England earned their first Nations League victory of the campaign with a 2-0 win against 10-man Czechia in Prague, with Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane on target. The result came after a red card for Czechia midfielder Pavel Sulc in the 23rd minute, a decision that reshaped the contest.
Tuchel's tactical gamble pays off
Thomas Tuchel made a surprise decision to start Jude Bellingham among the substitutes, while Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to the starting lineup for only his second appearance under the manager. The defensive unit was completely untested, with Ezri Konsa and Nico O'Reilly sidelined by minor injuries and only Marc Guéhi retained from the back four that faced Spain.
Czechia, beginning a new era under Spanish coach Santi Denia after their World Cup exit, started brightly and were the better team until the sending-off. Morgan Rogers came close in the 16th minute, spinning and sending a shot against the inside of the far post, while Lukas Cerv hit a sweet volley past the post.
Red card changes the game
The turning point came when Sulc made a rash, late challenge on Elliot Anderson. Referee Umut Meler initially showed a yellow card, but after a VAR review and a pitchside monitor check, the decision was upgraded to red. The tackle was in a non-threatening area and there was no outrage from England players, but the slow-motion replays made it look worse.
England dominated possession after the red card but struggled to create clear chances before the interval. Harry Kane extended Matej Kovar in the 45th minute, but that was about all they managed.
Second-half breakthrough
Tuchel made a change at halftime, sending on Eberechi Eze for Myles Lewis-Skelly and switching to a 4-1-4-1 formation. The breakthrough came almost immediately when Alexander-Arnold chased down a loose ball on the right and delivered a whipped cross that bounced once before sitting up for Gordon, whose headed conversion was precise.
Gordon, who was quick and urgent throughout, was the player most likely to spark England. Lewis Hall began to surge up the line, shooting inches wide after a pass back from Gordon, while Ladislav Krejci turned a low cross against the far post.
Kane seals the win and a clean sheet
Kane added the second goal with his 87th for England, drilling a loose ball into the far corner after a break into the box by Rogers. Tuchel brought on Alex Scott for his debut and Rio Ngumoha also came off the bench, with Kovar making a particularly fine save to deny Eze.
The win also delivered a first clean sheet in seven matches for England, who had conceded 13 times in the previous six games. Next up for England is a trip to Croatia on Saturday.
