England vs Montenegro: 5 things we learned as Harry Kane hat-trick helps Three Lions clinch Euro 2020 spot

Harry Kane helped himself to a hat-trick as England thrashed Montenegro at Wembley to secure their place at Euro 2020 next summer.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain swatted home the first, guiding the ball low into the corner from a tight angle.

It was then Kane’s turn to gobble up the first chances that fell his way, glancing a pair of headers past the hapless Milan Mijatovic from close range.

Marcus Rashford would not be denied entry to the party for much longer, his angled drive saw him make it four before Kane clipped home his third to make it five before the break – his third hat-trick for the Three Lions. A low-key second half saw an own-goal and Tammy Abraham‘s first international goal see the hosts home with a 7-0 victory.

Here are five things we learned from Wembley:

1. Kane eases pressure on himself amid competition for places

It’s now 19 goals in 20 games for club and country for Kane this season, yet it has been a mixed season for the Spurs striker in some ways. Tammy Abraham, Marcus Rashford and Callum Wilson have been providing excellent cases for an opportunity to lead the line with their club form, proving the excellent depth available to Gareth Southgate in that position.

Kane has just five non-penalty goals this season in the Premier League compared to Abraham’s 10 for Chelsea, but he showed his instinct here.

His spacial awareness has now eased any pressure on his shoulders for his country, a hat-trick has taken him to 31 goals, eclipsing Alan Shearer’s total to move into sixth all-time and now nine behind Michael Owen.

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2. England’s full-backs run riot

It was a night where Trent Alexander-Arnold was finally given his overdue starting role, and one he readily seized, if only it weren’t slightly overshadowed by the brilliance of his full back partner.

Ben Chilwell has already ousted the challenge of Danny Rose. He’s more defensively compact, more agile in attack, and still an improving force under Brendan Rodgers. And, with Marcus Rashford ahead of him, he ran riot in a lopsided first-half, darting on the overlap, pausing to throw off the last challenge or shuffle a window of space. Each time, his cross was pinpoint and, by 24 minutes, his hat-trick of assists was already complete.

It’s not to say Alexander-Arnold was by any means quiet. Six minutes later, he had made a matching run down the right-hand side to set up Rashford for England’s fourth.

Of course, their success has to be caveated by the level of the opposition. At times, the pair were simply charging through open floodgates, beckoned forwards without any worry for consequence. Sterner tests await, but there can be little doubt that this is England’s strongest full-back pairing and one that can profit for a number of years.

3. England’s youthful side thrill with endless energy

It was England’s youngest starting line-up since 1959, where hat-trick scoring Harry Kane was reduced to an elder statesman amongst the whirlwind of fresh legs. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford gleamed in the absence of Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount was a waspish presence in the space created behind the front-three, while the full-backs bounded forwards time-after-time. Collectively, they averaged just 23 years and 255 days between them.

Their performance was so full of energy that, at first, it even resembled the intensity of a Premier League side, although that verve inevitably subdued with the result all but confirmed after half-an-hour against lacklustre opposition. But for such a youthful side their lack of naivety was as impressive as their ability. It was, after all, only a month ago that England were run ragged by Kosovo in a similar fixture. Tonight they were clinical and, even if they’re hailed as a squad resemblent of England’s future, there’s no doubt they’re already up and running.

4. Rashford among game’s cleanest strikers of a ball

Marcus Rashford joined the partt at 3-0 at Wembley, but the manner of his goal showed his maturity. It would have been easy to snatch at the next opportunity, sensing that the goals were running out as his teammates filled their boots.

But the Man United star calmly dragged the ball back on to his right foot and even then it was a controlled swipe that sent the ball crisply inside the far right post.

The way he strikes the ball is one of the game’s great delights right now; give him time and space and expect to be punished.

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5. Refreshing midfield shape

Gareth Southgate pulled off a surprise when he selected a midfield trio of technically superb, forward-thinking players.

There was no anchor, so to speak, even if Harry Winks sat deepest. His instinct is to play, rather than destroy, like Jordan Henderson. Then there were Mason Mount and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s forays, cutting open Montenegro by moving into space to receive the ball.

It was an interesting dymanic that will work routinely against lesser opposition, but it remains to be seen whether Southgate would dare throw out a midfield like this against better opposition. Still, Southgate will have learned a great deal about perhaps the big mystery to his starting line-up moving forward: the midfield.