LONDON :England comfortably beat Latvia 3-0 after Reece James and Eberechi Eze both scored their first senior international goals to help make it two wins out of two for Thomas Tuchel’s side in their World Cup qualifying campaign on Monday.
Chelsea right back James, making his first England start since 2022, curled in a sublime free kick to break the deadlock in the 38th minute of the Group K clash at Wembley.
As in the 2-0 win over Albania on Friday, England laboured at times to breach a massed defence but captain Harry Kane doubled the lead in the 68th with a tap-in from Declan Rice’s pass.
Eze then came off the bench for an impressive cameo performance and the winger was rewarded when his mazy run and deflected shot made it 3-0 in the 76th minute.
“It was not an easy match,” Tuchel told ITV. “We saw a lot of good things, created good chances. We needed a free-kick to unlock it. I’m happy with the attitude, energy and desire. We will get there.”
Kane added: “I think there were more patterns of play, more chances than Friday. But again it was tough, playing against 11 behind the ball. Overall we can be pleased with two wins and two clean sheets.”
Favourites England top the group on six points with Albania, who beat Andorra 3-0 in Monday’s other fixture, and Latvia on three. Only the group winners qualify automatically for next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Tuchel was candid in his analysis of England’s display against Albania in his first game on Friday and the German made four changes for the visit of 140th-ranked Latvia, including his former Chelsea right back James replacing Kyle Walker.
STUNNING FREE KICK
The German cut a frustrated figure at times in a first half in which England predictably dominated, had 17 goal attempts and countless wayward crosses but lacked sparkle.
A sure sign of a bored Wembley crowd is for paper aeroplanes to start descending from the stands and a few had already made it onto the pitch when James finally broke through.
After sizing up a free kick from a central position outside the penalty area, James curled a stunning right-foot shot inside the post that gave Latvia’s impressive goalkeeper Krisjanis Zviedris no chance.
“It has been a long time, I have had a frustrating two years,” James, whose international career has been stalled by a succession of injuries, said.
“I’m so happy to be called up by my country again. I saw the wall and felt I could bend it round. I was a bit surprised it hit the net.”
Before that England had a big shout for a penalty turned down by VAR after Zviedris bundled over Jarrod Bowen while the keeper also made a stunning reflex save to deny Ezri Konsa.
Latvia, facing England for the first time, did have the game’s first big chance though as defender Marc Guehi, another of Tuchel’s changes, and keeper Jordan Pickford made a hash of dealing with a long ball and Vladislavs Gutkovskis was left with an empty goal to write his name in Latvian folklore but rushed his shot and hit the side netting.
England continued to huff and puff in the second half – making a total of 41 attempted crosses across the 90 minutes – as Latvia remained disciplined in defence.
However, Kane could not miss as Rice played the ball across the area for the skipper to tuck in his record-extending 71st England goal and effectively settle the contest.
Eze, who replaced the disappointing Bowen, at least enlivened the latter stages with some tricky runs down the left and his goal ensured he was one of the main winners from Tuchel’s second game at the helm.
