England’s unbeaten streak beneath new coach Thomas Tuchel collapsed in beautiful vogue Tuesday as Senegal made historical past with a commanding 3-1 win, changing into the primary African group to ever defeat the Three Lions.
The loss – Tuchel’s first on the helm – triggered a refrain of boos from England followers at City Ground and left the previous Chelsea boss with extra questions than solutions as his reshuffled facet as soon as once more struggled for rhythm, goal, and chew.
Captain Harry Kane opened the scoring within the seventh minute, bundling residence after Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy failed to carry onto Anthony Gordon’s low drive. But that second of promise evaporated quick, and so did England’s confidence.
Senegal responded with swagger and metal, exploiting England’s disjointed backline to full impact. Ismaila Sarr darted previous Kyle Walker to transform a cut-back from Nicolas Jackson within the fortieth minute – the primary aim conceded beneath Tuchel’s reign.
It was a warning shot that foreshadowed what was to come back.
Just after the hour mark, Habib Diarra latched onto a hopeful lengthy ball and located the web with a toe-poke that deflected by goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s legs.
England’s push for an equalizer noticed Jude Bellingham momentarily raise spirits with an 84th-minute strike at a nook, however VAR rapidly chalked it off for a handball within the buildup by Levi Colwill.
Senegal weren’t accomplished. Cheikh Sabaly capped off a deadly counterattack deep into stoppage time, pounding residence the third to silence the house crowd and etch his nation’s title into the file books.
Tuchel seemed shell-shocked on the touchline. Ten adjustments from Saturday’s unconvincing 1-0 win over Andorra did not ship vitality or chemistry. Despite out-possessing Senegal, England managed simply 4 pictures on the right track, in comparison with 9 from the West Africans, who prolonged their unbeaten run to 24 video games.
“We’re not happy with the result. Big chances to equalize but we didn’t take them,” Tuchel stated. “We looked frozen at times, not proactive enough. The goals we gave away were too easy.”
Kane echoed the frustration, admitting his facet lacked urgency and aggression. “We had moments, but things aren’t clicking,” the captain stated. “There are new players, new ideas, but we need to find it fast – the World Cup isn’t far off.”
Gordon missed a gilt-edged likelihood to double the lead within the first half, scuffing a close-range end, whereas Mendy made amends late with a flying save to disclaim Bukayo Saka. But Senegal’s sharpness – each in execution and intent – proved decisive.
The defeat brings England again all the way down to earth, halting a four-game unbeaten begin to Tuchel’s reign. For Senegal, it was an evening of validation and pleasure, the form of milestone win that echoes far past a pleasant scoreboard.
In different European World Cup qualifying motion Tuesday, Memphis Depay scored twice because the Netherlands obliterated Malta 8-0, equaling Robin van Persie’s all-time scoring file with 50 objectives in simply 102 appearances. Finland edged Poland 2-1 in a sport halted by a medical emergency within the stands. The win, compounded by Poland’s inner turmoil over Robert Lewandowski’s absence and stripped captaincy, dropped the Poles from first to 3rd in Group G.
Elsewhere, Austria beat San Marino 4-0, Romania blanked Cyprus 2-0, Serbia cruised previous Andorra 3-0, and Latvia held Albania 1-1 in a draw that harm either side’ qualification hopes.
But all eyes, and headlines, belonged to Senegal – a group that didn’t simply beat England however outplayed them, outworked them, and outclassed them in a match that might reshape the narrative heading into the ultimate stretch earlier than the 2026 World Cup.
Source: www.dailysabah.com