Thomas Tuchel’s men delivered a clinical performance, securing their fourth straight win in the qualifying campaign. ..Continue Reading
With just three points needed from their remaining fixtures in October and November, England is on the brink of booking their spot in next year’s tournament across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Despite being considered the toughest opponent in Group K, Serbia managed only a single shot throughout the match.
Their night went from bad to worse when Nottingham Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic received a straight red card with the score at 3-0, sealing a dismal outing for manager Dragan Stojkovic.
Tuchel rotated his squad from the previous 2-0 win over Andorra, introducing Tino Livramento, Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, and Anthony Gordon.
The reshuffle gave the team a fresher, more youthful edge, with U21 European Championship winner Elliot Anderson earning his second consecutive start in midfield.
According to OptaJoe, Anderson led the squad in both total successful passes and passes completed in the final third across the two matches.
Called up in place of the injured Jude Bellingham, the Forest midfielder has impressed fans, many of whom now believe he deserves a starting role when England kicks off their World Cup campaign next summer.
Taking to Twitter, one fan wrote: “Elliot Anderson is too good, we need him for the World Cup. Perfect partner for Rice in this set up because he’s comfortable at everything.”
A second added: “Elliot Anderson looks like the missing piece from that midfield.”
A third said; “Elliot Anderson is making that position in England’s team his, just as he did with us. Sensational player.”
And a fourth wrote: “The whole world now seeing what we see every week. Elliot Anderson is the best midfielder in the Premier League.”
Speaking after the 5-0 win in Belgrade, Tuchel said: “Elliot deserved, first of all, to be with us because he did excellent for his club, and for the U21s – that was very impressive.
“When I saw him perform in the U21s final, I had the idea that maybe he can be a 6 and maybe play him to his strengths.
“And he was excellent in camp, like everyone else. The group made it as easy as possible for him, but he did all the effort that was needed. Two excellent performances as well.
“Now it’s on him to keep it going, and to keep also the lightness with him, and the freedom with him that he needs for his game. He’s just a very, very good football player, and a very good team-mate in camp.”
