Set-play Tripp
England’s right-back Kieran Trippier had a lively start to the game and also a strong audition to add himself to the squad’s roster of set-piece specialists. The Tottenham Hotspur man forced Nigeria keeper Francis Uzoho into his first save of the match with a thumping free-kick before planting the resulting corner onto the head of Gary Cahill for the opening goal after just six minutes of the game. And the same combination almost led to a second goal in the 29th minute when another Tripper flag-kick whizzed just over the Chelsea defender's head.
Captain Kane
England’s captain Harry Kane revealed in the match programme before the game that his goalscoring record when in possession of the armband for both the Three Lions and Tottenham Hotspur has been impressive. And he kept that run going here, as he drilled a low shot past Uzoho from the edge of the area just before the break after collecting a pass from Raheem Sterling. The Nigeria keeper will feel he could've done more, but the sheer power on Kane's shot was enough to beat him as it emerged through a crowd of players.
Boom and boos
It was clear from the start who the Nigeria fans were targeting at Wembley, as every early touch for England’s Dele Alli was greeted by jeers from the visitors. The Spurs man, born in Milton Keynes, could have been eligible to represent the Super Eagles with his father being Nigerian. But that noise quickly faded out once the full allocation of Nigerians had taken their seats with a booming noise rising every time their side went on the attack. And when Alex Iwobi slotted home after Odion Ighalo’s shot hit the post, the party atmosphere really took hold. They'll certainly be worth watching, or listening, out for in Russia later this month.
Sterling’s mixed bag
Raheem Sterling inadvertently hogged the headlines in the build-up to the game and played a big part on the pitch too. The Manchester City man was a thorn in the side of Nigeria with his pace and link-up play and came close to getting a goal on a couple of occasions in the first half. But a second-half caution following a badly-timed tumble over Uzoho in the box won’t have gone un-noticed by the critics.
Wembley’s World Cup wave off
At full time, the England squad gave the Wembley crowd a World Cup farewell after what was their penultimate match before heading to Russia. The Three Lions picked up the majority of their points in qualifying at the national stadium and with another impressive attendance of over 70,000 out in north London to support them, it was an opportunity to say thanks for the backing. England’s final game before their World Cup opener against Tunisia comes on Thursday evening when they face Costa Rica at Elland Road in Leeds.
The teams
England: 1 Jordan Pickford (Everton); 2 Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur), 3 Ashley Young (Manchester United), 4 Kyle Walker (Manchester City), 5 John Stones (Manchester City), 6 Gary Cahill (Chelsea), 7 Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), 8 Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), 9 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) (C), 10 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), 11 Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur)
Substitutes: 17 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) for Lingard 67, 12 Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur) for Young 68, 21 Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) for Kane 74, 20 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) 74, 15 Fabian Delph (Manchester City) for Dele 81
Substitutes not used: 13 Jack Butland (Stoke City), 23 Nick Pope (Burnley), 24 Tom Heaton (Burnley), 14 Harry Maguire (Leicester City), 16 Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion), 18 Adam Lallana (Liverpool), 19 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Manager: Gareth Southgate
Goals: Gary Cahill 7, Harry Kane 39
Cautions: Raheem Sterling 52
Nigeria: 23 Francis Uzoho, 2 Bryan Idowu, 5 William Troost-Ekong, 6 Leon Balogun, 9 Odion Ighalo, 10 John Obi Mikel, 11 Victor Moses, 12 Shehu Abdullahi, 15 Joel Obi, 17 Ogenyi Onazi, 18 Alex Iwobi
Substitutes: 4 Kenneth Omeruo for Balogun 46, 21 Tyronne Ebuehi for Abdullah 46, 8 Oghenekaro Etebo for Onazi, 19 John Ogu for Obi 46, 7 Ahmed Musa for Moses 63, 14 Kelechi Iheanacho for Ighalo 77
Substitutes not used: 1 Ikechukwu Ezenwa, 16 Dan Akpeyi, 3 Elderson Echiejile, 13 Wilfred Ndidi, 20 Chidozie Awaziem, 22 Simeon Nwankwo, 26 Ola Aina, 27 Mikel Agu
Head coach: Gernot Rohr
Goals: Alex Iwobi 48
Cautions: Ahmed Musa 78
Referee: Marco Guida
Attendance: 70,025
Have you enjoyed England’s World Cup adventure? Why not join the England Supporters Club? It’s free and you’ll get some great offers and ticket priority.
