Welbeck's Impact Against Liverpool Highlights England Omission
Danny Welbeck celebrated scoring against Liverpool by cupping his ear.
When Thomas Tuchel announced his England squad on Friday for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, one notable omission became even more apparent the following day.
The player with the highest number of goals by an Englishman in the Premier League this season scored twice as Brighton defeated Champions League-contending Liverpool.
At 35 years old, Danny Welbeck is demonstrating that age is merely a number, having scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season.
Although he may not have the opportunity to showcase his abilities to Tuchel on the international stage before the German coach finalizes his squad for this summer's World Cup, Welbeck is evidently performing at a high level for his club.
If he felt frustration at not yet impressing Tuchel enough for a call-up, he did not display it following his man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool.
"Control what I can control," he told BBC Match of the Day when asked about being considered for a call-up.
"It's really nice that my name is being mentioned. That's a positive for me.
"I don't like to give energy to things I can't control. For me, I'm just happy, I'm enjoying my football and I focus on what I can control."
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Welbeck's statistics this season are impressive.
His two goals for Brighton increased his league tally this season to 12, marking his highest total in a single campaign.
This season, he has scored more than one goal in a league game three times, which is also his personal best for a season.
A key factor in Welbeck's scoring form is his clinical finishing. His first six goals came from only seven shots on target, and against Liverpool, he had two shots on target, converting both.
However, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler emphasizes that Welbeck contributes more than just goals.
"Not only scoring goals - he is in brilliant shape of course - but also being there as a team-mate, finding good connections between team-mates, creating a good togetherness.
"He is a great connector, he is so valuable on and off the pitch and he can help every team in the world, including England."
Former England striker Wayne Rooney also praised Welbeck's all-round play.
"He scores goals, he works really hard, he links the play really well.
"He's certainly an option for England."
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Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is enjoying an exceptional season, having scored 47 goals in all competitions for the German club, and is expected to lead England's attack in North America.
The question remains: who will serve as his deputy?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was previously joint top-scoring English player alongside Welbeck with 10 goals before Welbeck's recent double. Calvert-Lewin has been included in Tuchel's squad.
The Leeds striker had a strong run with seven goals in six games towards the end of 2025 but entered the Saturday match against Brentford with only one goal in his previous eight games.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke was also called up but has just three Premier League goals this season and is recovering from a long injury layoff.
Both players have the profile to replace Kane but do not match Welbeck's current form.
"Welbeck is very unfortunate not to get the call-up," Rooney added.
"I think it was probably between him and [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin so he's just missed out - but he's having a fantastic season."
Despite Welbeck's omission from this squad, Hurzeler believes Tuchel will make the right decisions when naming England's World Cup squad.
"England have a really good German coach and he will make the right decisions," he said.
Hurzeler stressed the importance of evaluating Welbeck's influence beyond the pitch, particularly in fostering team unity.
"That can be crucial for a World Cup."
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