Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Key points
Lee Carsley got off to the perfect start as England manager, as his side beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Dublin for the first time in 60 years on Saturday night.
In a script that Hollywood’s finest writers would have been proud of, England saw off their old rivals thanks to first-half goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
Both England players had previously worn the Green of Ireland﷽ – Grealish for the nation’s various youth squads and Rice for the senior side.
𒀰To the dismay of the home fans at the Aviva Stadium, it was the Arsenal man who powered England in into an 11th-minute lead with a pile-driving shot that flew past Caoimhin Kelleher.
෴Just 15 minutes later, Rice turned creator, laying the ball on a plate for Grealish to add England’s second goal of the game. Cue a cathartic celebration in front of the England faithful from the man who missed out on Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.
𝄹While a flat second half would follow, England closed out the game well to secure a first win in this season’s UEFA Nations League – and a first in Ireland since 1964.
🤪Two years after that Jimmy Greaves-inspired victory in Dublin, England became world champions for the first and (to date) only time. With a FIFA World Cup on the horizon for Carsley and co, they’ll be hoping today’s win is the start of another successful era for the men’s national team.
🐈Here’s how the Republic of Ireland vs England unfolded on Saturday night.
That’s all for tonight
꧑Thanks for joining us on a night to remember for new England boss Lee Carsley.
🔯Next up for the Three Lions is a home match against Finland on Tuesday night, where they’ll be hoping to take another big step towards UEFA Nations League promotion.
We’ll see you then!
[Link]Carsley – Gordon was a ‘real threat’
꧋“I thought they [Rice and Grealish] took their goals really well,” the interim England manager told ITV.
♎“Jack [Grealish] definitely doesn’t have anything to prove to us, we can see his quality, but today will have done him the world of good, getting another goal for England and hopefully he can continue that form.
ꦡ“On a really dry sticky pitch, it’s not ideal for dribblers but I thought Anthony [Gordon] was a real threat. He’s carried on his form from last season and he looks a really dangerous player.”
[Link]Rice – It’s important to win this group
ꦺThe Arsenal midfielder told ITV that the performance tonight was ‘really good’.
🌊He added: “It was the manager’s first game and we got a win.
🍃“We’re in the league below where we want to be [in the Nations League] so we know how important it is to win this group. To score alongside Jack [Grealish], it was a really nice feeling as well.”
Grealish – ‘No better feeling’ than playing for England
𝄹The 28-year-old also told ITV that this summer was ‘one of the worst’ of his life after missing out on the Euro 2024 squad.
[Link]Ian Wright – England ‘took their foot off the gas’
🏅“I thought we should have pressed it home a bit more,” Wright stated on ITV.
“We could have been a bit more ruthless.”
[Link]FULL-TIME – Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
𝓀Lee Carsley gets off to winning start as England manager.
𒅌A clinical display sees the Three Lions win in Ireland for the first time in 60 years.
𝓡Stay tuned as we’re expecting to hear from the new England boss shortly…
[Link]Saka misses excellent chance
🐽Gibbs-White finds the Arsenal man with a wonderful outside-of-the-boot pass.
𝓰However, Saka’s curling left-footed effort is saved by Kelleher – and Eze can’t steer his headed rebound goalwards.
One minute left to play…
[Link]Bowen makes an immediate impact
🐻He’s only just come on, but the West Ham forward has already forced Kelleher into a smart save with a rasping shot.
༒England will be hoping they can finish the half better than they started it.
[Link]Substitutions – Republic of Ireland & England
Both sides make changes.
🍸Evan Ferguson replaces Robbie Brady for Ireland, while England bring on John Stones and Jarrod Bowen for Harry Maguire and Harry Kane.
🐠There’s just five minutes of normal time left to play.
[Link]Yellow card – O’Brien & Colwill
🍰The Everton defender is the latest Irish player to go into the referee’s book.
ওEngland’s Levi Colwill also picks up a yellow for a tactical foul.
[Link]England debuts for Gibbs-White and Gomes
⛎Mainoo, Gordon and goalscorer Grealish are all subbed off.
💮On comes Eberechi Eze, alongside England debutants Angel Gomes and Morgan Gibbs-White.
What a moment for the pair.
[Link]Substitutions – Republic of Ireland
🦩Off go Idah and Smallbone, on come Kasey McAteer and Alan Browne.
[Link]15 minutes to go…
🧸England are comfortably on top, but the second period has been sloppier than the first for the Three Lions.
Lee Carsley is still yet to make a sub.
[Link]Kelleher saves from Gordon
๊Grealish is once again at the heart of things for England in the final third.
🍸The Man City star passes to Gordon on the left side of Irish penalty area, whose shot is saved – and spilled – by Kelleher.
🎃Luckily for the Liverpool stopper, his defenders are there to bail him out of trouble.
[Link]Yellow card – Brady
A third player goes into the book for the hosts.
ಌBrady commits a tactical foul on Saka after the Arsenal winger skipped past him.
[Link]Yellow card – Molumby
🍬It’s been coming. The West Brom midfielder is penalised for a foul on Grealish.
[Link]Szmodics fires wide
It’s the hosts’ biggest chance of the half.
🍎Szmodics fires just wide of Pickford’s near post after a sharp bit of movement. With an hour played, Ireland are finally starting to work their way into the game.
[Link]Substitutions – Republic of Ireland
💖Coleman and Doherty are replaced by Jake O’Brien and Jason Knight after 55 minutes.
[Link]Injury for Coleman?
