England 5-0 Albania: Harry Kane scores hat-trick as Three Lions close in on World Cup place

Harry Kane has scored 12 goals for England in 2021

England require only a point from their final qualifier in San Marino to confirm their place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after thrashing Albania at Wembley.

Harry Kane led the romp with a first-half hat-trick as England made light work of an Albania side expected to provide stiff opposition after a very respectable qualifying campaign.

England were five goals ahead and out of sight by half-time, Harry Maguire setting them on their way with a ninth-minute header from Reece James' free-kick, Kane quickly adding a second at the far post from Jordan Henderson's cross.

Henderson scored the third himself after a slick exchange with Kane before England's captain added two more before the break with a shot from an angle and a stunning scissors kick from Phil Foden's corner.

Kane is now level with Jimmy Greaves on 44 England goals and has scored 39 competitive goals for his country, breaking Wayne Rooney's record of 37.

• Will hat-trick mark turning point for Kane?
• Maguire - a goal to silence the critics?
• Reaction as England beat Albania

Southgate's system pays dividends

Gareth Southgate's decision to use two holding midfielders in Henderson and Kalvin Phillips raised some eyebrows but the system was the same one used when they beat Germany in Euro 2020, as well as in the losing final against Italy, and worked positively and efficiently.

Southgate was determined to get England on the front foot, using James and Ben Chilwell as attacking wing-backs with Henderson showing a particular willingness to get forward.

After a combative opening and a scare when keeper Jordan Pickford saved brilliantly from Myrto Uzuni after Kyle Walker played the ball into his path at 1-0, England overwhelmed Albania with wave after wave of attacks.

Once that moment of anxiety passed it was one-way traffic with England in complete control and the Albanians being run ragged at the back.

Kane was back to his brilliant best as he scored three and could easily have doubled that tally while Raheem Sterling also looked sharp as England did all their goalscoring in the first 45 minutes.

Maguire celebrated his goal with a fingers in the ears celebration which may have been directed at critics of his recent performances for Manchester United - although it will take more than a goal against Albania to erase the memories of those humbling Old Trafford defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City.

England's supremacy enabled Southgate to give a debut to Arsenal's talented Emile Smith Rowe as the game was played out to a low-key conclusion.

This was a comfortable night for England against mediocre opposition but Albania have performed well in this group so Southgate and his players deserve credit for their positive approach and the ruthless manner in which they got this job done, and indeed the way they have negotiated the qualifying campaign.

It is a group which always looked favourable and now all England have to do is complete the formalities against San Marino on Monday before they can begin the serious preparations for Qatar next year.

'We've had an edge all week' - what they said

England boss Gareth Southgate, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "The first-half performance in the main was outstanding.

"I felt we did all the things we'd talked about after the last game. We pressed really well which made life so uncomfortable for the opposition, our movement was good. Harry [Kane] gave a fantastic centre-forward's performance.

"Any team is at their best when they have an edge and I felt we had that edge all week. We wanted to respond to a performance that was unusually poor for us. We were very clear in identifying why. I felt all the players in the squad responded to that really well.

"We are in a really good position now and now owe it to our supporters to travel to San Marino and finish the group off."

Player of the match

HendersonJordan Henderson

with an average of 7.55

• EnglandEnglandEngland
• AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania

