More

    Soccer News: England 4-0 Andorra: Lingard paves the way to keep the Three Lions perfect

    England maintained their record of 100% in World Cup qualifiers with a 4-0 win over Andorra at Wembley on Sunday.

    Gareth Southgate made 11 changes to the team that won in Hungary by the same score, with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield and Patrick Bamford making his full debut in attack.

    Jesse Lingard broke the deadlock after 18 minutes, but it was only in the last quarter of the match that the Euro 2020 finalists finally pulled out the scoresheet, Harry Kane scored a penalty before Lingard pushed home a smart second.

    Bukayo Saka headed late in the fourth half from Lingard’s cross after England surprised Andorra with a quick corner.

    Lingard, who has only played four minutes for Manchester United this season, was in the mood to impress right from the start. He casually finished with his left foot after Saka’s cross was directed in his path, and only the offside flag denied him a second quick when he crossed and lobbed goalkeeper Josep Gomes.

    Bamford nearly provided a debut assist for Conor Coady, his header being hooked by the Wolves defender from six yards.

    Reece James crashed with a nice shot on the crossbar early in the second half but, with Andorra keeping the home team at bay, Southgate turned to Kane, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount from the bench.

    This was the trio that ultimately led to England’s second goal: Grealish and Mount combined well, the Chelsea man was bundled up in Christian Garcia’s area and Kane converted from the spot.

    Lingard had a quieter second half, but scored 3-0 with 12 minutes left, a striker from the edge of the area confusing goalkeeper Gomes and finding the bottom right corner.

    And it was the United man who delivered a precise cross to Saka to nod in the fourth, the Arsenal winger who celebrated his 20th birthday in style.

    What does it mean? England comfortably on track for Qatar

    With five wins from five games and just one goal conceded, England lead Group I by six points and their place in the World Cup is now within reach.

    This simple win also allowed Southgate to offer some fringe players a chance to impress as he experimented with his lineup, Alexander-Arnold and James credentials in midfield, perhaps something to consider for tough matches.

    Andorra, with a win in the five qualifiers, is fifth in the group.

    Lingard looks lively

    Despite the lack of action at the club level, Lingard seemed sharp and eager to impress, catching his two chances very well and completing all but six of his passes.

    He hopes to have caught the attention not only of Southgate, but also of United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ahead of the resumption of the Premier League next weekend. There was something definite about its Cristiano Ronaldo-style celebration after it opened.

    A missed opportunity to impress?

    Even though the game was something of an exercise in possession – England had 90% of the ball – there was discussion that someone could have done more to get Southgate’s attention.

    Bamford had just 17 touches in his 62 minutes on the pitch, while Alexander-Arnold failed to create a scoring opportunity until the 89th minute.

    What’s next?

    England will face a much tougher test against Poland in Warsaw on Wednesday. Andorra will visit Ferenc Puskas stadium to face Hungary.

    Related articles

    Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Share article

    Latest articles