But when England did so at Wembley on Saturday, it served to turn up the temperature for this trip to Czechia. England have form for finding it difficult at this compact stadium. Remember the European Championship qualifier here in 2019 when they lost 2-1?
It was not easy at first. Thomas Tuchel shuffled his pack, making the surprise decision to start Jude Bellingham among the substitutes. It was all a little angsty and Czechia, for whom this is the dawn of a new era under the Spaniard Santi Denia after their World Cup wipeout, dared to dream of another upset.
It was a rash challenge in the 23rd minute by Pavel Sulc on Elliot Anderson, late and high, albeit nothing overtly nasty. The referee, Umut Meler, showed the Czechia midfielder a yellow card and on we went. Yet the VAR was not happy and when Meler was called to the pitchside monitor, everybody knew what was coming next.
It was a red card to disfigure the contest but Tuchel was not complaining. His players made the most of the decision to get their Nations League campaign up and running with the standout moment being provided by Tuchel’s headline selection. Trent Alexander-Arnold was in from the cold at the outset for only his second appearance under Tuchel; the first was as a substitute against Andorra in the summer of last year.
It was the Real Madrid player who helped to unlock the stalemate at the beginning of the second half, his whipped cross made to measure for Anthony Gordon. Harry Kane added the second with his 87th England goal and, after all the focus on England’s defensive vulnerability, there was the bonus for Tuchel of a first clean sheet in seven matches. The team had conceded 13 times in the previous six.
It did not start particularly well. By the end, it was a stroll. The inclusion of Alexander-Arnold at right-back was the wildcard.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
