Thomas Tuchel's honeymoon period as England manager is well and truly over as boos greeted Tuesday's shock 3-1 friendly loss to Senegal at the City Ground. Three days after being jeered following a poor World Cup qualification win against minnows Andorra, Tuesday's alarming display raised further questions a year out from their bid for glory in North America.
Harry Kane had got England off to a fine start against Senegal by continuing his run of scoring in every game under Tuchel, who was critical of his side's efforts in Barcelona and spoke of his desire for the team to play with a smile. But happiness was in short supply in Nottingham, where Anthony Gordon wasted a glorious chance shortly before Ismaila Sarr capitalised on poor defending by debutant Trevoh Chalobah and a sleeping Kyle Walker.
Senegal, ranked 19th in the world, were always going to be Tuchel's toughest test since taking charge and Habib Diarra went on to fire through the legs of Dean Henderson, who had made some important saves on his second start. Substitute Jude Bellingham thought he had levelled late on, only for Levi Colwill to be adjudged to have handled upon VAR review, and second-half introduction Cheikh Sabaly added another for the visitors in stoppage time.
England vs Senegal latest news
- GOAL! Sabaly seals victory late one
- NO GOAL! Bellingham denied by VAR
- GOAL! Diarra completes turnaround
- GOAL! Sarr levels for Senegal
- GOAL! Kane fires England into early lead
Job done!
21:51 , Matt VerriHere’s how Senegal sealed victory.
Don’t think anyone in the England camp can claim they deserved anything from this match.
SENEGAL HAVE A THIRD AGAINST ENGLAND!
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 10, 2025
Cheikh Sabaly scores on the counter attack#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/V5f6Gob0lJ
FT: England 1-3 Senegal
21:45 , Matt VerriEngland lose to African opposition for the first time!
Another really poor night from Thomas Tuchel’s side, who are deservedly beaten.
Senegal hugely impressive.
GOAL! England 1-3 Senegal | Cheikh Sabaly 90+3
21:42 , Matt VerriMadueke takes his sweet time over a free-kick and then puts in a terrible cross.
And now Senegal can break, as Jones is robbed.
It’s rolled across the face of goal... and Sabaly seals victory!
England 1-2 Senegal
21:40 , Matt Verri90 mins: Five minutes added on.
Can England strike late to avoid a first defeat under Tuchel?
It’s worked wide to Madueke, drives into the box but he’s slowed down and then runs straight into a mass of green shirts.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:37 , Matt Verri88 mins: Toney on for Lewis-Skelly.
He has... not very long to make an impact.
NO GOAL!
21:35 , Matt VerriIt’s been chalked off!
Boos around the City Ground.
Watch out, VAR check.
And the referee is over to look at the monitor. The ball came off the top of Colwill’s arm before it bounced into Bellingham’s path.
GOAL! England 2-2 Senegal | Jude Bellingham 83'
21:32 , Matt VerriNormally is him!
Corner isn’t dealt with by Senegal this time, it drops for Bellingham and he smashes it home from close range.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:29 , Matt Verri80 mins: Rogers in behind, Niakhate with a great challenge to turn the ball away for a corner.
Madueke with the out-swinger, Bellingham has a free header but he gets it all wrong. Loops well wide.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:28 , Matt Verri79 mins: More intensity from England for sure as they try and force their way back into this match.
But not a huge amount of quality at the moment. Lots of loose passes.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:24 , Matt Verri75 mins: Eze with the low ball across the face of goal, turned behind for a corner. Madueke over to take it.
Referee calling over Koulibaly to warn Jackson about not fouling Chalobah... what a waste of everyone’s time.
Eventually the corner is taken, Senegal clear and can break but Jackson is offside.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:21 , Matt Verri72 mins: Madueke and Bellingham on for Saka and Rice.
Bellingham immediately loses it in midfield, Senegal can break and it’s a decent effort from distance from Jackson. Henderson down to parry it away.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:19 , Matt Verri70 mins: Close-up on Toney as Madueke is the latest England player to get ready. You can have a guess at how the striker might be feeling.
