England beat Andorra 2-0 at Villa Park to continue their 100% record in 2026 World Cup qualifying, but there are plenty of improvements needed for next week's vital game in Serbia
19:37, 06 Sep 2025Updated 19:46, 06 Sep 2025
Thomas Tuchel expected more from his England players against Andorra
Thomas Tuchel expected more from his England players against Andorra(Image: Getty Images)
England secured a 2-0 victory over Andorra at Villa Park and maintained their steady march towards next year's World Cup but Thomas Tuchel's squad failed to set the pitch alight.
The Three Lions - featuring no less than four Arsenal players in their starting line-up - netted in both halves, with an own goal by Christian Garcia giving them a lead before the break. Arsenal's Declan Rice - given more room to manoeuvre with newcomer Elliot Anderson holding the fort in midfield - nodded in a second after half-time.
Despite creating opportunities in the second half, England's performance was largely underwhelming and wasteful. They got the job done and now boast four wins from four in World Cup qualifying. But they'll need to up their game for Tuesday night's clash with Serbia, which promises to be a tougher challenge.
Speaking after the game, Tuchel said: "I think we missed the little moments to accelerate the game. Maybe Ebz [Eberechi Eze] didn't have his best day in the number 10, the last pass from Noni [Madueke] wasn't clinical enough and Rashford had good moments but couldn't finish them. It's stuff that can happen against a narrow team. The second goal should have come earlier because it gave us a lot of freedom." Here are the player ratings from Villa Park.
England (4-3-3)
Harry Kane and Noni Madueke of England celebrate the first goal
Harry Kane and Noni Madueke of England celebrate the first goal(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
Jordan Pickford
Mostly a bystander, but kept on his toes by a couple of dodgy back passes. 6.
Reece James
Clearly Tuchel's preferred right back, and his assist for Rice's goal showed why. 7.
Marc Guehi
Needed a rest after a tumultuous week. Managed to take it easy. 6.
Dan Burn
Looked at ease and is clearly one of Tuchel's go-to players. Solid performance. 6.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Hasn't been starting for Arsenal and didn't really grab his opportunity. 6.
Elliot Anderson of England really impressed on his senior debut
Elliot Anderson of England really impressed on his senior debut(Image: 2025 The FA)
Elliot Anderson
England's standout player. Made a strong impression on his debut, staking a claim for the No.6 role. 8.
Declan Rice
Lifted spirits with a well-executed header in the second half. 7.
Eberechi Eze
A bit sluggish and squandered a few significant opportunities. A disappointing performance. 6.
Noni Madueke
Dynamic on the right wing. He's certainly securing his place for the World Cup. 7.
Marcus Rashford
Started strong but gradually faded. Missed a crucial opportunity in the second half. 5.
Marcus Rashford didn't do enough in front of goal
Marcus Rashford didn't do enough in front of goal(Image: Getty Images)
Harry Kane
He must have anticipated scoring some goals - but was largely thwarted. 6.
Substitutes
Anthony Gordon
Replaced Rashford, 68 mins, 6.
Tino Livramento
Replaced James, 68 mins, 6.
Morgan Rogers
Replaced Rice, 68 mins, 6.
Ezri Konsa
Replaced Guehi 76 mins. 6.
Morgan Gibbs-White
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Replaced Eze, 78 mins. 6.