Mueez Ajao
– Bukayo Saka’s penalty miss against Italy in July’s Euro 2020 final produced collective groans and some diabolical racist abuse but his return to Wembley on Sunday ended with a beaming smile and rapturous applause from England’s fans.
– England’s 4-0 victory over tiny Andorra in their World Cup Group I qualifier was a largely forgettable affair for the sizeable crowd enjoying some late summer sunshine.
– Jesse Lingard’s double, his first England goals for three years, grabbed the headlines as Gareth Southgate made 11 changes to the side that beat Hungary 4-0 in midweek.
– But the biggest cheers from a laid-back crowd that spent part of the evening making and throwing paper aeroplanes, were for Saka who headed in England’s fourth goal – a fine way for the Arsenal youngster to mark his 20th birthday.
– Saka’s spot-kick miss at the end of a nauseatingly-tense final against Italy on a stormy and often unpleasant day in the capital, was a traumatic moment for any player, let alone one so young.
– Trolls polluted the social media channels with racist abuse aimed at Saka and England’s other Black players.
– But from the moment Saka was given an ovation by the Wembley crowd before kickoff it was clear that this would be a far more pleasant experience for the attacking midfielder.
– His headed goal produced the biggest roar of the night and he was serenaded at fulltime – Saka responding by handing his shirt to a young fan in the stands.
– “It means a lot, it really made a difference for me,” Saka said. “It means everything to me and shows that everyone supports me through thick and thin.”
– His manager Gareth Southgate was pleased with Saka’s “fabulous reception”.
– “It was lovely, you can see how popular he is with the team as well,” Southgate told ITV.
– “I hope (it offers) closure if it was needed but I don’t think there is a player in that dressing room who thinks anything but positively about what he did all summer.”
– England’s win maintained their 100 per cent start to Group I of which they are now commanding leaders.
– It was a rather frustrating night, however, as 134th ranked Andorra, whose entire population could easily fit into Wembley with room to spare, spent the entire evening with 11 men behind the ball – an entirely understandable tactic.
– After Lingard had opened the scoring after 18 minutes, England actually had to wait until the 72nd minute to double their lead as Harry Kane, on as a substitute with Mason Mount and Jack Grealish, slotted home a penalty.
– Those substitutions enlivened England’s display and they will no doubt all be back in the starting line-up for Wednesday’s far tougher test away to Poland.
– “It was difficult for the players picked who didn’t have as much games together,” Southgate said. “You have to keep moving the ball, keep being patient. It wasn’t an easy task.”
