Sterling, Hart and Rashford help England to 2-0 win
Three Lions defeat Lithuania in World Cup qualifier.
City's Raheem Sterling, Joe Hart and United's Marcus Rashford played their part as England won 2-0 against Lithuania on Sunday.
England continued their fine form in their world cup qualifiers with a routine 2-0 win with goals from Jermaine Defoe and Jamie Vardy enough to seal the win.
The result puts England 4 points clear at the top of group F on 13 points thanks to Scotland’s late winner against Slovenia.
This was Gareth Southgate’s first game at Wembley since taking over Sam Allardyce on a permanent basis with his aim at looking to maintain England’s unbeaten record in the qualifying stage.
This was the first game since 2013 where no United player had been selected in the starting eleven for England. United central defensive pair Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, pulled out of this game due to injuries picked up in training so in came City’s John Stones and a first appearance since 2013 for Burnley’s Michael Keane.
The defender has been linked with a return to United while other reports suggest he could join City.
Keane played his part as England managed to keep a clean sheet against an uninspiring attacking performance from Lithuania.
Raheem Sterling started and claimed himself an assist with a quick burst of pace into the box, the wingers cut-back set up Jermaine Defoe on the 21st minute for his first goal for England in four years.
Captain for the night Joe Hart, currently on loan at Torino from City, experienced a quiet night, barring one incident near the end of the first half where his former city team mate John Stones managed to save Hart’s blushes by clearing the ball off the line.
Marcus Rashford and Jamie Vardy was introduced on the hour in replace of Sterling and Defoe, with the latter doubling England’s lead on the 66th minute with his first touch, a neatly side footed finish into the corner of the net.
Vardy could have doubled his lead moments later with the two substitutes combining, Rashford played the ball into Vardy on the left with the Leicester striker lifting the ball over the crossbar.
A bright cameo appearance by Rashford put him in contention for the Man of the Match award with it, in the end, being award to Jermaine Defoe.
Unused Substitutes: Forster (GK), Clyne, Shaw, Gibson, Livermore, Ward-Prowse, Barkley, Lingard, Redmond, Heaton (GK)