Curtis Jones scores incredible debut England goal - but it wasn't his biggest moment this year

It has been a whirlwind period for Curtis Jones, aft the Liverpool prima became a begetter for the archetypal clip connected October 13 earlier scoring the victor successful his club's 2-1 triumph implicit Chelsea 7 days later

England are connected people for promotion backmost to the Nations League apical tier aft debutant Curtis Jones’ fantastic flick completed an awesome 3-0 victory successful Greece arsenic Thomas Tuchel watched from afar.

It has been a whirlwind past 4 weeks for Jones, aft the Liverpool prima became a begetter for the archetypal clip connected October 13 earlier scoring the victor successful his club's 2-1 triumph implicit Chelsea 7 days later. Indeed, the midfielder completed the hat-trick by capping disconnected his Three Lions debut with a singular extremity connected Thursday night.

The Football Association’s determination for its caller manager to commencement successful the caller twelvemonth raised eyebrows, conscionable arsenic interim Lee Carsley’s penultimate enactment did for Thursday’s must-win match. England skipper Harry Kane was dropped to the seat connected a nighttime erstwhile thing but triumph would spot Greece triumph Group B2 having secured a historical 2-1 triumph astatine Wembley.

Carsley’s bold enactment backfired past period but worked this clip arsenic the Euro 2024 runners-up silenced a packed Olympic Stadium, wherever Ollie Watkins justified his enactment with an aboriginal opener. Jordan Pickford produced immoderate important saves earlier Jude Bellingham saw a debased changeable travel backmost disconnected the station and deflect successful disconnected Greece goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

England knew a triumph by 2 goals would spot them instrumentality power of Group B2 acknowledgment to a superior head-to-head grounds with the hosts, with Jones wrapping up a good triumph with a beauteous finish. The triumph successful Athens means triumph against the Republic of Ireland successful Carsley’s last lucifer earlier handing implicit to Tuchel volition spot them promoted.

A fig of distant fans missed Jones’ extremity having made an aboriginal exit from a crushed wherever immoderate complained astir mediocre organisation and the usage of teardrop state by constabulary earlier kick-off. The FA is seeking much accusation astir the issues successful Athens, wherever UEFA is definite to look astatine the laser pen aimed astatine England players during the archetypal half.

The agleam greenish airy was disposable from the outset astatine the packed Olympic Stadium, which was silenced aft conscionable 7 minutes. Bellingham superbly lifted the shot down the close to Noni Madueke, who showed assurance and quality earlier cutting backmost for Watkins to person from six yards.

It was a fantastic commencement that card-happy referee Daniel Siebert dampened by handing harsh bookings to Bellingham and Conor Gallagher successful speedy succession. Pickford was likewise perplexed erstwhile helium was aboriginal shown a yellow. England were dominating without creating galore clear-cut chances against a constricted Greece broadside that lone earnestly tested them erstwhile earlier the break.

Liverpool full-back Kostas Tsimikas darted down the near and received a instrumentality walk earlier hitting a fizzing effort that Pickford stopped astatine his adjacent post. England’s fig 1 denied a tamer Tasos Bakasetas effort during a impermanent Greek betterment that the visitors saw retired earlier regaining control.

Bellingham ignored a laser aimed his mode but saw a beardown tally stopped earlier the shot got caught nether Watkins’ feet having been slipped successful superbly by Rico Lewis. Lewis Hall came connected for his England debut astatine the break, replacing Ezri Konsa arsenic Carsley reshuffled the backline.

Lewis moved to right-back and soon tested Vlachodimos successful the Greece goal, taking a interaction and hitting a snapshot that forced a prevention having been recovered by livewire Madueke’s cross. The Chelsea winger was impressing and his transverse aft the resulting country was initially dealt with ended successful a glancing Bellingham header bouncing onto the acold post.

Greece responded to that let-off with a triple alteration that injected caller beingness into a broadside that were denied by Pickford’s reflexes. Gallagher poorly mislaid possession and the hosts broke, with Dimitrios Pelkas playing successful chap substitute Fotis Ioannidis to amusement get distant a changeable the goalkeeper stopped well.

Kane, Jarrod Bowen and debutant Morgan Rogers replaced Watkins, Madueke and Anthony Gordon arsenic Carsley sought an attacking refresh arsenic Greece came connected strong. Kane saw a hopeful effort held and the 2nd extremity the visitors were striving for arrived successful the 77th minute.

Rogers met a walk from Hall with a beauteous first-time shot wrong to Bellingham, who drove from conscionable wrong the Greece fractional and deed a debased 20-yard effort that struck the station and went successful disconnected the backmost of Vlachodimos’ legs. Athens was silenced, with the temper sinking little successful the 83rd minute.

Bowen played the shot to recently-introduced Morgan Gibbs-White, whose walk to Jones was met by a fantastic flick past the Greek keeper successful the 83rd infinitesimal to termination the contest.

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