The Independent
·9 October 2025
Bukayo Saka highlights Thomas Tuchel’s key change in England thrashing of Wales

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Yahoo sportsThe Independent
·9 October 2025
The ball fizzed off the instep of Bukayo Saka and curled viciously into the top corner. England were three goals clear of Wales and a grin from the Arsenal man captured the ever-changing mood when it comes to representing Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions: Joy.
No longer a burden, or a feeling of being peeled away from club duty, Tuchel appears to have inspired an urgency and delight at the opportunity to represent the national team as he counts down the days to the 2026 World Cup. Inflicting a 3-0 defeat on their old enemy further emphasised a developing meritocracy, too, with club status no longer enough to seize a shirt. There was no starter from Chelsea, Liverpool or Man United for the first time since 1992.
Tuchel has lauded the New England Patriots in the build-up to this friendly, underlining his desire to replicate the iconic NFL franchise’s reluctance “to collect the most talented players” and instead “build a team”. Craig Bellamy might scoff at the second part and its difficulty when you can still showcase a team bursting with talent, despite the controversial absence of Jude Bellingham, with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Jack Grealish, Reece James and the skipper Harry Kane, among others, also absent.
A game posing a deeper question beyond the result, could England bring the intensity and cutting edge in the final without their record goalscorer? The roar and passion from the red visiting corner suggested England would be made to work for their victory tonight against an inspired away side. But Bellamy’s team, with just two defeats in 12 under his leadership, were effectively down in the first round, snoozing at a corner and within three minutes Marc Guehi’s lunge was enough to redirect John Stones’ knockdown to Morgan Rogers. And the Aston Villa star’s precise finish nestled into the bottom corner to secure a perfect start for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Rice, captain for the night in place of Kane, who was sitting this one out as a precaution, was queuing up at the back post, only for Rogers to pinch possession from his own unmarked position. A shambolic Wales then allowed Guehi, inside the six-yard box, to flick the ball to the back post, where Ollie Watkins had time to sweep home with his second touch.
Kane, with 16 goals already for Bayern Munich this season, grinned on the bench, inspecting his nails and perhaps wondering how many more goals he had surrendered to his deputy tonight.
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Morgan Rogers of England celebrates with teammate John Stones (The FA via Getty Images)
England were rampant, and Saka burst through on goal, only for Joe Rodon’s desperate challenge to block a third goal inside 13 minutes.
But if there was a moment to summarise England’s dominance, it was Rogers, dropping into a deeper area and displaying close control, strength and balance to fend off the overmatched Liam Cullen, who nibbled a few times before conceding a foul. Rogers’ increasing prominence now makes Bellingham and Palmer’s presence in the starting line-up a doubt for the foreseeable future, illustrating a rare luxury for Tuchel.
The home cheers soon turned to gasps at the sheer quality on display, this time through Saka and that wand of a left boot. A whipped finish past the despairing Karl Darlow ended the contest at 3-0, with Tuchel spinning around in delight and pumping his arms furiously at his side’s relentless momentum.
Watkins almost had another at the back post before the break, this time inconceivably striking wide of a post from barely a yard after Elliott Anderson flashed the ball across the six-yard box. The Villa forward clattered into the woodwork, grimacing as much over the pain to his knee as his pride from the miss.
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Morgan Rogers of England celebrates with teammate Anthony Gordon (The FA via Getty Images)
A first shot for Wales arrived in the 43rd minute to ironic whistles: Harry Wilson was unable to conjure the same deadly accuracy as Saka, to the glee of the home support.
Wales emerged after the restart still a little sluggish, with Rashford, rejuvenated since his move to Barcelona, sent on for the injured Watkins. But the sensational Rogers continued to cause havoc, thumping the woodwork as Wales unravelled from another corner.
Bellamy’s side did almost have a consolation on the hour mark, Neco Williams’ arching cross allowed David Brooks to connect with a sweetly-struck volley, only for the diligent Jordan Pickford, mostly an observer throughout, to repel the effort with an outstretched knee. The Everton shot-stopper’s poise, amid complete dominance should not be forgotten, either, with his presence likely to become pivotal next summer in knockout ties. A strong hand later denied Chris Mepham’s arrowed header to retain a clean sheet.
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Bukayo Saka of England scores his team's third goal (Getty Images)
Tuchel is a reluctant front-runner, resisting any favourites tag that might float towards the Three Lions. “I don’t see why we should burden ourselves that we are the big favourites,” the German had remarked. This kind of dominance over Wales should not elevate England further in comparison to the world’s elite, but their strength in depth and increased menace on the ball brings a new flavour approaching a tournament. The storyline for the United States, Canada and Mexico now revolves around the competition for places, which could yet be England’s biggest weapon.