Never has England lost to a nation of the African continent in 21 clashes. The 22nd is therefore to be scored with a white stone for Senegal, which won this Tuesday evening in a friendly match in Nottingham (3-1), the first English defeat Since the appointment of Thomas Tuchel at the head of the Three Lions.
But the English were extremely priable defensively, three days after a narrow success against Andorra (1-0), in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which had displeased the coach. Tuchel proceeded on Tuesday to a very large workforce review, guardian included, keeping, among the usual holders of the selection, that Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane at the start.
The captain improved the good start of the match, as a surface fox (7th, 1-0), after a good pressing by Eberechi Eze and Conor Gallagher, then a shot from Anthony Gordon released by Édouard Mendy. But the experimental defense (Walker, Colwill, Chalobah, Lewis-Skelly) conceded far too many opportunities for the lively Senegalese attackers, which forced Dean Henderson to intervene very early, then too often.
The Crystal Palace goalkeeper could not do anything in front of his teammate in the Ismaïla Sarr club (40th, 1-1), left too lonely by Kyle Walker and well served by Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea’s center forward. The porter has still seen his defense abandon him on the goal of Habib Diarra, the middle of Strasbourg, whose rating will still rise in England (62nd, 1-2).
The entrants attempted everything for the whole, notably the regional of the Morgan Gibbs-White stage, Nottingham striker, but also the attacking midfielder of Real Madrid Jude Bellingham, deprived of a goal because of the hand of a teammate (84th).
Cheikh Sabaly (90th + 3) in counterattack punished the English even more, escorted to the locker room by whistles.
