England 2 Albania 0: Miles Lewis-Skelly's moment provides meaning to another routine qualifying win

Friday's World Cup qualifier against Albania sold out on the back of being Thomas Tuchel's opening game as England's first German coach but at half-time and full-time the PA announcers were trying to shift tickets for Monday's match at home to Latvia.

The 2-0 win was hardly a game to stir the blood but Arsenal left-back Lewis-Skelly did at least light it up by making a bit of history of his own.

Not a great deal else changed under Tuchel.

England did not look like they were scared of losing, as Tuchel had accused them of being at the European Championship, but they were stodgy and workmanlike, unable to put inferior opposition to bed until Harry Kane scored again – his 70th international goal – in the 73rd minute.

Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn were the two new faces in an otherwise pretty familiar side, set out in the 4-2-3-1 formation that has been England's preferred one in recent years.

Fortunately Lewis-Skelly managed to give things a fresh feel by becoming the youngest player to mark his debut for the country with a wonderful goal.

Both debutants would be heavily involved in the first-half moments but only one found the net.

Until Lewis-Skelly's 20th-minute goal, 92 per cent of possession almost exclusively in Albania's half had not translated into a shot.

But the goal was well worth the wait.

Jude Bellingham's pass was measured exquisitely for Lewis-Skelly's overlapping run and he calmly slipped the ball through Thomas Strakosha's legs to get off the mark at the age of 18 years and 176 days.

The previous record had been held by Marcus Rashford, making his first international appearance for 363 days and a lively presence on the left without leaving his mark on the game.

Shortly before the goal he had played Kane through, only for his heavy touch to let the goalkeeper in. When Kane dropped into midfield in the 26th minute, the roles were reversed, the outcome the same.

Lewis-Skelly apart, that was the story of it, and England were reminded why they needed more.

Burn made a hash of a 27th-minute cross, looping it onto his own crossbar at the cost of a corner as he got in Jordan Pickford's way going for the rebound. Before England got it away Burns had to charge a shot down.

But he would hit the crossbar at the other end before half-time.

As the interval approach England's policy of grinding down the opposition started to hint at bearing fruit.

Rashford played Bellingham in only for the goalkeeper to save. Kane saw the follow-up blocked.

A lovely ball from Declan Rice played in Kyle Walker, the only Yorkshireman in the line-up, having fallen behind the now-injured Trent Alexander-Arnold in the right-back pecking order under interim coach Lee Carsley. Bellingham produced a diving header from the AC MIlan loanee's cross which was saved.

When Kane tried to convert the rebound, a remarkable block turned it over for a corner Burns headed wide at.

A couple of minutes he had another go but this one thumped against the bar, with a hint of a Strakosha glove in there.

But the second half slumped back into the old pattern, Kane's glancing header wide as he stretched to a Bellingham cross a rare moment of note 59 minutes in.

The introduction of Armando Broja excited the Albanian fans spread way beyond the away section, and Walker had to be alert to sweep across when the Everton striker broke and put the ball over.

Rashford had a long-range effort blocked, Kane's flicked back-header caused panic despite dropping just wide.

But it would not be an England game without the Bayern Munich man scoring and when Walker played the ball back to Rice, lurking outside the area, Kane controlled the ball in well as a man ran across him and precisely found the net.

Jordan Henderson's introduction as the anchorman in what was now a 4-1-4-1 shape drew the odd boo but far more cheers. Divisions over team selection are almost as old as the concept of an England team.

Henderson helped to see the game out, job done. No glorious new dawn, no rip-roaring advert for Monday, just England doing what England do, three points nearer to the 2026 World Cup.

England: Pickford; Walker, Konsa, Burn, Lewis-Skelly (James 90); Jones (Rogers 73), Rice (J Henderson 82); Foden (Bowen 73), Bellingham, Rashford (Gordon 73); Kane.

Unused substitutes: Guehi, D Henderson, Colwill, Eze, Solanke, Livramento, Trafford.

Albania: Strakosha (Kastrati 82); Balliu, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Aliji; Ramadani, Asllani (Shehu 82); Bajrami (Broja 63), Laci (Pajaziti 79), Asani (Hoxha 79); Uzuni.

Unused substitutes: Manaj, Mihaj, Kumbulla, Berisha, Muci, Ismajli, Sherri.

Referee: A Hernandez (Spain).