Thomas Tuchel admitted that it wouldn’t have been surprising if Jude Bellingham had been sent off for a rough foul in the second half.
England had little trouble securing a victory against a weaker Latvia side. However, one concern lingered for coach Thomas Tuchel during the match — the risk of Jude Bellingham receiving a red card. To avoid that, Tuchel substituted him midway through the second half.
On Monday night at London’s Wembley Stadium, Latvia offered little resistance in the World Cup qualifier. England dominated possession and attack, scoring before halftime and adding two more in the second half for an easy win.
Reece James, Harry Kane, and Eberechi Eze found the net in the 3-0 victory.
England could have been down to 10 men for the final 30 minutes. Fortunately, despite a tough challenge on Latvian defender Laivis, Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham escaped a card from referee Orel Greenfield.
Bellingham had already received a yellow card in the first half for a reckless challenge, meaning another similar offense could have led to his dismissal. Explaining his decision after the game, Tuchel said he substituted Bellingham for Phil Foden in the 67th minute to avoid that risk.
“We were a bit lucky. There was a situation around Jude Bellingham where anything could have happened, and he could have received another yellow card,” Tuchel said.
“If that had happened, everything could have turned upside down. So I decided to bring him off from the bench.”
Tuchel also questioned Bellingham’s first yellow card but admitted that the second incident could have deserved one.
“In my opinion, the first one was a bit harsh because he was dribbling, and the card came suddenly. It felt strange at halftime that our player got booked while none of the opposition players did.”
“But the second one could have been possible. It would have been very bad for the team, so we took him off right after.”
With two wins in two matches, England now sits at the top of Group K in the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers with six points. Albania is second with three points.
