England’s Win Over Latvia: Dominance or Just Another Predictable Wembley Night?
It was never really about the win, was it? England taking down a team ranked 140th in the world was a foregone conclusion. But was this the famous English arrogance at play? Maybe. The real conversation was always going to be about how they won—and whether Thomas Tuchel’s influence is already reshaping the Three Lions.
Wembley had its moments, with a Mexican wave sweeping the stadium in the 75th minute, just after Harry Kane’s cool finish made it 2-0. Minutes later, Eberechi Eze danced into the box, fired off a shot, and watched as a fortunate deflection off Latvia’s captain, Antonijs Cernomordijs, sent the ball home for No. 3. His first England goal—a night to remember.
Earlier, the game’s most dazzling moment came from Reece James, curling in a stunning 25-yard free-kick to open the scoring. His first England start since 2022. His first international goal. A perfect strike. But despite the highlights, Tuchel’s England still looked a work in progress.
Breaking down a defensive wall of Latvian resistance proved to be the usual struggle. The first half lacked tempo, the second half started with frustration, and Jude Bellingham’s near-red-card moment in the 56th minute summed it up. His reckless challenge on Raivis Jurkovskis could have changed the whole night. England fans will hope such rash moments don’t come back to haunt them on the bigger stage.
Tuchel’s tweaks were evident. Morgan Rogers earned his full debut as part of the “double 10” system, with Bellingham alongside him. The movement was there, but the speed and fluidity Tuchel demands? Not so much. The ball got stuck in congested spaces, players hesitated, and the rhythm remained frustratingly predictable.
There were bizarre moments, too. Jordan Pickford’s unnecessary charge off his line in the 18th minute nearly gifted Latvia an empty-net chance. A controversial VAR decision saw England denied a penalty after Krisjanis Zviedris clattered into Jarrod Bowen. And, of course, the ever-present Wembley tradition: fans throwing paper planes to entertain themselves.
Despite all of this, England ultimately did enough. Kane’s predatory instincts, Rice’s driving runs, and flashes of individual brilliance carried them through. The real question remains: was this just another uninspiring England qualifier, or is Tuchel’s revolution quietly taking shape?
