Lee Carsley made it two wins from his first two games in charge of England as his side beat a stubborn Finland 2-0 at Wembley Stadium. A goalless first half was followed by a much-improved second, in which England cruised to victory.
After 55 minutes of relentless probing, The Three Lions finally took the lead through captain Harry Kane, who was making his 100th appearance in an England shirt. His finish came after some excellent footwork, leaving two Finnish defenders in his wake.
Not long after, Kane had doubled his and England’s tally, confirming the win. Substitute and debutant Noni Madueke squeezed the ball to the Bayern Munich forward, who finished nicely.
A successful start to the new regime, but who were the standout performers as England maintained their unbeaten start to the U EFA Nations League?
Jordan Pickford – 6
The Everton shot-stopper did not have much to do tonight, but his passing was excellent. He seemed more advanced than usual, often joining the centre-backs when they had the ball.
Despite the opposition not being of the highest calibre, this was one of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s best performances in an England shirt.
He got the assist for Kane’s first goal and in some style. The Liverpool full-back also delivered a beautiful pass to Madueke, who set up Kane’s second.
Trent seems to thrive in this free-flowing system under Carsley, and he may be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the change in the dugout.
John Stones – 6
The England defence was not put under much pressure at Wembley; whenever Finland did manage to counter, Stones dealt with it well.
Ezri Konsa - 6
The Aston Villa defender looked okay. He did give the ball away for one of Finland's counterattacks, but other than that, he was solid. It looked as though he had picked up an injury, so Villa fans will be waiting with bated breath for an update.
Rico Lewis - 7
It was just the 19-year-old's second England start, but he looked as though he had been playing for his country for years.
He seemed to fit into Carsley's new system like a glove. He helped his side control the game in deeper areas and always tried to get the ball forward.
Declan Rice - 6
This was not quite as dominative a performance as against the Republic of Ireland for Declan Rice. Rasmus Schüller dispossessed him and very nearly gave Finland the lead in the first half.
His passing was fine but not quite as crisp as a few days ago.
Angel Gomes - 8
This was Angel Gomes’ first start for England after his surprising call-up to the senior squad, and the Manchester United academy graduate was absolutely excellent.
He was the metronome of the side, constantly keeping the ball moving, and his passes always seemed to come off. Anytime the diminutive midfielder was put under any pressure by the opposition, he dealt with it with aplomb.
Off the ball, he was vital in leading the England press and never ran out of energy. He took up some intriguing positions all over the pitch throughout the game. If he can maintain his club form, there is no reason Gomes should not be in the squad for the next set of internationals in October.
Bukayo Saka - 6
Not Bukayo Saka’s best performance. There were a couple of occasions where the Arsenal winger should have passed but instead opted to shoot. Undoubtedly, Arsenal fans would have been cursing Lee Carsley for starting their Starman ahead of this weekend's North London derby.
Jack Grealish looks like a man reborn under Lee Carsley. The Brummy has been given the licence to roam the pitch and operate in pockets of space rather than sticking to one area.
He caused the Finnish defence headaches by popping up all over the place. It will be interesting to see what happens when Jude Bellingham returns to the fold.
Anthony Gordon - 7
Anthony Gordon was the Three Lions' best player in the first half. The scouser looked dangerous whenever he got the ball, bobbing and weaving through a rigid Finnish backline.
He Quietened off in the second half before being taken off, but it was an excellent audition for the lively winger.
Harry Kane – 8
What more is there to say about Harry Kane?
On his 100th appearance for England, he was the star of the show, scoring two great goals and could very well have had a third had he not strayed fractionally offside.
Carsley’s selections- such as Gordon, Gomes and Grealish- take the workload off England’s talisman and allow him to preserve his energy to do what he does best: score goals.
Once again, his preference for dropping deep was seen as an asset, and he played some sumptuous balls forward.
Another Stupendous night underneath the arches for Harry Kane.
Levi Colwill – 6
The Chelsea academy graduate came on with 30 minutes to go but had very little to do.
Noni Madueke – 7
Madueke has had an electric start to the Premier League season, and that form carried over to his England debut.
He took over from Saka on the right-hand side of the pitch and seemed eager to make a good impression. He looked confident with the ball at his feet and desperate to beat his man. His pass for Kane’s second goal was a smart one.
It's a promising start for an immensely talented player.
Eberechi Eze – 5
Eberechi Eze came on at the same time as Madueke but failed to make the same impact. He was shrugged off the ball far too easily and, when he got into the box, made the wrong choice on several occasions.
Jarrod Bowen – 6
Marc Guéhi - 6
Lukas Hradecky – 8
Lukas Hradecky has long been considered one of the world's most underrated goalkeepers, and tonight he showed why. Had the Bayer Leverkusen man not been between the sticks tonight, the home side could have had four or five.
He made excellent saves to deny Alexander-Arnold, Saka and Kane in the first half and stopped an acrobatic effort from England’s skipper in the second period, too.
The experienced keeper looked very assured with the ball at his feet.
Adam Ståhl – 5
He played his role in forming a solid Finnish backline, but Gordon tore him to shreds in the first half, and his centre-backs had to rescue him on numerous occasions.
Arttu Hoskonen – 7
Arttu Hoskonen was Finland’s best outfield player by a country mile. The Cracovia defender dealt with some dangerous crosses very well and put in some fantastic challenges to halt England’s momentum.
Robert Ivanov – 6
The 29-year-old, who plays in Germany’s second division, also had a rather impressive night.
He dealt with one or two long balls very well and kept Kane quiet for the first 45 minutes.
Jere Uronen – 6
Did not see much action, as the ball was on the other side of the pitch for the most part. The experienced fullback was brought off at halftime.
Matti Peltola – 6
Another player who quietly impressed was Matti Peltola. He was disciplined off the ball and always seemed eager to advance play when his side had it.
Glen Kamara – 5
One of the names that English viewers may have been familiar with, given his time at Rangers and Leeds United.
Glen Kamara struggled to get involved with the game, and his presence was never felt.
Topi Keskinen – 5
Topi Keskinen may have sleepless nights over the chance he squandered early in the first half. Had he played the ball to Teemu Pukki, it would have been a certain goal. Instead, he opted for glory and blazed it over the bar.
Rasmus Schüller – 6
Schüller’s brilliantly timed tackle on Rice very nearly led to a Finland goal, an impressive display from the veteran.
Teemu Pukki – 5
The Norwich City legend had difficulty getting involved in the game, as the ball was predominantly with England’s attackers. Pukki was brought off at halftime.
Fredrik Jensen – 5
Similarly to Pukki, Jensen did not see the ball enough to impact the game.
Ilmari Niskanen – 5
The only player in the Finland squad plying his trade in England. Exeter City’s defender had a tough time as he came on after halftime as England really turned the screw.
Benjamin Källman – 5
Benjamin Källman -like the rest of the Finland forwards- had nowhere enough of the ball to contribute to the game meaningfully.
Robin Lod – 5
Came on for the last 30 minutes but hardly touched the ball.
Oliver Antman – 6
Leo Walta - 6
