It was not a night when Thomas Tuchel’s England set the pulses racing. The new head coach had talked about the need for cut and thrust, for excitement. He was eager to ignite something at the beginning of the road to the 2026 World Cup. Instead, it was one for the more prosaic values – professionalism and control; hard work, especially without the ball.
There was the basic ingredient of a victory on what was a showpiece occasion for Tuchel, however flat it might have felt for long spells. Together with one glorious individual story and a much more familiar one.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was excellent on his first England cap, showing the swashbuckling runs from left-back that have lit up his breakthrough season at Arsenal and scoring after just 20 minutes. You could barely have scripted it. Except this is Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old who writes them himself.
Then there was Harry Kane. The captain had suggested beforehand that his scoring exploits have started to be taken for granted. Perhaps people were getting bored of him. Surely no one can tire of him finding the net for England. Kane brought up goal No 70 in his 104th appearance towards the end of a pretty forgettable second half and that was that.
It was only Albania, the team ranked 65th in the world, who showed why with their defending for both the goals. But Tuchel has made his first step and it was assured enough, the positives taking in a commanding performance in central defence from Ezri Konsa and some good bits by Jude Bellingham.
All eyes were on Tuchel from the moment he emerged into the Wembley spotlight and the scrutiny burned on his selection. There were many headlines. Dan Burn and Lewis-Skelly in for their debuts; Marc Guéhi left on the substitutes’ bench. The use of Curtis Jones alongside Declan Rice in midfield, allowing Bellingham to push high as a No 10.
The blockbuster was Marcus Rashford on the left, back for the first time in a year.
“Welcome to the Home of Football, Thomas,” read the giant banner behind one of the goals before kick-off. There was a fireworks display. The house DJ even had a track with “Thomas Tuchel’s army” in the lyrics. He could see a snap about his players when they hassled Albania to regain possession. They set the tempo without the ball at the outset. This was good. It was a little more measured in possession; the focus on wearing Albania down.
It had the feel of one of those games when the low block would be difficult to dismantle, Albania sitting deep in their 4-5-1 system. Enter Lewis-Skelly. He had taken one confident touch in the opening exchanges, stepping up and away from his man. The kid has no nerves, merely the desire to seize any opportunity and his goal was the latest chapter of the fairytale. He looked a little disbelieving as he celebrated – and not only because of the ease with which he was able to run in behind Jasir Asani. The Albania winger had to be stronger.
It was a pass from Bellingham after some imperious strutting from him and Lewis-Skelly finished first-time with his left foot, guiding the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper, Thomas Strakosha. If you could bottle the feeling.
Albania struggled to get out of their half before the interval, although when they did for the first time in the 27th minute, they had the scent of a freakish equaliser.
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Qazim Laci’s cross was diverted high up by Burn and when the ball dropped, it did so on to the top of Jordan Pickford’s crossbar. England scrambled clear.
Jones was busy; Bellingham menaced and England had a clutch of clear chances to score again before half-time. Rashford played a nice return pass to Bellingham, who was denied at close quarters by Strakosha. Bellingham also watched aghast as Strakosha saved superbly with his foot to keep out a header from him while Kane’s rebound effort was blocked just as miraculously by Berat Djimsiti. Burn trampled into space to meet a Rice corner which he thudded into the crossbar.
It was Burn’s second Wembley appearance in a week after his goalscoring, man-of-the-match performance in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final win against Liverpool. The magic evaporated for him in the second half. He got away with a high boot that felled Myrto Uzuni but he almost did not get away with his lack of pace, the Albania substitute Armando Broja coming close to exposing it. There was also the moment when Broja beat Burn to a flick-on and Tuchel could be grateful for a saving Konsa challenge on Asani.
Lewis-Skelly continued to step up with the ball, to get England moving, to ask questions while Rashford was desperate to make something happen. Perhaps too desperate. Ditto Phil Foden, who could get little going on the right.
Bellingham crossed for Kane, who could not get the needed power in the header and Jones might have shot rather than look for another pass after a neat move.
The second half became a slog for England but Kane lifted things when Rice crossed and Arlind Ajeti got himself into a muddle, trying to intercept and failing. Kane brought it down and caressed the shot into the far corner.
Source: theguardian.com
