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21:58. That's it from me tonight, I've been Sam France and I hope you've enjoyed my live coverage of tonight's game. We'll have live coverage of all of England's games in the coming months as well as a stackload of action from around Europe, so we hope you'll be back here on VAVEL for more. Thank you, and goodnight. Engerland, Engerland, Engerland... (Image via PAImages)

FULL TIME: England have the win, not an inspiring performance by any means but there were some positive performances to be taken away, most notably from Raheem Sterling. Rooney has a goal on his first night as captain, three more players have England debuts and the Three Lions have their first win since before the World Cup - take it or leave it, a result is a result.

90+4' Kamara can't get an outstretched leg to a high ball from the left, but he is flagged offside anyway as Hart lookes the ball behind.

90+2' The outswinging corner is played in towards Lambert who wins the header, but he is too far away from goal for it to truly threaten and it is headed away.

90+1' Pedersen looks to feed Flo down the left, but Chambers cuts the ball out and England take the ball up the other end. Sterling is one-on-one with a defender in a similar position to where he won the penalty on the left, but his trickery only wins a corner second time round.

90' FOUR minutes of added time.

89' England break away from a corner through Sterling who finds Milner in space, but the defender gets back in time to make a block. As if to illustrate my previous point, another sub: Rickie Lambert replaces Liverpool teammate Sturridge, who has put in a good shift tonight.

88' Sub: Former Blackburn favourite Morten Gamst Pedersen replaces Jenssen. An awful lot of changes being made here as would have been expected, and the flow of the game has broken up completely.

86' England's change to a diamond formation has worked a treat since changes were made after Rooney's goal - something to think about for Roy Hodgson ahead of the EURO 2016 qualifier against Switzerland next week.

83' Cahill lets out an audible cry of frustration as he wins the ball from Nielsen and shields it away from him, but he mixes his feet up and knocks it out for a throw. Moments later, debutant Delph gets back to make a big tackle as Elyounoussi Jr. threatens to let fly at goal. Sub: Phil Jagielka comes on to replace Cahill, so the captain's armband moves once more to Joe Hart in between the sticks.

81' Sub: Calum Chambers comes on to make his England debut, replacing fellow debutant John Stones. A huge grin spreads across the face of the Arsenal youngster as he jogs into position on the right. Bless.

80' Baines delivers a low cross from the left which threads between two defenders, but a thrid manages to hook the ball away from Welbeck before he can move back to collect it.

77' Welbeck dummies Sterling's drag-back at the edge of the area, but Henderson's first-time shot curls well over. Sub: Ola Kamara replaces Tarik Elyounoussi for Norway.

75' England's goal came against the run of play but a host of changes has livened them up - Welbeck and Sturridge combine well, the former fizzing a low cross across the face of goal but Delph can't react quickly enough to slide it in. Sub: Norway's King is replaced by Havard Nielsen.

73' Welbeck turns well past two defenders at the edge of the area and hits a powerful shot towards the near post from the right, but Nyland makes his best save of the night to deny him an instant impact.

69' Subs: James Milner, Fabian Delph and Danny Welbeck on for England, Rooney, Chamberlain and Wilshere off. Another Elyounoussi replaces Skjelbred, so both captains are off.

68' GOAL! Rooney with his first goal as England captain! His 41st goal for England, putting him ahead of Michael Owen on the all-time top scorers list - he belts the ball in down the left! The keeper goes the right way, but has no chance of keeping that one out.

67' PENALTY! Elabdellaoui brings down Sterling, breaking past him down the left of the area. Rooney has the chance to give England the lead.

66' Sterling does well to keep the ball with his back to goal, but he ends up running backwards towards the centre circle before he is hauled down by King for a costless kick.

64' Sturridge and Forren are down for a moment or so after a clash of heads, but it doesn't look to be anything too serious; they should both be fine. In fact, Sturridge looks positively irritated by the efforts of the physios to clean him up.

60' Sturridge can't beat Nordtveit at the edge of the area and as he tries to spring away from the defender he is bundled off the ball, which dribbles out for a goal kick - not a penalty.

