Harry Kane seals victory as Thomas Tuchel's England era kicks off with win

Arsenal's teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly marked his Three Lions debut with a historic goal, while Bayern Munich's Harry Kane sealed the win with a clinical finish, but the German manager has insisted his side have more to give.

"We can do better, we have to do better," Tuchel said in an interview after the match. "We started well, controlling the ball for seven or eight minutes with high energy and sharp passing. But Albania are tough to break downâ”they sit deep and defend stubbornly.

"We saw that at the Euros, where they rarely gave away chances. In the second half, we were too slow, and I didn't see enough runs off the ball to stretch them."

England flew out of the blocks, and their early dominance paid off in the 20th minute. Jude Bellingham's pinpoint pass carved open the Albanian defence, allowing Lewis-Skelly to slot a cool finish past goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.

At just 18, the Arsenal youngster etched his name into the history books as the youngest player to score on his senior England debut. Tuchel couldn't hide his admiration, saying, "He's an amazing player with an amazing personality. He walked into camp and instantly won everyone over, it's a well-deserved moment for him."

Albania, who reached the Euro 2024 group stage, grew into the game as the first half wore on, but England still carried the greater threat. Bellingham saw a close-range effort tipped away by Strakosha, while Harry Kane was denied by a heroic block from Berat Djimsiti.

Newcastle's Dan Burn also came close, rattling the crossbar with a thumping header just before the break.

The visitors tightened up after half-time, frustrating England's attack and limiting their chances. Kane glanced a header wide, and despite substitutions like Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, and Morgan Rogers adding fresh legs, the second goal remained elusive until the 77th minute.

Declan Rice's lofted pass found Kane, who took an exquisite touch before firing a low strike into the bottom corner for his 70th England goal. That moment of magic from the skipper killed off any Albanian hopes, securing a seventh straight win for the Three Lions in this fixture.

Despite the victory, Tuchel's demand for improvement was clear, setting the tone for his ambitions with the national side.

Meanwhile, a recent X post from the official England account highlighted Lewis-Skelly's milestone, stating, "18 years young and already making history, congrats, Myles!" Kane also took to X, posting, "Great way to start the campaign. Onto the next one."

With qualifiers heating up, England fans will be eager to see Tuchel's vision take shape. 

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