WEMBLEY — It had to be him, didn’t it?
It took Harry Kane less than 80 seconds to score on his England debut nine years ago and while he had to wait longer to find the net on his 100th appearance it felt just inevitable when it did come.
Before the Nations League game against Finland at Wembley, Kane was presented with a bouquet and a special golden cap to commemorate the achievement. He was accompanied onto the pitch by two of his four children and made sure to savour the moment as England’s supporters rose to applaud him.
He was desperate to mark a milestone night with a milestone moment. For a while it looked as though it wouldn’t come; we were foolish to have any doubts. He opened the scoring in the 57th minute before adding a second in the 76th to inspire a second win under interim manager Lee Carsley.
There wasn’t an awful lot to be gleaned from a night in which England faced weak opponents, but the start of the new era has been a positive one. Back-to-back 2-0 victories and more fluid football has fostered a feelgood factor after the disappointment of that painful night in Berlin.
Here are the winners and losers from England’s win:
Harry Kane
An obvious place to start. Kane is only the 10th Englishman to reach a century of caps; now his sights are set on scoring 100 goals.
It seems a ludicrous number but you wouldn’t put it past him given the ruthless manner in which numbers 68 and 69 were dispatched.
For 56 minutes a landmark strike eluded him. Kane had the ball in the net in the first half with a powerful diving header at the back post but was just offside. He forced Bayer Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky into a hat-trick of saves, including from an acrobatic overhead kick, before eventually getting his golden goal.
It was a vintage Kane strike, lashed hard and high into the roof after he had cleverly worked a half yard of space for himself with a smooth piece of footwork. The second was equally emphatic, a first-time strike bent powerfully into the side netting.
You suspect Kane would have wanted to play on until sealing a hat-trick but he had to make do with a standing ovation 11 minutes from time instead.
It was just what he needed after a difficult summer. There have been calls for England to move on from Kane as they build towards the 2026 World Cup. On this evidence, that would be premature.
Angel Gomes
Angel Gomes had a quietly impressive debut against the Republic of Ireland last weekend completing all 19 of his passes after coming on as a late sub and was promoted to the starting XI alongside Declan Rice at Wembley.
Lining up for the national anthem must have been a pinch-yourself moment for the 24-year-old who has been thrust from beyond the fringes to the first-team in a whirlwind fortnight.
Carsley has been keen to highlight Gomes’ passing qualities and he offered a glimpse of his range on a couple of occasions with satisfying sprays out to the flanks. He ended the game having completed the most passes on the pitch with 109, achieving a 93 per cent pass completion rate overall.
The 5’6 playmaker isn’t afraid to put his foot in either, though. Twice in the opening 10 minutes he snapped into tackles as Finland attempted to break out of their half before flattening Teemu Pukki with an overeager lunge on the greasy surface. That combative side to his game stood out.
“If we’re going to win a major tournament, we need variety,” said Carsley on Monday. “We need players who are multifunctional and I think he’s in that bracket.”
Rico Lewis
Kyle Walker’s Euros exertions opened the door for Rico Lewis to start the season for Manchester City and the teenager does not look like losing his spot anytime soon after starting the campaign in fine form.
Lewis has played in the hybrid right-back/central midfield role for his club so far but was utilised at left back for his country due to a lack of specialists in that area. He adjusted to a different role well, moving infield to create an overload in midfield and surging forward regularly to help the attack.
Such versatility can only benefit Lewis with England currently experiencing a left-back shortage. With Luke Shaw injured and Ben Chilwell discarded to Chelsea’s bomb squad, Lewis can make the position his own for the remainder of this Nations League campaign.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
If Lewis is Walker’s long-term successor for City, Trent Alexander-Arnold finally looks poised to take his place for England.
Alexander-Arnold has been named man of the match in both of Carsley’s matches in charge. The fact he has done so while playing as a right-back is a good look for the stand-in coach.
The 25-year-old created five chances on the night, two more than any other player, and set up Kane’s first goal. He also had the second-most touches only behind Gomes, proof of his importance to Carsley’s gameplan.
Gareth Southgate never fully trusted the Liverpool man in his regular position. He attempted to shoehorn him into midfield at the start of the Euros but the experiment didn’t work.
Alexander-Arnold looks far more comfortable playing in his best position and in a freer than he has ever had for the national team.
Losers
Ezri Konsa
Selected alongside John Stones as Lee Carsley rotated his centre-backs, Ezri Konsa played well, albeit with having little to do, on his eighth cap but limped off on the hour mark after going down clutching his calf.
It looked as though Konsa had tweaked something minutes after half-time following an awkward twist in the turf and it was a surprise to see him return to the pitch after treatment given the low stakes.
Carsley provided a positive update afterwards by saying he “looked ok”. If it turns out to be anything more serious he could get a stern telling off from Unai Emery such is Konsa’s importance to Aston Villa.
Conor Gallagher
Only two outfield players did not feature in either of England’s matches this international break: Conor Gallagher and the uncapped Tino Livramento.
It has been a testing few months for Gallagher. He struggled to make an impact for England at the Euros and was hooked at half-time in his only start of the tournament before finding himself at the centre of a transfer saga as his boyhood club attempted to force him out to make up for their own financial mismanagement.
Gallagher is ideally suited to playing Simeone suffer-ball in Madrid, but less so as a controller for Carsley. A shift to a more free-flowing style of play allied to Gomes’ rapid rise could leave Gallagher behind.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/AR8sx4e
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