England’s rehearsal night against Australia didn’t see any player taking the spotlight. The match ended in a narrow victory for England in front of a crowd of 81,116 at Wembley, leaving the fans without much to cheer for in their rivalry with Australia.
Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal, but Jordan Henderson faced jeers from the crowd and seemed to be struggling to keep up. On the defensive front, Lewis Dunk stood out as an exceptional performer, possibly earning himself a place alongside John Stones in the future. Trent Alexander-Arnold displayed potential in his role as an inverted full-back.
England manager Gareth Southgate had urged the players in this experimental lineup to seize their opportunity, with time running out before the Euros next summer. The match began with a moment of silence to honor the victims of recent atrocities in the Middle East, and apart from a couple of Israel flags sneaking into the stadium, security was well-maintained.
Southgate didn’t gain significant insights from the match, but it was clear that England fans have expressed their displeasure towards Henderson for his involvement in Saudi football, and he appeared to be struggling to adapt to playing at a lower level. James Maddison displayed some promising skills, and Alexander-Arnold’s performance suggests that the experiment with an inverted full-back role is worth pursuing. Jack Grealish, with an assist in this game, is expected to have an opportunity when he returns to full match fitness.
It’s challenging to believe that any of the players who started against Australia will feature in the starting lineup against Italy on Tuesday, which has always been the main focus as England could secure qualification.
Surprisingly, some of the players didn’t appear sharper or ready to seize the moment. Levi Colwill had difficulties in the back three, Fikayo Tomori showcased good pace but often had to rescue himself from tricky situations. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone put in a solid performance. Ollie Watkins had a chance in the first half, rounding Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan, but his shot hit the post, possibly due to an offside position.
In a friendly match, VAR wasn’t deemed necessary, especially when French referee Stephanie Frappart, the first female to officiate a men’s international game at Wembley, maintained strict control, issuing several yellow cards.
England had a crucial escape just before half-time when Australia executed a counter-attack brilliantly. Ryan Strain seemed certain to score, but Lewis Dunk made an incredible goal-line clearance.
The breakthrough finally came in the 58th minute, with Trent Alexander-Arnold delivering a deep diagonal ball to Jack Grealish on the left side of the box. Grealish’s cross-shot was turned in by Ollie Watkins from point-blank range. This marked Watkins’ third goal for England in eight caps, with the remarkable fact that he scored in consecutive appearances, although they were separated by 563 days.
A series of substitutions followed, causing the game to become stop-start. Jordan Henderson left the field to a chorus of boos, and Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah made his debut, but the game lost its momentum and eventually faded away.