Losing to Spain can happen to any side, but England’s defeat at Wembley on Saturday increased the pressure ahead of their visit to Czechia. England had already experienced problems at this tight venue, most notably in a 2-1 European Championship qualifying loss in 2019.
The opening stages were difficult. Thomas Tuchel reshaped his team and unexpectedly left Jude Bellingham on the bench. England looked uneasy, while Czechia—beginning a fresh chapter under Spanish coach Santi Denia after missing out on the World Cup—started to believe another surprise victory was possible.
The match changed in the 23rd minute when Pavel Sulc made a late, high challenge on Elliot Anderson. Although the tackle did not appear deliberately malicious, referee Umut Meler initially issued a yellow card. VAR intervened, however, and once Meler went to review the incident on the pitchside screen, a harsher decision seemed inevitable.
The resulting red card damaged the contest as a spectacle, but Tuchel had no reason to object. England took advantage of their numerical superiority and began their Nations League campaign with a win, highlighted by the contribution of one of the manager’s most notable selections.
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to the starting lineup for only his second appearance under Tuchel, having previously featured as a substitute against Andorra the previous summer. Early in the second half, the Real Madrid player helped break the deadlock by delivering a precise, driven cross for Anthony Gordon.
Harry Kane scored the second goal, taking his international total to 87. After recent concerns about England’s defensive weaknesses, Tuchel could also celebrate the team’s first clean sheet in seven games, following 13 goals conceded across the previous six. A difficult start eventually turned into a comfortable victory.
Alexander-Arnold’s selection at right-back was the unexpected element of the lineup. His presence gave the team a different dimension, while Marc Guéhi was the only defender retained from the match against Spain. Minor injuries ruled out Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly, leaving Trevoh Chalobah in central defence and Lewis Hall at left-back in a completely unfamiliar back line.
England struggled to find rhythm early on. Careless mistakes, inaccurate passing and a lack of control in possession created concern, while the defence occasionally appeared exposed. Before the dismissal, Czechia were the stronger side.
England’s best early opportunity arrived in the 16th minute when Gordon collected a sharp pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly and delivered a low cross to Morgan Rogers. Starting in place of Bellingham, Rogers turned and struck the inside of the far post. Czechia also threatened: Sulc nearly capitalised when Anderson misread a high ball, Lukas Cerv sent a clean volley narrowly wide, and Sulc later chose the wrong option before Guéhi and Chalobah closed him down.
Sulc’s dismissal proved costly, particularly because the challenge was made in an area that posed little danger to Czechia. He stretched too far while attempting to reach the ball, but the force did not initially seem extreme and England’s players showed little outrage. After reviewing the footage, Meler decided the tackle met the standard for a red card, with the slow-motion replay making the contact appear more severe.
Czechia’s attacking threat largely disappeared after going down to 10 players, allowing England to control possession. Even so, Tuchel’s side created little before half-time. Kane latched on to another penetrating Lewis-Skelly pass and tested Matej Kovar in the 45th minute, but there were few other meaningful chances.
Tuchel ended the first half angrily protesting to the fourth official after a decision went against Bukayo Saka. At the break, he reorganised the team into a 4-1-4-1 and replaced Lewis-Skelly with Eberechi Eze. Lewis-Skelly had been booked in the 35th minute for a forceful challenge on Cerv, prompting Czech appeals for a red card. The foul did not warrant dismissal, but Tuchel chose not to risk another booking.
England found the breakthrough almost immediately after the restart, with Alexander-Arnold playing the decisive role. When Czechia surrendered possession cheaply, he pressed on the right, regained control and delivered a fast, low cross. The ball bounced once before reaching Gordon, who guided an accurate header into the corner. It was a deserved reward for England’s most energetic and threatening attacker.
The opening goal allowed England to settle, and their performance improved considerably. Hall began making dangerous runs down the flank, shooting narrowly wide after receiving a return pass from Gordon. He also supplied a low cross that Ladislav Krejci diverted against the far post. Kane’s goal eventually arrived when Rogers drove into the penalty area and the captain fired the loose ball into the far corner.
Tuchel introduced Alex Scott for his international debut, and the midfielder produced an encouraging display. Fellow substitute Rio Ngumoha also impressed after entering the game. England had opportunities to add further goals, with Kovar making an excellent save to stop Eze. Their next match is away to Croatia on Saturday.
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