As England hosted Australia, Gareth Southgate gave Maddison just his fourth start in five caps thus far. It was also only his second time playing a significant part for the Three Lions in a friendly. His other games are all on the left wing and take place in 2023.

England did not see the James Maddison that Tottenham now relish

But with Grealish starting on the left wing, Maddison assumed the role of chief architect at Wembley behind Ollie Watkins. Watkins’ goal in the 57th minute was again created by the Manchester City maestro. However, Southgate pulled the trigger on Grealish in the 61st to insert Marcus Rashford.

Watkins’ finish from Grealish’s cross gave England the lead and ultimately the only goal of the match.The 28-year-old was found by Trent Alexander-Arnold with a deep pass into the area, and the 33-cap magician then attempted to score. The strike went wide, but Watkins brought it in.

Connor Gallagher’s cross across Australia’s six-yard box almost gave Maddison an early opportunity to score for England. Nevertheless, the Chelsea midfielder’s shot just missed the Tottenham player. Later on, Maddison should have received an assist as well for setting Watkins up for a goal.

The player who earns £170,000 per week threaded a perfectly timed pass through for Watkins. However, it would be in vain as Mat Ryan pushed the striker from Aston Villa wide, and his attempt struck the post. Still, it would turn out to be Maddison’s best play of the second half.

What has Robinson said about Maddison against Australia?

The Maddison that Tottenham has enjoyed since his July transfer from Leicester City was not the Maddison that England saw. The Coventry native’s creation has contributed two goals and five assists to Spurs’ eight Premier League contests. He even provided two assists against Arsenal to salvage a 2-2 draw.

However, Maddison failed to convince Southgate—who will select England’s finest lineup against Italy on Tuesday—why the Tottenham star ought to start against Australia. In an attempt to guarantee a spot at Euro 2024, Southgate rotated his team on Friday when the Three Lions took on the Azzurri.

Particularly, former England goalkeeper Robinson did not think well of Maddison’s efforts at Wembley. He criticized the £40 million player for interfering with Grealish’s night against the Socceroos.

“I believe that James Maddison is encroaching on Jack Grealish’s territory due to his current struggles,” Robinson stated on BBC Radio 5 Live. “They’re getting in each other’s way, the two of them.”