MATCH EVENTS
70′ Kyle Walker (Second Yellow Card)
89′ Sverrir Ingason (Second Yellow Card)
90+1′ GOAL – Raheem Sterling (Penalty)
OVERVIEW
England began their Nations League campaign with a last-gasp win against Iceland. With two sending-offs and two last-minute penalties, it was a truly dramatic way for Southgate’s men to get the result they wanted.
England’s opening pressure appeared to have brought an early goal, with Kane diverting Sterling’s cross into the back of the net, but it was incorrectly given as offside. It was the only real chance of the first 45 minutes, with England struggling to fashion any clear-cut opportunities against a well-organised Iceland defence.
The game seemed to be drawing to a feeble conclusion, until Kyle Walker’s petulance came back to bite him. After a soft yellow in the first half, he slid in recklessly on Traustason, and he was dismissed for the last 20 minutes.
The game sparked into life right at the death. Sterling stabbed a shot towards goal, and Invasion was deemed to have blocked it with his arm. It was the centre-halve’s second bookable offence, and the numbers were levelled at ten-on-ten. Sterling calmly passed the resulting penalty past Halldórsson to give England the lead in the 90+1′ minute.
The game then pulled one last surprise on us. From the resulting kick-off, the ball was launched forward, and Joe Gomez appeared to foul Fridjonsson in the box, and the Blues had a chance to level the game! But, just two minutes after Sterling scored his chance from 12 yards, Bjarnason struck his over, leaving England counting their lucky, lucky stars. They snatched three vital points in their bid to finish top of their Nations League group.
PLAYER RATINGS
ICELAND
Hannes Halldórsson – 6
Hjortur Hermannsson – 6.5
Sverrir Ingason – 3.5
Kari Arnason – 6.5
Hördur Magnússon – 4.5
Arnór Traustason – 5.5
Birkir Bjarnason – 4
Victor Pálsson – 6
Jón Thorsteinsson – 6
Albert Gudmundsson – 6.5
Jón Bödvarsson – 5.5
Subs:
Arnór Sigurdsson – 5
Emil Hallfredsson – 5.5
Hólmbert Fridjonsson – N/A
ENGLAND
Jordan Pickford – 6
Kyle Walker – 3
Joe Gomez – 5
Eric Dier – 6
Kieran Trippier – 6.5
Declan Rice – 4
James Ward-Prowse – 5
Phil Foden – 5.5
Jadon Sancho – 6.5
Raheem Sterling – 7.5 (MOTM)
Harry Kane – 6
Subs:
Danny Ings – 6
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6.5
Mason Greenwood – 5.5
Written by Jed Vine
