Captain Trippier claims assist in England’s victory over Wales

England 3-0 Wales

Gareth Southgate has been excellent at giving numerous players chances at international level, and one of the heroes of the 2018 World Cup run to the semi final, Kieran Trippier, was handed the captain’s armband in victory over Wales on Thursday.

Southgate has handed 40 debuts since taking charge of the senior team and Thursday saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Reece James, Bukayo Saka and Harvey Barnes all join that list. Trippier led the team as Harry Kane was rested for the Nations League clash with Belgium, and the Bury-born defender provided an assist on the night. Jack Grealish was the star of the evening, although Calvert-Lewin continued to show his incredible aerial prowess with England’s opening goal.

Wales were poor, it’s difficult to get away from that fact, and they barely tested the goal of Nick Pope throughout the 90 minutes of player. Trippier’s assist was from a set-piece, an art which he has mastered since signing for Tottenham Hotspur. Conor Coady was on hand to get on the end of the cross and hand the Three Lions a two-goal advantage.

Danny Ings scored a fine goal to complete the rout, leaving Ryan Giggs with much to think about moving forward.

The match was the sixth successive match without conceding a goal for Southgate’s charges, a record that is approaching the 382 days the team went without conceding between 1981 and 1982. Belgium will present a totally different challenge entirely, with the teams having last met in the third/fourth place play-off in the 2018 World Cup.

Southgate was able to rest a number of key players and learn about some of his other squad members on Thursday evening, although it was an exercise which won’t necessarily benefit his thinking with regards to tournament play.

Wales now have to regroup ahead of Sunday’s Nations League trip to Dublin to face the Republic of Ireland, whilst a further away trip to Bulgaria follows that very quickly.

Match sheet

3 – England: Pope; Keane, Gomez (Mings, m.58), Coady, Trippier (James, m.58); Saka (Maitland-Niles, m.76), Winks (Ward-Prowse, m.76), Philips; Ings, Grealish (Barnes, m.76) y Calvert-Lewin.

0 – Wales: Hennessey; Davies; Ampadu (Vaulks, m.62), Rodon (Cabango, m.46), Roberts (Gunter, m.73); Williams (Smith, m.73), Mepham, Morrell (Levitt, m.46); Matondo, Roberts y Moore (Williams, m.40).

Goals: 1-0. Calvert-Lewin, m.26, 2-0. Coady, m.53 y 3-0. Ings, m.63.

Referee: Bobby Madden (SCO).

Cards: Roberts (m.42) and Levitt (m.46).