59' Rooney feeds Chamberlain on the right, and his low cross towards Sturridge at the edge of the six-yard box is smacked out for a corner - the Arsenal man's delivery from the set-piece is poor, and it is easily cleared.

58' England might need to make some changes before too long, they haven't created a chance in this second half and Norway have been well on top - the ball almost ricochets through to King, but Hart is out quickly to collect the ball before he can get a touch.

57' Norway sub: The medical staff eventually get Daehli onto the stretcher and he is carried off - a big worry for the Cardiff City man. Anders Konradsen comes on to replace him.

55' Daehli injures himself somehow attempting to tackle Sterling - it isn't obvious how, but he is in some pain and there is a gaggle of physios around him. Looks like he'll come off.

54' King escapes down the left after an error from Cahill, but he doesn't cut the ball back in time and Hart gets out to smother the ball away. Norway should probably have taken the lead there.

52' Rooney looks to clip the ball over the defence towards the sprinting Sturridge, but Forren backpedals to head it way - England unable to pick the lock so far, they might need to try and break the door down.

50' King beats Stones to the ball from a corner from the left but his header across goal is brilliantly saved by Hart, though Baines may have had it covered at the far post. Our attendance tonight is confirmed at just 40,181, the lowest-ever for an England game at the new Wembley.

48' Norway are getting forward a little more and Elyounoussi threatens to get in behind, but Jones manages to put the ball out for a throw on the right-hand side. Moments later, Norway have a costless kick on the same side which is whipped in left-footed by Jenssen, but Henderson heads it behind.

47' Daehli teases Baines down the right and puts in a dangerous ball from the edge of the area, but Hart gets down low to snuff out the danger.

46' We're off! Norway get the second half underway - let's hope for an improvement, no changes made by either side.

21:03. The teams are back out, the second half is moments away. Stay tuned.

20:52. Then again, I didn't say it had been an incredible game... #ThingsBetterThanBeingAtWembleyRightNow is currently trending on Twitter. Picture via @nicdunkley on Twitter.

Half-time: England dominate the half but fail to create any really clear-cut chances despite showing ingenuity and guile at times. Goalless at the break, but it hasn't been the snooze-fest some anticipated.

45+1' Skjelbred's cross from the right is almost fumbled on the goalline by Hart, but he composes himself to hold the ball at the second attempt.

45' Elabdellaoui's attempted cross from the right bounces off the defender before ricocheting off himself and out for and England goal kick. Two minutes added on.

44' Sturridge's backheel inside the area finds Sterling, but he can't get the ball out of his feet quickly to squeeze it through a genuine mass of bodies in front of the goal and it is hacked away.

42' Another look at the penalty appeal - Nordtveit doesn't touch the ball by any means, but it looks as if it is Wilshere who moves towards the defender instead of the ball. Good call from the referee, but it falls into the 'seen them given' category.

40' Nordtveit brings down Wilshere inside the area and the Arsenal man - accompanied by most of the crowd - wants a penalty, but in fairness there aren't too many protestations from the rest of the team.

39' King almost manages to thread the ball through to Daehli, but Baines does well to hold him off as Hart comes out to throw himself onto the ball at the edge of the six-yard box.

38' Wilshere is a little too keen to win the ball back after losing it at the edge of the area, and is penalised for pulling down Johansen from behind - he was never going to get it back from that position.

35' Norway sub: Per Egil Flo replaces Linnes, who hobbles off with a slight injury - no point taking chances, it's only a friendly. England take a drinks break as the substitution is made.

33' Sterling's attempted through-ball to find Baines is a little heavy, and goes out of play before he can catch it. Stones' driven cross from the right goes just over Sturridge's head at the far post, and Sterling is just unable to keep it in.

31' Linnes gets in behind down the left and his floated cross towards King causes some panic, but Baines does well to get back and hook the ball clear.