Still plenty of time left in this match, but Tuchel happy to continue without a recognised striker.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:17 , Matt Verri68 mins: Better signs for England, Gibbs-White has made a real difference.
He’s off balance as he plays it into the path of Saka, who looks certain to find the bottom corner but it’s a superb save from Mendy to tip it away.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:14 , Matt Verri65 mins: That would have got the crowd going!
Brilliant flick from Eze, Gibbs-White through on goal... goes for power and Mendy makes the save.
England 1-2 Senegal
21:13 , Matt Verri64 mins: Diarra full of confidence as he now surges through midfield.
Rice gets across and wins it back, but referee thinks he led with an elbow and the whistle goes.
GOAL! England 1-2 Senegal | Habib Diarra 62'
21:11 , Matt VerriSenegal take the lead!
And that was so, so easy.
Long ball over the top down England’s left and Diarra runs onto it.
Into the box, tight angle and he slides a finish underneath Henderson.
England 1-1 Senegal
21:09 , Matt Verri60 mins: Almost an immediate impact as Jones finds himself in space 20 yards out.
Saka completely free to his right wanting to be played in, but Jones goes for goal instead and it’s lashed miles over the bar.
Simon Collings at the City Ground
21:09 , Matt VerriRogers on ahead of Ivan Toney...
England 1-1 Senegal
21:07 , Matt Verri58 mins: Tuchel has indeed seen enough.
Gibbs-White, Jones and Rogers all introduced. Big cheers from the City Ground faithful for one of those more than the others.
Gallagher, Kane and Gordon the three to come off.
England 1-1 Senegal
21:04 , Matt Verri55 mins: England’s passing has been really poor since half-time. Gallagher’s ball to Eze is short, but the Palace man does well to flick it away from Diarra and win a free-kick.
Can’t be long until Tuchel turns to the bench...
England 1-1 Senegal
21:02 , Matt Verri53 mins: Colwill with a poor pass that very nearly is intercepted by Jackson to leave the striker clean through on goal.
Bounces off the striker and has enough pace for Henderson to come out and clear.
Dom Smith at the City Ground
20:59 , Matt VerriLet off for England and Kyle Walker who is, politely, having a shocker.
England 1-1 Senegal
20:59 , Matt Verri50 mins: We’ve picked up where we left off... Senegal should be in front.
Diouf with yet another great cross from the left wing, Diarra is picked out in the middle but he blasts over the bar. Had to score.
England 1-1 Senegal
20:57 , Matt Verri48 mins: Lewis-Skelly very grateful to hear the whistle goes as he is pressed.
Looked a lot like he took a heavy touch and then flopped to the ground, right in front of the Senegal boss who makes his opinion known.
Back underway!
20:54 , Matt VerriUp and running in the second-half, no changes for England.
How Senegal levelled...
20:47 , Matt VerriGood work from Nicolas Jackson to hook the cross in, but Kyle Walker just wasn’t alert enough on the cover.
Ismaïla Sarr pounces! 💥
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 10, 2025
Senegal are the first team to score past Thomas Tuchel's England side #ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/7omR2wXyfO
Simon Collings at the City Ground
20:42 , Matt VerriA pretty open game - and certainly more entertaining than Andorra last weekend. Henderson has made a number of decent saves and Senegal deserved their equaliser.
England took the lead through Kane and Gordon should have doubled it.
HT: England 1-1 Senegal
20:38 , Matt VerriKane turns nicely in midfield and is breaking into space... and then the half-time whistle goes. He’s thrilled about that.
Not a great 45 minutes from England, Senegal probably the better side overall.
Tuchel will want much, much more.
England 1-1 Senegal
20:37 , Matt Verri45+1 mins: Two minutes added on.
All very flat from an England perspective, in the stands and on the pitch.
Fans will be very keen for Gibbs-White to come on and the team could probably do with it too.
