England 5 – 0 Czech Republic: An English hat-trick at Wembley

England played for the first time last night since they came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 on the 18th November at Wembley in the Nations League. The win that night made it three straight international wins on the trot and four wins in six games since that defeat to Belgium in the Third Place Play-Off game at the World Cup.

Now they are back in action in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers and they made it four straight wins on the trot as they beat a woeful Czech Republic side by five goals to nil. Even though the Czechs had won three of their last four games and conceded just two goals under new manager Jaroslav Silhavy since he took over.

England were rampant from the off with Jadon Sancho starting his first competitive England games alongside returning players to the team like Keane, Alli and Henderson. Kane and Sterling were looking good too and although some of England’s build up play was good with slick, quick passing they never really tested Pavlenka in the Czech goal.

Then though, on twenty-three minutes the Three Lions took the lead after a brilliant move involving England’s front three. Substitute Barkley, who was on for an injured Dier, received a pass from Henderson, who in turn found Kane. He turned and slid in Sancho down the right-hand side and all he had to do was look up and see Sterling unmarked in the middle. Great goal.

That was it then until literally the final kick of the first-half when Harry Kane smashed in from the penalty spot after Sterling had been blocked and bundled to the ground by two Czech Republic defenders.

Into the second-half and the Czech Republic had their best two chances right at the start of the half but were not clinical enough to convert them. They were then punished as Sterling grabbed two goals in quick succession, one with a curling left-footed shot and the other a long-range right-footed effort that took a massive deflection. The match ball was his though and a first England hat-trick at Wembley since Jermain Defoe in 2010.

Callum Hudson-Odoi replaced Sterling to come on for his England debut and it was his shot that Pavlenka saved, but Tomas Kalas then knocked the rebound into the back of his own net to make it 5-0 to England with five minutes to go.

The England team have already connected back with the majority of the English public and the players look as excited to be playing for their country as I’ve even them. Southgate and the coaches staff have done an excellent job and the fans like you and I are just as excited to be watching them perform.

After a win like that surely we can starting believing even more, without getting carried away, that we could actually go on and win some major trophy. We can only hope of course, but everything is looking good and the belief the players have can only put them in good stead for future fixtures. Starting with a tough test away in an hostile Montenegro on Monday night.