THOMAS UNTAPS THE SKEL FACTOR

New boss sees his gambles pay dividends

- JEREMY CROSS

THIS was some start for Thomas Tuchel's brave new world.

Tuchel's road to World Cup qualification began with a win, every big call just about came off and there was a wonderful Wembley fairy tale mixed in for good measure.

Arsenal kid Myles Lewis-Skelly, aged 18 years and 176 days, made history when he scored the first goal of the Tuchel era.

Lewis-Skelly was the youngest player to score on his senior Three Lions debut, surpassing Marcus Rashford's record of 18 years and 209 days.

It provided the best possible feel-good story of Tuchel's first game in charge because the left-back was full of confidence and gave us hope for a bright new future.

Newcastle defender Dan Burn, 32, is at the other end of the scale and he is a good story after his Carabao Cup glory - but at times he looked cumbersome and sluggish. Rashford, making his first England appearance since March 2024, justified his selection, while Jude Bellingham ran the show from the No.10 role.