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Trent Alexander-Arnold stood and surveyed. He saw the run from Marcus Rashford and the pass was a delight; cutting across the ball from right to left, it floated into the space. But what followed was like something out of a cartoon drawn specifically to show what England struggling to beat Malta at home would look like. As Rashford\u2019s run into the box was stopped and Malta cleared, Alexander-Arnold controlled and drove forward in one movement. But it was too much: Alexander-Arnold crashed into Rashford. Wembley groaned. Rashford limped off.<\/p>\n
It was that kind of night. The paper aeroplanes quickly overtook England to lead: more had landed on the Wembley pitch than England had managed shots against the side ranked 171st in the world. Sailing down from high up in the stands, those folded pieces of A4 perhaps made for a more entertaining sight than Gareth Southgate\u2019s side as they toiled and strugged and led only to Enrico Pepe\u2019s eighth-minute own goal. That, sufficient to say, was not enough to please the masses.<\/p>\n
It took until the 74th minute for England to finally click. Alexander-Arnold surging through a challenge in midfield to play in Kyle Walker. Phil Foden cleverly finding Bukayo Saka with a slided pass, Harry Kane dropping into position to tuck away England\u2019s second and final goal of the night with what was only their second shot on target. Soon enough, Declan Rice curled in a pleasing third, only for VAR to disallow it due to Kane being stood in an offside position. It was more frustration for Kane, who was booked for simulation after he was brought down by the Malta goalkeeper Henry Bonello in a dismal first half.<\/p>\n
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England 2-0 Malta: On a forgettable night at Wembley, one thing stood out <\/p>\n
Gareth Southgate speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: \u201cIf you don\u2019t start games well it\u2019s very difficult to pick it up and we didn\u2019t. We know the level we\u2019ve got should be better, can be better.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose games that you know you can win at a canter, the number of games these players are playing, it\u2019s almost a self-regulation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t hit the heights that we have done this calendar year.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo not enough quality on the ball, and not enough chances created but I have been a player and I know exactly how those games feel and clearly it\u2019s possible we could have had three or four with the decisions as well but we didn\u2019t create enough clear chances to deserve that anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has got outstanding quality. He and Phil [Foden] were the two in the first half that looked like opening the game up for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarc Guehi was good at the back and the changes brought more quality. They don\u2019t lose by fives and sixes and obviously, we didn\u2019t create as many chances as we\u2019d like to.\u201d<\/p>\n
England manager Gareth Southgate speaking to Channel 4: \u201cIt was a game when we didn\u2019t start well and if you don\u2019t start well it\u2019s hard to pick the game up. \u201ce got a goal out of nothing really.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the quality on the ball is not normally at that level and it was a game where the players knew they could win at a canter and didn\u2019t extend themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese players have played so many games and have done so well for us so I am not going to hammer them for it. We weren\u2019t where we [should be] but we got the win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry Kane has been directly involved in 33 goals in 20 appearances for club and country this season. <\/p>\n
Bayern: 16 games, 21 goals, 7 assists <\/p>\n
England: 4 games, 4 goals, 1 assist<\/p>\n
Cole Palmer became the 13th Chelsea player to appear for England under Gareth Southgate; the most players from a single team to have featured for the Three Lions under the current manager. <\/p>\n
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90+6 mins: The full-time whistle goes and this dull affair comes to a close. England have won but it\u2019s a hollow victory due to the manner in which they played. <\/p>\n
It was far from their most positive or fun performance but the victory is in the bag. <\/p>\n
90+3 mins: Cole Palmer, relatively quiet on his debut so far, goes on a fine run down the left wing. He dances into the box and has a go but the effort is blocked out for a corner. <\/p>\n
Malta then defend the set piece without too much trouble. <\/p>\n
90 mins: No they can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
There board is raised on the side of the pitch and there\u2019s going to be six minutes of added time. <\/p>\n
87 mins: Trent Alexander-Arnold takes another shot from range and works the goalkeeper into a nice save down low to his right. <\/p>\n
A foul over on the left side of the pitch brings England a free kick. Can they work the keeper again? <\/p>\n