England bounced back from their 3-2 defeat to Spain in their UEFA Nations League opener, with a 2-0 win against a ten-man Czech Republic, with Anthony Gordon continuing to be a man in form.
Whilst it was first starts for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Lewis Hall, who made a case to continue in their full-back roles, both played a key part in England's first win of the Nations League.
Anthony Gordon is becoming undroppable
Three out of three for the 25-year-old who is playing his best football right now. He has scored in three consecutive games in an England shirt and continues to prove his case to be a permanent name in the first eleven.
He's full of confidence and motivation and has stepped up since his move to Barcelona, where he's made a fast start in La Liga, with four assists for the Catalans too and a 2.1x xG.
He was a constant threat against the Czech Republic, driving into the box and combining it with his quality and imagination, which have also improved since his move to Barça. He scored the opener against the Czech, just like he did against Spain.
His speed and creativity have made him a driving force for England on the wing, and with the right players around him, a great attacking player to pick out.
Lewis Hall shows value at left-back
After being snubbed for the World Cup back in the summer and not getting the chance to play against Spain, the Newcastle United left-back finally got the chance he had been waiting for.
Over the last year, Hall has proven he is one of the best left-backs in the country.
Even this season, Hall has consistently delivered for Newcastle, being a defensive force and progressive in attack, as he did on Tuesday night against the Czech Republic.
He made clearances where he could and kept moving the ball forward, showing instant chemistry with his former Newcastle teammate Gordon, which benefited the team overall.
Alexander-Arnold provides attacking impact
Alexander-Arnold was also back in the England squad for the first time under Thomas Tuchel, and it was his first start since October 13th 2024, under interim manager Lee Carsley.
Although his defensive work was shaky and he was sloppy in possession, he was key to unlocking England's first goal: a world-class cross into Gordon, who headed it in.
That is just one example of what Alexander-Arnold is capable of. At the same time, fans and pundits alike can debate his defensive ability; there is no denying his eye for a cross and his ability to pick out a player in a good area.
To break up a low block or stubborn defence, Alexander-Arnold can play a ball over the top and send someone through on goal, or keep the attack moving forward.
England too slow in the attacking build-up
England didn't pick up the pace fully until after the Czech went down to ten men after Petar Sucic was sent off for a foul on Elliot Anderson.
When it was 11 vs 11, England were at times slow, didn't play the ball quickly enough, and didn't pose a threat in the Czech half.
Even with the man advantage, they didn't create enough sharp, attacking threats to break down the Czech defence. Morgan Rogers had the best chance in the first half, despite hitting the post and Bukayo Saka missing the rebound.
It picked up in the second half, but not enough to make England a convincing attacking threat; they got the two goals but cooled off, and given their attacking quality, the tempo needed to be quick, threatening, and direct.
It wasn't the classic case of sitting back and holding their shape; at times, they took too long or didn't play the first ball right away.
They played less on the front foot and lacked energy compared to their display against Spain, where they kept going and piled on continued pressure, making the opposition uncomfortable.
That didn't seem to be there against the Czech.
