Footballer Jesse Lingard returned to the scoresheet for England for the first time in three years with two goals in his team’s 4-0 win over Andorra in a one-sided World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
The forward first scored in the 18th minute and scored again late on after Harry Kane had finally doubled England’s lead with a 72nd-minute penalty.
Bukayo Saka contributed to England’s total domination against the Pyrenees principality when he scored the fourth goal on his 20th birthday.
This victory is England’s first match at Wembley since the heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat by Italy in the Euro 2020 final in July. It maintained its 100% record in qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The Team From England Which Tore Apart Andorra
The English team tops Group I with 15 points, six ahead of Albania who beat Hungary 1-0. Poland might cut their lead to five if they beat San Marino later on Sunday.
Andorra would have taken reaching halftime only trailing 1-0 as a moral victory since they hardly managed a kick in a first half resembling an England passing exercise.
The 3 Lions made 11 changes from the side that crushed Hungary in midweek. This was the first time that had happened since 1982.
Lingard scored his first goal in three years, in the 18th minute. He fired past Andorra keeper Josep Gomes after a link-up play by Saka and Jude Bellingham.
Debutant Patrick Bamford was painfully close to touching in a low cross but for all their superiority England managed only one shot on target before halftime.
The trio joined forces for England’s second goal in the 72nd minute, Grealish playing in Mount who was shoved over in the area and captain Kane dispatched the penalty into the corner.
Lingard beat Gomes with a low shot from distance in the 78th minute but the most cheered goal of the night was Saka’s header. It was a fine way to soothe the pain of the missed penalty that gave Italy the Euro 2020 trophy.
It was the perfect Wembley present for Saka. The reception he received made him very happy and it meant everything for him, Arsenal’s Saka said.
