England captain Harry Kane admits Malta made them struggle for their Euro qualifying win at Wembley on Friday.
Kane, of Bayern Munich, scored in the 2-0 win.
The striker later said, "It was not our finest performance, let's say, but sometimes you play a team who have got more quality than people think.
"At the start of the game, we missed the right tempo. We were sloppy and we couldn't quite build.
"In the second half we had more control and created chances. But overall, it's a 2-0 win."
On his yellow card for diving, he added: "I was surprised it didn't get overturned but the referee has made his decision.
"Sometimes the VAR doesn't want to interfere too much but it is what it is. That's football and it's part of the game.
"I am just focused on the fact we won and hopefully, that secures us as top seed for next summer."
