England slumped to their first defeat under Thomas Tuchel as Senegal secured a fully deserved victory in the friendly at the City Ground. Tuchel’s side laboured badly throughout and were second best to impressive opposition, who became the first African team to beat England. A frustrating night for England had begun well for them as they took the lead after seven minutes when captain Harry Kane pounced for his 73rd England goal. That came after goalkeeper Edouard Mendy failed to hold Anthony Gordon’s shot, but it was as good as it got for England.
Dean Henderson, in for regular keeper Jordan Pickford, was kept busy as the hosts struggled in Nottingham, and Senegal drew level five minutes before the break when Kyle Walker switched off to allow Ismaila Sarr to steal in at the far post. It was the first goal England had conceded under Tuchel in four games, and Senegal probed England’s defensive vulnerability throughout. The visitors got the lead their dominance merited when Habib Diarra exploited space behind England’s defence to beat Henderson, firing through his legs at the near post just after the hour. England went in search of an equaliser, with Mendy making amends for his earlier error by producing fine saves from substitute Morgan Gibbs-White and Bukayo Saka.
Tuchel’s side also had a late strike from Jude Bellingham ruled out for handball against Levi Colwill after a video assistant referee intervention. But Senegal wrapped up the win in the dying seconds of stoppage time when substitute Curtis Jones lost possession, allowing Cheikh Sabaly to finish England off with a cool finish, sparking an angry reaction from the home supporters who remained inside the City Ground. England had 15 wins and six draws from their previous 21 matches against African opponents, but here they were well beaten in the end. The storm of booing that greeted Tuchel and his England players at the final whistle summed up a miserable night for the German boss.
England had the perfect start with Kane’s goal, and while this game came at the end of a gruelling season, it was still a chastening experience to see Tuchel’s team so comprehensively outplayed by Senegal. Keeper Henderson had kept Senegal at bay in the first half, saving from Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Crystal Palace teammate Sarr, who took advantage of Walker’s defensive lapse for the visitors’ leveller. After that, England subsided and Senegal could have won by an even more convincing margin. The away side delighted their followers with the victory, celebrating exuberantly once the third goal went in.
This defeat completed an undistinguished few days for England who scraped a 1-0 win against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday. The new coach may have three wins from his first four games, but the opposition – until now – had not been testing and this has been a somewhat sticky start by Gareth Southgate’s successor. He duly felt the full force of the City Ground crowd as England’s supporters wait to see any sign of improvement or a new identity under Tuchel.
