Monday 27 March 2017 06:57, UK
England continued their World Cup qualifying campaign with a routine 2-0 win over Lithuania at Wembley Stadium.
Jermain Defoe netted the opening goal on his first appearance for the national side since 2013, with substitute Jamie Vardy adding the second.
Here are the talking points from the game as Gareth Southgate's side consolidated their position at the top of Group F.
It had been more than three years since the 2-0 friendly defeat to Chile in which Defoe made his last appearance for England, but on Sunday afternoon he marked his return to the fold with a goal.
His opener was exactly the kind of poacher's strike that has defined his career. The 34-year-old was in the right place at the right time when Raheem Sterling wriggled clear on the left-hand side of the box, stepping off his marker to create the space for an easy first-time finish.
Defoe rarely strayed from Lithuania's final third and touched the ball fewer times than any other player who started the game, but he remains a real threat in and around the opposition's box. He latched onto an Adam Lallana through ball and forced a save from Lithuania's 'keeper moments before his goal, and at the time of his substitution he had attempted more shots than anyone else.
England will hope to have Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge available again when they return to action in June, but Defoe showed he still has plenty to offer. Age, it seems, is just a number.
Southgate reverted to a 4-3-2-1 formation after experimenting with three at the back against Germany, and while England were rarely tested by Lithuania, there were encouraging signs from their youthful centre-back pairing of John Stones and Michael Keane.
They were assured on the ball, completing 124 of their 135 passes between them, and helped limit their opponents to just four shots on goal over the course of the 90 minutes.
Keane's performance was particularly impressive. On only his second England appearance after his debut in midweek, the Burnley defender showed awareness to cover for Ryan Bertrand on several occasions, and when Lithuania threatened to pull a goal back in the closing stages, he made an important intervention to deny substitute Deivydas Matulevicius.
England have now taken 13 points from their first five World Cup Qualifiers. Their progress has not been spectacular - but they have done it without conceding a single goal.
Ross Barkley has been in fine form for Everton recently, contributing regular goals and assists and earning plenty of praise from his manager Ronald Koeman. He was rewarded for his efforts with a first England call-up since Euro 2016, but he will return to Goodison Park without playing a single minute for his country.
Barkley was one of only two outfield players, along with Nathaniel Clyne, who didn't feature against either Germany or Lithuania. It was the same story under Roy Hodgson at the Euros. His last appearance for England came in a friendly against Australia in May. His last competitive appearance came all the way back in October 2015.
It's a curious situation. Barkley finally seems to have found some consistency for Everton, but it appears he has plenty of work to do to convince Southgate he should be a prominent part of his plans. Right now, the 23-year-old is on the fringes of the squad.
Eric Dier excelled in Tottenham's central midfield during the 2015/16 campaign, but the arrival of Victor Wanyama from Southampton has seen him covering in defence this season. His club form has not been so impressive as a result, but Southgate clearly sees him as a midfielder.
The 23-year-old partnered Jake Livermore in England's engine room against Germany, and for the visit of Lithuania he was paired with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. His accomplished performance was a reminder of how comfortable he is there.
Dier was excellent in possession, finding a team-mate with 100 of his 103 passes at a 97 per cent success rate, and defensively sound. Despite playing as England's deepest-lying midfielder, he also created two goalscoring opportunities. He might have to get used to playing in defence at Spurs, but on this evidence he will be more useful to England further forwards.
England only found the net twice but Southgate will still be encouraged by their attacking depth. He swapped goalscorer Defoe and goal provider Raheem Sterling for Marcus Rashford and Vardy midway through the second half at Wembley, with both substitutes making an impressive impact.
Vardy finished coolly after Lallana flicked Kyle Walker's pass into his path, while Rashford showed an obvious eagerness to impress. The Manchester United forward looked to cause Lithuania problems at every opportunity, creating more chances (seven) and completing more dribbles (seven) than any of his team-mates despite only playing 31 minutes.
With Kane and Sturridge to return and Barkley also waiting in the wings, it seems there is plenty of life in England's attack after Wayne Rooney.
