Anthony Gordon kept his Barcelona form alive for England, delivering a crucial strike as the team clinched a 2‑0 win over the Czech Republic at Prague’s Fortuna Arena. Despite a loss to Spain on Saturday, the winger shone again, while captain Harry Kane sealed the scoreline for Thomas Tuchel’s side in Group A3. Can England keep this momentum?
Tuchel swapped four starters from the Spain lineup: Konsa and O’Reilly dropped for Chalobah and Hall, Bellingham started on the bench making way for Rogers, and Quansah gave his spot to Trent Alexander‑Arnold, who returns after missing the World Cup.
Czechs launch early battle
The Czech side pressed high, forcing several early turnovers and creating quick chances that tested England’s backline.
Around the 15‑minute mark Gordon became England’s most active attacker. His through ball saw Morgan Rogers smash the post, while Elliot Anderson and Bukayo Saka saw their shots blocked. A curling effort from Gordon later rattled the far post but missed by inches.
Sulc’s red opens another match
The match turned at minute 25 when Pavel Sulc made a reckless challenge from behind on Anderson, earning a straight red after VAR consultation with Turkish official Ulmut Meler.
CZECH REPUBLIC
ENGLAND
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Czech Republic: Matej Kovar; Štěpán Chaloupek, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejčí, Jiří Slama; Lukáš Cerv (Roman Macek, 80’), Pavel Sulc, Michal Sadílek (Alex Kral, 56’); Matej Radosta (Lukáš Ambros, 57’), Adam Karabec (Ondřej Lingr., 46’) and Adam Hlůzek (Daniel Vasulin, 80’).
England: James Trafford; Trent Alexander‑Arnold, Trevor Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall; Elliott Anderson (Alex Scott, 70’), Myles Lewis‑Skelly (Eberechi Eze, 46’); Bukayo Saka (Rio Ngumoha, 71’), Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon (Morgan Gibbs‑White, 81’); Harry Kane (Jude Bellingham, 71’).
Goals: 0‑1, 47’ – Anthony Gordon. 0‑2, 69’ – Harry Kane.
Referee: Halil Umut Meler (TUR). He sent off Pavel Sulc (Czech Republic, 25’) and cautioned coach Santi Denia and Myles Lewis‑Skelly (England).
Match: second round of Group 3, League A Nations League at Fortuna Arena, Prague, before roughly 19,000 fans.
The Czechs, instructed to stay compact by Denia, settled into a defensive shell, venturing forward only sparingly yet still making life difficult for England.
Denia appealed for a red on Myles Lewis‑Skelly in a duel with Lukas Cerv, but the referee only showed a yellow. In first‑half added time, Harry Kane burst onto the scene, turned and struck a low shot that Matej Kovar saved with a spectacular fingertip block.
Gordon fires the opening salvo. Will his form propel England to the Nations League final?
Early in the second half Trent capitalized on a Cerv turnover, crossing from the right for Gordon, who headed the ball against the post in the 47th minute. It marked Gordon’s sixth international goal and his third in as many games, following scores against Argentina in the World Cup semi‑final and Spain.
With the lead intact, England controlled the game. Ladislav Krejčí (ex‑Girona) deflected a Lewis Hall cross onto the post before Kane tapped in a loose ball in the box at 69’, his 87th cap‑level tally.
Without Kovar’s saves from substitute shots by Eberechi Eze and Jude Bellingham, England might have run away with a larger margin.