England v Latvia LIVE: Three Lions pull away from stubborn minnows late on in World Cup qualifier
England 3-0 Latvia: Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions were frustrated for large parts by the minnows but Reece James’s stunning free-kick plus late goals from Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze ensured victory
England beat Latvia 3-0 as 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 the World Cup qualifying campaign.
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 against Albania on Friday, England laboured at times to break down 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 and his deflected shot made it 3-0 in the 76th minute. Favourites England top the group on six points with Albania, who beat Andorra 3-0 in Monday's other fixture, and Latvia on three.
Relive all the action with our live blog below as England beat Latvia at Wembley:
England v Latvia talking points - Tuchel wants more
England won their first match under Thomas Tuchel when they beat Albania in comfortable but unspectacular style on Friday and Tuchel was left wanting more.
He promised a high-octane Premier League style but there were familiar difficulties in breaking down a team with 11 men behind the ball.
The German will expect his side to move the ball quicker and be more aggressive as they begin to get used to his demands.
He said: “We will understand better now, I will understand the players better, so where do they feel confident? Where do we struggle? Why is it for us hard to find more runs and to find more aggressive movements into the very last third?”
Everything you need to know about England v Latvia
Thomas Tuchel will look to build on his first match in charge as England face Latvia in their second World Cup 2026 qualifier.
The Three Lions cruised to a 2-0 win over Albania on Friday in Tuchel’s first outing as England boss, with goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane propelling the German to a victorious start.
They now face Latvia in what is a top of the table clash in Group K, after the visitors beat Andorra 1-0 in the qualifying opener.
England go into the contest as heavy favourites and will be eager to make it a straightforward assignment under the Wembley lights.
Here’s everything you need to know:
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