6 talking points in England and Ukraine draw as Gareth Southgate's stars falter

09 September 2023 , 17:51

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6 talking points in England and Ukraine draw as Gareth Southgate's stars falter

A below-par England were held to a 1-1 draw by a spirited Ukraine side, as they trudged closer to qualifying for next summer's European Championships.

Kyle Walker scored his first goal at international level on cap No.77 to equalise after Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko's opener. A second half which the Three Lions dominated didn't produce any more goals, however, meaning that both teams had to settle for 1-1.

The Euro 2024 qualifier was played in the Polish city of Wroclaw due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, still raging on after 19 harrowing months. With Group C rivals Italy and North Macedonia playing later on Saturday evening, it was an opportunity for the top two teams to make gains.

Here are six talking points from Wroclaw.

1. Southgate keeps the faith

Despite electing to stay at Manchester United, Harry Maguire is still a starter for England. Gareth Southgate may've suggested both privately and publicly that it'd be best for the 30-year-old centre-back to leave Old Trafford, but the Three Lions boss selected him to play alongside Marc Guehi in Wroclaw. That left under-21 Euro winner Levi Colwill on the bench alongside ex-Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori.

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"Of course he's a very experienced player and he's looked very good in training," Southgate said of Maguire pre-match. "Harry knows where our support is; he knows he has to keep playing well for us and I think over the next few weeks given what's happening with their squad with injuries he may well have a lot more minutes for them as well."

Also, Jordan Henderson was picked in spite of his recent move to Saudi Arabia, with threats of protests not deterring Southgate in his decision-making.

England are edging closer to Euro 2024 qualification (Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

2. Imperious run ended

From the moment little-known Italian striker Mateo Retegui scored past Jordan Pickford in Naples almost six months ago, England had gone five-and-a-half hours without conceding a goal. That was until a familiar face broke the deadlock in Poland.

Steaming into the penalty area as Ukraine went on their first counter attack of the game, Oleksandr Zinchenko got on the end of Yukhym Konoplia's pullback and finished with ease to spark emotional celebrations. It was a poor goal to concede from England's perspective, sparking a debate between midfield duo Henderson and Declan Rice, a team-mate of Zinchenko's at Arsenal.

Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko opened the scoring (Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

3. Walker's long wait over

After 77 attempts, Kyle Walker is finally an England goalscorer. One of the most prominent players of the Southgate era had failed to hit the back of the net before a sublime Harry Kane pass gave him the perfect opportunity on Saturday four minutes before half-time.

Taking the ball down with an excellent first touch, Walker coolly slotted past Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan to make it 1-1 and offer some relief for England. There was a moment of worry, though, as a brief VAR check was needed to ensure that the Manchester City defender - who snubbed a move to German giants Bayern Munich in the summer - was indeed marginally onside when Bayern striker Kane played his pinpoint pass.

Have your say! Should Kyle Walker have joined Bayern Munich? Let us know your verdict in the comments section.

Kyle Walker scored his first England goal (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

4. Saka's appeals shunned

Just as England were turning the screw on the hour mark, Bukayo Saka - only minutes after forcing Bushchan into an impressive save - thought he'd won a penalty when Serhiy Kryvtsov appeared to blatantly block his shot with a hand when making a sliding block. Saka and his team-mates made huge appeals, but VAR wasn't interested in sending referee Georgi Kabakov to the pitch-side monitor, resulting in English disappointment and bemusement on social media for what fans described as a 'stonewaller'.

5. Mudryk magic non-existent

Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk would've loved to have silenced some critics when his country faced England, but unfortunately for him, it was another performance which gave little to encourage those hoping he comes good on his £88million price tag. Failing to create a chance, completing none of his two attempted dribles and touching the ball just 19 times, it was a night to forget.

6. As you were in Group C

Despite the draw, England remain in a commanding position at the top of Group C, with Ukraine six points behind in second place, a position which they're guaranteed to retain for the weekend. For the Three Lions, their first victory away to Italy was crucial and having won their other three fixtures, it'd be a stretch to say that they're in much jeopardy when it comes their qualification hopes.

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But ahead of back-to-back friendlies against Scotland and Australia - coming next Tuesday and on October 13 respectively - Southgate will be more concerned about the manner of England's display at the Tarczynski Arena. Lacking dynamism and guile, Ukraine often capitalised on some slack play from the Three Lions, who'll hope to be stronger come June in Germany.

Nathan Ridley