SM
Brighton vs. Man City: 7 hrs 26 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
EN
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Sep 7, 2019 at 5pm UK
 
BN

4-0

Kane (24', 50' pen., 73' pen.), Sterling (55')
FT(HT: 1-0)

5 things we learned as England eased past Bulgaria at Wembley

:Headline: 5 things we learned as England eased past Bulgaria at Wembley: ID:370713: from db_amp
Gareth Southgate's side continued their 100 per cent start to Euro 2020 qualifying.

A hat-trick from Harry Kane and a goal from Raheem Sterling gave England a comfortable 4-0 victory over Bulgaria in their Euro 2020 qualifier.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the game.

Southgate lacking in adventure

Jordan Henderson lined up in midfield for England (Tim Goode/PA)

Bulgaria came to frustrate, playing with five at the back, but manager Gareth Southgate went for a rather safe midfield of Jordan Henderson, Harry Winks and Ross Barkley, when the inclusion of James Maddison, on top form for Leicester, or Mason Mount would have offered a different dimension.

Tripp-ed up

Kieran Trippier was a surprise starter at right-back (Tim Goode/PA)

Kieran Trippier was given the nod ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold despite the England coach this week admitting he had left out Manchester City's vastly-experienced Kyle Walker to develop younger talents. The 28-year-old Atletico Madrid defender did not definitively press his claims and should have offered more against a packed Bulgarian defence.

Sterling service

Manchester City's Sterling has been in top form for some time now and the criticism of him at the World Cup 14 months ago seems a long time ago. A versatile, positive, forward who has proved he can score on any stage, the 24-year-old is still improving and his importance to England's future should not be underappreciated.

So clear, no VAR

VAR's introduction into the Premier League this season has resulted in a fair bit of criticism. However, it is not in operation for international matches so there were no long delays with the crowd waiting to discover what was being checked and made for a more fluid, enjoyable occasion. The second-half penalty decisions – albeit straightforward ones – were cases in point.

No go-al Henderson

Jordan Henderson continued his England blank (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Jordan Henderson set a new record for an England midfielder or forward of 52 England appearances without a goal. Much of the criticism the Liverpool captain has had, especially at club level, is that he is not Steven Gerrard and that was evident from his 15th-minute volley from Danny Rose's cross which put the assistant referee in more danger than goalkeeper Plamen Iliev.

amp_article__370713 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-09-08 11:44:33:
html db last update - 2021-03-11 11:02:21 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .