Daily Express

England were their own worst enemies as they fell to a 3-2 defeat against Spain in their first UEFA Nations League match, a little over two months on from the painful World Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Argentina. It was the visitors’ first match since being crowned world champions in July and they wasted little time going in front. Lamine Yamal stole the ball from Marc Guehi and made no mistake against James Trafford on the Leeds keeper’s competitive international debut. The Three Lions grew into the game but continued to leave gaps at the back and were twice grateful for poor finishing from Ferran Torres, with Spain made to rue those misses when England hit them on the break as Anthony Gordon ran onto a Jude Bellingham pass and rolled the ball into the back of Unai Simon's net.

The leveller sparked England into life and Harry Kane was desperately close to curling home a second before the break. Fans barely had time to catch their breath before Kane got his goal, though it might go down as a Marc Cucurella own goal after the defender swung a leg at the England captain's header and diverted it beyond Simon. However, the Bayern Munich star missed a golden chance to make it three when he slammed a penalty against the crossbar after Rodri brought down Bellingham and England were punished just a few minutes later when Alex Baena curled in from the edge of the box. And it got even worse when Euro 2024 winner Mikel Oyarzabal broke England hearts from the bench once again.

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Express Sport rates and slates the England players below...

England player ratings vs Spain

James Trafford - 5

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Out smartly to deny Ferran Torres after Spain were left with a two-on-one. Had no chance with Lamine Yamal’s opener but maybe could have got down better for Baena's effort. Some nervy moments on the ball as well.

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Jarell Quansah - 6

Asleep at the back to play Torres onside for that early chance. Better going forward, regularly found space down the right as Saka kept Cucurella busy and might have even scored early in the second half. However, he undid some of that good work when he switched off for Spain's third.

Ezri Konsa - 5

Important recovery challenge to keep out Cucurella at 1-0 and was confident at the back even as other defenders weren't. Right up until allowing Oyarzabal too much time and space to dink over Trafford.

Marc Guehi - 5

Caught badly in possession for Spain’s opener less than two minutes in but didn't let it shape his entire evening. Booked 20 minutes from time

Nico O’Reilly - 4

Not wholly convincing up against Yamal, leading to a decent Dani Olmo chance late in the first half. Found things tough early in the second period as well and was at fault for Spain's second before picking up a yellow card.

Elliot Anderson - 6

Almost gifted Spain a second before the half hour mark and was bailed out by a poor Torres finish. Rarely looked worried on the ball otherwise and seems settled in Tuchel's midfield, providing a late chance for Garner with a smart through-ball.

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Myles Lewis-Skelly - 5

Loose pass gifted possession to Cucurella as Spain threatened an early second. Underwhelming, albeit against one of the best midfields he'll face, and didn't do enough with his one glimpse of goal.

Bukayo Saka - 7

Sharp early link-up play with Bellingham gave England their first proper foray into the Spain box. Looked England's most dangerous outlet right up until the time Gordon got their equaliser and was dangerously close to putting the hosts 3-2 up midway through the second half.

Jude Bellingham - 6

Started quietly but was pinpoint with his pass for Gordon's leveller. Grew into the game after half-time and was very sharp to win the penalty. Only impressed in flashed but almost came up with a late equaliser.

Anthony Gordon - 7

Got free down the left to force Unai Simon into early action and looked sharp even before the tidy finish for his goal. Looks to have benefited from surrounding himself with quality at Barcelona.

Harry Kane - 6

Was in the mood to spread passes from deep and allow the wingers to run in behind. First-half goal wasn't vintage Kane but he won't mind. He'll care a lot more about the penalty miss.

Substitutes

Garner (for Lewis-Skelly, 70) - n/a

Handed his first competitive minutes in the middle but didn't really get into the game.

Rogers (for Gordon, 70) - n/a

Under-used after adding his presence on the left. Switched wings when Gibbs-White joined him on the pitch.

Gibbs-White (for Saka, 82) - n/a

Lively in the moments after coming on and provided a decent outlet.

Calvert-Lewin (for Kane, 83) - n/a

Didn't have time to stamp his mark on the game.

Branthwaite (for Guehi, 89) - n/a

Harry Kane smacked a second-half penalty against the crossbar during England's Nations League clash with Spain - and might actually be relieved that he missed. A spot-kick was awarded for the Three Lions after Italian referee Davide Massa consulted the VAR pitchside monitor and ruled that Jude Bellingham had been fouled by Rodri inside the box. England captain Kane stepped up to the spot but smashed his penalty against the underside of the bar to the relief of goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Yet the Bayern Munich centre-forward broke a rare rule in the process - he hit the ball twice. Kane's standing left leg touched the ball before his right foot. The double-touch was only clear on replays. Had he scored, the skipper's goal would have been ruled out and he would have been told to retake the penalty. The 33-year-old could have scored the first attempt and celebrated, only to be left embarrassed if he missed the resulting retake. IFAB rules, which are used by UEFA, state that penalties scored with an accidental double-touch must be retaken, while missed spot-kicks result in an indirect free-kick being given to the opposition.

