England’s rout of Serbia shows Thomas Tuchel’s men are on the rise

Harry Kane opened the scoring with his 74th international goal, extending his record as England’s all-time leading marksman. Noni Madueke soon doubled the lead with his first senior strike for his country, finishing confidently after being picked out by Morgan Rogers.

The milestones kept coming in the second half. Defenders Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi both registered their first England goals, highlighting the team’s dominance at both ends of the pitch. 

Marcus Rashford completed the rout late, calmly converting from the penalty spot to surpass David Beckham’s tally with his 18th goal for England.

Tuchel was quick to praise the display, particularly the blend of attacking fluency and defensive discipline.

"We played with a lot of intensity, we put a lot of work in,” he told ITV, via Sky Sports. “I think it was teamwork in its purest form, and from there we showed our quality.”

"The first camp was very good, the second camp was so-so. We did our learnings and started new, gave the players clarity in their role, in the structure that we are playing, and from then we [gave them] the responsibility to put it to life, and they did excellent, so the credit goes to them.”

Serbia failed to register a shot on target, leaving Jordan Pickford untested behind a back line marshalled impressively by Guehi and Konsa. 

While previous results under Tuchel had been less convincing, including a 2-0 win over Andorra and a friendly defeat to Senegal, England has now recorded five consecutive clean sheets in World Cup qualifying, a run that suggests genuine progress ahead of 2026.

The atmosphere in Belgrade added to the challenge. The reduced-capacity crowd, sanctioned by UEFA, disrupted play with laser pointers and political chanting, forcing a brief stoppage. England, however, remained composed and ruthless, turning the contest into a statement win in hostile surroundings.

Reaction from fans and media was glowing, with Madueke, Guehi and Elliot Anderson earning top ratings for their impact. Kane’s leadership and Tuchel’s tactical clarity were also singled out as England looked sharper and more cohesive than at any point in his tenure.

Notably, key players Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka were absent with injury, meaning the squad should only grow stronger in the coming months.

With 15 points, qualification is now within sight. More importantly, this was a night when England combined ruthlessness with authority, and when Tuchel’s project began to look genuinely formidable.