England made a winning start under interim boss Lee Carsley as Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scored against the Republic of Ireland in their Nations League opener in Dublin.
In England’s first match since the Euro 2024 final, marking the start of the new era after Gareth Southgate’s resignation, the Three Lions made a confident start in a fiery atmosphere and took a deserved lead through goals from players who made unpopular returns to the Aviva. Rice and Grealish, having represented Ireland at youth level, were booed by the home crowd but struck against them within the opening 26 minutes.
Grealish’s second goal, set up by Rice, came from a flowing England move that summed up their impressive first-half display under Carsley. However, England lost their rhythm after the break as Ireland grew into the contest, in what could have been a tribute act to some of Southgate’s former side’s performances at the recent European Championships.
The visitors, though, were largely untroubled by a limited Ireland side and there were opportunities for Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes to make their England debuts late on. Follow all the rection and analysis from England’s win over Republic of Ireland in the Nations League
Republic of Ireland vs England LIVE
- FULL TIME! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
- Interim boss Lee Carsley makes winning start
- England were impressive in first half but were quiet after half time
- 26’ GOAL! Jack Grealish sweeps in after lovely one-touch team move [IRE 0-2 ENG]
- 11’ GOAL! Declan Rice rifles in after Anthony Gordon’s effort is saved [IRE 0-1 ENG]
- Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes come on to make England debuts
Amid the chaos of Dublin, Lee Carsley has quietly revealed England’s new direction
20:05
Chris Wilson
After all the focus on the soundtrack, Lee Carsley’s first game as Englandmanager was certainly loaded with narrative. The inevitable line is that you couldn’t script this but, well, it’s really the first thing you’d script.
Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scored the goals in a 2-0 England win over Ireland, the national team they both left, to also overcome a constant chorus of boos. If anything, such a response seemed to counter-productively drive them on, in the way that often happens. At least for a time. This win really just evolved into the sort of win over a smaller country that England have long learned to expect under Gareth Southgate, albeit with one important twist. The attacking under Carsley was different throughout and, for a brief period, quite exciting. There was a sense of evolution.
Any sense of competitiveness in this briefly feisty match dissipated with Rice’s superbly taken opening goal. After that, other than trying to discern the nice patterns and the differences to Southgate, it turned into one of those occasions where people will mostly be talking about all of the colour around it. And colour there certainly was.
Carsley speaks to ITV
20:00
Chris Wilson
Lee Carsley is the last in front of the cameras, and he seems happy with the overall performance.
“I thought it was good in parts. You’ve seen some of the things we’ve tried to do,” he said.
“The lads have to take a lot of credit, all of the credit. I think we’ve showed we’ve got some real talent and we can be really pleased with the clean sheet as well,” he added.
“I thought they [Rice and Grealish] took their goals really well. Really well-worked moves and brilliant finishes. I think, moving forward, they can both add a lot more goals to their game.
“Jack definitely doesn’t have anything to prove to us, we can see his quality, but today will have done him the world of good, getting another goal for England and hopefully he can continue that form.
“On a really dry sticky pitch, it’s not ideal for dribblers but I thought Anthony [Gordon] was a real threat. He’s carried on his form from last season and he looks a really dangerous player.
“I think you’ve got to give Ireland credit as well, they are very resilient, they closed the gaps and our space maybe became a bit wider [in the second half].
“We found it a little bit more difficult to get through them but at 2-0 we were quite comfortable.”
Grealish and Rice speak to ITV
19:50
Chris Wilson
More from Grealish and Rice, as the Arsenal man calls it a “really good” evening.
“It was the manager’s first game and we got a win. We’re in the league below where we want to be so we know how important it is to win this group.
“To score alongside Jack, it was a really nice feeling as well.
“It has been really refreshing this week - Lee has been amazing to work with, his meetings have been top and training has been really good.
“It’s been a fresh start, a change and to win for him today and for ourselves to get off to a winning start was the main thing.”
‘There’s no bad blood from my side’: Jack Grealish reacts to Irish fans reception as England triumph in Dublin
19:45
Chris Wilson
Jack Grealish says he has ‘no bad blood’ towards the Irish fans after receiving boos and a hostile reaction when starting for England against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
Grealish, and England teammate Declan Rice, previously played for Ireland before switching allegiences to England and both men say they were expecting a tense reception at the Aviva Stadium.
