England maintained their perfect record in World Cup qualifying on Thursday evening as Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze scored in a 2-0 win over Serbia at Wembley.
As with most England qualifiers, the game started slowly with the hosts dominating possession and lacking any rhythm. It took a free kick just before the half-hour mark for Tuchel’s side to take the lead as Declan Rice’s pass was blocked before the ball found its way back into the penalty area for Saka who slotted home confidently.
The goal seemed to motivate England with Elliot Anderson significantly, as Harry Kane controlled the match from deep as they entered the break with a goal for Al-Khair.
Realizing they needed at least a point to keep their 2026 World Cup dreams alive, Serbia created plenty in the second 45 minutes for Nemanja Radonjic and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, who were left to rue missed chances.
With the game open with Serbia chasing an equaliser, Jude Bellingham, who had been the story of the game before kick-off, played a pass for Phil Foden to run forward and passed the ball to Eze to score the first goal to secure England’s seventh qualifier win.
Player Ratings:
Jordan Pickford, 7 – Another relatively quiet night against England for Jordan Pickford. He has faced three shots on target, one more than the two he faced during the entirety of England’s qualifiers before tonight. Another clean sheet was secured.
Reece James, 8 – England were strong on the right flank all evening, and James had a big role in that. The Chelsea defender was a consistent option to switch plays and was heavily involved in his team’s most productive attacking area. He was second best in terms of headers into his own penalty area in the second half, and more tough defensive battles will come for the right-back, but after missing international matches in October and with Trent Alexander-Arnold not in the squad, James provided a reminder of his credentials for a place in England’s back four.
John Stones, 7 -Big centre-back of the night, Stones put in a solid display with several progressive passes in the first half. As Serbia got further into the game in the second half, there were a few more moments of worry as a mix-up with partner Ezri Konsa and a deflected cross led to a chance for Vlahovic. As always, Stones looked solid on a night when a desperate Serbia could have caused a few more problems towards the end of the match in London.
Ezri Konsa, 7 Like his defensive partner, Konsa fulfilled his mission on a night when England came away with another clean sheet. His second-half performance was less than ideal as he failed to deal with a long ball just after the hour mark but was saved by the referee’s whistle after committing a simple error on his way.
Nico O’Reilly, 7 – For a 20-year-old on his England debut, O’Reilly looked very comfortable. He was a consistent defensive presence and often found himself moving inside on the left, a trait instilled by Pep Guardiola? Just like England’s right-back position, there is no standout starter on the left yet, so O’Reilly’s debut will no doubt give Tuchel more thought in terms of who starts on the left side of his defense next summer.
Elliot Anderson, 8 – With Declan Rice taking on a more advanced role in recent years, one position that has been a problem for England has been the number six position and with Adam Wharton back in the team, but on the bench against Serbia, the lively Anderson produced an impressive performance at Wembley. He led the team in touches and completed passes as England took the lead in the first half and was constantly looking to push the game forward and make progressive passes from deep. Not far from the Perfect midfielder Thomas Tuchel.
Declan Rice, 7 – You could say that Rice plays for the team that is leading the set-piece revolution in the English Premier League. His passes were outstanding in a slow first half and led to the opening goal after the Serbian goalkeeper failed to clear his lines. He delivered another perfect pass just before half-time with Harry Kane heading wide. As always, he has been involved moving forward as he continues to cement himself as a key cog in England’s midfield.
Bukayo Saka, 8 — Coming into this match, Saka was challenged by his coach to score more goals for England and he did just that on Thursday night. In a relatively simple first half, O’Reilly’s shot from a corner was turned in for Saka who made a difficult finish look all too easy. It was his first goal for England since Euro 2024, a statistic he will no doubt be looking to improve on. He was ever-present on England’s right flank and was always an option, with a couple of 1-2 finishes highlighting the performances that England fans will now want to see consistently from the Arsenal winger.
Morgan Rogers, 6 – Rogers failed to really start in a game where he was given the nod ahead of star player Jude Bellingham in the No.10 role by Tuchel. Barring a few sharp moments and forward passes, the Villa midfielder was unable to put his stamp on the game and slid into the box when given his only relatively clear chance before being substituted for Bellingham on the hour mark.
Marcus Rashford 7 – Rashford’s renaissance in Barcelona seems to have a similar impact on his level in England. He was part of a few good-looking attacks for England on the night and caused his full-back to suffer through a nutmeg in the first half that gave the subdued Wembley crowd something to shout about.
Harry Kane 7 — What position does Harry Kane actually play? One of England’s greatest ever No.9s was a constant presence not in the box, but deep in England’s midfield winning possession and spreading the ball wide with some exhilarating substitutions. Just before exiting the second half, Kane made a sliding tackle on Alexa Terzic to win the ball back inside his own half, a moment that summed up his performance on the night.
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– England 2-0 Serbia: Saka and Eze score in World Cup qualifiers
Alternatives:
God bless you (Download to Rashford, in the 65th minute), 9 – It only took Eze a minute after coming on to show his quality and he was unlucky not to get an assist when his quick feet and quicker ball to Anderson, who was unable to finish, injected some pace into England’s play. He got his reward in the dying embers of the match, after a decisive attacking move, his first-time goal curled the ball into the far corner and sealed England’s seventh victory out of seven in the qualifiers.
Phil Foden (Enter Kane, 65 minutes), 8 — Foden is another substitute who impressed at Wembley and, like Eze, he injected some speed and dynamism into England’s attack, replacing Kane’s No.9 and crossing for Eze to score the winner that sealed the win, and it was with perfect pace for the Arsenal striker who scored it the first time around. Amidst all the Rogers and Bellingham talk of a 10th place finish in England, Foden gave Tuchel a boost after a very good second-half display.
Jude Bellingham (For Rogers, 65 minutes), 6 – 25 minutes of Jude Bellingham being Jude Bellingham. After being left out of the starting line-up, it was clear that the Madrid midfielder was desperate to make an impact. He managed to do so with his ball to Foden that sparked England’s match-winning break. His introduction, once again, adds not only freshness to the side, but an energy that only Billingham truly possesses.
Jordan Henderson (for rice, 65 minutes), 6 – A consistent display from Henderson, as he recirculated the ball well in midfield, as he often does, and without the major attacking threat that England will face against stronger nations, he managed to keep a clean sheet in the heart of midfield.
Adam Wharton (Enter Anderson, 85 minutes) nothing – Only five minutes for Wharton, who looked comfortable and will look to move forward to gain a starting place in Tuchel’s midfield.
