[Sport] England 5-0 San Marino player ratings

[-_-Moltres-_-]

 

All-but a literal spectator: Did not have a shot to save and only touched the ball in the 16th and 19th minutes during the first half. For the entirety of the second half, he just stood and stared.

 

Only given the first half, but was a regular bright spark during those 45 minutes, creating a wave of chances from the right flank and assisting Calvert-Lewin for his first goal. No footballer will be happy to be withdrawn at half-time, but his exit alongside Stones, Sterling and Mount can be interpreted as a signal of how important he is to Gareth Southgate.

 

Industrious and consistent, Chilwell's night could not have gone much better. But given Luke Shaw's form, and the versatility of Kieran Trippier and Bukayo Saka, it's far from a given that he will even make the Euro 2020 squad.

 

Back in after an 18-month absence and should have capped his return with a goal in the 10th minute rather than lofting over. But Stones' comeback was otherwise perfectly satisfactory, replete with those smooth-as-silk step-outs into midfield that make his selection so useful and should transfer perfectly to any change in formation to a five-man defence.

 

Handed the captaincy following the half-time changes, Coady has less reason to fret about Stones' comeback than Tyrone Mings. One interesting feature of Coady's performance was that he lined up as the left-sided central defender in the first half but on the right in the second. That versatility, relatively minor but useful all the same, may well make him the first in line behind the expected summer partnership of Stones and Harry Maguire.

 

 

While England have a surplus of options in attack, there are relatively few in the centre of midfield - especially with Jordan Henderson still sidelined with injury - and so Ward-Prowse's positive outing would have been especially well received by his manager. Took his goal smartly and produced moments of genuine creativity to go alongside his undoubted set-piece strength that was stressed with a free-kick which rattled the post.