England 3-0 Latvia LIVE REACTION: Thomas Tuchel beats Gareth Southgate start with second win as Three Lions boss

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Updated: 21:39, 24 Mar 2025

Thomas Tuchel capped the perfect start to his England tenure as the Three Lions ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over Latvia.

Tuchel made a winning start to life on the touchline at Wembley as they beat Albania 2-0 in their first World Cup qualifier on Friday.

Gareth Southgate’s successor has now become the first permanent England manager to be victorious in their first two competitive games in charge since Fabio Capello in 2008.

Two first-time international goalscorers, Reece James and Eberechi Eze, on either side of a customary Harry Kane goal sealed the win.

England 3-0 Latvia FULL-TIME

The final whistle is sounded and Thomas Tuchel becomes the first permanent England manager to be victorious in their first two competitive games in charge since Fabio Capello in 2008.

Some moments of brilliant individual quality but not quite the free-flowing attacking football the German promised to introduce.

Plenty of encouragement however with back-to-back wins, six points, five goals scored and two clean sheets to start the Tuchel era.

Credit: Getty

England 3-0 Latvia

88' - A positive evening all in all for Marcus Rashford even without getting on the scoresheet himself.

Rashford created 6 chances in the game, only managing more for the Three Lions once before in his career - 7 v Lithuania in March 2017.

Credit: Getty

England 3-0 Latvia

83' - The Three Lions have four players aged 30-plus on the pitch - Jordan Pickford, Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker.

And unfortunately for Nottingham Forest fans - and still no Morgan Gibbs-White.

England 3-0 Latvia

80' - Harry Kane has scored 17 goals in his last 17 international appearances at Wembley.

It's also three goal involvements in three matches for Declan Rice for England (1 goal, 2 assists) and six in his last nine.

Credit: Getty

England 3-0 Latvia

78' - A raft of changes from Thomas Tuchel with the result now assured as Rashford, Rice and Lewis-Skelly both depart.

Kyle Walker, Curtis Jones and Jordan Henderson are both sent on!

GOAL!! England 3-0 Latvia Eberechi Eze

75' - ANOTHER FIRST-TIME ENGLAND GOALSCORER!

It's quite a brilliant solo effort from the Crystal Palace substitute as he's fed into space down the wing and cuts inside.

He twists and turns two defenders inside out before firing towards the far corner and a fortunate deflection takes it into the net.

England 2-0 Latvia

72' - Declan Rice has assisted in each of his last two England games, setting up Harry Kane on both occasions.

That's as many assists as in his first 62 international caps.

Credit: Getty

England 2-0 Latvia

70' - On record since (since June 2012), only Conor Coady in November 2021 (90/90 vs San Marino) and John Stones in December 2022 (71/71 vs France) have made more passes in an England game while maintaining a 100% completion rate than Reece James this evening (70/70 in the opening 65 minutes).

GOAL!! England 2-0 Latvia Harry Kane

68' - THE CAPTAIN BACK ON THE SCORESHEET!

It's one of the simplest Kane's ever had at Wembley but he won't mind one jot.

Morgan Rogers drifts inside and waits to feed Declan Rice following the latter's burst of speed inside the right channel.

Without looking up, the Arsenal midfielder squares a low ball across the face of goal from the touchline.

And an unmarked Kane is ready to tap home from a yard away!

Seventy-one England goals for Kane in 105 appearances.

England 1-0 Latvia

67' - Jude Bellingham is spared a potential second yellow card as his number goes up and the Real Madrid man trudges off.

Thomas Tuchel seemingly reassures the 21-year-old as he walks off and Phil Foden comes on in his favoured central area.

England 1-0 Latvia CHANCE

64' - Harry Kane fires wide!

He's not had many opportunities tonight but he can't make the most of the half-chance that comes his way.

The England captain is fed in a central area from the edge of the box and shifts the ball to set up the angle but his whipped effort is wide.

England 1-0 Latvia

61' - Changes from both dugouts and a first sub from Thomas Tuchel as Jarrod Bowen's evening is over.

