Tirana was a lesson in control under pressure: a rotated England XI, a noisy away crowd and two pinpoint finishes that sealed a 100% World Cup qualifying campaign.
Thomas Tuchel’s side left Albania with the win and, more importantly, the sense that experience and youth can still blend into something dangerous for next summer.
Below, Sami Mokbel’s ratings are recast with colour and context — who sputtered, who steadied the ship, and who truly looks unstoppable.
Starting XI — who rose and who simply held steady
Dean Henderson
Two late, breath‑catching saves from Arber Hoxha kept the clean sheet intact. He wasn’t flashy, but on a night of rotation his hands were the calm centre England needed. A reliable deputy to Pickford next summer.
Jarell Quansah
Debut nerves? Not here. Thrust into an unfamiliar right‑back role, Quansah answered with composed defending and brave ball‑carrying. Not a long‑term right‑back, but a performance that screamed versatility and temperament.
John Stones
Drifted into midfield whenever England needed control, converting defensive reading into ball progression. Equally at home breaking play up or starting it — still one of the team’s cerebral anchors.
Dan Burn
A strong aerial presence and steady passing kept the left side honest, though questions linger about his bite against top‑class forwards. Functional, disciplined and solid enough.
Nico O’Reilly
Early concentration slips offered a reminder of his inexperience, but he grew into the game and looked composed across his first two caps. A quiet but promising foundation night.
Adam Wharton
Flashes of box‑to‑box promise lit up moments of the match. Not yet ready to displace the usual starters, but the talent and timing are visible in short bursts.
Declan Rice
Deployed higher than usual, Rice’s game was less headline‑grabbing and more essential: control, grit and the steady metronome that keeps England balanced. Not spectacular, but indispensable.
Jarrod Bowen
Offered meaningful thrust on the right and industrious movement, but the narrative remains unchanged — that flank belongs to Bukayo Saka when fully fit and in form.
Jude Bellingham
Returned to the side and flickered with moments of absolute class, though he laboured at times and wore obvious frustration when substituted. When on song, he is England’s engine; tonight he was a partial one.
Eberechi Eze
A sporadic menace rather than a constant one down the left. His best fit looks to be at number 10 — a crowded role for England — so minutes will be precious.
Harry Kane
Match‑winner. The skipper carried the cold, clinical instinct that separates strikers who score from those who change games. If this is the “form of his life,” England’s title hopes just got a timely boost.
Bench impact — small windows, big moments
Phil Foden
Little time to make headlines, but a raking pass into Quansah showed the sort of vision that can unlock defences; a cameo that mattered in micro.
Bukayo Saka
Instant tempo, immediate effect. His arrival injected urgency and he delivered the corner that sparked the opener — game‑changing influence in limited minutes.
Marcus Rashford
Brief but effective: a crisp assist for Kane’s second underlined his utility and finishing eye even when introduced late on the left.
Elliot Anderson
Quietly essential in training and selection terms — unless form or fitness falter, he looks set to walk into the World Cup starting XI.
Morgan Rogers
Brought on for control and discipline late in the day to avoid costly suspensions; a tidy, tactical sub to keep composure.
Verdict
Tuchel’s rotated side did what England teams must do in these moments: grind when necessary, flash quality when possible and safeguard the result.
Kane carried the headlines, yes, but the night belonged equally to squad depth; young debuts, adaptable veterans and impact substitutes who reminded everyone that this England group is more than just a starting XI. The record is perfect; the questions now are about peaking and selection. For now, the boat sails on, and the skipper is firing.
