Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane scored to give new England boss Thomas Tuchel a winning start with a 2-0 victory against Albania at Wembley in their opening World Cup qualifier.
Lewis-Skelly cooled any early nerves with an ice-cold finish just 20 minutes into his England debut. The 18-year-old was handed his first England cap in his maiden call-up to the senior side.
Captain Kane made sure of victory with a fine touch and an even finer finish late on in the second half. Their goals give England a three-point launchpad in Group K of World Cup qualifying.
Lewis Skelly, who was joined in the starting XI by the returning Marcus Rashford and fellow debutant Dan Burn, scored after 20 minutes to give Wembley life as England upped the ante with Bellingham and Rashford linking up to try and find a second soon after.
Bellingham, seemingly involved in all of England’s good play, came close when he stooped to head home a Walker cross. While it was saved, the bigger chance fell to Kane who saw his follow-up blocked in the area. The resulting corner almost wrote the evening’s headline when Burn’s header clattered the bar, five days after he nodded Newcastle into the lead in their Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool.
In control, England limited Albania to very little in the first period, with the visitor’s only real opportunity gifted to them as Jordan Pickford and Burn unconvincingly cleared a hopeful lofted ball that landed on the bar.
Tuchel’s side started the second half strongly. Kane came close when he glanced a header wide from a Rashford cross but unfazed by the England display, Armando Broja’s introduction gave the home side something to think about.
The Everton man, on loan from Chelsea, picked out his teammate Kristjan Asslani with a neat pass only for Ezri Konsa to get back and thwart the danger emphatically with a last-ditch challenge.
However, when Kane found the net in the 77th minute, it was enough to pierce any growing Albanian ambition. Tuchel, who last won at Wembley as Chelsea boss in 2022, will lead England back out under the Arch on Monday against Latvia as their campaign to qualify for the World Cup continues.
More to follow.