England

Avg

1. Squad number8Player nameHenderson

   Average rating

   7.55
2. Squad number9Player nameKane

   Average rating

   7.12
3. Squad number4Player nameJames

   Average rating

   7.02
4. Squad number7Player namePhillips

   Average rating

   6.95
5. Squad number1Player namePickford

   Average rating

   6.46
6. Squad number11Player nameFoden

   Average rating

   6.45
7. Squad number12Player nameAlexander-Arnold

   Average rating

   6.19
8. Squad number3Player nameChilwell

   Average rating

   6.16
9. Squad number5Player nameStones

   Average rating

   6.16
10. Squad number10Player nameSterling

    Average rating

    6.09
11. Squad number19Player nameSmith Rowe

    Average rating

    6.02
12. Squad number6Player nameMaguire

    Average rating

    6.02
13. Squad number18Player nameBellingham

    Average rating

    5.81
14. Squad number2Player nameWalker

    Average rating

    5.79
15. Squad number14Player nameGrealish

    Average rating

    5.48
16. Squad number17Player nameAbraham

    Average rating

    4.96

Albania

Avg

1. Squad number21Player nameRoshi

   Average rating

   5.12
2. Squad number17Player nameRamadani

   Average rating

   4.89
3. Squad number6Player nameDermaku

   Average rating

   4.84
4. Squad number13Player nameMihaj

   Average rating

   4.82
5. Squad number14Player nameLaci

   Average rating

   4.73
6. Squad number18Player nameIsmajli

   Average rating

   4.60
7. Squad number11Player nameUzuni

   Average rating

   4.59
8. Squad number20Player nameTrashi

   Average rating

   4.57
9. Squad number16Player nameCikalleshi

   Average rating

   4.57
10. Squad number23Player nameStrakosha

    Average rating

    4.56
11. Squad number15Player nameKumbulla

    Average rating

    4.54
12. Squad number4Player nameHysaj

    Average rating

    4.50
13. Squad number8Player nameGjasula

    Average rating

    4.45
14. Squad number5Player nameVeseli

    Average rating

    4.43
15. Squad number10Player nameBajrami

    Average rating

    4.40
16. Squad number7Player nameBare

    Average rating

    4.40

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

England

Formation 3-4-3

1Pickford

2Walker5Stones6Maguire

4James8Henderson7Phillips3Chilwell

11Foden9Kane10Sterling

• 1Pickford
• 2Walker
• 5Stones
• 6Maguire
• 4JamesSubstituted forAlexander-Arnoldat 77'minutes
• 8Henderson
• 7PhillipsSubstituted forBellinghamat 64'minutes
• 3Chilwell
• 11FodenSubstituted forGrealishat 63'minutes
• 9KaneSubstituted forAbrahamat 63'minutes
• 10SterlingSubstituted forSmith Roweat 77'minutes

Substitutes

• 12Alexander-Arnold
• 13Johnstone
• 14Grealish
• 15Mings
• 16Coady
• 17Abraham
• 18Bellingham
• 19Smith Rowe
• 20Saka
• 22Ramsdale

Albania

Formation 3-4-3

23Strakosha

18Ismajli15Kumbulla5Veseli

4Hysaj8Gjasula7Bare20Trashi

11Uzuni16Cikalleshi10Bajrami

• 23Strakosha
• 18IsmajliBooked at 25mins
• 15KumbullaSubstituted forDermakuat 17'minutes
• 5Veseli
• 4Hysaj
• 8GjasulaBooked at 8mins
• 7BareSubstituted forLaciat 12'minutesBooked at 67mins
• 20TrashiSubstituted forMihajat 45'minutes
• 11UzuniSubstituted forRoshiat 86'minutes
• 16CikalleshiBooked at 21mins
• 10BajramiSubstituted forRamadaniat 45'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Berisha
• 2Hoxhallari
• 3Lenjani
• 6Dermaku
• 9Çekiçi
• 12Selmani
• 13Mihaj
• 14Laci
• 17Ramadani
• 19Balaj
• 21Roshi
• 22Doka

Referee:

Ruddy Buquet

Attendance:

80,366

Match Stats

Home TeamEnglandAway TeamAlbania

Possession

Home64%

Away36%

Shots

Home15

Away5

Shots on Target

Home6

Away4

Corners

Home4

Away0

Fouls

Home3

Away14

Live Text

1. Post update

   Match ends, England 5, Albania 0.

2. 90'+3'

   Full Time

   Second Half ends, England 5, Albania 0.

3. 90'+2'

   Post update

   Jack Grealish (England) wins a free kick on the left wing.

4. 90'+2'

   Post update

   Foul by Odise Roshi (Albania).

5. 89'

   Post update

   Attempt blocked. Trent Alexander-Arnold (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jude Bellingham.

6. 89'

   Post update

   Jack Grealish (England) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

7. 89'

   Post update

   Foul by Odise Roshi (Albania).

8. 88'

   Post update

   Offside, Albania. Thomas Strakosha tries a through ball, but Qazim Laci is caught offside.

9. 87'

   Post update

   Attempt saved. Qazim Laci (Albania) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Frederic Veseli.

10. 86'

    Substitution

    Substitution, Albania. Odise Roshi replaces Myrto Uzuni.

11. 85'

    Post update

    Corner, England. Conceded by Enea Mihaj.

12. 85'

    Post update

    Attempt blocked. Jack Grealish (England) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Emile Smith Rowe.

13. 83'

    Post update

    Offside, England. Jack Grealish tries a through ball, but Tammy Abraham is caught offside.

14. 82'

    Post update

    Harry Maguire (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

15. 82'

    Post update

    Foul by Ylber Ramadani (Albania).

16. 77'

    Substitution

    Substitution, England. Emile Smith Rowe replaces Raheem Sterling.

17. 77'

    Substitution

    Substitution, England. Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Reece James.

18. 72'

    Post update

    Offside, Albania. Qazim Laci tries a through ball, but Elseid Hysaj is caught offside.

19. 70'

    Post update

    Attempt missed. Reece James (England) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jude Bellingham.

20. 67'

    Booking

    Qazim Laci (Albania) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

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