Crystal Palace's Eze is on for his first appearance under the new manager.

For Lativa, Vladislavs Gutkovskis and Raivis Jurkovskis are off - Dario Šits and Eduards Dašķevičs on.

England 1-0 Latvia

58' - Very risky from Jude Bellingham!

Already on a yellow card, the Real Madrid man goes lunging in on Raivis Jurkovskis.

He gets a touch on the ball which is probably what saves him but the Latvian players clamour around the referee calling for another card.

Bellingham avoids an early bath but is certainly now on a tightrope!

England 1-0 Latvia

56' - Roberts Savaļnieks is unable to continue after sustaining that earlier knock and the visitors make the game's first change.

Veteran centre-back Vitalijs Jagodinskis is on in his place!

England 1-0 Latvia

53' - 5 chances created by Marcus Rashford so far.

He's only created more for England twice before - 7 v Lithuania 2017-03-26 and 6 v Slovakia 2017-09-04.

Credit: Getty

England 1-0 Latvia

51' - A stoppage in play disrupts England's momentum as Roberts Savalnieks goes down with an injury and needs treatment.

Declan Rice is among the players angling to the referee that Latvia have managed to slow the game down for too long.

England 1-0 Latvia

48' - Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen have swapped wings to start the second half.

A surprisingly tactical tweak from Thomas Tuchel considering Rashford's involvement in may of England's play down the left.

England 1-0 Latvia

46' - No changes from either side as the game gets restarted!

21 crosses for England, the most they've attempted in the first half of a game since October 2013 vs Poland (25).

What has Thomas Tuchel worked on during the break?

'Don't mention that!'

Reece James is the first defender to score a direct free-kick goal for England at Wembley since Stuart Pearce against Turkey in 1992.

Fortunately for talkSPORT listeners, we have the former England captain on commentary duty for his record to be broken!

However, Pearcey was jokingly left aghast by how many years it's taken another defender to step up and deliver at Wembley!

He told talkSPORT: "How can it take that long for a defender to take a free-kick and put the ball where the keeper isn't?"

Credit: Getty

Credit: AFP

Mind your own business Pickford, says Keane

Roy Keane to ITV on the Jordan Pickford mistake that almost gifted Latvia the opening goal: "It was poor from England.

"Goalkeepers get bored sometimes - you feel like saying to [Jordan] Pickford 'mind your own business and let the defender deal with it'.

"I'd be looking at the goalkeeper there. He doesn't have to come out that far."

England 1-0 Latvia HALF-TIME

The Three Lions head into the break a goal to the good just as they were against Albania on Friday.

Again it's a fullback that has provided the breakthrough and again Myles Lewis-Skelly is involved. This time it's only to win a foul.

But it gave his opposite number Reece James the platform to get Wembley on its feet with a stunning free-kick.

Reece James is the first player to score a direct free-kick for England at Wembley since John Barnes vs Netherlands in April 1993.

To score a direct free kick for England at Wembley as a defender has come even earlier; not since Stuart Pearce v Turkey 18/11/1992.

Credit: Getty

England 1-0 Latvia

45' - Ezri Konsa provides a scare after staying down after being caught on the ankle.

Thomas Tuchel and his staff are understandably annoyed that there was no retribution from the referee for that challenge.

England 1-0 Latvia

42' - Jude Bellingham picks up the first yellow card of the match as his heavy touch sees him overcompensate and lunch into a challenge.

The Real Madrid man leaves one late on Balodis just above his ankle.

England 1-0 Latvia

40' - Only Reece James will know if he meant anything by his celebration - or lack thereof!

GOAL!! England 1-0 Latvia Reece James

38' - WHAT A STUNNING GOAL FROM THE CHELSEA CAPTAIN!!

England win a free-kick 30 yards out and James steps up and sends an arrowing effort over the wall into the top corner.

That's some way to mark your first England start for 18 months - surprisingly muted low-key celebrations from James as he's mobbed.

Ironically, that's the first England direct free-kick since another right-back late last year - Trent Alexander-Arnold against Finland.

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