Rice sent the Three Lions ahead with a strong and fortuitious strike inside the penalty area but refused to celebrate before Grealish added a second to secure the points in Lee Carsley’s first match in charge.
Roy Keane slams ‘awful’ England as familiar problem returns under Lee Carsley
19:40
Chris Wilson
Roy Keane was not impressed by what he felt was an “awful” second-half performance from England under Lee Carsley against the Republic of Ireland, insisting that his nation was “there for the taking” in Dublin.
The visitors got their Nations League campaign off to a winning start under interim manager Carsley thanks to goals from the returning Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, both scoring against the nation they represented at youth level before half time.
It was an impressive display from England until that point, with Grealish’s goal coming from a slick passing move through midfield, but the play from both sides after the break was scrappy and Ireland were presented with a couple of half-chances to get back into the game.
ITV pundits react
19:35
Chris Wilson
On ITV, Roy Keane is a little more critical of England’s second-half performance, as he says that Ireland “were there for the taking”.
“England were dominant in the first half and we praised their decision-making, quality and movement,” he said.
“But I thought they were awful in the second half – they played within themselves, took too many touches, tried playing ‘Roy of the Rovers’ passes.
“As good as England were in the first half, I thought they were as bad in the second.
Keane adds that Carsley might be a little frustrated with the second half, but that he handled himself well overall.
Grealish and Rice speak to ITV
19:30
Chris Wilson
Unsurprisingly, Grealish and Rice are the two Three Lions players selected to speak to the media.
Grealish says that the reception was “what me and Declan expected”, adding that the duo “have nothing bad to say”.
“We both enjoyed our time [playing for Ireland] - I certainly did and I have a lot of Irish in my family, so there’s no bad blood whatsoever from my side,” he adds.
On his return to the side after sitting out Euro 2024, he says: “I need to start playing regularly, scoring goals, and that’s what I did today. I’m still not 100% fit but I’m getting there so from a personal point of view I’m happy.
“Going to the fans at the end and hearing them sing my name, there’s no better feeling than playing for England, everyone will say the same thing, especially in games like this when you know the whole nation is going to be watching.
“Over the summer, it was one of the worst summers of my life because you can’t not see everything that is happening in front of you. It was difficult but it’s given me something to bounce back.”
FT: Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
19:25
Chris Wilson
And here’s that brilliant team move to set up Grealish for the second.
You couldn't write this...
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 7, 2024
Declan Rice finds Jack Grealish who scores for England against the Republic of Ireland #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/6nRvwuxMfX
England player ratings as Jack Grealish and Declan Rice shine to silence Ireland boos
19:20
Chris Wilson
Declan Rice and Jack Grealish returned to haunt the Republic of Ireland as England made a winning start under interim boss Lee Carsley in the Nations League in Dublin.
Rice and Grealish both represented Ireland at youth team level before making the decision to represent England at senior level - and were booed by the home supporters at the Aviva Stadium.
But both were on the scoresheet in an impressive first half under Carsley, as Rice opened the scoring and Grealish finished off a stylish move to mark his return to the England side.
The second half was less fluid from England but there were debuts for Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes in the second half as Carsley secured a winning start.
Here are how the England players rated from the 2-0 win in Dublin.
FT: Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
19:17
Chris Wilson
Here’s England’s first goal, courtesy of Declan Rice.
On his return to the Aviva Stadium, Declan Rice fires @England ahead with a thumping strike
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 7, 2024
Watch #IREvENG on @ITV pic.twitter.com/yoBbQiDITC
ITV pundits react
19:12
Chris Wilson
Speaking on ITV at the conclusion of the match, Ian Wright says that “England took their foot off the gas a bit” in the second half.
“The way we started, the way we played, I thought we should have pressed it home a little bit more.
“I thought we would have played with the same intensity, see if we could get three or four, be more ruthless,” he added.
FT: Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
19:07
Chris Wilson
Plenty of encouraging signs for England and Lee Carsley. It was one-way stuff throughout the first half, and though they faced a couple of more difficult periods in the second half, there was never really any threat to their 2-0 lead.
The attacking display was brilliant in the first half, with plenty of invention, some great movement and two goals that showcased two different kinds of skill within the side.
It will be interesting to see what happens if and when Carsley can pick from a full-strength squad.
19:02
Chris Wilson
FULL-TIME! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:57
Chris Wilson
95 mins
FULL-TIME! It’s a winning start for Lee Carsley as England close out the game to take home a win in his first match in charge.
