'this Was The Benchmark' - Tuchel Praises 'statement Victory'

Manager Thomas Tuchel said England's commanding capacity against Serbia has group "the bar" arsenic they took a measurement person to qualifying for nan 2026 World Cup.

The Three Lions had faced disapproval for lacklustre performances successful this qualifying campaign, contempt having won each 5 of their Group K matches.

But a 5-0 thrashing of Serbia successful Belgrade connected Tuesday is possibly nan eye-catching capacity Tuchel's England needed.

"We had an fantabulous week from commencement to finish. We've conscionable proved what I've seen each time successful this campy and this makes maine very happy," said German leader Tuchel.

"This campy was nan benchmark."

England now request 5 points from their last 3 games to scope adjacent summer's World Cup successful Canada, Mexico and nan United States.

Sitting 7 points clear astatine nan apical of nan group, Tuchel's broadside will look Latvia successful October earlier taking connected Serbia past Albania successful November.

"This week was excellent. The attitude, nan measurement we played successful some matches. Today is simply a connection triumph against a difficult force successful a difficult environment," Tuchel said.

England stifled Serbia and nan hosts grounded to get immoderate of their 3 shots connected target, leaving Jordan Pickford without a azygous prevention to make.

England had 24 shots and 12 connected target while they had 42 touches successful nan guidance container arsenic Serbia recorded conscionable four.

Harry Kane and Noni Madueke gave England a deserved half-time lead earlier Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford wrapped up an awesome victory.

"There was nary antagonistic cognition connected nan pitch, nary vexation connected nan pitch. For me, it was teamwork successful it's purest form. Then we played shot to a precocious level and sewage a deserved win," Tuchel said.

"We had a spot of a stop-start crippled against Andorra and nan consequence was possibly not nan consequence that everyone expected from us. I kept nan belief but astatine immoderate constituent you request to beryllium it besides arsenic a player, that it's not conscionable only words from your coach.

"They kept connected doing and I deliberation they kept connected believing, and they felt themselves that this is nan tone that we request successful campy and that will springiness america nan other level of quality."

England person now won each 5 of their competitory games truthful acold nether Tuchel, though he did oversee a 3-1 nonaccomplishment astatine location to Senegal successful a friendly.

Until Tuesday's triumph complete Serbia, nary of those performances had been peculiarly thrilling - pinch Saturday's triumph complete Andorra an particularly turgid affair.

England person not conceded a extremity during this World Cup qualifying run but a perceived deficiency of ruthlessness successful onslaught has near galore supporters emotion underwhelmed.

Yet midfielder Declan Rice said scoring a batch of goals successful each lucifer is "never going to happen" pinch nan measurement teams group up against them.

"The first 4 games group person been wanting to spot six and 7 goals. It is ne'er going to hap erstwhile teams campy 10 men down nan ball," he said.

"We knew it was going to beryllium really reliable coming here, but [it was] a five-star performance. We took power from nan very first infinitesimal and we needed that tonight."

Captain Kane said England "showed our level" successful Belgrade arsenic they dominated possession and yet demonstrated what they are tin of.

"Even successful nan different games, we did well, but we didn't scope apical form," he added.

"We felt we had a bully capacity a fewer days ago. I cognize it wasn't nan capacity that everyone was excited about, but we did what we had to.

"I said astir really we wanted to play - being connected nan beforehand ft and being aggressive, and I deliberation we showed our level today."