England embrace the chaos - but control also needed to win big prizes — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Spain beat England 3-2 in the Nations League at Wembley, extending their unbeaten run to 39 games as reigning world and European champions
- Marc Guehi gifted Lamine Yamal an opener inside two minutes with an inexplicable turn into trouble, and Nico O'Reilly lost possession in the build-up to Alex Baena's equaliser
- Anthony Gordon (composed finish) and Harry Kane (deflected header) gave England a half-time lead, with Gordon and Jude Bellingham — both now playing in Spain — named England's standout performers
- Harry Kane missed a penalty early in the second half, hitting the bar after slipping and touching the ball twice — the moment England later pointed to as the game's turning point
- Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored the winner in the Euro 2024 final against England in Berlin, netted Spain's decisive strike in the 74th minute
- Manchester City defensive duo Guehi and O'Reilly had a poor night, while Jarell Quansah looked uncertain throughout after being picked at right-back ahead of the recalled Trent Alexander-Arnold
- England have shipped 13 goals in their last six matches in all competitions, compared to just seven conceded in Tuchel's first 17 games in charge
Why it matters: England's attacking threat against elite opposition is no longer in doubt — they went toe-to-toe with world champions Spain — but the 13 goals conceded in six matches under Tuchel shows defensive fragility is now the defining drag on his project, and Kane's missed penalty will reignite debate over England's mentality in the decisive moments that have haunted them since 1966.
Ask SkimNews