29' Baines is down following a real striker's tackle from Elyounoussi, as he rakes his studs across the top of the full-back's foot - he's back up after a few moments, and his shot/cross from inside the area is deflected out for a corner, which Cahill flicks well over the bar.

27' Elyounoussi is crowded out at the left corner of the England penalty area and plays the ball back to Jenssen, but his low cross is picked off by Jones. Stones may not offer a huge amount going forward from full-back, but he looks solid enough at the back.

25' Sterling plays an excellent long ball from deep on the left towards Sturridge near the penalty spot, but his first touch isn't perfect - it needed to be - and his attempted lob over the keeper falls just onto the roof of the net. Good start from England, but they need to make the most of their dominance.

24' England put the ball in twice from the left in quick succession but Baines and Sturridge's powerful low crosses are dealt with fairly easily. Baines is proving a useful outlet down that side, and Sturridge has been everywhere.

22' Elyounoussi lets fly from 25 yards out to the left of goal, but his low left-footed shot is dived upon by Hart, who holds onto it - that may well have been trickling into the far bottom corner.

21' Wilshere has started well and looks to exchange passes with Sterling, but the passing is a little fast in a tight area and they lose control of the ball.

19' Rooney collects Baines' pass inside the area and tries to play the ball back to Henderson, but the midfielder is flat-footed and doesn't get to the ball. Chamberlain breaks down the right, but his low cross towards the edge of the six-yard box doesn't clear the first defender.

16' Wilshere plays a good ball over the defence for Chamberlain, but he touches it into an opponent for a corner, which he takes - Jones' header back towards the goalkeeper's left is powerful, but off target.

15' Sterling and Sturridge link up well inside the area with Sterling finding his Liverpool teammate with a neat backheel, but his shot is blocked as he attempts to curl it inside the far post with his left foot.

14' England are keeping the ball fairly well when they have it, but are facing ten men inside the Norway half whenever they come forward. Chamberlain's deflected cross from the right causes some confusion as neither goalkeeper nor defender go for the ball, but it bounces out for a throw in at the other side of the pitch.

12' Norway's Nordtveit is down clutching his face for a few seconds after an innocuous elbow from Rooney as the two wait for a long ball to come down to earth - no intention from the England captain, but his arm was up.

10' First corner of the game - Sturridge keeps the ball for a second too long at the edge of the area and though the ball threatens to to bobble out to Chamberlain on the right, the Arsenal man lets it go out of play. The outswinging corner is caught at a stretch by goalkeeper Nyland.

8' Norway have their first real chance, but Elyounoussi doesn't get much of a connection on Elabdellaoui's cross from the rright, and England look to break away with Sturridge - he and Sterling look set to be heavily involved here tonight.

7' The ball has spent much of the openig minutes of the game in the Norway half before the visitors look to break away with Elyounoussi, but Cahill shephards the ball out for a throw-in near England's left corner and the ball is cleared.

5' Baines fires a costless-kick well over the bar from around 28 yards out, just to the right of the centre of the pitch. Poor from the Everton man, with little pressure on him.

4' The first chance of the game falls to England as Sturridge cuts inside from the right and gives the ball to Henderson, who tries to thread the ball through to Rooney, but the pass is cut out. It bounces back to Sturridge, whose shot is blocked at the edge of the area.

2' England keep the ball for the first 80 seconds, but Rooney is flagged offside chasing Cahill's long diagonal ball towards the left channel.

1' Kick off! England get us underway, and we'll have minute-by-minute commentary of all the action here at Wembley.

19:57. No David Luiz-like belting out of "God Save the Queen", but everyone seems to know the anthem well enough - Roy wouldn't have it any other way.

19:55. Five minutes to kick-off. The teams are out, time for the anthems - Norway up first.

19:54. The teams are in the tunnel, and England look relaxed in the buildup - let's hope their performance reflects it.

19:52. The big flags are being paraded around the pitch and the brass band is out, all ready for the pre-match anthems. Let's hope they know them, because everyone's going to hear it if they don't - thousands upon thousands of empty seats here tonight.

