Another friendly match at Wembley, which gave manager Gareth Southgate another pre-World Cup look at his growing squad of players. Tyrick Mitchell and Ollie Watkins started for the first time and altogether there were ten changes from the previous match against Switzerland. Ivory Coast were a new opponent for the Three Lions, and a good game was in prospect at the start.

England seemed content for the visitors to have most of the possession in the early stages, but on six minutes Ben White and Jude Bellingham combined well to put Watkins in, but he was adjudged to be narrowly offside. The England fans were keen to see a more attack-minded home team and a more positive showing than some of the recent games have produced. On eight minutes good approach play from Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling, who were linking well, gave James Ward-Prowse the chance for a trademark cross. That was cleared to Declan Rice, whose following centre was also cleared away by a determined defending.

There were already signs of some roughhouse tactics from the African side, which seems to be normal when facing sides from that continent, and Sterling, especially, was taking a buffeting. Another free-kick against the Ivory Coast side saw a fine centre in from Ward-Prowse to Tyrone Mings, but the defender's header was deflected wide. Immediately a poor clearance out of defence as Grealish latched on to the ball, but luckily for the Ivory Coast his attempted pass to Sterling was intercepted.

At this stage England were gaining the ascendency with Grealish, Bellingham and Sterling particularly lively and linking well. On 15 minutes Bellingham came so close as an exchange of passes, saw him shoot at the near post, only for goalkeeper, Badra Ali Sangare to deflect the ball wide with his leg. From the corner, Watkins is inches away from a touch at the far post. The pressure was increasing and Bellingham, again to the fore, fed Grealish, who so nearly squeezed another shot in at the near post.

With Rice behind him Bellingham had a free licence to move forward, and he was having a fine match, as was Rice, whose role was different but effective. As the half approached the midway point, the only thing missing from England was a goal their play deserved. A couple of rare Ivory Coast attacks saw Maxwell Cornet crowded out, and then Harry Maguire, ridiculously booed by some fans as his name was read out at the start, cleverly shepherded the ball out for a goal-kick when under pressure from a visiting attacker. Maguire won warm applause for that.

A stifled penalty appeal by England and a Sterling shot that was well blocked by Simon Deli followed. That was a vital stop from the defender, but on the half-hour England finally broke the deadlock. Brilliant footwork by Sterling created a chance to cross close in, and there was Watkins to jubilantly tap the ball over the line for as easy a goal as he is ever likely to score. What a way to celebrate your first start for England. Four minutes later and yet another foul on Sterling gave Ward-Prowse the chance to cross to Rice, but the West Ham player's header lacked pace and direction and was easily saved by Sangare.

It was all happening in the final five minutes of the half, as first Bellingham shot narrowly wide and then, Serge Aurier, the Ivory Coast defender, who had already been booked earlier, received a second yellow card followed by a red, for talking out of turn after questioning the referee as to why he hadn't received a free-kick? Even Grealish pleaded to the referee, but the decision was right. African players do have a tendency to let their lack of discipline get the better of themselves at times.

England then came close again when Grealish and Sterling combined to see the latter's shot blocked, but right on half-time England scored a second goal. Grealish, Watkins and Sterling were all involved and after the keeper parried a shot out to Grealish again, his clever pass gave Sterling the goal his performance on the night deserved. A VAR check was cleared and the visitors went into the break with a mountain to climb, two goals down and a man down. An excellent half for England.

The second-half began with England on top again. Walker-Peters came on for White at the interval and the Ivory Coast made three changes. The visitors were still walking a tightrope with some of their challenges and this was not a game a referee enjoys. Bellingham again bursts through, but held the ball too long before shooting, much to the exasperated Sterling's annoyance. Walker-Peters sees a shot blocked as the hour mark approached, and that time on the clock was the signal for Southgate to make lots of changes. It was like watching the England rugby matches when most of the side is replaced, I don't like seeing it. And how many names do these people want? Smith Rowe, Walker-Peters, Ward-Prowse, all I can say is thank goodness Alexander Arnold, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek were not on the bench! Will we one day see an England team where all the players have multiple names? I don't think I have enough ink in my pen for that!

The game then follows the usual post-mass substitutions pattern by falling a bit flat. The chance to really rub salt in the wounded visitors was lost a little as the pressure dropped off. To be fair the Ivory Coast defended well this half, and England struggled to find gaps. Bellingham was still pulling the strings in midfield, and both Smith Rowe and Ward-Prowse went close to scoring. (Two shots, not four!)

England were very comfortably on top but Nick Pope did have a second touch during the last 15 minutes. With Grealish off now, the attack lacked the flair shown earlier and on 77 minutes a Luke Shaw foul gave the visitors their best chance of the night. From the free-kick by Jean Michael Seri gave Deli a great chance, but his volley was high, wide and not so handsome. England then brought on a sixth substitute (!) with Conor Gallagher replacing Ward-Prowse. One of the other subs was Harry Kane and he missed a couple of good chances as the time ticked away. Phil Foden went close and Smith Rowe also had a go, and won a corner. From that, in the third minute of added time, Foden's kick was headed in by Mings, well, I say headed in, it actually came off his nose, the ball going down into the ground and bouncing high into the net.

And that was it, game over and a very comfortable win for England. The only criticism was that the team still lack the killer instinct when so much on top, and that is something they must work on before the World Cup arrives. Still, all is well, the squad is strong, with lots of options, and there is no reason to fear anyone.
       

Source Notes