England seal World Cup qualification

-

Latvia 0 - 5 England

A comfortable night for Tuchel's side as they seal a place in the 2026 World Cup.

Author | Lauren W

Stadium | Daugavas Stadionā

World Cup Qualifying | Latvia v England | Celebrations after Gordon goal

Thomas Tuchel's side secured victory to confirm their place in the showpiece, with the result never in doubt as England comfortably outplayed a Latvian team ranked 137th in the world.

On a broader scale, England qualified with two games to spare, completing a flawless first campaign under Tuchel, who took over from Sir Gareth Southgate in January.

Anthony Gordon opened the scoring after 26 minutes with a low, curling finish, and captain Harry Kane added two more before half-time, first with a strike from the edge of the area and then from the penalty spot after his shirt was pulled.

READ MORE | Live commentary recap | Latvia v England

England’s fourth came just before the hour when Latvia’s Andrejs Ciganiks turned Djed Spence’s cross into his own net.

Substitute Eberechi Eze rounded off the scoring with a composed dribble and low finish to make it 5-0 after 86 minutes, underlining England’s dominance.

Interesting stats

England have now found the net in each of their last 18 matches, a feat not achieved since 1950-1953. They are also on an unbeaten streak of 37 World Cup qualifiers dating back to 2009, the longest run of any European side at present.

World Cup Qualifying | Latvia v England | View from the stands

Immediate fan reaction

One fan offered a note of realism, saying: “Let's view this win in perspective please. England top a very weak group. FIFA rankings are Serbia (34), Albania (66), Latvia (137), Andorra (174). It would be embarrassing if England weren't top with 18 points.”

Jeremy disagreed with that saying: “People saying 'calm down it is an easy group' forget that there have been many years when England struggled to get past these teams.”

Popular posts from this blog

Braga stun Celtic after VAR controversy

-
Image
Celtic 2 - 0 Braga Celtic suffered further European disappointment as goals in each half and a controversial disallowed equaliser earned Braga victory in what was a chaotic encounter. Author |  Sean M Stadium |  Celtic Park Kick-off Kasper Schmeichel had an error-strewn game in goal and failed to keep out Ricardo Horta 's early long-range effort, which stunned the Celtic Park crowd into silence. The Dane then did well to keep out a late shot but was helpless when the ball bounced off Gabri Martinez in a botched clearance and rebounded into the net to seal all the points. After their Champions League qualification failure against Kairat Almaty , and an opening Europa League draw with Red Star Belgrade , this continued Celtic's disappointing start to their European campaign. In fact, so sharp has been the drop-off since last season, that Brendan Rodgers ' side may struggle to qualify for the latter stages of the Europa League unless they can find their way again, and q...
Read more

Arsenal start Champions League campaign with a win

-
Image
Athletic Club 0 - 2 Arsenal Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench to deliver the goals as Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign with victory over Athletic Club. Author | DJ Stadium | San Mames Martinelli needed just 36 seconds to make his mark, racing through to score after being set up by Trossard midway through the second half. The Brazilian then turned provider, beating his man before laying the ball back for Trossard to tuck in a second with four minutes to play. It was far from straightforward for Mikel Arteta’s side. Athletic, returning to the competition for the first time since 2014-15, flew out of the blocks backed by a raucous San Mamés crowd. Alejandro Berenguer was a persistent threat and the hosts had Arsenal penned in for long spells of the first half. The Gunners did create the clearest chance before the interval, Viktor Gyökeres heading wide from close range, but overall struggled to assert themselves. Gyökeres later finished the match...
Read more

Atletico hit five to stun Real in historic derby win

-
Image
Atletico Madrid 5 - 2 Real Madrid Simeone’s side end Real’s perfect start with biggest derby haul since 1950 Author | Jack L Stadium | Metropolitano Stadium Fantastic atmosphere in Madrid Atletico Madrid scored five goals against city rivals Real for the first time in almost 75 years as they came from behind to claim a pulsating derby victory. It was only the fourth time Atletico had scored at least five in a Madrid derby, the last occasion being a 6-3 triumph in November 1950. Real, who had begun the season with six straight La Liga wins and opened their Champions League campaign by beating Marseille, fell to their first defeat of the campaign. The five conceded equalled their heaviest league loss since a 5-1 reverse to Barcelona in October 2018. Different pictures from the stands Diego Simeone ’s side struck first when Robin le Normand headed them in front, but goals from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler turned the game in Real’s favour. Alexander Sorloth equalised in first-half stopp...
Read more