Tuchel backs Alexander-Arnold after England beat Czech Republic

Thomas Tuchel praised Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contribution as England responded to their opening defeat by beating Czech Republic 2-0 in the second round of the Nations League on Tuesday.

England had begun their European campaign with a 3-2 loss to Spain at Wembley on Saturday, but secured a deserved victory in their next fixture.

“We played with a high level of professionalism and raised our performance after half-time,” England manager Tuchel told the BBC. “We kept our enthusiasm and our pressure, remained very professional and never stopped putting in the effort. That is why the victory was deserved.”

The Czech Republic were reduced to 10 men in the 25th minute, a development Tuchel said was unfortunate for both the match and the supporters.

“It is not in the interests of the team or the fans when the opposition receives an early red card,” he said. “It is an awkward situation, but we continued trying to play our game and got the win. That is the important thing.”

Alexander-Arnold played a key role in England’s opening goal, providing the pass from which Anthony Gordon scored.

“It is not easy to turn that into a goal,” Tuchel said. “It was extremely difficult for him. It was a brilliant pass and a brilliant goal.”

The England manager also praised Alexander-Arnold and Lewis Hall for their performances at full-back.

“Both of them were good,” Tuchel said. “Trent’s position in the second half suited him better than it did in the first. Lewis put in an excellent performance on the other side. Well done to all of them.”

Tuchel’s positive assessment of Alexander-Arnold comes after reports of tension between the pair in recent weeks. The defender, who plays for Real Madrid, was notably left out of England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The manager said the squad must now recover before turning its attention to the next challenge.

“They deserved all the credit,” he added. “Now it is important to relax and enjoy the evening, recover properly and then prepare for the match against Croatia.”

England will travel to face Croatia in the third round on 3 October. They will then host Czech Republic in their fourth fixture on 6 October.