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That was the case at Wembley, as after two Spain substitutions, Massa eventually awarded the World Cup winners a free-kick inside their own box.

A statement released by UEFA in June 2025 read: "UEFA will immediately implement the clarification provided by IFAB of Law 14 with regard to cases of double touch of the ball by the player taking a penalty kick.

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"Consequently, all UEFA matches will now be played under the new interpretation of Law 14."

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Law 14 states: "If, before the ball is in play, one of the following occurs:

the kicker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches their non-kicking foot or leg immediately after the kick:

if the ball enters the goal from the kick, the kick is retaken

if the ball does not enter the goal from the kick, an indirect free kick is awarded."

Kane's penalty miss was his first since Qatar 2022. He had scored nine penalties in a row since then. It came in the 55th minute and by the 60th, it was 2-2 as Alex Baena equalised for the world champions quickly after coming on.

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England and Spain played out a thrilling first hour in London, with Spain taking a lead inside two minutes as Lamine Yamal profited from a Marc Guehi error to open the scoring.

The Three Lions hit back with two quickfire goals before the break with Anthony Gordon and Kane both finding the net to ignite the Wembley crowd.

Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored the winner in the Euro 2024 final when Spain beat England in Berlin, came on to restore the visitors' lead in the 74th minute with a beautiful lofted finish.

Kane's first-half goal was his 86th for his country on his 122nd cap. But Thomas Tuchel's talismanic No.9 will be disappointed he didn't score more, having also had a fine first-half opportunity when he curled just wide rather than pass to Gordon in the space inside the area.

Kane was taken off in the 83rd minute and replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the Leeds United frontman earning his 13th cap.

Despite the changes, with Morgan Rogers, James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White all also coming on for England, Tuchel's team ultimately lost 3-2 in their Nations League opener. They are back in action on Tuesday when they face Czechia in Prague.

Several Premier League managers are already under pressure after poor starts to the season. Matheus Cunha's late equaliser at Fulham has spared Manchester United boss Michael Carrick from extra scrutiny but there are already question marks against the 45-year-old. United have lost more matches this season than Carrick did in his 17-game interim spell. But he is not the only head coach who is feeling the heat. Tottenham are winless in five league games despite spending nearly £400million on new signings for Roberto De Zerbi in the summer transfer window.

Fulham tactician Alvaro Arbeloa, Coventry's Frank Lampard and Crystal Palace coach Pierre Sage are the others under pressure. All of their teams are in the relegation zone or hovering on the verge of the drop. Fulham, like Spurs, have yet to win after being denied three points against United agonisingly late. While Palace have leaked 11 goals, less than other Chelsea, and Coventry won their final match before the international break to end a four-game losing streak.

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Express Sport predicts which Premier League manager will lose their job first...

Charlie Malam - Roberto De Zerbi

Tottenham placed a lot of trust in Roberto De Zerbi with how big they backed him in the summer. That, and Spurs' upcoming fixtures, are why I think the Italian is in the most danger and could be the first to go.

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It says a lot when he’s calling his own team mentally fragile. After the break, Tottenham play Man Utd in a match where quite literally anything could happen. Then Coventry City, who have actually played better than their points total suggests, visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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After that comes Chelsea (A), Crystal Palace (H) and Leeds (A) before the November international break. Of a possible 15 points, any less than six would surely see Spurs searching for a new boss during the break.

And in my opinion, it’s very feasible that they lose three of those five games - and maybe even four of them. It’s a huge few weeks for De Zerbi to find the answers.

Amos Murphy - Michael Carrick

There’s already a sense of inevitability surrounding the sacking of Michael Carrick. It’s going to happen, so why not just get it over with?

In a way, INEOS were backed into a corner with the unexpected performance in the second half of last season, but there’s a reason Carrick is a failed Championship manager.

His constant desire to praise a very clearly abject United side on the back of poor results is as tedious as it is delusional at this point.

The United bigwigs should cut their losses, admit they made a mistake by hiring someone out of their depth and go hire an actual proper manager to lead them forward instead.

Jack McEachen - Pierre Sage

I’m not convinced it will be totally Pierre Sage’s fault, but this version of Palace is not likely to be the one he signed up for.

Just one win from five and being left in 15th is a poor start and if Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park immediately after the international break and gets a victory, it will be a swift reminder of the manager they are missing.

Next follows fierce rivals Brighton, in between tricky European away days at Lyon and Besiktas.

If those four games all end in defeat, Palace could conceivably be in the relegation zone and worrying about their place in the Europa League.

Simply put, Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and even Michael Olise have not been adequately replaced.

The scintillating team Glasner put together has been torn apart and replaced with players not fit to lace their boots. It’s a shell of the team from just months ago, and the manager typically pays the price, rather than the recruitment team that masterminded the rebuild.

