England earned their first win of the Nations League campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Prague. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scored in the second half as the Three Lions overcame a 10-man host side, which had Pavel Sulc sent off in the 25th minute.
Thomas Tuchel made four changes from the side that lost to Spain on Saturday, bringing in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Trevoh Chalobah, Lewis Hall and Morgan Rogers. Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Nico O'Reilly and Jude Bellingham dropped out.
Red card changes the game
Elliot Anderson was on the receiving end of a high, out-of-control challenge by Sulc, whose studded, shin-high tackle was upgraded from a yellow card to a red after a VAR review. The Czech Player of the Year headed straight down the tunnel without complaint.
Before that, both sides created chances. Morgan Rogers hit the woodwork, Harry Kane failed to sort his feet out in time, Elliot Anderson saw an effort blocked and Bukayo Saka was denied by Jiri Slama's block, all within seconds. Anderson's earlier complacency in possession was not punished, as he was bailed out by James Trafford.
Second-half breakthrough
Tuchel introduced Eberechi Eze for Myles Lewis-Skelly at half-time in a push for a breakthrough. While Eze played no key part, England took the lead through Gordon's header just seconds after the restart. Alexander-Arnold latched onto a loose ball and whipped a cross into the Barcelona winger's path to nod into the far corner.
The Real Madrid right-back has struggled for form and fitness since leaving Liverpool last summer and was left out of Tuchel's World Cup squad. England were a whisker away from a second when Hall's delivery was turned onto the post by Ladislav Krejci, taking the ball off the toes of Rogers.
Kane seals the win
Kane fired in a low, left-footed effort across the goalkeeper and into the far corner with 20 minutes left to seal the win. The victory puts England's first points on the board of the Nations League campaign after their opening defeat to Spain.
