England were defeated by Spain in a well-fought 3-2 loss in the first Nations League fixture this year at Wembley Stadium.
Spain took the lead inside two minutes after a mistake from Marc Guehi gave Lamine Yamal a clear chance to score, before England scored two goals in quick succession 30 minutes later, with the first coming from a fast counter-attack that saw Anthony Gordon slot round Unai Simón, who was caught off his line.
Harry Kane then gave the Three Lions a 2-1 lead, with his header deflecting off Marc Cucurella before hitting the back of the net. Alex Baena equalised for the visitors in the second half, before Mikel Oyarzabal dinked over Trafford in the 74th minute to give Spain the lead and all three points.
Bukayo Saka started for the hosts, and his actions in the first half have seen England fans on social media vent their frustrations towards the Arsenal attacker.
The moment came in the first half, when he found himself on the floor after a challenge from the opposition winger Nico Williams, in which he wasn’t awarded a foul.
There did appear to be contact on replays between Saka and Williams, but it wasn’t enough for the referee to blow his whistle and award a foul; it was enough for England fans to vent their frustration.
However, just seconds later, when the ball was coming back his way, Saka leapt up off the ground to chase after the ball and won his side a foul.
England fans who were watching the game took to social media to accuse the winger of ‘diving’.
Following the incident, England fans immediately posted their frustration towards Saka appearing to be diving. One fan said: “The diving culture in the English game is shocking. Saka is a major culprit. Not alone as it runs throughout the club.”
Another fan also went along the same lines, saying, “Saka is a diving cheat… Might play for England but he loves a dive and they never call it out.”
One fan labelled it an “embarrassment,” whilst another said, “Saka taking a dive and staying down… nothing changes for club or country. Different type of cheating…”
Whilst England fans vented their frustration at the supposed dive, Saka was not booked for the incident, therefore maybe showing the referee had a different opinion on the situation.
Saka was subbed off in the 83rd minute of the game, failing to contribute a goal or an assist, achieving a 6.3 match rating via FotMob.
