BY ANDY MCSTEEN
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi could not hide his happiness after seeing Crystal Palace team-mate Eberechi Eze open up his scoring account for England in their 3-0 win over Latvia at Wembley on Monday.
The result was the second win in two 2026 World Cup Qualification games, with the South London pair both getting their first minutes under new boss Thomas Tuchel.
“Ebz – my mate. I’m over the moon for him,” said a beaming Guehi to BBC Radio 5 Live after the game.
“Maybe [he’s feeling] a little bit of relief [as] every time he’s come on, he’s had a big chance. I’m glad that one’s gone in for him. He’s someone who’s extremely humble, someone who works extremely hard, always smiling, always joyful around the place and an amazing talent. I’m glad for him and his family that they got to experience that today.”
Latvia, ranked 140th in the world rankings, are 136 positions below England in fourth, with Tuchel’s side labouring to a 1-0 first-half lead thanks to a free-kick from Reece James in the 37th minute.
But it could have been different as Guehi and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford faced a nervy moment early on in the first half when a miscommunication between the two saw the ball fall free to the Latvians in the box and an open goal from a tight angle, but the visitors could not make the home side pay.
“I’ve heard Jordan (call),” said Guehi about the incident. “I was about to leave the ball and the Latvian player has given me a little nudge at the end.
“The ball has come off my toe as I was going to let it run through. The ball got deflected out and he almost scored. It happens. It’s important that you just learn from them and move on.”
England eventually turned the screw in the second half when the game came to life with the introduction of changes, including Eze in the 61st minute. Captain Harry Kane slotted home to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute before Greenwich-born Eze struck seven minutes later to seal the game.
“It’s a good win and a clean sheet – job done,” added the 24-year-old.
“A good three points. It’s about concentration. At any moment, you can be punished.
“Teams are going to come here and make it difficult for us, low-block teams. We did well today as a team to unlock it. There is always room for improvement, we’ve got a long way to go until we reach our target of qualifying for the World Cup.
“It’s about finding rhythm, building relationships – building connections and keeping the standard high as much as possible. Overall, it’s been a good week. It’s always good to start a campaign off with wins. It’s good for us to build upon and hopefully we can improve game-by-game.”
PICTURE: ALAMY
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