England captain Harry Kane praised his team’s dominant 5-0 victory over Serbia in a World Cup qualifier, highlighting their aggressive play and defensive solidity. The win marks England’s fifth consecutive victory in the campaign, solidifying their position at the top of Group K.
Harry Kane, the England captain, was effusive in his praise for his teammates after their commanding 5-0 victory over Serbia in a World Cup qualifying match. Kane's early goal set the tone for a dominant performance that saw England cruising to a comfortable win.
Kane himself initiated the scoring spree in the 33rd minute, expertly glancing Declan Rice's corner past Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. Just two minutes later, Noni Madueke extended England's lead, further solidifying their grip on the game. The rout continued with goals from Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Marcus Rashford, underscoring England's attacking prowess. To compound Serbia's woes, Nikola Milenkovic, their captain, was sent off in the 72nd minute, effectively ending any hope of a comeback.
This victory was more than just a scoreline; it highlighted England's defensive solidity. The team has now achieved seven consecutive clean sheets in competitive fixtures, matching a record previously set under Sir Bobby Robson between October 1988 and October 1989. This defensive resilience, combined with their attacking flair, makes England a formidable force in the World Cup qualifying campaign.
The match against Serbia was arguably England's most impressive showing under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel achieved a notable milestone, becoming only the fourth England manager to win his first five competitive games. He joins an elite group that includes Fabio Capello (who won his first eight), Ron Greenwood (six), and Sven-Goran Eriksson (five).
After a less-than-convincing performance against Andorra in their previous qualifier, the match against Serbia was considered a significant test for England. Serbia had a strong home record, having lost only one of their last 28 home qualifiers. However, England surpassed expectations, demonstrating their quality and determination. Statistically, England dominated the game, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 4.22 from 24 shots, compared to Serbia's meager 0.08 from just three attempts. This disparity underscores England's control and attacking threat throughout the match.
3 – England have had 3+ players score their first goal in the same match for only the third time since winning the 1966 World Cup, after October 2020 v Wales (Ings, Coady, Calvert-Lewin) & November 2024 v Republic of Ireland (Gordon, Gallagher, Harwood-Bellis, Bowen). Collection. pic.twitter.com/3UPq6cStX9
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 9, 2025
The victory over Serbia marks England's fifth win in five matches at the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign. They now sit comfortably at the top of Group K, holding a seven-point lead over Albania.
Prior to the game, Tuchel expressed his belief that the potentially hostile atmosphere in Belgrade would inspire his players to perform at their best. Kane echoed this sentiment, stating that the team had delivered an outstanding performance.
"I spoke a lot yesterday about how we wanted to play – being on the front foot and being aggressive, and I think we showed our level today," Kane told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Even in the other games, we did well, but we didn’t reach top form. We scored five and made it look comfortable. We can be proud of ourselves."
Kane added, "It has been a great camp and we are in a great position. They found it difficult to play. Whenever they did break, we recovered quickly. Overall, we can be pleased with the whole week and we will take this into the next camp. The energy has been higher and the level has been higher."
"We felt we had a good performance a few days ago. I know it wasn’t the performance that everyone was excited about, but we did what we had to. Serbia are a good team, and we made them look average tonight."
Looking ahead, England aims to continue their unblemished qualifying record with an away match against Latvia on October 14. Before that, they will play a friendly against Wales five days earlier as part of their preparations for the trip to Riga. The team is focused on maintaining their momentum and securing their place in the World Cup.