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Harry Kane starred with a first-half hat-trick to guide England to a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Albania in a FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier at Wembley.
The Three Lions had dropped points the last time they played at home, as dogged defending by Hungary saw the visitors leave London with a point. However, England were not in the mood for another repeat, going ahead inside the opening nine minutes.
The in-form Reece James floated a perfect free-kick into the area from which Harry Maguire headed home. The hosts doubled their lead nine minutes later through a simple header from Harry Kane off an assist by Jordan Henderson. Kane returned the favour to the Liverpool captain in the 28th minute, teeing him up inside the area to put England three goals up.
Kane scored his second soon after before completing his hat-trick in first half injury-time. His third goal unarguably the pick of the lot.
Phil Foden sent a left-footed in-swinging corner into the area from which the England captain converted with a spectacular bicycle kick. The goal made Kane the first player to score a perfect hat-trick for England (left foot, right foot and head) since David Platt in February 1993.
With the game practically done and dusted, the second half was played at a more relaxed pace. Gareth Southgate made a raft of changes after the break which slowed the tempo of the game.
The win helped England maintain their three-point lead at the summit of Group I. They now need just one point from their final game against San Marino to book their place in Qatar 2022.
On that note, here is a rundown of how England players fared in the game against Albania:
Jordan Pickford - 7/10
The England goalkeeper had an eventful night, making four saves. The pick of the bunch was when he showed great reflexes to keep out Myrto Uzuni in the 15th minute.
John Stones - 7/10
The Manchester City man made one interception in the game, helping England build attacks from the back.
Harry Maguire - 8.5/10
Maguire put his patchy club form behind him, producing an assured display at the heart of a three-man defence. He opened the scoring with a well-taken header, and also excelled in his primary duties.
Kyle Walker - 6.5/10
The 31-year-old was solid despite not playing in his preferred position. He made one tackle and two clearances to help England preserve their clean sheet.
Ben Chilwell - 6.5/10
The Chelsea man had a rather subdued display down England's left, considering his form in recent weeks.
Kalvin Phillips - 6.5/10
The Leeds United man helped shield the defence, making three tackles in the 62 minutes he spent on the field.
Jordan Henderson - 8/10
Henderson ended his night with a goal and an assist. He was also instrumental in helping England dictate proceedings. He had the highest passing accuracy of all midfielders who started the game.
Reece James - 8.5/10
James created two chances on the night, one of which led to England's opening goal. He also weighed in with two tackles and one interception at the other end before making way for Trent-Alexander Arnold in the 77th minute.
Phil Foden - 8/10
Foden continued his impressive trajectory with another masterclass for England. He provided the assist for Kane's hat-trick, and had an all-round brilliant game.
Harry Kane - 10/10
The 28-year-old might be struggling at club level, but there were no signs of that as he put the visitors to the sword. His hat-trick made him the player with the most competitive goals for England. Kane is now just nine goals behind Wayne Rooney's all-time record of 53 goals.
Raheem Sterling - 7.5/10
The Manchester City man created three chances in the game. One of them led to England's fourth goal, before he made way for Emile Smith Rowe in the 77th minute.
Ratings of England substitutes against Albania
Jack Grealish - 6/10
Grealish came on for Foden in the 62nd minute, managing one shot that failed to hit the target.
Tammy Abraham - 5/10
The AS Roma man replaced hat-trick hero Kane with 28 minutes to go, but misplaced half of his attempted passes.
Jude Bellingham - 6.5/10
Bellingham created two chances, none of which were taken, in the 27 minutes he spent on the field.
Emile Smith Rowe - 7/10
The Arsenal man came on in the final 15 minutes for his international debut. He created one chance, ending the game with a 100% pass accuracy.
Trent-Alexander Arnold - 6/10
Arnold came on for Reece James in the 76th minute, hitting a shot off target.
