Alexander-Arnold provides trademark assist as England beat Czechia in Prague

Trent Alexander-Arnold provided a trademark assist for Anthony Gordon as England beat Czechia 2-0 in Prague on a mild Tuesday night in the Nations League, delivering a performance that underlined his value to the side.

Alexander-Arnold started for the first time under manager Thomas Tuchel and helped England break down a stubborn Czech low block, supplying the cross that allowed Gordon to open the scoring early in the second half. The match was affected by Pavel Sulc’s debatable red card midway through the first half, and the victory was England’s first in Nations League Group A3.

The goal came after a broken passage of play when a loose Czech pass found Alexander-Arnold on the right; rather than check back for support he moved the ball quickly and swung a precise cross for Gordon’s header. His decision-making and vision on that sequence were central to the opener, supporting Alexander-Arnold’s own remark that “I always feel I can see things others can’t see.”

The contribution highlighted a contrast with Jarell Quansah, who started at right-back in England’s defeat by Spain on Saturday and whose crosses did not hit the mark, and with Alexander-Arnold’s role as an unused substitute against the world champions when England were chasing an equaliser. Alexander-Arnold’s delivery has rarely been wayward and his crossing proved decisive in Prague.

Alexander-Arnold will turn 28 next week, made his international debut eight years ago and this appearance was only his 35th cap, a reflection of interrupted opportunities at international level. He missed Euro 2020 through injury, and successive England managers struggled to accommodate him; Sir Gareth Southgate left him out at times, was described as reluctant to use him at right-back, and an experiment in midfield at Euro 2024 was swiftly aborted.

Andy Robertson took issue with the view that Alexander-Arnold cannot defend, telling the Stick To Football podcast that his former Liverpool teammate has shut down Kylian Mbappé in the past. Tuchel has been ambivalent about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive qualities, left him out of his World Cup squad, and prior to this match the full-back’s only minutes for Tuchel were a cameo in midfield against Andorra in June 2025.

The game revealed little about Alexander-Arnold’s defending: England made a ropey start with an unfamiliar back four that struggled, but the contest changed after Sulc’s dismissal for catching Anderson’s achilles. Czechia shifted into a 5-4-0 system, Alexander-Arnold spent limited time in his own half, and Tuchel said a positional tweak at half-time helped his performance; England’s second goal came from Harry Kane following Gordon’s header.

Alexander-Arnold has recorded 86 assists in 354 appearances for Liverpool and is described in the report as one of the best passers England has produced, a player Tuchel must find a place for in future squads. While his defending will be tested against stronger opponents, his ability to create — from open play and set pieces — made a tangible difference for England against Czechia.