Arsenal star Lewis-Skelly scores dream goal on England debut as Three Lions beat Albania 2-0
By Paul Lagan at Wembley Stadium
England 2 v Albania 0
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Arsenal prodigy Myles Lewis-Skelly opened his England account as the Three Lions started their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over defence-minded Albania at Wembley tonight.
Lewis-Skelly, 18 and born in Denmark Hill, South London, has made his dramatic rise up the elite ranks to be the outstanding player for the north Londoners this season, and rightly earned his call-up to the full England squad in head coach Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge.
That old stalwart, Harry Kane, formally of Spurs, got the second as England laboured to break down a resolute Albanian outfit.
They did so eventually.
The opening 15 minutes, were as expected played almost entirely in the Albania half. The best part of 95 per cent possession by England yielded very little. The occasional deep run by Jude Bellingham or Harry Kane, got the pulses racing a bit from the crowd, but the final ball to them lacked clarity.
Seeking inspiration and a high risk pass was what was needed, and it duly came from that Roll Royce of a midfielder Bellingham. His inch-perfect bisecting pass on 20 minutes fed in-running Arsenal man Lewis-Skelly, and the left wing back poked out his boot and tipped the ball past a prone Thomas Strakosha.
The crowd, up to that point were just about to get a bit impatient.
Shouts of 'shoot' started to ring out whenever an England player got close to the edge of the Albanian penalty area.
That all dissipated after the goal went in.
A little flurry by the away side, lifted the vocal chords of their supporters and the English defence was a tad shaky, but nothing they did not cope with.
Dan Burn, the hero for Newcastle United in the League Cup final win over Liverpool, at Wembley at the weekend, almost scored on the stroke of half-time but his header bounced off the crossbar.
There were no changes at half-time.
Albania, sensing that they might have chance of a goal, upped their tempo as the second half started.
But it was normal service resumed soon after 57 minutes, a quick counter-attack involving Marcus Rashford and Bellingham, saw a left byline cross almost met by Kane, but he was just short of connecting with the ball on the six-yard box.
Chelsea's Armando Broja, on loan at Everton, came off the bench on 64 minutes for Albania, replacing Bedim Bajrami.
A last-gasp tackle by Ezri Konza denied Berat Djimslti from striking home.
Ex-Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel decided to bring on Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers and Jarrod Bowen on 74 minutes, off went Rashford, Curtis Jones, and Phil Foden.
The game was effectively over on 77 minutes when Declan Rice sent over a deep cross and Kane plucked the ball out of the air, and had the sharpness of the eye to see the smallest of gaps to slot the ball home to make it 2-0.
The crowd agreed and many opted to take an early leave of the stadium.
Albania had to change their injured goalkeeper on 82 minutes – on came for Elham Kastrati while Rice made way for Jordan Henderson.
Chelsea captain Reece James got a welcome run out for a couple of minutes to cement his recovery from a spate of niggling injuries – off went Lewis-Skelly.
Teams: England: Pickford, Walker,Rice, Konza, Foden, Kane, Bellingham, Rashford, Burn, Jones, Lewis-Skelly
Subs: Henderson, Trafford, James, Guehi, Jordan Henderson, Colwill, Eze, Rogers, Gordon, Solanke, Bowen, Livramento
Albania: Strakosha, Balliu, Aliji, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Asllani, Asani, Bajrami, Uzuni, Laci, Ramadani
Subs: Kastrati, Sherri, Shehu, Manaj, Mihaj, Kumbulla, Berisha, Muci, Isimajli Pajaziti, Hoxha, Broja
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez (Spain)
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