A pleasing performance for Carsley, but things to work on after a second half performance that almost let the home side back into the game.
18:55
Chris Wilson
94 mins
CLOSE! Saka at the centre of things again. He beats his man on the outside this time and cuts it back to bowen, but his shot is straight at Kelleher’s legs.
Moments later, Saka is played through on the wing by Gibbs-White, and he tries to bend it into the far corner, but Kelleher is equal to it again.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:54
Chris Wilson
93 mins
Rice and Saka combine in the box as the Arsenal man tries his signature cut-in-and-hit-one move, but the shot is blocked.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:53
Chris Wilson
91 mins
We’ve got five minutes of added time in Dublin as Ogbene clips in a cross that looks like it’s making its way to McAteer, but he falls as he tries to win a penalty.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:52
Chris Wilson
89 mins
We’ve got a scrappy ending to this game as neither side can really create an opening. Both are struggling to keep possession too.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:49
Chris Wilson
87 mins
Gibbs-White squares it to Eze on the edge of the box, and the Palace man fires a long-distance strike wide.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:47
Chris Wilson
85 mins
Great play from Bowen as he recovers from nearly being dragged to the ground and surges towards goal before firing a shot that is saved well by Kelleher.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:46
Chris Wilson
83 mins
O’Shea puts a long throw into the box but nothing comes of it, and McAteer is penalised for a foul on Kane.
For England, John Stones and Jarrod Bowen replace Harry Kane and Harry Maguire.
Kane is in line to make his 100th England appearance on Tuesday against Finland.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:43
Chris Wilson
80 mins
Molumby delivers a decent cross but Colwill clears, before the Chelsea man is in action again as he blocks the cross and concedes a throw-in.
Evan Ferguson replaces Robbie Brady for the home side.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:42
Chris Wilson
78 mins
Ireland give the ball away near their own box but Kane can’t capitalise before they regroup. Gibbs-White is penalised for the foul as he tried to win the corner.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:39
Chris Wilson
76 mins
Both Colwill and O’Brien are booked after the latter fouled Gordon. It’s turning into a scrappy affair as we enter the last 15 minutes.
Carsley makes his first substitutions as Grealish comes off for Morgan Gibbs-White, Mainoo makes way for Angel Gomes and Gordon is replaced by Eberechi Eze.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:36
Chris Wilson
74 mins
Smallbone and Idah are replaced by Alan Browne and Kasey McAteer.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:35
Chris Wilson
72 mins
England’s attacking has been a lot less fluid in this half. An example has just been on show, with Rice and Saka leading a charge forward but with little support as they’re forced to exchange passes between them, before the ball is recycled back to the centre-backs.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:33
Chris Wilson
70 mins
A dangerous Ireland free-kick ends with a poor cross from Ogbene, and England counter. Gordon drives towards the box, but he loses out to Knight.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:31
Chris Wilson
68 mins
Rice’s pressure forces Ireland into giving up possession near their own box, and Saka collects. He shifts it wide to Grealish, who slips it to Gordon, and the Newcastle man’s shot is straight at Kelleher.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:30
Chris Wilson
66 mins
Brady is the next player to be booked after taking Saka down. Alexander-Arnold delivers the free-kick, but it’s caught by Kelleher.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:26
Chris Wilson
63 mins
Ireland’s best spell of the match as their pressure forces Alexander-Arnold into giving the ball away in his own box, but Szmodics can’t make the most of it.
Molumby is booked for dragging down Grealish.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:23
Chris Wilson
61 mins
Ogbene has dropped to right wing-back here, so Gordon might not get the same level of joy as he was getting in the first half.
Ireland create another chance as they win the ball near the England box, before Szmodics cuts it back, but again the shot is high and wide.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:21
Chris Wilson
59 mins
CLOSE!
Ireland’s best chance of the match as the diagonal ball is played over to Ogbene on the right. His cutback finds Szmodics in the box, but the Ipswich man fires wide of the near post!
Encouraging signs though, for the home fans.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:19
Chris Wilson
57 mins
Coleman spent a long time on the floor there and it looks like he’s having to come off. He’s replaced by Jake O’Brien.
Jason Knight also comes on, for Doherty.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:16
Chris Wilson
54 mins
Saka wins a corner and then takes it, with his delivery cleared. Seamus Coleman has stayed down in the box, with his left boot on the floor.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:14
Chris Wilson
52 mins
Alexander-Arnold swings in a dangerous free-kick that Maguire heads back across goal, but it’s cleared. Ireland get rid of it, but it’s straight back to the England defenders.
