Thomas Tuchel maintains perfect start as England cruise past Latvia

Thomas Tuchel continued his flawless start as England manager, overseeing a 3-0 victory against Latvia in their second World Cup qualifier.

Reece James marked his first international start in over two and a half years with a stunning free-kick just before the break, curling the ball into the top corner after a low Latvian block had frustrated England for much of the first half.

Prior to James’ opener, England had pressed their opponents but came close to conceding.

A lapse in communication between Marc Guehi and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford left the goal gaping, but Latvian forward Vladislavs Gutkovskis failed to capitalise on the mistake.

Harry Kane had a relatively quiet evening by his usual standards, but after one effort narrowly missed the target, he found the net at the back post in the 68th minute.

Kane finished off a well-worked team move, linking up with Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers to score England’s second.

Rogers played a key role in the second goal and came close to adding a third shortly after. Eberechi Eze’s effort on goal was deflected off a Latvian defender and just wide of Rogers, who was in position to finish.

England now sit comfortably at the top of Group K with six points from their opening two games under Tuchel.

The next international break, scheduled for June 6, will give Tuchel the opportunity to further shape his team.