- Controversial penalty decision; Kane shines late.
- Experimental midfield faces challenges.
- England’s lackluster performance despite lead.
An instance that perhaps best exemplified the toothless nature of England for extended periods during this certain triumph over the fourth-worst team in Europe was when they managed to summon their initial shot on target in the 64th minute. It originated with Trent Alexander-Arnold and was routine for Henry Bonello, the custodian for Malta.
England had held the lead since Enrico Pepe’s own goal in the eighth minute, which was induced by the best player on the field, Phil Foden. However, everything was a touch mundane, as Gareth Southgate’s squad did not need to overexert themselves and did not.
With qualification for the European Championship finals the previous summer firmly established and the campaign no longer in jeopardy, the inability to score goals made it difficult to feel overly enraged. The enormous audience at Wembley did not. They were at ease as England essentially performed the bare minimum.
Assured Seed Placement for Group Draw
At this time, England’s placement among the best seeds for the group phase draw on 2 December is virtually assured. Monday evening’s final qualifier in North Macedonia, which a nine-goal loss would merely avert, would not succeed in achieving the objective that Southgate had established for this international break.
Harry Kane was enraged to receive a yellow card for a lunge inside the penalty area in the 28th minute, as judge Luís Godinho deemed it. The foul occurred in seen-them-given territory, as the contact with Bonello was evident. However, the England captain could not help but beam when he scored the second goal after a brilliant team move – one that, in all honesty, stood out for its originality.
Beginning with an experimental midfield, Southgate placed holding midfielder Jordan Henderson, flanked by Alexander-Arnold and Conor Gallagher, elevated above them.
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Henderson performed subpar, as evidenced by the audible booing that accompanied his substitution, whereas Gallagher perceived it as a wasted opportunity. He withdrew during halftime. The demise of Alexander-Arnold was a turning point.
Malta’s Early Scare and England’s Recovery
It was unexpected to learn that Malta could have scored within the first minute; Teddy Teuma fizzed a low drive inches past Jordan Pickford’s post after Matthew Guillaumier robbed Gallagher and passed the ball to him. Even if that was not in England’s script, what ensued in the near future was more accurate.
As was his manner of pursuing, Foden’s initial contact, which propelled the ball into the inside-right channel for himself to pursue, was instinctive. To enter the area, he activated the afterburners. He believed the cutback had been executed, but it missed Kane and struck Pepe before soaring past Bonello. Pepe can claim to have struck a goal at Wembley.
Although Foden displayed deft moves and surges, England’s performance in the opening half was unremarkable, devoid of precision and incision. The attendees tossed paper aeroplanes and executed Mexican waves. Malta demonstrated to England that they were up against a physical challenge, despite the fact that a few of their challenges were a bit excessive in nature, as they maintained their form and managed to make a few inroads.
Controversial Penalty Decision and Second-Half Changes
The pivotal moment occurred when Godinho elected to disregard Kane’s penalty appeal. It was an improper course of action, and it was excessive to advise him. After Bonello was heavily touched on a backpass, Kane darted in and positioned his trailing leg behind him in anticipation of the subsequent contact, which he received.
In order to provide England with a boost in the second half, Southgate substituted two of his essential players, Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka, for Fikayo Tomori and Gallagher. Tomori had been asked to play out of position at left-back. Tomori did manage to withstand two vicious collisions. England’s defender of choice was Marc Guéhi, who maintained composure and intuition throughout.
There was a marginal deviation in Southgate’s starting midfield configuration from the 4-2-3-1 formation that he had recently experimented with. Both the injured Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice were substituted in the 61st minute after missing time due to injury. Southgate would have been irritated by the manner in which Malta managed to circumvent his midfield on occasion.
Rashford’s Challenges and Late Substitutions
Tonight did not belong to Marcus Rashford. He was stuck between the Malta captain and Joseph Mbong after nutmegging Steve Borg, unable to gain pace. He fell, but there was no penalty. Thankfully, he was not scheduled.
When Alexander-Arnold got the ball and rushed forward, he collided with Rashford, who had blocked the route. After needing treatment, Cole Palmer replaced Marcus Rashford, who was making his debut.
Southgate promoted Foden to the No. 10 position following the interval, and he contributed to the second goal by substituting for Saka for the first time following effective approach work by Alexander-Arnold and Walker. Saka then delivered a pass to Kane that was both shrewd and selfless.
Kane scored his 62nd England goal easily, and Rice was denied his third. Midway through the Malta half, he surged forward and, with the red shirts retreating, cut inside before slicing past Bonello from outside the box. Unfortunately for him, the VAR had detected that Kane, who was in an offside position, had deflected off the shot.
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