They’d all gone inside, England. AirPods on, down the tunnel. All but one of them. A straggler was left behind, still out on the grass.
Anthony Gordon, the Under 21s’ false nine, stood alone in one box just staring at goal. For a couple of minutes, just watching it unmoved. A visualisation technique that paid off, unless he was feeling particularly inclined to gaze at the Tskhrajvari peaks in the distance. They are picturesque, in fairness.
Gordon is not a natural here but is doing an invaluable job for Lee Carsley. His 16th-minute header set England on their way to securing qualification from Group C, with the chance of sending Germany home when they meet in midweek, and did so in front of Gareth Southgate.
Southgate arrived in Georgia late on Saturday night, boarding the team bus to this victory over a spirited Israel, and there had been a school of thought around the FA that Gordon was one in with a chance of sneaking into last winter’s World Cup squad.
He stayed here though, now a focal point in a team of fluidity and movement, packed with seven midfielders and an insistence on killing opposition with ingenuity masquerading as simplicity. Even if England do not win another game at this tournament, performances will have opened Southgate’s eyes to the depth of talent beneath the seniors and how they can perform together. The last few days has been worthwhile for that above all else.
Naturally they are here to win it, to make sure people are talking about this group for years to come. The added bonus with a second win was England have now avoided a quarter-final over in Tbilisi, a five-hour train away from their base on the west coast. The last-eight will be back here in Kutaisi, half the journey.
Mission complete without conceding and looking tidy going forward. Gordon’s downward header was perfectly timed, stealing a march on his marker from a clipped Morgan Gibbs-White cross on the byline. Gibbs-White had progressed to that position methodically in a way that showcased how Carsley’s side play at their own pace.
Rarely has an England team dominated a game with pure football to quite this degree and in spells it really was quite something to watch. An earlier disallowed goal, Emile Smith Rowe backheeling while offside, came after a breath-taking move started by Angel Gomes kickstarting them into action, a flurry of one-touch passes through the lines and around Israel, in a way that we just have not seen that often.
One criticism would be that after the opener, England eased up. Comfortable with it, but a little slower. Their prerogative with a lead, of course, although Israel – coached by former Charlton manager Guy Luzon – saw an Ethane Azoulay free-kick nicely saved by James Trafford.
Noni Madueke should have squared for Gordon shortly after the restart, blazing wide, while Gibbs-White wanted a penalty for an apparent trip. With more pace to them after the break, much like against Czech Republic, Smith Rowe finally had his goal 22 minutes from time, fizzing into the corner from just outside the area. The chance was manufactured via a one-two with Gibbs-White, who ran the show all night, with Gomes not far behind.
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Smith our the young gunner