{"id":500596,"date":"2025-10-15T04:45:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T04:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/500596\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T04:45:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T04:45:21","slug":"match-centre-latvia-0-5-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/500596\/","title":{"rendered":"Match Centre: Latvia 0-5 England"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three Lions head coach Thomas Tuchel<\/a> and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford<\/a> addressed the media on Monday evening ahead of the World Cup Qualifier.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is what they had to say.<\/p>\n

Tuchel on the latest injury news:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Very easy with Harry \u2013 he can play, he\u2019s fit. We did the right thing. He\u2019s top in training and ready to go. I don\u2019t see why he should not be able to play 90 minutes. The pause was just a short pause for him. He played all matches before for Bayern Munich, so I don\u2019t see any obstacles there.<\/p>\n

Ollie left camp unfortunately. It was too painful and he could not train with us, so he\u2019s in treatment with his club and tries to get ready for the weekend.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s basically it. Everyone else is with us and available.<\/p>\n

On the recent shift in performance levels:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I saw it even against Andorra at home even if we couldn\u2019t prove it in terms of the result and maybe people outside expected more than just the 2-0 and underestimated the defence performance from Andorra a little bit. I saw it even in this game \u2013 the commitment especially in the defensive work, the commitment in the high press.<\/p>\n

There was a significant shift in our attitude, in the way we played. We had, of course, two very good two results, good performances lately against Serbia and against Wales. We want to take the next step. I feel this, I feel that we\u2019re building something and going in the right direction.<\/p>\n

On the potential to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tomorrow night:<\/strong><\/p>\n

As always in sports, tomorrow is the most difficult game. Tomorrow, we have to show our respect our opponent, respect the circumstances \u2013 it\u2019s an away match in a World Cup Qualifier. With the result from Albania and Serbia, we can qualify tomorrow and we want to do it with a win. It\u2019s extra motivation.<\/p>\n

On the starting XI:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have not decided yet but everyone \u2013 all of the players \u2013 deserves [it]. We had enough time to recover after the match against Wales, so we had two full training sessions yesterday and today.<\/p>\n

The spirit and the momentum is clearly there. The players are fully focused. They trained with an awareness, they trained with joy, they trained with a lot of quality \u2013 you can sense it.<\/p>\n

Everyone made an impact, everyone made themselves available and it\u2019s on us to take some choices. I don\u2019t think that we can go wrong with the choices but the question will be, \u2018will we change a lot and how do we manage some minutes?\u2019<\/p>\n

The focus is on building a strong team, starting a strong team, starting a team that is used to playing with each other, to not give any wrong signals because it\u2019s a given to respect your opponent and we need a strong team and a strong performance to win an away game in a World Cup Qualifier.<\/p>\n

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We’re heading LIVE to Riga where @JPickford1<\/a> and Thomas Tuchel will speak ahead of tomorrow’s game against Latvia \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/1614P9elpY<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 England (@England) October 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pickford on breaking Gordon Banks record and eyeing his 80th cap:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s good when you break them but I think everyone knows what I\u2019m like \u2013 a team player and I\u2019ll take credit sometimes but I think it\u2019s a collective sport. We win together, we defend and we attack together.<\/p>\n

Like Harry says, the defence starts from up top really. It\u2019s all eleven of us putting a shift in and when I\u2019m called upon, I\u2019ll make the saves. It\u2019s great to have that milestone and hopefully break it again tomorrow and get nine.<\/p>\n

On managing quieter spells during games:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every goalkeeper is different. I\u2019m quite vocal and communicate with my team. I feel like that keeps me in the game. Even if the ball is at the other end of the pitch, I\u2019ll be moving about, keeping in the right line and just being switched on constantly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s something you get used to and something I\u2019ve improved on over the years, just being in the right position at the right time and keeping communicating with the back four in front of me. That keeps me in sync with the game and when called upon, I should be there and ready to make an action.<\/p>\n

On the performances of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elliot has been terrific and Morgan as well. I think Elliot in the last two games, just getting on the ball, half-turn, but the defensive side of it as well which not many people will see. For the back four with him in front of you, he\u2019s always getting back and screening the centre forward like we did against Kieffer Moore the other \u2013 a big target \u2013 and he\u2019s always there for second balls and breaks up the play well.<\/p>\n

Morgan, as well, you\u2019ve seen it in the Serbia game and getting his first goal against Wales the other night is massive moment for him and hopefully see many more.<\/p>\n

Elliot went to the EUROs with the under-21s and won it, so it just shows the pathway still for England, how good the pathway is for us lads to get through and winning major tournaments at under-21s level and coming into the seniors and feeling comfortable.<\/p>\n

Us as a group, it\u2019s a great group to be around because you get welcomed straight away and you feel at home and not out of place and you let the football do the talking because we\u2019ve got that good environment.<\/p>\n

On England\u2019s 3-0 win over Latvia in March:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a good game. Reece came up with a great free kick and apart from that, we had a lot of the ball but we still had to be wary of the threat from Latvia. It was tight and hopefully for us tomorrow, England will get on the front foot and get right after them.<\/p>\n

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\nLatvia\u00a0in profile<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n


Nickname:\u00a0<\/strong>Eleven Wolves
Coach:<\/strong>\u00a0Paolo Nicolato
Captain:\u00a0<\/strong>Kristers Tobers<\/p>\n

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Match Stats<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u25cf This will be the second meeting between Latvia and England, with the first coming in March this year when the Three Lions won 3-0 at Wembley<\/a> with goals from Reece James, Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze.<\/p>\n

\u25cf\u00a0Latvia will be the 72nd nation England have played an away match against \u2013 they\u2019ve won their last three first time away games against a nation (3-2 v Slovenia in 2015, 3-0 v Lithuania in 2015 and 4-0 v Kosovo in 2019).<\/p>\n

\n\u25cf\u00a0Latvia have lost their last 14 matches against sides in top-10 of the FIFA World Rankings by an aggregate score of 41-1. They last avoided defeat in a 0-0 draw at EURO 2004 against Germany.<\/p>\n

\n\u25cf\u00a0England have kept eight clean sheets in their last nine matches, their only blemish in this run a 3-1 friendly defeat against Senegal in June. The Three Lions are still yet to concede a competitive goal in five matches under Thomas Tuchel.<\/p>\n

\n\u25cf\u00a0Under Thomas Tuchel, England are averaging 643 successful passes per game, 17 shots per game and 42 touches in the opposition box per game, all higher totals than their averages under Sir Gareth Southgate (526 successful passes, 13 shots and 28 touches in the opposition box).<\/p>\n

\n\u25cf\u00a0Prior to this current international break, 24 of the 54 nations competing in UEFA World Cup 2026 qualification had only played two games compared to England\u2019s five, but despite that the Three Lions had faced fewer shots on target than any other nation (1), going 316 minutes since last facing one vs Latvia.<\/p>\n

\n\u25cf\u00a0Ollie Watkins has scored in four of his seven starts for England, scoring four goals. Overall he has six goals for the Three Lions, with Billy Walker (9) and David Platt (7) the only two Aston Villa players to score more goals for England than Watkins.<\/p>\n

\n\u25cf\u00a0Jordan Pickford is the first ever England goalkeeper to go eight consecutive games without conceding a goal for the Three Lions. His clean sheet against Wales was his 40th for England, with only Peter Shilton keeping more (58).<\/p>\n

England Squad News<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ticket Information<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ticket information for this game will appear here once announced.<\/p>\n

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How to watch or stream<\/strong><\/p>\n


This game will be available to watch live on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player.<\/p>\n