England 1-1 Senegal
20:35 , Matt Verri44 mins: Walker not particularly covering himself in glory at the end of this half.
Dreadful defending for the goal and now goes in late on Diouf to earn himself a yellow card.
England 1-1 Senegal
20:33 , Matt Verri43 mins: England have had the attack that led to Kane’s goal, another one that Gordon should have scored from... and basically nothing else.
Senegal much more dangerous going forward, it’s been pretty poor from the Three Lions.
Dom Smith at the City Ground
20:32 , Matt VerriIt's a goal that was coming for Senegal. That's not to say England had to gift it them that easily.
It's sluggish defensively from England. Sarr gets the run on Walker and it's level. England must start all over again.
GOAL! England 1-1 Senegal | Ismaila Sarr 40'
20:31 , Matt VerriWell that’s been coming pretty much the entire match!
Jackson does brilliantly to keep the ball in play and get the cross in, Sarr gets in front of Walker and he finishes well past his Palace team-mate.
Senegal deservedly level.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:30 , Matt Verri39 mins: Fair few niggly fouls, certainly been a competitive edge to this match.
Diouf is off again down the left, plays in Sarr and he gets in behind the England defence.
Low ball into the middle is hacked away by Rice.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:27 , Matt Verri36 mins: Another Senegal attack down their left, more problems for the England defence.
Cut back rolls into Gueye’s path, gets the shot away under pressure and Henderson is down quickly to keep it out.
Dom Smith at the City Ground
20:26 , Matt VerriSome consistent possession from Senegal in the last 10 minutes.
They are coming out and playing, but that only affords England space when the Three Lions can get ahold of the ball.
In recent minutes, they've struggled.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:25 , Matt Verri34 mins: Senegal pressing really high up the pitch, Colwill has to react quickly to clear from Gallagher’s pass.
Even more desperate at the other end... Mendy is a split second away from disaster as Gordon comes charging in to close him down.
Dom Smith at the City Ground
20:22 , Matt VerriHuge cheers in front of us right now as Morgan Gibbs-White has just gone to warm up.
Surely, Tuchel gives him some decent minutes tonight.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:21 , Matt Verri30 mins: Colwill tries to get really tight to Jackson, who flicks the ball past him and then gets a bear hug.
Yellow card for Colwill for that cynical ploy to stop the attack.
Camara swings in the free-kick, Chalobah with a great clearing header.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:19 , Matt Verri28 mins: What a miss!
Walker puts in a brilliant low cross, Gordon gets in front of Diatta and should turn it in at the back post... but turns it wide under pressure.
Big, big chance.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:17 , Matt Verri26 mins: Senegal playing it around confidently at the back, until Koulibaly lumps it forward to nobody.
Bit of a lull in the match at the moment. Both sides fairly sloppy on the ball.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:14 , Matt Verri23 mins: Kane going full quarterback tonight, keeps dropping into midfield and then spinning to pick out a pass.
Doing a better job of doing that than most of his team-mates so far... Chalobah chips another poor ball forward to gift possession back.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:12 , Matt Verri21 mins: Gallagher wins the ball back and England have numbers flying forward.
Gordon free to his left, goes right to Saka instead. Arsenal man tries to drift inside and find space for the shot, but Senegal get enough bodies back to crowd him out.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:08 , Matt Verri18 mins: Rice and Saka standing over this. Perfect angle for the right-footer to fire something in with plenty of pace towards the far corner.
Instead it’s low past the wall and cleared at the near post. Should have listened to me.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:08 , Matt Verri17 mins: Kane whips out a brilliant pass to Gordon, who can run at Diatta.
Skips inside past the full-back, gets chopped down and the yellow card comes out.
Fair to say the Senegal right-back does not take that decision particularly well....
England 1-0 Senegal
20:05 , Matt Verri15 mins: Diouf with the most foul throw you’ll ever see but the assistant who is about a yard away takes pity on him.
