England made a winning start to the Thomas Tuchel era with a hard-fought victory over Albania under the Wembley arch. It was far from a perfect display but the hosts did enough to avoid slipping to a shock result, with their quality shining through over the course of the contest.
It did not take long for England to gain the upper hand and they were rewarded with an early goal from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly. He latched onto a perfect ball from Jude Bellingham before finishing in style, sliding it between the legs of the goalkeeper from close range.
England seemed to tail off as the match progressed, with Albania having a few glimpses of goal in the second half. However, an equaliser failed to materialise before Harry Kane doubled his side’s lead with a composed strike under pressure. While their new boss will be happy with the result, there is still plenty of room for improvement between now and next summer’s World Cup.
Express Sport looks at four talking points from England’s victory…
Left-back problem already solved
England have struggled in the left-back area over the years, with Luke Shaw rarely fit enough to play despite being the obvious choice. It seems Tuchel may have already found a solution, though, by placing his trust in Arsenal youngster Lewis-Skelly.
The teenager was mightily impressive on his England debut, showing intelligence far beyond his years at both ends of the pitch. He was just as happy getting forward to join attacks as he was tucking into a back three when the ball was on the other side.
Lewis-Skelly was rewarded for his efforts with a debut goal, keeping his cool to nutmeg the goalkeeper and give England the lead. However, some of the credit must go to Tuchel for giving him the confidence to play without fear on such a big occasion.
If the young defender can keep developing on the same trajectory, he could well be England’s first choice left-back for many years to come. He will certainly retain the faith of his manager if he continues to shine for club and country.
Burn gives England new attacking threat
Dan Burn is now an England player, which means the Three Lions suddenly have a massive threat from dead-ball situations. The towering centre-back was not afraid to put himself about in the box and was clearly the focal point at the majority of set-pieces.
With corners, it was obvious that England had been tasked with keeping Burn free to get on the end of deliveries. Jude Bellingham often muscled his way between his team-mate and the marker, allowing Burn to reach the ball unimpeded.
It almost paid off just before the break, with the defender firing two powerful headers at goal. One smacked against the crossbar while the other forced a brilliant reaction save from Albania goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
Only time will tell if Burn becomes a regular member of the England squad, but it seems he could bring an entirely new dimension when it comes to set-piece situations.
Kane remains crucial for Three Lions
Much of the discourse after last summer’s Euros focused on whether Kane was still capable of leading the line for England. While some of his mobility has been lost in recent years, he remains a key player with the ability to win games by himself.
Kane showed that he is still very much a world-class talent by stepping up to double England’s lead in the second half. It was a brilliant finish, with the 31-year-old receiving the ball under pressure before composing himself and finding the bottom corner.
His first touch was impeccable, bringing it down with ease despite having several defenders rushing in from all angles. The finish was equally impressive and served as a stark reminder that Kane should not be discounted as England’s leading light.
The very best players are capable of producing moments of magic from nothing, which is exactly what Kane did to make sure of all three points. As long as he can keep delivering the goods, he will always be a hugely important asset for the Three Lions.
Intensity needs work despite positive signs
Tuchel made it clear before kick-off that he wanted his England players to bring another level of intensity to their game. He certainly got his wish in the early stages of the match, with the Three Lions employing an aggressive press when out of possession.
As soon as they lost the ball in the final third, they immediately rushed forward to close down passing options and isolate the ball carrier. The structure was particularly impressive for a team who have only trained a handful of times under their new manager.
It allowed the hosts to set the tone from the very first whistle, leaving Albania with little chance of stringing more than a few passes together. However, the intensity dropped off after the break as England lost their spark and began to toil before Kane’s goal.
In order to make a high press work, it needs to be sustained for the entire 90 minutes which is something Tuchel will have to demand from his players against stronger opponents.