𝓡Worrying signs for Ireland and Everton as Seamus Coleman is subbed off for what appears to be an injury.
💯He is at least able to walk off the pitch without assistance.
[Link]Roy Keane – Ireland are up against it
🥀“I’m not going to be too critical of Ireland – England have been too good for them,” the pundit stated on ITV.
ཧ“England are mixing it up really well, quick play, one-twos. They are dominating with loads of quality.
🌳“I think Ireland could be more aggressive 25-30 yards from their goal, be strong, be a unit, but it’s difficult, they are up against it.”
[Link]England take the lead through Rice
ꦿThe former Republic of Ireland international scored on his return to the Aviva.
Half-Time – Republic of Ireland 0-2 England
😼It’s a near-perfect start for Lee Carsley, as the two least popular men in Dublin – Declan Rice and Jack Grealish – hand England a first-half lead.
[Link]Yellow card – Sam Szmodics
♛The Ipswich striker is booked for a late challenge on Anthony Gordon.
[Link]England dominate the ball
🎃The visitors have had 82% possession in the first half, and are looking to add even more goals.
🐬A clinical counter-attack sees Coleman block well from a Kane strike, but the signs are ominous for the Republic of Ireland here.
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GOAL! Republic of Ireland 0-2 England (Grealish, 26′)
Wow, what a goal!
♏A wonderful pass-and-move sequence sees Rice pick out (you guessed it) Jack Grealish, who rolls it past Kelleher from just inside the box.
𓆉“That was a joy to watch,” says Andros Townsend on commentary. The home fans probably won’t agree…
[Link]Kane denied by Kelleher
🌄It’s another lightening quick break from England.
🌸Gordon is played in behind the Irish defence by Rice, who squares it to Kane inside the six-yard box.
🃏The England skipper is denied by Kelleher, who races off his line to block the shot.
[Link]GOAL! Republic of Ireland 0-1 England! (Rice 11′)
🤪England lead, and it just had to be former Ireland international Declan Rice who scored it.
💫The midfielder pounces on a loose ball inside the Irish penalty area, and drills it past Kelleher into the top right corner of the net.
🍃His celebration is muted, as he apologies to the Irish fans behind the goal.
[Link]Chance for Ireland!
🔜West Brom’s Molumby is unmarked from a corner, but he balloons his header well over the England bar.
Nervy opening moments for the visitors…
[Link]Kick off!
The game is underway at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Can Lee Carsley get off to a winning start?
[Link]Here come the national anthems…
🐭Much of the media talk before the game concerned whether former Ireland international Lee Carsley would sing ‘God Save the King’.
Update – He hasn’t.
ಞYou can hardly hear England’s anthem over a chorus of boos from the home fans.
[Link]Five minutes to kick off
🀅There are just five minutes to go until the Lee Carsley era begins in earnest for England.
🅰In case you’re just joining us, the interim England manager decided to start Jack Grealish and Declan Rice this afternoon.
♛Rice previously represented Ireland three times at senior level, while Grealish is a former Irish youth international. You can read more about the fan reaction to their allegiance switch below.
Who is the new Rep of Ireland manager?
🍸When Heimir Hallgrimsson was announced as Republic of Ireland manager in July, it ended an eight-month wait to replace Stephen Kenny.
﷽The 57-year-old was joint head coach of his native Iceland alongside Lars Lagerback when they stunned England to reach the quarter-finals at Euro 2016.
𒀰He was then in sole control when Iceland reached the 2018 World Cup finals and achieved their highest ever Fifa World ranking of 18th during his time in charge.
🐓Hallgrimsson was appointed Jamaica manager in 2022 but stepped down earlier this month following their exit from the Copa America.
[Link]30 minutes until kick off
ܫNot long to wait now until the match gets underway.
UK viewers can watch the 5pm kick off on ITV.
[Link]Last time out…
♊England last met the Republic of Ireland in a November 2020 friendly in front of an Empty Wembley Stadium. That day, goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire sealed a 3-0 win.
♒However, the Three Lions haven’t won in Ireland since a 1964 friendly match, when a side featuring Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves (who scored) won 3-1 in Dublin. Their last visit to Ireland, in 2015, ended in a 0-0 draw.
ꦜYou can read about the best ever England v Republic of Ireland clashes below.
Carsley’s first England squad
♐This afternoon’s game is Lee Carlsey’s first as interim England manager, following the resignation of Gareth Southgate.
ꩵThe former Republic of Ireland international wasn’t afraid to make some big calls when selecting his first England squad, after dropping Kyle Walker, Adam Wharton and Kieran Trippier.
💧You can read about the four players who have been handed their first England call-ups below.
Confirmed Team News
🐬Republic of Ireland: Kelleher, Coleman (C), O’Shea, Collins, Doherty, Smallbone, Molumby, Brady, Ogbene, Idah, Szmodics
ওEngland: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Guehi, Colwill, Mainoo, Rice, Gordon, Grealish, Saka, Kane (C)
[Link]Nations League Group B2
🌞England and the Republic of Ireland are competing in Group B2 of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, alongside Greece and Finland. The group winner will automatically be promoted to League A.
𝐆England play Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, while Ireland host Greece in Dublin.
🍷The next round of fixtures takes place between October 10 and 15.
[Link]Good Afternoon
👍Welcome to our live UEFA Nations League coverage as the Republic of Ireland host England in Dublin. Can Lee Carsley’s men earn a first England win in Ireland since 1964?
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