Key events
Thomas Tuchel’s reaction
I’m more than happy for the team and the staff. We had an excellent week from start to finish. We just proved what I saw everyday in this camp and that makes me very happy.
There was a lot of teamwork in its purest form, and from there we showed our quality. We played with intensity in the duels; there was a lot of invisible work that you get no praise for.
Elliot [Anderson] had another fantastic performance. [On Marc Guehi] It’s exactly how the boys were in this camp – they put their personal interest aside. He was the best teammate possible.
We’ve only had three weeks of training together. That’s half a pre-season – it takes a bit of time. The credit goes to the players, they did amazing. [Lifts his hand] That’s the bar.
David Hytner’s report is here
“Oh, it’s coming home all right, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Did you see how Scotland dismantled Belarus last night? They’d be as well getting Donald Trump to bring that big beautiful World Cup over in his golf bag next time he’s here.”
An England win was the likeliest result tonightbut I doubt anybody predicted 5-0. They played with authority, penetration and class to hammer a decent Serbia team. Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford got the goals; England could have scored seven or eight.
Full time: Serbia 0-5 England
Some jester in the crowd blows what sounds like the full-time whistle. Clement Turpin waves for the players to continue until the end of the three added minutes, then puts Serbia out of their misery.
GOAL! Serbia 0-5 England (Rashford 90 pen)
With Harry Kane off the field, Marcus Rashford steps up to score with ease. Blimey, what a perfect night for England.
89 min: Penalty to England
A couple of looks at the screen are enough for Clement Turpin.
89 min: was check I think this will be given.
88 min Rashford makes a blistering run on the break, then reverses a pass to Watkins in the area. He goes over under a clumsy challenge from Erakovic… and Clement Turpin says no penalty. That looked like a foul to me.
87 min Nothing to report.
83 min So, is it coming home or what?
82 min: Disallowed goal Ollie Watkins scores from Bowen’s cross shot but he knew he was offside.
81 min: England substitution Declan Rice gives way for Jordan Henderson, who also receives the armband that Rice borrowed when Kane left the field.
80 min Another good save from Petrovic, this time to deflect Rice’s snapshot round the post. England have taken Serbia to the cleaners.
79 min Petrovic makes a smart save, springing to his left to push a rasper from Rashford round the post.
78 min This win moves England eight points clear of Serbia, who have a game in hand, and seven ahead of Albania in second place.
76 min: England substitutions Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins replace Noni Madueke and Harry Kane.
Serbia Bring on Milos Veljkovic for Zivkovic.
GOAL! Serbia 0-4 England (Guehi 75)
Four-nil. The goal came from the free-kick that was awarded for Milenkovic’s foul on Kane. Rice whipped a beauty to the far post, where Guehi got away from Pavlovic and stunned a half-volley through the legs of Petrovic.
72 min: Milenkovic late off!
Kane gets away from the last man Milenkovic in the inside-left channel and is wiped out. Everyone expects a yellow card – but Clement Turpin whips out a straight red, presumably because for the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. That looks harsh because Kane was moving away from goal.
71 min: Serbia substitution Dusan Vlahovic is replaced by Aleksandar Mitrovic up front.
68 min: Double substitution for England Djed Spence and Marcus Rashford replace Reece James and Anthony Gordon. Spence’s introduction is an historic moment; he is believed to be the first Muslim to play for England.
67 min This victory should end the slightly weird negativity around Thomas Tuchel after his first five games.
Sounds like everything is okay in the stands now.
65 min A mishit cross from Pavlovic goes over Pickford and clears the crossbar by a few yards.
64 min According to Sam Matterface on ITV, there’s a bit of crowd trouble that is being addressed by riot police. Nowhere near the England fans apparently.
63 min Rice shoots straight at Petrovic from the edge of the area. An awkward chance, which he had to take first time with his left foot.
61 min: Serbia substitution Lazar Samardzic comes on for Ivan Ilic.
57 min England have now gone 10 hours without conceding a competitive goal. They did lose 3-1 to Senegal in a friendly mind.
56 min Gordon, who has been booked, catches Zivkovic in the face. It looked accidental and there’s no suggestion that the referee is considering a second yellow.
54 min There was a VAR check for offside against Kane in the build-up but the goal stands.
Goal! Serbia 0-3 England (Konsa 52)
Game over. Ezri Konsa gobbles up a simple chance after a mistake from Dorde Petrovic. He pushed Gordon’s long-range shot out in front of goal rather than away, the ball ricocheted around the six-yard box and Konsa scored from a couple of yards.
50 min Serbia have started the second half on the front foot, as you’d expect given the scoreline. Nothing for England to worry about yet, though, and Rice shot not far wide from distance a moment ago.
46 min A double change for Serbia at Half-Time. Filip Kostic and Luka Jovic Replace Nedeljkovic and Burman.
“Elliot Anderson quietly impressive again,” says James Walsh. “Apologies if this was covered on Saturday, but who was the last Forest player to start for England before these two caps for the former Newcastle lad? I want to say Collymore or Pearce.
“It’s a nice distraction from the clown show week at The City Ground, anyway!”
I’d need to check but I think it was Stuart Pearce against Italy at Le Tournoi on 4 June 1997.
Half time: Serbia 0-2 England
England have five toes in next summer’s World Cup after a quietly dominant first-half performance in Belgrade. They had to be patient against a good Serbia defence but were rewarded for their superiority with two fine goals in the space of three minutes. Harry Kane headed Declan Rice’s corner into the net from 12 yards, then Noni Madueke scored his first international goal after a delicious flick from Morgan Rogers.
45+1 min Vlahovic has a pop from 20 yards. Well struck but too high, and the last kick of the half.
45 min “In light of the length of the tunnel in Belgrade does the referee allow the teams an extra two or three minutes at half time?” wonders David Wall. “If they only get the regulation 15 minutes then, by the time they make it back to the changing room and sit down, their cups of tea wouldn’t be cool enough to drink before they have to head back out to reach the pitch in time. And if there’s a queue for the bathroom, or if someone has indigestion from their pre-match meal, then you can forget it.”
The half-time break used to be five minutes. This lot don’t know they’re born.
44 min “As a Chelsea fan, I’m very biased, but I’m so glad to see Reece James doing well,” says Neal Butler. “He’s had such a terrible time with injuries, so seeing his name positively mentioned in an MBM is a real treat.”
Isn’t it just. He seems a really nice guy too so I’d imagine 99 per cent of football fans wish him well.
42 min Rogers’ flick for the second goal gets better every time you see it: the awareness, vision, timing and best of all the nonchalance.
41 min A tannoy announcement, presumably about that incident a moment ago, has been met with loud jeers.
40 min Gordon pulls back Nedeljkovic and is booked.
40 min Philip Cornwall, who is in Belgrade, says a laser pen was flashed in the England penalty area – that might have been why Turpin stopped play.
39 min The referee Clement Turpin is running towards the touchline to talk to the fourth official. Lee Dixon, commentating on ITV, thinks something may have been thrown onto the pitch.
Turpin is happy for now and play has resumed.
Anderson played a short pass to Rogersjust inside the Serbia half. He flicked the ball nonchalantly into the space for Madueke, who timed his run perfectly and scampered through on goal. Madueke ran into the area, cut across Pavlovic – who couldn’t touch him – and clipped the ball over Petrovic with authority. That’s another excellent goal; Rogers’ touch was delightful.
GOAL! Serbia 0-2 England (Madueke 35)
And that’s Noni Madueke’s first international goal!