Archie Griggs - Roberto De Zerbi

It's hard to look past Roberto De Zerbi, given just how dreadful Tottenham have been since the start of the season.

I didn't think it could get much worse than successive 17th-placed finishes, but they are now rock bottom of the Premier League table after losing three of their first five games.

They are now facing the very real possibility of being sucked into another relegation battle despite spending over £300m on new signings. That is unacceptable, no matter how you dress it up.

The gulf between expectation and reality at Tottenham is simply too large for De Zerbi to survive for much longer, unless he manages to miraculously turn things around.

The pressure will ramp up even further if Spurs lose at the hands of Manchester United after the international break. If they follow that up with anything less than a convincing win over Coventry City, the Belgian’s time should be well and truly up.

Ex-Tottenham hard man in shock career change after retiring aged 32  Daily Express

It didn’t take long for the summer optimism to fade away at Tottenham. After five matches this season, the north Londoners are without a win of any kind, and Saturday's defeat to Aston Villa was another low blow. Three defeats and two draws have marked a terrible start to the season for Spurs, who had to wait until the 86th minute of matchday five to score their first goal.

They enter the international break at the bottom of the Premier League table, with concerns starting to grow that this might be another miserable campaign for the club. Unsurprisingly, the pressure is already mounting on the shoulders of Roberto De Zerbi, with some social media speculation that Spurs might be forced to get rid soon.

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But according to the slim majority of over 2,400 Express Sport readers who voted in our recent poll, Spurs should pull the plug during the current international break.

Of those who cast a vote, 56 per cent said Tottenham would be wasting their time by sticking with De Zerbi beyond the international break. Instead, they think the smart thing to do would be to cut ties immediately and hire a new manager before the club calendar resumes next month.

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It wasn’t a unanimous vote, with 44 per cent of those who took part pushing back on the suggestion. De Zerbi was hired towards the back end of last season, with Spurs having to move heaven and earth to secure his services.

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It would be a hasty decision to sack the Italian, but after back-to-back 17th-placed finishes, Spurs can’t afford another season threatened by relegation. When quizzed on Tottenham’s latest defeat over the weekend, he remarked: “I am very disappointed, sad and frustrated for the performance.”

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“We can’t lose the game in this way, we can’t concede the second goal, we can’t lose balance just because we are losing. I spoke with our four attackers in minute 51, I asked them to use their head, all second half I was telling people to be calm. But the second goal was incredible.”

Straight after the international break, Spurs find themselves up against another of the Premier League’s crisis clubs, Manchester United. The Red Devils haven’t fared much better than Spurs, winning just one of their first five matches in the league.

Following that, they’ll come up against Coventry, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Ipswich and Sunderland. Without European football of any kind, and having already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, Tottenham will have to wait until January for a match that isn’t in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi's 'true feelings on Tottenham job' exposed with manager 'on the brink'  Daily Express

Liverpool XI vs Bournemouth decided as Szoboszlai sacrificed and Wirtz dropped  Daily Express

Roberto De Zerbi publicly calls out two Tottenham players after Aston Villa humiliation  Daily Express

Is Tottenham vs Aston Villa on TV today? Kick-off time, live stream and channel  Daily Express

Roberto De Zerbi might only have 43 days to save his job at Tottenham, according to former Spurs goalkeeper Kasey Keller. The former Brighton boss was appointed earlier this year with the sole objective of saving Tottenham from an unthinkable relegation. He succeeded on the final day of last season and was backed heavily over the summer, with the north Londoners spending almost £230million on new players.

However, despite their considerable outlay, it has been a nightmarish start to the campaign. They are yet to score a single goal in the Premier League and were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool on Tuesday night. As a result, the pressure is mounting on De Zerbi and Keller believes he could be gone by November unless things dramatically improve.

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Asked how long De Zerbi will get until he faces the sack, Keller told Express Sport on behalf of Casinostugan: "November, probably. Watching the match the other day versus Everton, they should have been up 3-0 at half-time.

"And when you now go four games at the start of the season without scoring in the first time in Spurs' history, there's not going to be a lot of patience.

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"I think Spurs fans would have more patience if you lost 4-3 rather than drawing 0-0, and so I think that's the tricky part. You spent a lot of money, you were given a lot of money.

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"I think a lot of us questioned where was that marquee striker, but even in saying that, what they created at the weekend, they should have won the match comfortably, and they didn't, so something has to click quickly.

"I was just thinking about the strikers I played with. So when you're thinking where's the Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, and obviously we're not even talking about [Harry] Kane and Son [Heung-min], so it is a little worrying."

Tottenham have finished 17th in each of the last two Premier League seasons and will be desperate to avoid another relegation battle this time around.

They will be hoping to get a result on the weekend against Aston Villa, who are winless in the Premier League since the start of the campaign.

Victory would provide a major boost for Tottenham heading into the three-week international break and relieve some of the pressure on De Zerbi's shoulders. Defeat, however, would be disastrous, especially if Spurs draw another blank.