England's Dominant Performance Against Serbia Sets World Cup Qualification Path
Manager Thomas Tuchel praised England's commanding performance against Serbia, stating it has set a new standard as they move closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
The Three Lions had faced criticism for their lackluster displays during the qualifying campaign, despite winning all five of their Group K matches.
However, their 5-0 victory over Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday showcased the impressive performance Tuchel's team needed.
"We had an excellent week from start to finish. We’ve just proved what I’ve seen every day in this camp, and this makes me very happy," said the German manager.
"This camp was the benchmark."
England now requires five points from their final three matches to secure a spot in next summer's World Cup, which will be hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Currently seven points clear at the top of their group, Tuchel's side will face Latvia in October, followed by matches against Serbia and Albania in November.
"This week was excellent. The attitude and the way we played in both matches were commendable. Today was a statement victory against a challenging opponent in a tough environment," Tuchel remarked.
England effectively stifled Serbia, with the hosts failing to register a single shot on target, leaving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford without a save to make. In contrast, England recorded 24 shots, 12 of which were on target, and had 42 touches in the opposition's box compared to Serbia's mere four.
Harry Kane and Noni Madueke secured a deserved lead for England at halftime, while Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Marcus Rashford completed the impressive victory.
"There was no negative attitude or frustration on the pitch. For me, it was teamwork in its purest form. We played football at a high level and earned a deserved win," Tuchel added.
Reflecting on previous matches, he noted, "We had a somewhat stop-start game against Andorra, and the result might not have met expectations. I maintained my belief, but players also need to demonstrate that it’s not just words from their coach. They continued to believe, and I think they recognized that this is the spirit we need in camp to elevate our quality."
England Showcase Class in 'Five-Star Performance'
England has now won all five of their competitive matches under Tuchel, although he did oversee a 3-1 defeat to Senegal in a friendly.
Prior to Tuesday's victory over Serbia, none of the performances had been particularly thrilling, with Saturday's win over Andorra being especially uninspiring.
Despite not conceding a goal during this World Cup qualifying campaign, a perceived lack of decisiveness in attack had left many supporters feeling disappointed.
Midfielder Declan Rice acknowledged that scoring multiple goals in every match is unrealistic given how teams set up against them. "In the first four games, people expected to see six or seven goals. That’s never going to happen when teams park ten men behind the ball," he said.
"We knew it would be tough coming here, but it was a five-star performance. We took control from the very first minute, and we needed that tonight."
Captain Kane stated that England "showed our level" in Belgrade, dominating possession and finally demonstrating their capabilities. "Even in the other games, we did well, but we didn’t reach top form," he commented.
"We felt we had a solid performance a few days ago. I know it wasn’t the display everyone was excited about, but we did what we had to. I spoke about our desire to play aggressively and on the front foot, and I believe we showcased that today."