Written by Ellis Stevens, Sub-edited by Ashley Adamson-Edwards
England and Wales go head to head tonight in what is scheduled to be a friendly warm-up game prior to their two upcoming Nations League fixtures. However, the likelihood of this game actually being friendly has already been ruled out by Southgate, with the England boss saying there is “no such thing as a friendly”.
Both teams will be looking to continue their unbeaten runs, with England going five games without a defeat, claiming four victories in this time and conceding none, while Wales’ streak spans eight games.
Ellis Stevens will be taking you through the action as it happens.
Team News
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be looking to continue his magnificent goalscoring form in what is likely to be his first game for the England senior side. This coming after netting six in the opening four premier league games this season, including a hat-trick against West Brom, as well as a second hat-trick against West Ham in the Carabao Cup.
Bukayo Saka, Harvey Barnes and Reece James are also included in the England set up for the first time, with the latter of the three replacing the injured Raheem Sterling.
England will also be without the trio of Tammy Abraham, Ben Chilwell and Jadon Sancho due to breaching Coronavirus rules at the weekend.
Wales also have their own issues within the squad, with injuries to Gareth Bale, Joe Allen and Hal Robson-Kanu ruling them out from appearing. Aaron Ramsey will also be missing due to being in quarantine with the Juventus team.
Rhys Norrington-Davies features in the Wales senior squad for the first time.
Starting Lineups
Here’s how the two teams lineup.
Calvert-Lewin does indeed get his start, with Saka also making his first appearance in what looks to be a back three for England. Alongside the debutants are Jack Grealish and Danny Ings who are getting their first starts.
Kieran Trippier will captain the England side in what will make him the 123rd man to captain the England team.
For Wales, Wayne Hennessey equals goalkeeping icon Neville Southall’s impressive 92 caps.
Ben Davies joins former Tottenham teammate in being his national side’s captain for the first time tonight.
Out come the players here at Wembley Stadium.
Lets hope for the same amount of drama as the last time these two sides clashed heads.
KICK OFF
1 MIN: Wales get us kicked off here at Wembley Stadium.
2 MIN: Both teams looking to warm into the game here as both have been wasteful with the ball so far.
4 MIN: Some nice play around England’s box from Wales, with Tyler Roberts’ eventual shot leading to a corner.
Easily cleared by England after a poor driven corner from Johnny Williams.
6 MIN: England looking to force the ball down their right side a lot here, trying to make the most of Trippier’s crossing ability with the aerial threat of Calvert-Lewin lurking in the box.
Embed from Getty Images10 MIN: It’s been a very cagey first 10 here so far, neither team done much with the ball.
Let’s hope the game gets livelier as it progresses!
12 MINS: CHANCE Great ball from Ings into the man of the moment Calvert-Lewin who takes it round the goalkeeper and knocks it into the box, but no one is in the box for England to make the most of it.
16 MINS: Tyler Roberts with some great skill on the right side of the England box that gives him a chance to float the ball into the penalty area. Moore climbs highest to win it, but it’s off target and ultimately England clear easily enough.
Looking good for Wales so far though, by far the most comfortable on the ball. Just need to make some chances to capitalise on this dominance.
19 MIN: Wales with a free kick in a promising position here.
Davies crosses in but it’s too deep for anyone to get on to the end of it.
20 MIN: CHANCE Moore has a great chance to volley in from the edge of the box, but he seems to time it wrong and scuff it really. Big chance missed for Wales.
25 MIN: GOAL ENGLAND 1-0 WALES DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN
England with a nice bit of play to get the ball to Grealish on the right side of the box, who creates just a yard to float the ball into the box. And guess who’s on the end of it?
Who else but Calvert-Lewin, who jumps well and simply enough heads the ball into Hennessey’s open net.
Chris Mepham really should be doing better there, just lets Calvert-Lewin drop off behind him and that’s just where the ball ends up.
Grealish showing again to Southgate why he should be picked for the England side.
27 MIN: Mepham with a good chance to head from a Wales corner but he couldnt make up for his error just minutes before. Easy save for Pope.
29 MIN: CHANCE Moore played in behind with a longball over England’s centre backs and as he goes to drive into the box, Pope flies out and takes the ball off his toes.
Just to show what a great start Calvert-Lewin has had this season.
He really is a man on fire right now.
35 MIN: Wales looking to build from the back, but after a string of passes there’s a loose ball easily collected by the England defence.
36 MIN: England counter from this and Arsenal’s youngster, Saka, breaks down the line and tries to get a cross in. It’s blocked and England have a corner here.
37 MIN: CHANCE The actual corner doesn’t result in much but Keane is able to recover the ball and put a nice cross in to Coady who looks to volley in, but in typical centre-back fashion he skies the shot.
39 MIN: Moore looks to be in a bit of bother here.
39 MIN: SUBSTITUTE FOR WALES
MOORE OFF/WILLIAMS ON
And he is, he’s taken off by Giggs and replaced by Neco Williams. Bit of a change for Wales’ frontline then, with Tyler Roberts moving into the middle and Neco Williams taking up the right hand side.
42 MIN: YELLOW CARD Connor Roberts booked for a slight kick out on Saka.
45 MIN: 2 added minutes here as the second half comes to a close.
45+1 MIN: Wales look to claw back into the game right on the whistle, but the cross just seems to smack Tyler Roberts in the face.
He may have seen that late in all fairness to him, was a good opportunity for Wales though.
