England delivered an absolute shocker in Madrid, handing world champions Spain their first defeat in 43 games, a run stretching back to March 2024, in a wild 3-2 victory that had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Chaos and Heroics: England Stuns the World Champs
The Three Lions came out swinging at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, putting on a superb display. Harry Kane kicked things off with a penalty, then Ezri Konsa got loose from a corner to nod in a header early in the second half. England was absolutely flying not long after, with a brilliant team goal ending in Ben White sliding in an accomplished finish for a commanding 3-0 lead in the 58th minute. But then, it felt like groundhog day. Just after the hour mark, Elliot Anderson brought down Lamine Yamal as the last man, earning himself a red card. Mikel Oyarzabal buried the spot-kick, and suddenly Spain was back in it. Nico Williams then slammed in a second for La Roja in the 75th minute, making it a nerve-wracking finish. However, England clung on for the 3-2 win, inflicting the world champions’ first defeat in 43 games. And while England keeper James Trafford didn’t have much to do before the red card, he was called into action big time in those final stages, making several important stops. He made two brilliant late saves in stoppage time to deny Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal, recovering from the first stop in seconds to tip the rebound past the post.
Tuchel Plays Coy in the Keeper Battle
Despite Trafford’s heroics, England manager Thomas Tuchel was incredibly coy when pressed on whether that performance was enough to make Trafford his undisputed No. 1. “There’s no number one. It’s a good double save. That’s what we wanted. He had a brilliant match. It only works if you’re top from number one to 11,” Tuchel stated after the final whistle. This decision by Tuchel to drop Jordan Pickford, who has been the undisputed choice in goal and started England’s last three games, definitely raised some eyebrows ahead of facing the world champions. Trafford had previously been in goal for England’s 3-2 loss to Spain in September and the win over Czechia a few days later, but his display against Spain’s incredible attack will undoubtedly fuel the debate. It’s a welcome selection headache for Tuchel, and it looks like we will find out who he truly sees as his number one in March, when the Nations League quarter-finals kick off.
So what’s next for the Three Lions after knocking off the world champs and finishing top of Group A3? We find out who they face in the Nations League quarter-finals when the draw goes down on Friday, November 20. Those matches, set for March 25-30, 2027, will be the true test to see if Tuchel sticks with his “no number one” philosophy or finally crowns his guy against powerhouses like Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, or Denmark.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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