Ireland are flagging now, as the pass forward to Szmodics runs straight out of play.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:11
Chris Wilson
49 mins
Not clicking so far for either side at the start of the second half, but it’s England with more possession as you’d expect.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:08
Chris Wilson
46 mins
Good from Gordon again as he beats Doherty and wins a corner. From the delivery, Maguire is wrestled to the ground, but nothing is given.
KICK-OFF! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:07
Chris Wilson
Ireland get the second half started, with no changes at half-time from either side.
HALF-TIME! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:06
Chris Wilson
The players are emerging from the tunnel now.
HALF-TIME! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
18:02
Chris Wilson
A solid performance from England in Lee Carsley’s first 45 minutes in charge. A brilliant second goal capped it off, and though the opposition could be tougher, it’s still been an impressive start from the Three Lions, with some encouraging signs.
Plenty of intensity, a lot of good movement and two well-worked goals.
Jack Grealish is really enjoying himself in Dublin, as are Gordon and Alexander-Arnold.
17:58
Chris Wilson
HALF-TIME! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:52
Chris Wilson
HALF-TIME!
The referee brings the first half to a close and it’s the perfect first 45 minutes for Lee Carsley.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:50
Chris Wilson
45 mins
Szmodics is the first Ireland player booked as he goes in late on Gordon. There’s one minute added on as England go on the attack, but they decide to recycle possession as they look to close the half out.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:49
Chris Wilson
42 mins
Another England counter is led by Grealish, as he drives towards the box before sliding it into the patch of Kane. He tries to get the shot away but it’s blocked by Coleman.
Ireland counter from the corner and Ogbene beats Mainoo for pace down the wing, but his cross is too long, as is the follow-up.
Guehi looks like he’s carrying a knock here.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:45
Chris Wilson
39 mins
Good chasing from Gordon forces Kelleher to clear it straight to Alexander-Arnold. He plays it on to Saka, who swings in an inviting cross that is just over the head of Kane.
Moments later, Alexandr-Arnold delivers a free-kick that is just over the head of Maguire.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:42
Chris Wilson
36 mins
No out-ball for Ireland at the moment, though Ogbene is trying his best.
Alexander-Arnold clips a ball over the top to Declan Rice and it results in another England corner.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:39
Chris Wilson
33 mins
Another promising England attack as Grealish slides it through to Kane. He’s tackled but it runs to Gordon, whose shot is blocked at the last and runs to Kelleher.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:38
Chris Wilson
31 mins
England are totally dominant now, with Ireland struggling to get out of there own half in the last five minutes.
The movement of Grealish and Alexander-Arnold – with the latter floating into the central areas when the ball is on the left wing, and providing width when on the right – has certainly helped England in attack.
Ogbene beats his man and delivers a cross, but Idah can only head over.
Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:35
Chris Wilson
Have a look at this from England. Lovely stuff.
You couldn't write this...
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 7, 2024
Declan Rice finds Jack Grealish who scores for England against the Republic of Ireland #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/6nRvwuxMfX
GOAL! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
17:33
Chris Wilson
26 mins
GOAL! And so completes the Irish nightmare.
And it’s one of England’s most brilliant goals in years.
One-touch football all round as Rice and Mainoo exchange passes, with the Arsenal man overlapping and playing another one-two, this time with Saka, before breaking free into the box and sliding a cutback across to Grealish, who sweeps it into the opposite corner for 2-0.
Republic of Ireland 0-1 England
17:31
Chris Wilson
26 mins
Saka beats Brady on the wing but his cutback is cut out. No problem though, as England regain possession quickly.
17:29
Chris Wilson
23 mins
Ireland have started quite positively, with their forwards showing some nice movement on the counter, but they’ve just lacked that final bit of quality that England certainly do have.
Ireland are sitting back a little more now, opting not to apply pressure when England have it around halfway.
Republic of Ireland 0-1 England
17:27
Chris Wilson
21 mins
Gordon has provided plenty of threat in the first 20 minutes, and has been England main attacking outlet. Very useful when countering – that will only add to the questioning of why he was used so sparingly at Euro 2024.
Levi Colwill has been solid at left-back in the opening stages too.
Ireland try to launch a counter but Ogbene’s pass is easily cut out.
