Malta 0-4 England: Three Lions cruise to victory to continue perfect Euro 2024 qualifying form

With a pass, a shot and a cross, Trent Alexander Arnold made his own emphatic and eloquent contribution to the ongoing debate about his worth or otherwise to this England team.

As England coasted past one of Europe’s weakest international teams at half-speed, Alexander-Arnold was by far Gareth Southgate’s most impressive player.

Alexander-Arnold played in midfield and many feel this will be his permanent home for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold poured quality and audacity into every yard of the National Stadium here in Ta’ Qali. His contributions to England’s first three goals were the highlights, but there was more.

Yes, this was only Malta and that fact should encourage perspective. Some will see the 24-year-old’s performance as proof that he should never be left out of a Southgate team again. This was not that. It could never be an argument-closing display against such meager opposition.

Nevertheless, it was a superb performance from a gifted player and one that will see Southgate face another flood of questions about a footballer he isn’t always convinced of between now and Monday’s game against North Macedonia at Old Trafford.

Harry Kane scored his 56th goal for the Three Lions in the first half as the visitors flew to all three points

Trent Alexander-Arnold was handed the number 10 shirt and started in midfield, justifying the decision by scoring a thunderbolt

Gareth Southgate will look back on a performance that enabled his side to take full control of Group C

The national coach’s concerns are about defending Alexander-Arnold. He’s not the only one who has it. This is why he had fallen so far down the right-back row with England that he arguably wouldn’t have gone to the World Cup at all if Chelsea’s Reece James hadn’t been injured. While there, he only played 33 minutes as a substitute.

In this new and evolving position, he doesn’t have to defend as much. Here he didn’t have to do it at all. It would be different against better, sharper and smarter opposition. Can we really see him in a midfield three in a big game for Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham – injured for this one – Declan Rice or Kalvin Phillips? That’s where the conversation gets more and more complicated.

Here he made his point during a first half he wrote his name everywhere. A superb pass over and down the line released Bukayo Saka early and England led via an own goal. Then, in the 28th minute, he scored his own goal from distance, absolute ripper. The loveliness of the contact could be heard from the Press Box. Soon after, Alexander-Arnold came back into the front and drove left to start a move from which England won and scored a penalty.

This was a win secured in the first half. After that they were not very impressive and later needed another penalty, wrongly awarded for handball, to further decorate the score.

However, England’s dominance of the ball was absolute. Malta – ranked 172nd in the world – was unable to control property or territory. In reality, they didn’t really try. The plan was to go deep and do damage control. That worked for a while. As we approached the half hour, England were only one goal ahead. But the two arriving in the space of three minutes at this point ended the home side’s time as a competitive presence in this game.

An early own goal from Ferdinando Apap set the tone for the one-sided showdown, with Bukayo Saka’s ball wreaking havoc

Saka’s throw towards the near post seemed destined to reach Kane, only for Apap to funnel the ball into his own net.

Southgate’s England was about what he had wanted it to be. Energetic, eager and able to use the spaces provided to move the ball quickly and with penetration. And it was from their first really sharp move of the night that they took the lead in the ninth minute.

Three Alexander-Arnold, stationed on the right side of England’s midfield, were able to search for Saka down that side or switch play to James Maddison on the other. Here it was Saka who benefited from the Liverpool player’s vision and ability to execute whatever his mind tells him is possible. pressure from Kane.

Last time they were here in 2017 they were bothered by their traveling fans so England’s early goal was helpful. Always in control and always in Malta’s half there was never any doubt about the outcome but you need goals on nights like this and for the next twenty minutes England only threatened from range Saka curled a shot over and Maddison drove a free kick at goalkeeper Henry Bonello.

It looked like Alexander-Arnold might have been a better candidate for that set piece, but within five minutes he scored anyway. A neat Maddison dummy set the Leicester player free and when the ball was half clear Alexander-Arnold applied one of those batted right foot shots that were so perfect from 25 yards Bonello had no prayer as he sped over and away from him in in the right corner of his target.

Alexander-Arnold grabbed a loose ball midway through the first pass and duly fired his shot into the far corner

Callum Wilson was taken off the bench in the second half and, like Kane, made no mistake on his own penalty kick

Kane was fouled by Matthew Guillaumier after his low effort was parried back into the danger zone by the goalkeeper.

Saka cautiously stumbled off the field after a punch, but was able to continue playing after treatment

It was the purity and sheer certainty of that shot that stood out. It was very beautiful in its way.

It would have hurt Malta too, as they would have been content until then. However, two soon became three. Alexander-Arnold grabbed a loose ball to reach the touchline on the left, setting off a chain of events that led to the penalty. The ball was again half cleared and this time Declan Rice drove low. Bonello should have held onto the ball but couldn’t and as Kane got closer Matthew Guillaumier knocked him down. Kane’s penalty kick, his 56th goal for England, was emphatically struck.

England was less impressive from then on. Saka succumbed to a knock and was replaced by Phil Foden, presumably after the Manchester City player passed a breath test. Later in the half, Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze made his debut.

By the time we reached the last fifteen minutes, the stadium on the England side was quickly emptying. There was, it was thought, a bar at the back. But those remaining saw one of those horrible VAR penalties awarded when a shot from Callum Wilson struck Malta captain Steve Borg’s arm. With Kane off the field, Wilson placed the kick to Bonello’s left.

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze (left) was introduced for his senior Three Lions debut and enjoyed an impressive cameo