England beat the Czech Republic 2-0 in their second Nations League game, with Anthony Gordon opening the scoring from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross before Harry Kane added a low finish from inside the box. It was a first win for Thomas Tuchel's side in this campaign after the loss to Spain, and it came with a clean sheet that England had been chasing since the opening defeat.
Gordon's goal mattered because it changed the tempo before the contest could drift. After Alexander-Arnold delivered from the right, Gordon finished the move cleanly, and Tuchel later singled out the cross and the winger's attitude. Kane then made the result look secure with the second goal, but the scoreline only told part of the story. England had started with control, yet the game opened up sharply after Sulc was sent off for a challenge on Elliot Anderson, leaving the Czech Republic with 10 men.
That red card is the part that keeps the result honest. A 2-0 win can read like routine progress, but Tuchel said the dismissal made England heavy favorites, and Kane made the same point in different words when he said a team that likes to defend gets harder to break down once it goes down to 10. England still had to move the ball quicker and play with more urgency to turn the numbers advantage into goals, which is why the second half mattered as much as the final score.
Tuchel said England played a professional second half and deserved to win it, while Kane called the display professional rather than exciting. Both comments fit the same message: the result was useful because it was controlled, not because it was dazzling. Tuchel also said a clean sheet is always important, and Kane said England did what they had to do and took it into the next match.
That next match is against Croatia in Rijeka, and England will stay in Prague one more night before traveling on, with two training sessions planned in Croatia. Tuchel said he hopes Nico O'Reilly and Ezri Konsa will be available, which leaves open whether he will stick with the same side or start adjusting after a win that was settled early and then managed sensibly to the end.
For Gordon, the night was another sign that he belongs in England's attack. Kane said his recent performances have been among his best in an England shirt, and this one gave him a goal that arrived at exactly the right moment in a campaign that needed a response.