Republic of Ireland 0-1 England
17:24
Chris Wilson
19 mins
Declan Rice didn’t celebrate when he scored, so you’d imagine that that’ll provoke some interesting reaction.
England are enjoying plenty of possession now, and they look very comfortable.
Republic of Ireland 0-1 England
17:21
Chris Wilson
15 mins
It’s all happening now. Ireland break and Mainoo’s foul gives them a dangerous free-kick. It’s hit right against the wall though, and England break led by Rice.
He threads it to the overlapping Gordon, whose cutback is met by Kane, but Kelleher is equal to it.
GOAL! Republic of Ireland 0-1 England
17:19
Chris Wilson
12mins
GOAL! Out of nothing for England.
Right after that Szmodics chance, Alexander-Arnold picks up the ball in the England half and threads a superb long through ball between the Ireland centre-backs.
Gordon is on the end of it, and his shot is saved as he ran clean through. England collect it again though, and it’s played back into Kane, whose shot is blocked – but Declan Rice is following up to side-foot it into the top corner!
Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:16
Chris Wilson
10 mins
A great chance for Ireland as Grealish loses it on the wing and they break forward. It’s swept wide to Sammie Szmodics, but his shot is too close to Pickford.
Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:15
Chris Wilson
9 mins
England are beginning to dominate possession now, though Ireland aren’t sitting off at all, with the midfield applying plenty of pressure in the press.
A spell of possession ends with Mainoo’s pass being cut out by Szmodics.
Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:12
Chris Wilson
6 mins
Alexander-Arnold is already pushing into midfield whenever England have the ball. He picks up Gordon’s cross from the left and swings it straight back unto the box – he finds Kane, but he can only head over. The first chance for England though!
Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:10
Chris Wilson
4 mins
England try to get forward but Gordon fouls Seamus Coleman. Frantic at the start, as expected.
Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:08
Chris Wilson
2 mins
CLOSE! The corner comes in from Brady and it’s a good ball in which is knocked on to Molumby, who fires a header over while unmarked!
Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:07
Chris Wilson
1 min
Ireland win the first corner of the game, as Ogbene’s cross is put behind for a corner.
KICK-OFF! Republic of Ireland 0-0 England
17:05
Chris Wilson
The Three Lions get us underway in Dublin.
Why didn’t England manager Lee Carsey sing the national anthem?
17:03
Chris Wilson
A little explainer in case you missed the discussion/reaction/furore...
New interim England manager Lee Carsley has received plenty of media attention ahead of his first match in charge of the Three Lions, with plenty expected of him after his success at U21 level.
And despite catching the eye with his squad announcement at the end of August – having included four uncapped players – there were plenty of eyes on an altogether more trivial decision in the moments before kick-off in Dublin.
Carsley did not take part in the customary singing of the national anthem ahead of his first match in charge, having explained his reasoning in a previous press conference.
The 50-year-old – who represented Ireland as a player between 1997 and 2008, making 40 appearances – told the media that singing the anthems is “something that I have never done”, either as a player or during his time in charge of England’s youth sides. This comment drew criticism from various corners, with some asking whether he can realistically expect to be named as full-time manager if he does not sing the anthem.
Republic of Ireland vs England LIVE
17:01
Chris Wilson
The cameras remain glued to Carsley and Declan Rice as the English national anthem is loudly booed at the Aviva.
Republic of Ireland vs England LIVE
16:53
Chris Wilson
The teams will be emerging from the tunnel soon.
Carsley has just been on ITV ahead of kick-off, and he says “the expectancy is there”.
He adds that he is “looking for them to be exciting”, and that England “will be concentrating on the performance”.
The anti-Rice and anti-Grealish banners are already out, and we’re moments away from the anthems.
16:50
Chris Wilson
What can we expect from England today?
16:45
Chris Wilson
The big news in the starting XI is that Jack Grealish looks to be starting in a more advanced role in midfield, in what is nowadays referred to as the ‘10’ position. As in Germany, Rice will sit back with Mainoo likely to try and link the two, though this didn’t quite work at Euro 2024.
Perhaps the introduction of Grealish, who is more naturally creative than Jude Bellingham, can have the desired affect in attack.
With Mainoo, England may struggle with the same thing that Erik ten Hag is struggling with at club level – not really knowing the youngster’s best role in midfield. He is incapable of playing as a lone defensive midfielder, and though he looked secure with Rice in Germany, there was a sense that it he perhaps wasn’t the right fit in that system.
