Five big winners from Thomas Tuchel’s first England game | OneFootball

The Thomas Tuchel era got off to a strong start as England beat Albania 2-0 at Wembley in World Cup Qualifying on Friday evening.

A debut goal from Myles Lewis-Skelly and the familiar sight of Harry Kane hitting the back of the net were enough to hand the Three Lions maximum points, taking their first step toward the World Cup next year in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

There were plenty of faces old and new on show, doing their best to make an impression on their new international manager. So, who were the biggest winners from the German’s first venture into the English dugout?

1. Myles Lewis-Skelly

There are introductions, then there are introductions.

Myles Lewis-Skelly took just 20 minutes to make his presence felt as an England player, opening the scoring with an excellent finish after Jude Bellingham had found his run behind the Albanian defence. The 18-year-old full-back already has as many goals now for England as he does Arsenal but, more prominently, at just 18 years and 176 days old, he is the youngest-ever player to score on his England debut — only Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen have scored for the Three Lions at a younger age overall.

Lewis-Skelly’s performance was about much more than just a goal, though, with the teenager completing 93% of his passes and 100% of his dribbles, while playing nine passes into the final third and making seven recoveries to help the Three Lions shut down Albania.

Few will have expected him to be thrown straight in at the deep end in this international break, but Lewis-Skelly has already proven he’s up to the international task.

After years of problems at left-back, England may now be blessed for years to come as Lewis-Skelly and Lewis Hall battle it out.

2. Dan Burn

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Dan Burn became the oldest England debutant since Kevin Davies picked up his only cap back in 2010 at the age of 33. But where Lewis-Skelly’s youthful vigour made him stand out, it was Burn’s experience and reliability that did the job against Albania.

The Newcastle United man completed a whopping, match-high 135 passes on the night at a 99% success rate, while he rattled the woodwork from a corner just before half-time. Defensively, Burn was almost flawless, making two tackles — winning both — seven clearances, two recoveries and one block, while also winning four of his six aerial duels.

With everybody present and correct, it’s unlikely Burn will start too many games for England. However, his experience and versatility will make him a useful piece for Tuchel, who will walk away from this match with a very good impression of the giant veteran.

On a personal note, this also caps off an incredible week for Burn, who is likely still waking up smiling every morning after scoring the winning goal for Newcastle in the EFL Cup final against Liverpool.

A word here must be given to Ezri Konsa as well, with the Aston Villa man growing into the match and looking excellent, particularly in the second half.

3. Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones probably isn’t smiling about the outcome of that final, but the Liverpool man can be pleased with his efforts here. The Jones-Rice-Bellingham triumvirate is many people’s first-choice England midfield and we got to see it in action here.

Jones didn’t particularly do anything too flash during his 74 minutes on the pitch. Rather, his performance was all about beautiful simplicity and dogged hard work.

The 24-year-old was often one of the first men to get into the face of Albania once the ball was turned over and once it was won back, he used it well, completing 94 of his 99 passes and creating one chance, while he avoided being dispossessed at all.

Again, nothing that’ll show up on a highlights reel, but Jones was solid here and has made an early case to be one of Tuchel’s midfield generals.

4. Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham certainly did bring something flash to this game, providing a stunning through-ball for Lewis-Skelly’s opening goal. But then, it wouldn’t be a game involving Jude Bellingham if he didn’t do something ridiculous, would it?

That was one of two chances Bellingham created on the night, while the Real Madrid man attempted three shots and was only denied a cracking dividing header by a Thomas Strakosha save. Bellingham also played nine passes into the final third, had nine touches in the opposition box and completed two of his three dribbles, proving a menace for the Albanian defence. With eight of nine overall duels won, Bellingham also demonstrated just how much of a physical presence he is.

By his own standards, this was an incredibly quiet evening for Bellingham. And yet, he still played a central role in one of the best moments of the night and always looked on the edge of coming up with another absurd flashpoint.

Tuchel won’t need briefing about the talent he has on his hands here.

5. Harry Kane

With four shots and 1.57 xG, it was only a matter of time before Harry Kane got himself his obligatory goal. And yet, he picked arguably the hardest opportunity to get it, expertly turning and finishing inside the box after missing a couple of easier chances earlier on.

But the best part of Kane’s performance was the way he led the line for the Three Lions, winning all five of his combined aerial and ground duels, having six touches in the opposition box and completing 96% of his passes.

Too many times in the latter half of the Gareth Southgate era, Kane cut an isolated figure, forced to drop deeper and deeper to get involved in the game. Kane still wandered here, but there appeared to be much more zip and purpose to his game, perhaps benefiting from a manager intimately familiar with him from their time together at Bayern Munich.

Kane even had the energy to get involved with England’s press and defensive work, making a tackle, clearance and interception, as well as three recoveries.

He’s 31 years old now, but this was Kane’s most dynamic performance in an England shirt for some time. He’s back.

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