Manchester: England thrashed North Macedonia 7-0 in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying at Old Trafford on Monday with a brilliant Bukayo Saka hat-trick. Harry Kane also scored twice to take his country to a record 58 goals as England made a perfect start in Group C with 12 points from four matches.
Marcus Rashford and substitute Calvin Phillips also scored. Saka netted his first career hat trick in style and manager Gareth Southgate later revealed the forward had suffered an injury late in the game.
Southgate said, “He had a bit of soreness and it’s another one where it would have been easy to get out of camp and miss a night like this that I’m sure will be with him forever.”
21 – At the age of 21 years and 287 days, Bukayo Saka is the youngest player – and the first Arsenal player – to score an England men’s hat-trick since Theo Walcott (19y 178d) v Croatia in September 2008. Firepower pic.twitter.com/sl80DBtOqK— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 19, 2023
Saka fired an unstoppable effort into the top corner at the near post in the first half. A moment of solo brilliance came two minutes after the break when he curled a dipping shot past North Macedonia goalkeeper Stol Dimitrievsky from the edge of the area. Four minutes later, he scored with a superb finish.
“It’s a feeling I can’t describe in words. I’m very happy,” said Saka. “It’s been a really long season. It’s the end of the season now. I couldn’t have ended it in a better way.”
Fresh off beating Malta 4-0 on Friday, Southgate’s team put on an even more emphatic performance at home to Manchester United. Kane’s strike in the 29th minute gave England the win after being set up by Rashford and Luke Shaw.
Saka’s first doubled the lead in the 38th off a pass from the right to Kyle Walker. Rashford made it 3-0 in the 45th after Jordan Henderson’s assist from the left.
Double quick fire after the break saw Saka complete his hat-trick with assists from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kane. Five minutes after coming on as a substitute, Phillips converted from close range in the 64th, and Kane converted a penalty in the 73rd after John Stones was brought down in the box by Egzon Beztulai.
It has been more than 12 months since Southgate and England were booed off the field by fans following a 4-0 home defeat to Hungary in the Nations League. Following a World Cup quarter-final defeat in Qatar, England are rekindling optimism that Euro 2024 could deliver a first trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
Southgate said, “After the World Cup, I think we got to a good place where we are hungry to go further than ever before and have a desire to keep going.” “It’s a good place to be.”