Thomas Tuchel’s England side confirmed qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a 5-0 victory over Latvia.
The Three Lions have now scored 18 goals without reply in their six Group K games, with Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze the scorers on the night.
It was a dominant display from Tuchel’s men, holding 72% possession, taking 24 shots and creating two big chances, limiting Latvia to just six shots.
Tuchel’s selection against Latvia gave us some hints that the manager wants to breed new synergies and cultivate the group as a unit, making just two changes to the side that beat Wales last week.
In this article, we’ll cover
Tuchel’s relentless lions
Tuchel made it clear when he took the England job he wanted his team to have the DNA of an English side, being “tough and ready to fight”.
He wants his side to be high intensity and physical, winning duels and making tackles which can build momentum throughout a game.
We are starting to see his vision come to life, albeit against a lower level of opposition than England would have to beat in order to bring the World Cup home next summer.
All over the park, players are expected to go man for man in an attempt to sustain pressure high up the pitch and suffocate teams inside their own half.
That intensity starts from the front, with Kane often guiding play to one side, while a swarm of Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Gordon press with intent.
Many wonder if the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden can make it into the starting XI, despite being some of the worlds best.
Tuchel has made it clear he is picking “an England team, not individuals” as he looks to build momentum and culture ahead of the 2026 competition.
The epitome of England
When we speak about Tuchel’s England and the ethos of the team, there is no player who epitomises it more than Anderson, who has found himself becoming a starter for his country very quickly.
Anderson plays with intensity in every action he executes, recycling play with punch on his passing and breaking up play with intensity to keep the team high.
The 22-year-old made four tackles in the match, making three interceptions and 11 ball recoveries, winning seven of his 10 ground duels.
Alongside Rice, the pair offer England with an extremely strong base level of physicality for duels in the middle of the park, allowing them to take more risks with direct passes, before launching an intense counter press as a form of offense.
But despite the position Anderson is playing under Tuchel, perhaps what makes him even more important to the team is his experience at club level, playing slightly more advanced as a box to box number eight, adding progressive carrying qualities in transition.
Balance is key for any team, therefore having a midfield that can progress play in multiple different ways, form a strong rest defence to sustain pressure and counter press with intent is a strong foundation for Tuchel’s side to have.
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Harry Kane brilliance
Kane continues to show why he is one of, if not the best centre-forward in world football, netting another two goals for his country, taking him to 76 goals for England.
The 32-year-old is clinical from all zones of the pitch, showing exactly why you cannot drop him from this England side, as if he gets a chance, he’s likely to bury it.
Platforming Kane with plenty of runners around him, who can move dynamically, press with intensity behind him and run in beyond is the perfect usage of the Bayern Munich man, allowing him to play to his instincts, moving with more freedom and giving him the keys to the attacking unit.
Wide triangle synergies
And Kane isn’t the only one with freedom to roam and take up other positions, as Tuchel implements principles of zone replacement via wide triangles.
While the two central defenders and Anderson stay somewhat fixed to their positions at the base, the wide triangles have license to interchange positions, attacking different lanes and depths on the pitch.
An example of this can include Gordon drifting infield to occupy the left half space, Myles Lewis-Skelly pushing high on the left to hold the width and Rice sitting just behind at the base of the triangle.
This is the case on both sides of the pitch, allowing for quick combination play and movement to drag opposition markers out of position, create separation and find solutions in the attacking third.
One key reason Tuchel is able to implement zone replacement within his England side, is the fact he is picking a team over individuals, ensuring those in each role understand the defensive responsibility that can come if the ball is lost while they are rotating positions.
The likes of Gordon and Rogers have been great examples for this, working hard off the ball to counter press and regain possession, which will make it tough for the likes of Bellingham, Palmer and Foden when they look to force their way into the starting XI next summer.