated figure from afar, all limbs and shouting. Tuchel insisted after the game that he did not remember what he said, and just tried to preach calmness to his players. If that was the case, then it was a masterclass in keeping one's head.

"The message was always the same: Keep pounding the rock. Keep on knocking, knocking, knocking. Keep believing, keep on doing what we do. Don't give in," he said when asked to recall his instructions from during the game.

It has been a quiet summer for Jordan Pickford thus far. Credit is due to England's ability to snuff out counter-attacks - something Tuchel often refers to - that the Everton goalkeeper has been relatively untroubled. Here, though, he had one save to make - and he completely botched it.

Cipenga struck his shot well, and might have caught out the Everton goalkeeper by arrowing his effort at the near post. But Pickford simply cannot be beaten in those situations - especially in the context of when England are struggling to create in attack.

Luckily, the Three Lions weren't made to pay here. But there will be sides who create more, threaten more, and attack with more verve. Pickford has to start making some saves.