Gordon and Kane fire England past 10-man Czechia in Nations League

England took a decisive step forward in the Nations League with a hard-fought win over Czechia that eases the pressure generated by the weekend defeat to Spain at Wembley. Thomas Tuchel shuffled his side, left Jude Bellingham on the bench and handed Trent Alexander-Arnold a start at right-back, a move that proved instrumental in unlocking a contest that swung firmly in England's favour after Pavel Sulc was sent off in the 23rd minute. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane turned numerical superiority into goals and gave the German coach his side's first clean sheet in seven matches.

• England claim their first Nations League win following the loss to Spain.
• Pavel Sulc was shown a straight red card in the 23rd minute for a challenge on Elliot Anderson after a VAR review.
• Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with a header from a pinpoint Trent Alexander-Arnold cross.
• Harry Kane netted his 87th goal for England.
• England kept their first clean sheet in seven games after conceding 13 times in the previous six.

Sulc's early red card changes the game in Prague

The match started awkwardly for England. Czechia, beginning a new era under Spanish coach Santi Denia after their World Cup near-miss, looked brave and went toe to toe with their visitors until one moment altered everything. Sulc arrived late and high in a challenge with Anderson in an area of little danger. Referee Umut Meler initially showed a yellow card, but the VAR called him to the pitchside monitor and the decision ended with a dismissal.

The incident sparked no furious reaction from the England players around Anderson, although the slow-motion replay made the tackle appear more forceful. Meler concluded it met the criteria to upgrade the sanction, and the evening became an uphill struggle for a Czech side that had been the better team until that point.

Alexander-Arnold proves Tuchel's wildcard right

Tuchel caused a stir by starting Alexander-Arnold at right-back, only his second appearance under the German coach. The Real Madrid player became the decisive factor in the second half. Shortly after the restart, he hunted down a loose ball on the right, turned and whipped in a low, curling cross that Gordon headed home with precision.

The goal rewarded Gordon's persistence, as he had been England's most dangerous attacking outlet all night. Before the break he had already created the clearest opening, collecting a pass from Lewis-Skelly and setting up Morgan Rogers, whose shot came back off the inside of the post.

Kane reaches 87 England goals and the defence regains solidity

With the lead secured, England looked comfortable and began to create chances with fluency. Lewis Hall surged forward from left-back and fired narrowly wide, while Ladislav Krejci turned a low cross from him against the far post of his own goal. A second goal felt inevitable and it arrived after Rogers broke into the box, with Kane drilling the loose ball into the far corner.

The England captain reached 87 international goals on a night that also belonged to the back line. After conceding 13 goals in six matches, England finally kept a clean sheet with an untested defensive unit featuring Chalobah and Guéhi in the middle, Hall on the left and Alexander-Arnold on the right.

Tuchel turns to his bench and hands out debuts

The German coach acted decisively at half-time. With Lewis-Skelly already booked and lucky to avoid a red card for a heavy challenge on Cerv that the Czechs wanted punished further, Tuchel replaced him with Eberechi Eze and shifted to a 4-1-4-1 shape. The change gave England more solidity in midfield and allowed them to control the tempo with the extra man.

The closing stages brought senior debuts for Alex Scott, who impressed in his cameo, and Rio Ngumoha, who also came off the bench. The margin could have been wider, with Matej Kovar making a fine save to deny Eze. England now turn their attention to Saturday's trip to face Croatia with renewed confidence.

What is at stake for England in the Nations League

The 2026 Nations League is no mere formality for England. The opening defeat to Spain at Wembley had raised questions about Tuchel's project, given the expectation that comes with his appointment. This win in Prague not only delivers three valuable points; it also restores belief to a group that needed to rediscover how to win away from home.

The competition's format keeps England firmly in contention for top spot in the group. Testing fixtures remain, with Croatia away up next in what is always a demanding trip, and the challenge now is to confirm that this looser, more direct version of the team is the one Tuchel intends to build toward the major tournaments.