Harry Kane scored 62nd goal for England. Gareth Southgate’s team clinched a 2-0 win against Malta. England had already qualified for the European Championship. They are bidding to secure a place among the top seeds in Germany. Unbeaten England have six wins and a draw in the group. Enrico Pepe’s early own goal and Kane’s second half strike settled a drab encounter at Wembley. A victory in their final qualifier in North Macedonia would achieve England’s top-seeding target. Malta’s lowly 171st place in FIFA’s world rankings made this England’s least impressive performance. Trent Alexander-Arnold was one of the few bright spots. Southgate said, “If you don’t start games well, it’s very difficult to pick it up and we didn’t. We know the level we’ve got should be better.” Phil Foden’s performance was phenomenal. Southgate paid tribute to former Manchester United and England star Bobby Charlton, who died aged 86 in October. A video montage was introduced by his World Cup team-mate Geoff Hurst.
