Malta 0-4 England Player Ratings: Vardy’s impact

Malta 0-4 England – skysports.com

A late goal glut saw England run out 4-0 winners over Malta in Ta’ Qali, even if their performance was imperfect in spells against resilient opposition. Here’s six talking points from the match.

Malta

Andrew Hogg – made a good sprawling save to deny Sterling in the first two minutes, then got down well to stop Kane’s header. His performance levels dropped in a poor second half though and he might have done better for Bertrand’s goal. 4

Steve Borg – battled superbly for much of the game. Could have got closer to Kane for the first goal, but directly at fault for any of the others. 6
Sam Magri – made some timely interceptions in the first half and in the second, he took a rare moment to express his ball-playing qualities with a decent shot from range. Made a tame defensive header for the first goal though and let Welbeck get goal-side of him for the third. 4
Andrei Agius – some good headers in the first half but was at fault for three of the four goals. Appealed for offside for the first, caught in no-mans-land for the third and fourth. 3
Zack Muscat – bailed Zerafa out a couple of times in the first half with some strong challenges. Showed some indecision for the first goal, but was otherwise blameless. 5
Joseph Zerafa – struggled to handle Oxlade-Chamberlain in the first half. Improved in the second when he made some good blocks and set up Schembri for a shot. Unlucky to be taken off. 5

Bjorn Kristensen – pressed Bertrand well in the first half, helping negate England’s threat down the left and denying them space. Didn’t offer anything in possession though and was less effective in a central role when Ryan Fenech went off. 4
Ryan Fenech – could have closed Alli down quicker for the first goal, but gave Malta some defensive stability that they missed when he went off. 6
Steve Pisani – at times overran by Alli, Chamberlain and Walker. One or two good long-range passes to Farrugia, but most of them lacked accuracy. 3

Andre Schembri – worked hard out of possession and Malta missed his pressing after he went off. His discipline though meant he was unable to get close to Farrugia or attack, baring one snapshot early in the second half. 5
Jean Paul Farrugia – had limited opportunities to show what he could do with the ball. He didn’t lack effort, but he perhaps lacked the belief that his effort could lead to something creative. 3

Ryan Camilleri (on 75) – didn’t track back quickly enough when there was a turnover in possession. 3
Paul Fenech (on 83) – lacked the defensive qualities his namesake provided. 4
Michael Mifsud (on 86) – a proven goalscorer, but at 36 he didn’t have the legs this type of contest required. 4

England

Joe Hart – quick off his line when needed, but didn’t face any shots on target. 5

Kyle Walker – made some good attacking runs to support Chamberlain, then Rashford in the latter stages. 7
Gary Cahill – mopped up high balls with minimal fuss, but a ball-playing centre-back like John Stones might have been more suited to the occasion. 6
Phil Jones – his best performances have come in smash-and-grab encounters, so perhaps setting the tempo from the back didn’t come naturally. 5
Ryan Bertrand – did not offer the width to support Sterling in the first half. Rewarded for having the audacity to shoot from range with a little fortune for the second goal. 5

Jake Livermore – lacked the dynamism to change the direction of play, which became a problem in the first half. Selected out of necessity, rather than suitability. 4
Jordan Henderson – guilty of playing one too many sideways balls in the first half, but he came to the fore in the latter stages. Laid off Bertrand’s goal. 6

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – had the beating of Zerafa in the first half and looked lively in possession. Perhaps should have been used more often. 6
Dele Alli – linked up well with Kane in flashes, but was also guilty of dwelling on the ball in crowded areas. England looked more fluent without him. 5
Raheem Sterling – made the wrong decision one-on-one early in the game and lost his confidence. Always tried to cut inside onto his right foot when the space was elsewhere. 4

Harry Kane – faced criticism at half-time, but had provided the biggest test for Hogg in the first half, then scored his two chances after the break. A clinical performance. 8

Marcus Rashford (on 45) – showed skill and looked lively throughout the second half. Played an impressive pass to Kane for the fourth goal. 8
Jamie Vardy (on 70) – his aggressive, direct runs off the ball stretched play and opened up avenues for the midfield. 9
Danny Welbeck (on 76) – injected further energy into England’s attack and made a clever run to score the third goal. 8