England v Latvia LIVE: Three Lions pull away from stubborn minnows late on in World Cup qualifier | OneFootball

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Roy Keane compares Reece James to England legend after stunning free kick against Latvia

England beat Latvia 3-0 as Reece James and Eberechi Eze both scored their first senior international goals to help make it two wins out of two for Thomas Tuchel's side in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Chelsea right back James, making his first England start since 2022, curled in a sublime free-kick to break the deadlock in the 38th minute of the Group K clash at Wembley.

As against Albania on Friday, England laboured at times to break down a massed defence but captain Harry Kane doubled the lead in the 68th with a tap-in from Declan Rice's pass.

Eze then came off the bench and his deflected shot made it 3-0 in the 76th minute. Favourites England top the group on six points with Albania, who beat Andorra 3-0 in Monday's other fixture, and Latvia on three.

Pinned

REPORT: Thomas Tuchel shown the frustration of international football despite another England win

Thomas Tuchel’s otherwise forgettable second win at least brought some memorable firsts. Both Reece James and Eberechi Eze opened their international goalscoring accounts, to secure a 3-0 win over Latvia.

In between, Harry Kane of course got his 71st goal, but this didn’t quite become the stat-padding some might have expected.

Latvia didn’t let it. They made England really work for any opening, which in turn made James’ goal all the more valuable. On a night of frustrating imprecision, he offered a goal of soaringly exquisite accuracy.

It’s dubious as to whether Tuchel got much else out of the night, Eze’s first goal notwithstanding. The new manager might instead be realising just how thankless a lot of international football can be.

Read the full report from Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney at Wembley:

Thomas Tuchel shown frustration of international football despite England win

England 3-0 Latvia: The Three Lions were frustrated by the minnows before sealing a comfortable win but Thomas Tuchel is trying to find solutions without knowing the questions

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Luke Baker24 March 2025 22:13

CHANCE! England 3-0 Latvia, 77 mins

It probably should be 4-0 almost immediately. England flood forward again, Rogers moves towards the edge of the box and tries to curl the ball into the far corner of the goal, beyond the keeper, but it’s curled just wide.

Great chance for the Villa playmaker

Luke Baker24 March 2025 21:22