Tuchel Hails England’s ‘Statement Victory’ Over Serbia as World Cup Benchmark

Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, has lauded his team's dominant 5-0 victory over Serbia as a 'statement victory' and a new benchmark in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The emphatic win, secured in Belgrade on Tuesday, has instilled a renewed sense of optimism and confidence within the squad, particularly after facing criticism for lackluster performances earlier in the qualifying campaign.

"We had an excellent week from start to finish. We've just proved what I've seen every day in this camp and this makes me very happy," Tuchel said, brimming with satisfaction. The German coach emphasized the significance of the camp, declaring, "This camp was the benchmark."

The victory leaves England needing just five points from their remaining three group games to secure their place at the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States next summer. Currently sitting comfortably at the top of Group K with a seven-point lead, England's upcoming fixtures include a match against Latvia in October, followed by clashes against Serbia and Albania in November.

Tuchel was particularly pleased with his team's performance against a tough opponent in a challenging environment. "This week was excellent. The attitude, the way we played in both matches. Today is a statement victory against a difficult opponent in a difficult environment," he reiterated.

England's dominance was evident throughout the match, stifling Serbia's attacking efforts and preventing them from registering a single shot on target. Jordan Pickford, the England goalkeeper, had a quiet night, not being forced into a single save. In contrast, England unleashed a barrage of 24 shots, with 12 hitting the target, while also accumulating an impressive 42 touches in the opposition's penalty area. Serbia, in comparison, only managed four touches in England's box.

Harry Kane and Noni Madueke set the tone with goals in the first half, giving England a deserved lead. The second half saw Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Marcus Rashford adding their names to the scoresheet, completing an emphatic victory.

"There was no negative attitude on the pitch, no frustration on the pitch. For me, it was teamwork in its purest form. Then we played football to a high level and got a deserved win," Tuchel elaborated, highlighting the unity and spirit within the team.

Acknowledging the team's previous performance against Andorra, Tuchel stated, "We had a bit of a stop-start game against Andorra and the result was maybe not the result that everyone expected from us. I kept the belief but at some point you need to prove it also as a player, that it's not just only words from your coach."

"They kept on doing and I think they kept on believing, and they felt themselves that this is the spirit that we need in camp and that will give us the extra level of quality."

Echoing Tuchel's sentiments, midfielder Declan Rice emphasized the difficulty of scoring multiple goals in every game, given the tactical approach of opposing teams. "The first four games people have been wanting to see six and seven goals. It is never going to happen when teams camp 10 men behind the ball," he explained.

"We knew it was going to be really tough coming here, but [it was] a five-star performance. We took control from the very first minute and we needed that tonight."

Captain Harry Kane echoed Rice's assessment, stating that England "showed our level" in Belgrade, demonstrating their dominance and potential. "Even in the other games, we did well, but we didn't reach top form," he conceded.

"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.

"I spoke about how we wanted to play - being on the front foot and being aggressive, and I think we showed our level today."

Image source, Reuters