England beat ten-man Czechia 2-0 at the Fortuna Arena in Prague on Tuesday, their first win of the Nations League campaign and their first clean sheet in seven matches. Pavel Šulc was sent off in the 25th minute, Anthony Gordon headed England in front two minutes after half-time, and Harry Kane made it 2-0 in the 69th minute.

It was a very different night from Saturday's defeat by Spain, although it did not start that way. Czechia were the better side for most of the first 25 minutes. Šulc ran clear in the fifth minute after an Elliot Anderson error, but the ball ran away from him and James Trafford came out to smother it. England's best chance with eleven against eleven fell to Morgan Rogers, who turned Gordon's low cross against the far post.

Then Šulc slid in on Anderson and caught him on the shin. The Turkish referee, Halil Umut Meler, showed a yellow card, went to the pitchside monitor at VAR's request, and changed it to red. Czechia dropped deep for the rest of the half, and Thomas Tuchel replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had been booked, with Eberechi Eze at the break.

Alexander-Arnold makes the difference

The goal came within two minutes of the restart. Trent Alexander-Arnold, making his first start under Tuchel and his first England appearance since June 2025, won the ball back on the right, turned and crossed. Gordon let it bounce and headed it back across the goalkeeper, Matěj Kovář, and in at the far post.

Alexander-Arnold told ITV afterwards that he had spoken to Gordon at half-time and told him to get to the back post whenever he was in a position to cross. He said he had not expected it to work so quickly.

England kept pressing. Lewis Hall, also making his first start under Tuchel, saw his low cross turned onto the post by the Czech captain, Ladislav Krejčí. The second goal followed in the 69th minute: Eze played Rogers into the left of the box, Rogers went down under Krejčí's challenge, and the ball ran to Kane, who drove it in left-footed from close range for his 87th England goal.

Tuchel said England had been much more dynamic after the break, and that the second half had suited Alexander-Arnold's position better than the first. He was not pretending the red card had made it an ordinary night.

Strange to get an early red card. Not the best for the spectators, not the best for the team. It's an awkward one. But we got the win.

Thomas Tuchel, after the match

Jude Bellingham, rested after 90 minutes against Spain, came on for the final 20 and took the armband when Kane went off. Bournemouth's Alex Scott made his England debut, and Rio Ngumoha came on for Bukayo Saka.

Czechia still without a point under Denia

It was Czechia's second defeat in two games under Santi Denia. Krejčí defended Šulc afterwards, telling the Czech news agency ČTK that his teammate had gone for the ball and caught a leg, with nothing malicious in it, and that he was proud the side had kept playing its own way with ten men.

Spain beat Croatia 4-1 in Seville on the same night. After two rounds Spain have six points, England and Croatia three each, and Czechia none.

England stay in Prague overnight and fly straight on to Rijeka, where they play Croatia on Saturday at 18:00 CEST (17:00 BST). Czechia travel to Spain for Saturday's game in Oviedo, and the two sides meet again at Wembley on Tuesday 6 October.