The Senegal left-back is far more comfortable charging up that flank and it’s another great ball in. Sarr has a free header in the middle, Henderson turns it behind.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:03 , Matt Verri12 mins: Good positive run from Gordon and he wins England a first corner of the match.
Rice whips in a dangerous ball, but Ndiaye smashes it up the pitch to clear the danger.
England 1-0 Senegal
20:01 , Matt Verri10 mins: Senegal still playing with plenty of confidence, getting a lot of bodies forward.
England have the lead but they’ve been second best so far.
Diarra allowed to get a shot away from 20 yards out, Henderson called into action again.
Simon Collings at the City Ground
19:59 , Matt VerriBrilliant work from Eze to start that move which led to the goal. He won the ball high up the pitch and then showed great feet to find Gallagher.
Lovely stuff.
GOAL! England 1-0 Senegal | Harry Kane 7'
19:58 , Matt VerriBut it’s England who take the lead!
First real attack from the hosts, first goal.
Eze wins it back in midfield, plays it to Gallagher. He rolls the ball into Gordon’s path, Mendy keeps out his effort but Kane is there and reacts before everyone to tap in.
Dom Smith at the City Ground
19:55 , Matt VerriThat's a good stern stop from Henderson there, to deny Jackson. Henderson not known for saves with the legs, really, but he used them to good effect there.
Spritely start to the game.
England 0-0 Senegal
19:555 mins: Ndiaye skips away from Gallagher with some lovely footwork and slides in Jackson, who forces Henderson into a sharp save.
England so open in midfield, haven’t got going at all.
England 0-0 Senegal
19:53 , Matt Verri2 mins: Not exactly been a flying start from England.
Senegal play straight through the midfield and Gueye has space to get a shot away, tame effort at Henderson.
Lewis-Skelly then plays a pass straight out of play.
KICK-OFF!
19:50 , Matt VerriAbout five minutes behind schedule but eventually we’re up and running at the City Ground!
At long last the players decide they should probably get out onto the pitch.
Unlike the Saturday snooze against Andorra, there is actually an atmosphere for England to enjoy tonight.
Time for the anthems.
Made to wait...
19:44 , Matt VerriSenegal a few minutes late in emerging - referee has to go and give them the hurry up.
Mind games in a friendly is a bold move...
Here we go!
19:40 , Matt VerriTeams are in the tunnel, kick-off just a few minutes away.
A night where just a win isn’t really enough for England. Time to put on a show.
Chelsea stars go head-to-head
19:33 , Matt VerriShould be an interesting battle for the England defenders.
Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah are up against their Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Jackson - not many secrets there between the three of them.
They have spent hours and hours up against each other in training, time to see what they’ve picked up.
Busy summer ahead!
19:25 , Matt VerriPlenty in the England squad will be immediately joining up with their clubs after this match.
The Club World Cup gets underway next week, which the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer will all be involved in.
Should they get to the final, they will be playing football about a month before the new season begins. Madness.
Tuchel explains team selection
19:17 , Matt VerriThe England boss insists his decision to make ten changes tonight is not a reaction to the poor display against Andorra on Saturday.
◾ 10 changes to the lineup
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 10, 2025
◾ A debut for Trevoh Chalobah
◾ Playing with more freedom
Hear from Thomas Tuchel ahead of @England 🆚 Senegal tonight#ThreeLions | @gabrielclarke05🎙 pic.twitter.com/3Dv7E9CKEJ
Tuchel: Everyone is beatable
19:10 , Matt VerriThomas Tuchel says England must not develop an inferiority complex before next year’s World Cup and has backed his side to rise to the occasion.
England laboured to a 1-0 win over Andorra last Saturday in a World Cup qualifier just 24 hours before Portugal beat Spain to win the Nations League.
The game came off the back of two high level semi-finals, in which Spain defeated France and Portugal overcame Germany.
Tuchel, however, does not want his players to be overawed by the prospect of having to face the best sides in the world.