19:50. If anyone is looking for a fully immersive matchday experience, don't forget your traditional England chants for the evening, including classics such as;

"Engerland, Engerland, Engerland" (repeat)

"Engerland" *clap clap clap* (repeat)

and maybe even a half-hearted attempt at "Jerusalem". Never gets old.

19:47. Jorge Sousa will be taking charge of this game, with a team of Portuguese officials keeping things in check - here's hoping they'll be cracking out the magic spray before too long.

19:37. Any pre-match predictions from you lot? England walkover or a Norweigan upset? Let us know in the comments, or tweet me @sjakef.

19:35. One man who does have a point to prove tonight is Jack Wilshere, with whom some Arsenal fans seem to be losing patience after a perceived lack of progress over the last two seasons. Is he good enough for international football? Was he just given too much pressure and expectation at an early age? Time will tell.

19:30. There are a few people making their way into the stadium, but at this point there are probably as many people in the two dressing rooms as there are in the stands. Image via @SeagullsAnty on Twitter.

19:25. Captain Rooney (no, not a superhero) says that the low turnout for tonight's game is fully understandable following his side's dismal performances in Brazil: "You look around Europe and we will have one of the biggest crowds. We didn't do well at the World Cup - it's a backlash from that. We want to make sure we are trying to give everything we can to win the game."

19:20. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the Norway team, but Mr. Rooney might have some choice words for defender Forren who described him as "a bit chubby" in the buildup to the game, the big bully. Tarik Elyounoussi leads the line having scored two goals in two appearances for Hoffenheim so far this season - and none in 23 last year.

19:15. The England starting line-up has been out for while now, so in case you missed it earlier, England starting XI: Hart; Stones, Jones, Cahill, Baines; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshere, Henderson, Sterling; Sturridge, Rooney.

19:14. Norway starting XI: Nyland; Elabdellaoui, Nordtveit, Forren, Linnes, Skjelbred; Johansen, Yttergard, Jenssen, Dæhli, King; Elyounoussi

19:10. Considering the recent performances of the England team, it is hardly surprising that the attendance at Wembley tonight isn't expected to be much more than 40,000 - around half capacity.

19:05. With less than an hour to go until kickoff, here's the scene in the England dressing room right now - pristine, as always.

18:57. Following the international retirement of veteran defender Brede Hangeland, Norway will also be starting a new era under a new captain tonight - Hertha Berlin midfielder Per Ciljan Skjelbred (below) who has been playing for his country since 2007, when he made his debut against Turkey.

18:55. Norway manager Høgmo is certainly aiming high for his new-look Norway side, as he looks to push back up the world rankings. “The way we defend is a lot like Atlético Madrid,” he claimed in January, “with 4-4-2 and an extreme movement of blocks. This demands a lot of us but this is what we want to do.” He described their method of attack as, “the way Manchester City attack, almost in a 2-2-4-2”. Perhaps England should be worried.

18:53. Tonight's game is of course Roy Hodgson's last chance to assess his squad before their first Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland next week. Does that mean an England team playing for their places at the top of their game, or scared to express themselves for fear of losing?

18:50. Current Norway manager Per-Mathias Høgmo knows his way around the international game - he has captained Norway's u15s, u16s, u17s, u19s, u21s and the women's side over a 25-year managerial career. The 54-year-old took over the senior side last year following a short stint at Djurgårdens of Sweden.

18:46. Neither side has especially covered themselves in glory in the most recent FIFA world rankings - England just squeeze into the top 20, with Norway 33 places below them in 53rd. Not exactly a clash of the titans then, but who doesn't like lower-league football?

18:42. Following a disastrous summer in sunny Brazil, captain Rooney says that England are out for redemption. “The starting eleven is players who – apart from John Stones – were all at the World Cup and felt that disappointment,’’ Rooney said. “I’ve been waiting for this game since the World Cup finished. I’ve been excited for this game, to get back trying to win for England. I’m sure the other lads are as well.’’