HALF-TIME: 1-0 ENGLAND v WALES
A bit of a poor half from both teams really, neither creating any real opportunities apart from the goal.
Wales do look more comfortable on the ball than this England side, who seem to be a bit panicked whenever they have possession. Wales just need that spark of creativity in the final third, with nothing being mustered up so far.
England will be happy to go into the half-time break as leaders of this game, but none will be happier than Calvert-Lewin who does increase his goal tally yet again for the season making it 10 in total.
45 MIN: England kick us off for the second half.
46 MIN: SUBSTITUTE FOR WALES
MORELL, RODON OFF/LEVITT, CABANGO ON
Some subs at the beginning of the half for Wales, with Morell and Rodon coming off for Levitt and Cabango.
48 MIN: CHANCE Neco Williams plays the ball long into Tyler Roberts, who manages to bounce Coady off and create a shooting chance for himself but he drags it wide.
50 MIN: Keane with a poor switched ball across the back line for England and Wales are able to intercept and try to force a chance.
It ends up coming to nothing, with England able to push Wales back and win a throw.
52 MIN: GOAL ENGLAND 2-0 WALES CONOR COADY
Believe it or not the Wolves centre back does manage to score in this game, he gets onto the end of a fantastic cross from Tripper and is able to just tap it into the open net.
That’s his second shot of the game, I doubt he was prepared to have that many this season let alone tonight.
Embed from Getty Images56 MIN: YELLOW CARD Ethan Ampadu booked for a poor challenge on Grealish.
57 MIN: SUBSTITUTE FOR ENGLAND
TRIPPIER, CALVERT-LEWIN, GOMEZ OFF/MINGS, MOUNT, JAMES ON
Conor Coady takes the armband for the rest of the night, his day couldn’t get any better could it?
61 MIN: SUBSTITUTE FOR WALES
AMPADU OFF/VAULKS ON
62 MIN: GOAL ENGLAND 3-0 WALES DANNY INGS
OH WOW THAT IS SPECIAL. Ings with a fantastic overhead kick to grab England’s third of the game and his first in an England shirt. It comes from another corner for England as its knocked to the back post, with Mings heading it back into the middle where Ings was waiting.
This night just keeps getting better for the England players, with all 3 scoring their first England goals.
65 MIN: England looking to score again here with Grealish breaking down the line and hitting a great ball down the box and just in front of the keeper, but unfortunately for England no one gambles on the ball being put in.
67 MIN: All of a sudden England seem to have taken it up a notch and have Wales pinned in their half now.
If this continues how it’s going at the moment then we may be in for another exceptionally high scoring game following on from the outstanding Premier League weekend.
69 MIN: CHANCE Great reaction save by Hennessey as Saka’s driven strike takes a deflection causing it to bounce up towards Hennessey. But he manages to get a strong hand on it and bat it away.
72 MIN: SUBSTITUTE FOR WALES
C ROBERTS, J WILLIAMS OFF/GUNTER, SMITH ON
75 MIN: SUBSTITUTE FOR ENGLAND
GREALISH, WINKS, SAKA OFF/BARNES, MAITLAND-NILES,WARD-PROWSE ON
77 MIN: The game’s flow has been interrupted a bit by this flurry of changes. Is a big reason for the attraction of these friendly games being so low.
Embed from Getty Images78 MIN: Wales looking to come forward here, but Phillips makes a great interception and sprays a fantastic curled pass to Ings. Wales are, however, able to close England out this time.
Jack Grealish may do well to come out of this game with no bruises!
80 MIN: A very cute little turn by Barnes draws a foul and earns a dangerous freekick for England.
The resulting freekick comes to nothing after a foul in the box goes Wales’ way.
82 MIN: Maitland-Niles manages to cut in and out of a few Wales defenders but is tackled before being able to get the ball away, but England regain possession and Ings is able to have a quick shot which takes a deflection and is saved. Corner for England.
The following corner ends with Hennessey scooping up the loose ball.
85 MIN: Mepham goes down off the ball and Hennessey kicks it out to allow for him to get some treatment. Lets hope it’s nothing serious and he can continue playing.
He is able to do just that as he’s back up and running as he returns to the pitch.
Embed from Getty Images88 MIN: Pope jumps up and collects well after a clipped ball into the box from Wales following a short corner, probably the only thing he’s had to do this half.
90 MIN: 2 added minutes.
90 MIN: Gunter is able to get on the end of a cross from England and clear it out for a corner.
Nothing comes from the resulting corner, poor by Ward-Prowse’s standards.
90+1 MIN: England looking to end the game with a fourth here with a wave of attacks.
Ward-Prowse with a good attempt but its gathered by Hennessey and that looks like that’s it.
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 3-0 WALES
So that’s that, an interesting game as far as friendlies go with England running out 3-0 winners thanks to goals from Calvert-Lewin, Coady and Ings.
Wales did look the better side before the first goal, but once that went in they seemed to lose any confidence they had and England just grew more and more into the game as it went.
Among a large group of happy England players will be Grealish who today earned the MOTM award from BT, with a fantastic assist to set up Calvert-Lewin for his first England goal.
Coady also managed to score his first goal since his days in the championship with a well taken half volley from a mouth-watering Trippier cross.
All in all it was a good night for England with them also being able to hand out another 4 debuts, this being the second game in a row in which they have done this.
Both teams will be looking forward to their Nation League games on Sunday now with England taking on Belgium and Wales with Ireland.