“The level will increase immediately once we are in Munich at the stadium and playing against Portugal or Spain,” said Tuchel.
“We will rise to the occasion by the occasion, because it is very difficult. This will come. It will bring out the very best in us. We shall not develop a complex because there is no need for it.
“Spain qualified for the final four with a very lucky win over the Netherlands. Everyone is beatable.
“I think we have the quality, we have the ability and we have the courage.
“I struggle to say we because we were not there [in Germany] but it was 1-1 in the final [of Euro 2024] and Spain scored in the last minute and it was the moment that gave the title to Spain. We have what it takes to compete.”
Senegal team news
19:01 , Matt VerriStarting XI: Mendy, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf, Diatta, Gueye, Camara, Diarra, Ndiaye, Jackson, Sarr
Subs: Diouf, Mamadou, Seck, Dia, Sabaly, Ndiaye, Jakobs, Niasse, Gueye, Sima, Diaw, Mendy, Gueye
Dom Smith at the City Ground
18:52 , Matt VerriIt is a little surprising not to see Morgan Gibbs-White starting at his home stadium here in Nottingham.
Eberechi Eze starts in his place as Thomas Tuchel rings the changes.
A huge occasion for Trevoh Chalobah as well. He has had to be patient for his full senior debut and here, finally, it arrives for the Chelsea centre-back, who partners his club team-mate Levi Colwill at the back.
England team news
18:49 , Matt VerriStarting XI: Henderson, Walker, Colwill, Chalobah, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Gallagher, Eze, Saka, Kane, Gordon
Subs: Pickford, Trafford, James, Konsa, Gibbs-White, Henderson, Bellingham, Burn, Toney, Alexander-Arnold, Jones, Rogers, Madueke, Palmer
Stand by...
18:42 , Matt VerriAll the team news from the City Ground coming up in the next five minutes.
Tuchel expected to rotate his side, while Senegal named a weakened lineup against Ireland on Friday night and should be at full-strength here.
Tuchel: We need to play with a smile
18:31 , Matt VerriThomas Tuchel has urged his England players to bring more excitement to the pitch tonight, and to play with the smiles he sees in training.
The England boss said: “We have not clicked yet. I don’t see it has clicked between the players. Like I said we train with a smile, we train very lively, we train with a lot of instructions.
“I feel the group in training and it comes easy, not easy, it is natural to them. There are also rules in training and we need to find this and translate it, the same level of excitement onto the pitch. That is the focus at the moment.
“I see the structure in the game, I see the control, I see the amount of passes. But we can do better.
“We can be more fluid. We can be more exciting which since a longer time I feel has been a bit of a problem, I feel a bit stuck, I feel like a serious….I see us train with a smile but not play with a smile.”
Madueke praised by Tuchel
18:17 , Matt VerriThomas Tuchel singled out Noni Madueke as England’s best performer in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Andorra.
The Three Lions produced a disappointing performance at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona as they trudged to an unconvincing victory over the country that sit 173rd in FIFA’s latest world rankings.
Tuchel started Madueke on the right of the attack and switched him to the left after making substitutions midway through the second half, and the Chelsea man was the brightest of England’s forward players.
The 23-year-old laid on the assist for the only goal of the game as he recycled Curtis Jones’s sharp ball forward and crossed for Harry Kane to convert from close range.
Tuchel, asked about Madueke’s performance in Barcelona, said: “He was maybe over the course of the match the most dangerous, the most active.
“I could feel his hunger and the desire and determination to do the plan. He was one of the few who met the expectations.”
Tuchel: Arsenal and Liverpool have title advantage
18:07 , Matt VerriEngland boss Thomas Tuchel thinks Arsenal and Liverpool will have a “huge advantage” next season because they are not competing in this summer’s Club World Cup.
Arsenal and Liverpool are both not part of FIFA’s revamped tournament, which starts this month in the USA.
Chelsea and Manchester City are, however, at the Club World Cup and their seasons could extend until July 13 if they make the final.
