ENGLAND 2, UKRAINE 0
Three minutes of magic was all that was needed to help England maintain the unbeaten start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Goals in quick succession from Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka late in the opening half was enough to see off Ukraine as England made it a six-point maximum following their victory in Italy three days earlier.
Sadly, the remaining 87 minutes were pretty mundane and nondescript as England did enough to win against a Ukraine side which was opening its Euro campaign. They did not register an attempt on target as Gareth Southgate’s side was never seriously challenged.
However, they top Group C and, after only two games, and are already looking a shoe in for the finals with their two main rivals for top spot vanquished.
Embed from Getty ImagesSouthgate, speaking after England’s first home game since the World Cup, said: “I am really pleased with the performance. In Italy we played very well with the ball in the first half. In the second half we conceded possession cheaply but had to show resilience.
“We made a difficult game look straightforward. The way-in was either through James Maddison or Bukayo Saka. We stuck to the task really well.”
Southgate was delighted with the way James Maddison and Ben Chilwell linked down the left, explaining: “They know each other well, they have played together at Leicester and that was helpful.
“Maddison found the spaces well and he had a super game and that didn’t surprise me as he has the personality to play that way.”
Southgate also praised Saka and Jude Bellingham, continuing: “It is the mentality that is the outstanding part. Everyone can see technical quality, but these two boys have the humility and want to learn. They work unbelievably hard, and they are a joy to work with.
“It is a top-level finish [from Saka]. That is the ruthless part he has added to his game in the last 18 months. There were times you weren’t sure he was going to finish but now he has that confidence in front of goal.”
Kane said: “This has been a really special week. Obviously, it started in Italy with that record-breaking goal and a win. It was a magical night.
“Then you come back to reality and have to make sure we beat Ukraine and we have so it sets us up in a great position in qualifying. It has just been the perfect week.
“It has been crazy over the last few days. My dad and brother were in Naples so I shared that moment with them. I had my wife and kids here today and those are memories that will always stay with me.
“I’m proud of the boys for staying focused and getting the job done.
“It shows the type of team we are. We were all disappointed after the World Cup but the sign of a good team is to come back. We are at the bottom of the hill again but we’ve put in two great performances and it shows the mentality of the team.
“Obviously, there’s a lot going on a Tottenham but I’ve really enjoyed this week with England, that’s the most important thing and now it’s time to get back to my club.”
Bellingham added: “It’s important we followed the good result in Italy with a win tonight. It feels rewarding.
“We should be looking to win every game. You set yourself a standard and an expectation and it’s important you match that. We have to carry that on for the rest of the qualification campaign.”
Maddison made his first start for England as Southgate made three changes to the side which in Italy three days earlier.
The Leicester midfielder’s only previous international appearance was when he came on as a substitute against Montenegro three-and-a-half years ago.
Chilwell started at left back and Jordan Henderson also started as the suspended Luke Shaw missed out with Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish dropping to the bench.
Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk started for Ukraine along with Everton’s Vitalii Mykolenko and Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Before the game, there was a presentation to Harry Kane for becoming England’s all-time leading scorer with his penalty against Italy which overhauled Wayne Rooney’s 53 goals. He was joined by his family.
The FA also made a presentation to the family of Jack Leslie.
In 1925, Leslie earned a call up to represent England. However, he faced adversity because of the colour of his skin, and was deselected and never played for the country.
His relatives were given a posthumous honorary cap to recognise his career and as the FA say ‘to right this historical wrong’.
Both sets of players united together holding a Ukrainian flag with the word “peace” written across it and posed for a photo.
There was also applause in memory of World Cup winner George Cohen as this was the first England game at Wembley since his death in December before play finally got under way four minutes later than scheduled.
England had a shout for a penalty turned down in the ninth minute after Kane went down after spinning to beat Oleksandr Svatok. There was a slight tug of Kane’s shirt, but he went down theatrically and the contact did not look enough to warrant a spot kick.
That apart, it was a lacklustre opening half hour with Ukraine’s ploy of slowing play not to England’s liking as they prefer a quicker tempo.
It was scrappy and disjointed and when England found a way through the Ukraine defence, they were invariably caught offside or committed a needless foul. The visitors also defended stoically putting bodies on the line with blocks and last-ditch tackles.
Then out of nothing, England took a 37th minute lead, inevitably through Kane with his 55th goal for his country and 22nd in 31 games at Wembley.
Kane began to move spraying a great cross-field ball to Bukayo Sako on the right and his cross to the far post was converted from six yards with a low shot.
It was like waiting for the bus as England quickly grabbed a second goal, a stunner from Saka who bent a shot from 22 yards into the top corner for his eighth senior goal for his country.
Suddenly England were rampant as Kane troubled keeper Anatoliy Trubin with a fiercely struck low shot.
The second period began like the first and it was a measure of the boredom of fans that paper aeroplanes began winging their way from the top tier of the stadium followed by Mexican waves and mobile phone flashlights.
England made their first changes with nine minutes left as Kane was replaced by Brentford’s Ivan Toney who was winning his first cap. He became only the third Brentford player to be capped by England.
He was soon followed by two further substitutions as Bellingham and Maddison made way for Grealish and Conor Gallagher.
And Gallagher almost made an immediate impact as he was denied a goal by a smart stop by Trubin, England’s first on-target goal attempt of the second period in the 87th minute.
In stoppage time, Harry Maguire almost added a third when he headed narrowly over from Henderson’s corner while Grealish also troubled Trubin as England finally came to live again in the dying embers of the game.