LONDON — Thomas Tuchel began his time as England manager with a steady performance on Friday. England secured a 2-0 victory over Albania in their first World Cup qualifying match, with goals in each half.
Myles Lewis-Skelly made a remarkable debut for the national team. He scored the first goal after 19 minutes of England’s strong start, receiving a clever pass from Jude Bellingham through several defenders and calmly scoring his first international goal.
England could have scored more in a dominant first half. Harry Kane had a shot blocked near the goal line, and Dan Burn, also making his debut, came close with a powerful header. However, Albania played better after halftime, finding ways to bypass England’s pressing and trying to attack quickly with their wingers.
As tension grew at Wembley, Harry Kane calmed nerves. He controlled a cross from Declan Rice with a great first touch, then skillfully moved the ball and scored his 70th goal for England into the corner of the net.
Tuchel will face tougher challenges in the future. Over time, we can expect a more developed strategy from him, beyond what seemed like a continuation of Gareth Southgate’s successful qualifying approach. For now, the game offered some interesting tactical adjustments and insights.
1. High Energy Start for England
Even before the game started, you could see Tuchel’s influence in England adopting a Premier League style of play. Kane and Bellingham positioned themselves aggressively near the halfway line. Bellingham’s eagerness caused a false start, showing England’s intent to pressure Albania from the beginning. When the game restarted, England quickly forced Albania into a long clearance.
While attacking tactics were subtly improved, England’s pressing was significantly more noticeable. Declan Rice aggressively moved forward to block a clearance attempt early on, and Phil Foden made a strong sliding tackle to regain possession. Even Kane, known for not being a high-pressing forward recently, worked to cut off passing options.
This energetic approach is a key change from Southgate’s England, who often preferred a more defensive setup, especially in tournaments. This previous strategy was effective defensively but sometimes allowed opponents to organize their defense before England regained possession, leading to slow build-up play against weaker teams. England’s early high-energy approach in this game positively influenced their attacking play.
Tuchel commented, ‘I was pleased with our start and structure, especially in controlling their counter-attacks. We were organized and looked for openings.’
Ninety minutes wasn’t enough to completely erase England’s slower habits, and fatigue in the second half allowed Albania more chances to attack. Ezri Konsa’s excellent defending prevented a potential equalizer. It raises questions about England’s stamina in hot conditions in future tournaments if they maintain this intensity. However, this game was about setting a new tone and bringing a more dynamic, domestic style to England’s play. Tuchel’s team made a positive first step.
2. Bellingham Excels, Foden Under Pressure
England’s attacking play showed promising signs under Tuchel. Curtis Jones and Rice provided a solid midfield base, allowing Bellingham freedom to influence the game. Bellingham’s performances for Real Madrid have demonstrated his effectiveness both with and without the ball, earning him this creative role.
Against Albania, Bellingham focused on creating and progressing play rather than disrupting. He frequently dropped deep to distribute passes to the wings or drive forward into Albania’s defense. Tuchel highlighted this in his post-match comments, noting the importance of Bellingham’s pass that set up Lewis-Skelly’s goal.
However, the same impact wasn’t seen on the wings. Phil Foden had another quiet game. While his defensive work was good, and he linked up nicely with Jones at times, he didn’t have any shots or create chances, and had limited touches in the penalty area compared to other forwards.
Tuchel acknowledged that both wingers, Foden and Marcus Rashford, could be more effective, stating, ‘Both of our wingers were not as impactful as they normally can be, as they are in club football.’ Specifically about Foden, he added, ‘We will encourage him to play to his strengths, take on defenders, and dribble, as we instructed him from the right wing today.’
Foden has been given considerable opportunities for England, but after 43 appearances, it’s questionable how many times he has replicated his consistent Manchester City form for his country. With Bukayo Saka set to return and Cole Palmer also competing, Foden faces increasing competition for a starting place.
If Saka secures the right-wing spot and Bellingham continues to shine, the left-wing position, where Foden struggled at the Euros and Rashford was instructed to play wide, becomes the main point of contention. Tuchel is aware of Foden’s past struggles on the left. Time may be running out for Foden to prove his value to the England team.
3. Left-Back Problem Solved?
Just when it seemed England might have ongoing issues at left-back – a position with few consistent stars this century apart from Ashley Cole and Luke Shaw – a promising young player has emerged. Miles Lewis-Skelly, the youngest player to score on his England debut, played at Wembley with the same confidence and skill he’s shown at club level. It was only recently that Erling Haaland reportedly asked the Arsenal youngster who he was in a dismissive way.
However, Lewis-Skelly and the wider football world are quickly recognizing his talent. Since an incident that marked his Premier League debut, Lewis-Skelly has potentially overtaken experienced players to become Arsenal’s preferred left-back. He has responded strongly to Haaland’s comments, handled media attention, and quickly earned his place in the England squad. This is impressive for a player who only started playing left-back recently under Mikel Arteta in preseason.
‘He is fearless,’ said his Arsenal teammate Declan Rice. ‘He does everything professionally off the pitch, and he’s only 18. I expected him to play like this tonight because of his confidence. He’s grounded, and this is just the beginning for him.’
This assessment seems accurate. Although it’s early to definitively assign an 18-year-old to one position, there’s a strong case for both Arsenal and England to continue playing Lewis-Skelly at left-back. He offers a wide range of skills from that position. Leading up to his goal, Lewis-Skelly positioned himself on the left of a back three in build-up, then advanced like a wing-back beyond Marcus Rashford, and also joined the attack as an inside forward. It’s understandable why Albania didn’t anticipate the threat.
When Tuchel wanted to increase attacking presence, he instructed Lewis-Skelly to move higher, becoming an attacking midfielder ‘because we wanted to take more risks and get closer to players.’ From left-back, England gains a defensive midfielder, a ball progressor, and a defender all in one player. It’s easy to foresee debates about whether Tuchel and Arteta should move Lewis-Skelly back to midfield to maximize his impact, similar to discussions around Trent Alexander-Arnold. Yet, Lewis-Skelly is consistently making a significant positive impact at left-back. Why change what’s working so well?