18:38. Perhaps the most significant result between these two sides came in the run-up to the 1966 World Cup, which England famously went on to win on home soil. After Harald Sunde gave the underdogs an early lead, Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves scored four of his 44 international goals in a 6-1 win for Alf Ramsey's side. John Connolly and Bobby Moore completed the scoring. England have faced Norway four times in World Cup Qualifying, but never in the finals of a major tournament.

18:35. This will be the first time in more than a decade that an England manager doesn't have to worry about whether Lampard and Gerrard can play together, after the pair announced their international retirements over the summer. Lamps and Stevie G, we salute you.

18:33. However, the Three Lions have some exciting young talents in their ranks. Though Ross Barkley is a long-term absentee, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all started well at club level and a move could be just what the doctor ordered for Danny Welbeck. If the Liverpool trio of Sterling, Sturridge and Henderson can click tonight, there is no reason why England can't get a big score on the board for what is unlikely to be an especially full Wembley.

18:30. With that said, England are also winless in their last five. Their last run-out was a sleep-inducing 0-0 dead rubber with Costa Rica at the World Cup, and their last win was way back in May, with a 3-0 win over the mighty Peru.

18:27. Norway's recent form is uninspiring to say the least, and they haven't won any of their last five friendlies, being thrashed by Poland and France and drawing with Russia, the Czech Republic and most recently the UAE. Odegaard, below, made his debut in that most recent friendly a week ago today.

18:23. There will be some familiar faces in Norway's squad tonight, with Norwich City's Alexander Tettey, Celtic’s Stefan Johansen, Cardiff City’s Mats Moller Daehli and Blackburn Rovers striker Joshua King all having been called up by coach Per-Mathias Hogmo, along with former Blackburn star Morten Gamst Pedersen. However, 15-year-old next big thing Martin Odegaard will have to wait for his second senior cap.

18:20. Norway defender Vegard Forren has added some fuel to the flames already, admitting that facing the England attack is a "scary" prospect while also describing Rooney as "a bit chubby". However, the Molde man also enthused that, "They [the England team] are obviously good players, and many of them are on good form already after three games in the Premier League, but we're looking forward to it."

18:15. Manchester United man Wayne Rooney will lead his nation out for the first time as captain tonight, and he has said he is ready for the occasion. “It’s my time,’’ said the 28-year-old. “I’ve always played my game, been vocal, demanded a lot from myself. I’m harsh on myself, and I’m harsh on my team-mates and demanded a lot from them too. But there is that added responsibility. I don’t know whether it can make you better, but I hope so."

18:13. With five members of Hodgson's team aged 22 or under, England could have a further three debutants with Calum Chambers, Danny Rose and Fabian Delph on the bench. Hodgson is clearly looking to build for the future following the retirements of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard: "This is a team that contains interesting young talent with enormous potential. There will be one or two that wouldn't have played many games. The young ones have to step up to the plate and make certain they don't let themselves down."

18:10. England's newest hero, Jack "Ginger Pirlo" Colback, will miss the game through injury, and Arsenal's new signing Danny Welbeck is also unlikely to feature having been hurt in training.

18:07. Hodgson has already named his starting line-up, and he will hand a first start to Everton defender John Stones. England starting XI: Joe Hart, John Stones, Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Leighton Baines, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney.

18:04. England's last game with Norway was two years ago, and was in fact Roy Hodgson's bow as manager before Euro 2012. Manchester United's Ashley Young scored the only goal of that game early on to give the Three Lions a 1-0 win, and you can look highlights of that game below.

18:02. This will be England's first taste of action since their woeful showings at the World Cup in Brazil, and the first of two matches in this international break. We'll also have live coverage of England - Switzerland on Monday evening, so put it in your diary.

18:00. Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of England's first international since the World Cup, against Norway at Wembley. Kickoff is set for 8pm, so stay tuned for all of the pre-match buildup, analysis and team news, followed by minute-by-minute text commentary here on VAVEL.

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About the author
Sam France
Former Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor at VAVEL UK, part of the VAVEL team 2014-2018.