Perhaps Rice and Mainoo are simply not a complementary pairing, but it is worth trying a more naturally attacking midfielder alongside them both to see if it pays off.
Carsley speaks to ITV before kick-off
16:40
Chris Wilson
Lee Carsley spoke to ITV briefly in the lead-up to kick-off, and said he is in “an incredibly proud position” today.
“It’s an incredibly proud position for myself and my family. I’m really looking forward to the game. I’ve got so much respect for both national anthems and I’ll stand there proudly today.
“It’s a real proud moment, a moment I’m really looking forward to and I can’t wait for the game now,” he added.
Regarding the national anthem, he said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion – as a player making my debut in 1996, 1997, whatever it was, I was totally focused on the game and it was something I found difficult to get used to, in terms of the delay and I used to spend that time really concentrating on keeping my focus.
“And that hasn’t changed since I’ve been coaching.”
Today’s Nations League fixtures
16:35
Chris Wilson
A rundown of today’s other fixtures from Uefa’s official X account.
Today's matchday 1 action #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/uvAYRzMHMv
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) September 7, 2024
16:30
Chris Wilson
Maguire finds the net against Ireland in 2020
16:25
Chris Wilson
Finding the net last time out against Republic of Ireland: @HarryMaguire93! pic.twitter.com/B8otre4LVx
— England (@England) September 7, 2024
Form guide
16:20
Chris Wilson
England come into this game fresh off a disappointing end to Euro 2024, in which they were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the final.
The Three Lions form over the last five games is W3, D1, L1, though one of those wins was in extra-time against Slovakia, and another one was on penalties against Switzerland.
The Three Lions’ last win in normal time was against the Netherlands in the semi-final of Euro 2024, and their only other win in 90 minutes in that tournament was against Serbia in their opening match.
Ireland (W1, D2, L2) didn’t qualify for the summer tournament in Germany, though they beat Hungary 2-1 and lost 3-0 to Portugal in friendlies in June before the competition started.
Their three games before that ended with draws to New Zealand and Belgium, and a 1-0 loss to Switzerland.
What do fans and the media want from England?
16:13
Chris Wilson
Plenty of the criticism that England faced during Euro 2024 – and in the immediate aftermath of the loss to Spain in the final – revolved around the lack of a concrete system, which lead to ineffectiveness in attack and a defence that was too easy to open up in the final.
Even in matches where England dominated possession, they created too few notable attacking opportunities and too often relied on brilliant moments from their big names, such as Jude Bellingham’s equaliser against Slovakia.
Perhaps Lee Carsley’s main job is to find a way to balance the side while incorporating all of the main talents, but with players such as Foden and Bellingham unavailable during this autumn international break, Carsley’s main role for now is simply to get England playing some entertaining football while also dominating control of the ball.
Ireland starting XI
16:05
Chris Wilson
Ireland XI: Kelleher; Coleman, Collins, O’Shea, Brady; Szmodics, Smallbone, Molumby, Doherty; Idah, Ogbene.
Subs: Trvers, O’Leary, O’Dowda, Omobamidele, Browne, Ferguson, O’Brien, McAteer, Scales, Knight, Robinson, Parrott.
STARTING XI | Ireland v England
— Ireland Football ⚽️ (@IrelandFootball) September 7, 2024
Jayson Molumby makes his first international start since November 2023 whilst Chiedozie Ogbene returns to the starting line-up after his injury
Kick-off is at 5pm, not long to wait now! pic.twitter.com/HfZdrw0AZ3
Team news! Republic of Ireland v England
15:57
Jamie Braidwood
Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke and Angel Gomes are all named on the bench and could make their England debuts in Dublin.
Team news! Republic of Ireland v England
15:50
Jamie Braidwood
England team to face Ireland: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Guehi, Colwill, Mainoo, Rice, Gordon, Grealish, Saka, Kane
As expected, Lee Carsley hands starts to the recalled Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire in his first starting line-up as England interim manager.
Maguire partners Marc Guehi in defence, with Trent Alexander-Arnold starting at right back but able to push into midfield. Levi Colwill is on the left.
In midfield, Declan Rice starts on his return to Dublin, along with Kobbie Mainoo. In front of them, Anthony Gordon gets the nod on the left, with Buakyo Saka on the right.
Does that leave Grealish