The Premier League season kicks off just five weeks after that and Tuchel believes that could play into Arsenal and Liverpool’s hands, given they have clear summers.
“I think it (the Club World Cup) will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there,” said Tuchel.
“I think it will be a very nice experience for the players who are there to play this tournament for the first time so it is mixed feelings about it.
“I decided not to worry too much because why should I? It is a given and no one knows what will be the outcome of it or the effect.
“We will deal with the effect when the effect comes and let’s see. We have a lot of teams in Champions League next season and European football and let’s see.”
Stage is set!
17:59 , Matt VerriPerfect evening in Nottingham!
The City Ground is hosting the England men’s senior team tonight for the first time since a wartime friendly against Wales in 1941.
Our home awaits for The Three Lions. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/rGMnPHelXD
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) June 10, 2025
Tuchel ready to let England off the leash
17:50 , Matt VerriThe City Ground has been well accustomed to hosting fast-paced, well-drilled football this season, thanks to a Nottingham Forest team who stunned the Premier League to qualify for Europe. As England pitch up Trentside, they must not let the side down.
Following Saturday’s damp squib against Andorra, a reaction is needed.
Playing against a low block can be frustrating, but England ought to have unlocked the semi-professionals’ defence with much more ease than they did.
The good news is that in facing Senegal, ranked inside the top 20, they know their opponents in Nottingham should come out and attempt to play toe-to-toe with them at times, leaving space to exploit and, hopefully, to entertain.
It is true that England have yet to sparkle since Tuchel took over, but it is equally true that the opposition so far has limited the extent to which they could. Albania, Latvia and Andorra all had the same game-plan: to contain and restrain England.
This is why the meeting with Senegal, though a friendly, is an opportunity to impress, an opportunity England’s attacking stars must not allow to simply pass through their fingers.
Standard Sport prediction
17:43 , Matt VerriFor the first time in Tuchel’s short reign as England manager, a slightly tougher test awaits. Regardless of the performances against Albania, Latvia and Andorra, the Three Lions delivered victories having been overwhelming favourites for all three fixtures.
This clash is a bit harder to call as Senegal are in good form and have players to cause England problems. Still, a step up in opposition should see an improvement in performance and a slender win.
England to win, 2-1
Senegal team news
17:36 , Matt VerriSenegal came through their friendly against the Republic of Ireland with a clean bill of health.
After resting a number of key stars, head coach Pape Thiaw could now hand starts to Ismaila Sarr, Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and ex-Blues pair Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly.
England team news
17:30Bukayo Saka is set to make his first start under Thomas Tuchel.
Arsenal star Saka has missed the last two international camps through injury and was also absent for Saturday’s 1-0 win over Andorra with a muscle strain.
Saka is fit now, though, and will be in the team tonight.
Dean Henderson or James Trafford may get the chance to impress in goal, while Myles Lewis-Skelly should be one of those that comes into the defence.
In midfield, Declan Rice is likely to start after only playing the final nine minutes against Andorra.
Morgan Gibbs-White could play alongside Rice and the Nottingham Forest midfielder would relish the chance to play for England at the City Ground.
Predicted England XI (4-2-3-1): D Henderson; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Colwill, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Gibbs-White; Saka, Palmer, Gordon; Kane
How to watch England vs Senegal
17:22 , Matt VerriTV channel: In the UK, England vs Senegal is being shown live and free-to-air on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 7pm BST ahead of a 7:45pm kick-off at the City Ground.
Live stream: You can also watch the game live online via the ITVX app, which is free with a sign-up.
Live blog: Follow all the action right here, featuring expert analysis from our England reporters Simon Collings and Dom Smith.
Good evening!
17:15 , Matt VerriHello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of England vs Senegal!
The football never stops. The domestic season is done, the Club World Cup is still to come, and in between we have some international fixtures that everyone is absolutely desperate for.
Latest of those comes tonight as England host Senegal in a friendly at the City Ground.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 7:45pm BST from the City Ground.
