England secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Andorra in World Cup qualifying at Villa Park, maintaining their perfect record in Group K. Thomas Tuchel named four Arsenal players in his starting XI for the clash, fielding Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice against the minnows.
An own goal from Christian Garcia in the 25th minute opened the scoring before Declan Rice doubled the lead with a header in the 67th minute. The victory extends England's remarkable run to four wins from four matches in the group ahead of Tuesday's crucial clash with Serbia.
Debut delight and standout displays
Elliot Anderson enjoyed an impressive England debut, pulling the strings in midfield and demanding the ball throughout the match. The Newcastle midfielder was involved in the build-up for the opening goal and nearly scored himself in the second half, only to be denied by a remarkable save.
Noni Madueke proved one of England's brightest performers, causing problems down the right flank all evening. His sumptuous cross led to the own goal that gave England their opener, while he consistently troubled the Andorra defence with his pace and directness.
Reece James excelled at right-back, providing the assist for England's second goal and consistently threatening down the flank. His low cross into the six-yard box on 23 minutes caused chaos and led to Eze's blocked effort, while he linked up effectively with Madueke throughout.
Clinical finishing concerns
Harry Kane endured a particularly frustrating evening, wasting multiple chances including a gilt-edged opportunity from James' cross in the 23rd minute. The England captain looped a header over the bar before half-time and missed another clear chance in the 73rd minute.
Only The i reports that Kane completed just two passes from eight attempts in 90 minutes, earning a rating of 4/10 for his poor display. Eze was similarly wasteful in the number 10 position, failing to convert chances just before half-time and early in the second half.
Marcus Rashford also squandered a clear opportunity in the second period when he should have hit the target. The Manchester United forward showed flashes of quality but gave the ball away several times during an inconsistent performance.
Routine victory raises questions
England dominated proceedings with complete control against opponents ranked 174th in the FIFA rankings. The i reports that England enjoyed 83% possession but struggled to create meaningful chances for the first 25 minutes.
Andorra failed to register a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. According to The i, Andorra have not scored in 15 competitive matches spanning over two years, accumulating 23 hours and eight minutes of goalless game time.
The comfortable victory maintains England's exceptional World Cup qualifying record. Only The i reports that England are unbeaten in 35 World Cup qualifiers since their October 2009 defeat to Ukraine, highlighting their dominance in this competition.
Sources used: "Metro", "The i", "Guardian" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
