England were able to kick off the international break with a 2-1 win against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.

After a strong opening five minutes from Croatia, England took control of the first half, with Elliot Anderson striking over the bar from the edge of the box in the fifteenth minute.

It only took another eight minutes after that, when Harry Kane lifted a pass over the top down the right-hand side of the box, where Jude Bellingham fired a ball across goal for Morgan Rogers to poke home from five yards out.

Harry Kane, who was presented with the Ballon d’Or prior to kick-off, was able to restore England’s lead in the second half, as Jarrell Quansah was brought down in the penalty area from a corner, which allowed the Bayern Munich striker to calmly fire his attempt down the middle from the penalty spot.

England's Forwards Prove Key vs Croatia

Jordan Pickford - B

He didn’t have much to do in the first half, with his only save being a long-range strike from Mateo Kovacic. There was nothing much he could do for Sucic’s leveller, as the Everton keeper would’ve been surprised to see Quansah attempting a backpass to him straight from a corner whilst Sucic was so close.

Trent Alexander-Arnold - B

Alexander-Arnold was given the start tonight, and he hasn’t yet nailed down a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s side, but he had a good performance.

He was rarely put to any defensive work, and was pulling the strings further up the field, playing many of his dangerous crosses.

Jarrell Quansah - C

Quansah had an average first half, not having much to do considering how much dominance England had, but nonetheless it was an assured first half performance.

However, his second half didn’t get off to the best of starts, having his back pass to Jordan Pickford from a corner intercepted by Petar Sucic, who struck it beyond Pickford to level the score.

But he did win a penalty for England just minutes later, which Harry Kane slotted home.

Dan Burn - B

Dan Burn was a big presence at the back throughout. The Newcastle defender started next to Quansah, and was able to sniff out any potential attacks, winning most of his aerial duels.

Lewis Hall - B+

Another Newcastle player to make the starting squad tonight, and he has been a player who fans have long been calling to be given a real chance in the national team setup.

His performance was assured, winning back possession on multiple occasions, sometimes covering as a central defender when one of the two defenders was dragged out of possession.

He was a strong performer, and he has certainly staked his claim for a starting spot.

Elliot Anderson - B+

Anderson has impressed during his time as an England player and he delivered another dominant performance tonight at Wembley. He won the ball back on multiple occasions, as well as keeping the ball moving.

Declan Rice - B

It was a comfortable performance from the Arsenal midfielder, disrupting many Croatia counters and keeping possession for the Three Lions. He didn’t necessarily stand out, but nor did he put a foot wrong, before being replaced by James Garner.

Jude Bellingham - A

There are very few times when Jude Bellingham steps onto the pitch and he underperforms, and tonight was no different. He was keen to get on the ball throughout the game, picking out passes whilst covering distance to win the ball. He picked up an assist for Rodgers' opening goal.

Morgan Rodgers - A

The opening goalscorer on the night, Rodgers was a standout for Tuchel’s side. He was causing havoc down the right, skipping past defenders on multiple occasions.

Aside from his goal, he was a real danger all game, and he had chances to add more to his tally - a strong showing from the Chelsea forward.

Harry Kane - A

By no means was it a standout performance from the Ballon d’Or winner, but neither was it a disappointing one. He did what he does best, dropping deep to pick up the ball before spraying passes to his runners, one which eventually led to Rodgers opening the scoring.

He grabbed a goal from the penalty spot, and contributed in many areas of the pitch, making him a top performer on the night.

Anthony Gordon - C+

The Barcelona winger didn’t provide much during the game, making a few runs down the left-hand side, but he was unable to provide an assist or get on the scoresheet. It wasn’t an average performance at best, as he was subbed off just before the 80-minute mark.

Substitutes:

Rio Ngumoha - B-

Ngumoha made his debut on the night, given just over fifteen minutes to make his mark, and he struggled to do so. He came on during a time where England were trying to get the win over the line, and therefore didn’t have as much of a chance to showcase his talent, but he still did look dangerous when on the ball, not a bad debut by any means.

James Garner - B-

Garner was brought on for Declan Rice, with the task of seeing the game out. He thought he had done more than that when he had the ball in the Croatia net, before his goal was ruled out for offside.

He wasn’t on the pitch for long, and he didn’t have much to do, but he didn’t make any mistakes and he almost scored.

Ben White - B-

A player who has had a difficult time in the national team setup, but he was back on the pitch tonight, but he didn’t have much to do. He was brought on for Alexander-Arnold, perhaps for his defensive abilities, and he helped the team see out the remainder of the game.