by 
Caoimhín Kelleher Great save from Kane’s close range shot in the first half. The Liverpool keeper was beaten on both goals but kept his cool. 7
Seamus Coleman Ready to fight, but his lack of pace of late was taken out by Gordon. He had to leave the fight after Maguire accidentally stepped on him. 5
Related: Rice and Grealish begin new era for England with Nations League win in Ireland
Nathan Collins A brilliant counter to deny Kane an early goal, but Rice could do nothing to stop the goalscorer. A busy afternoon for the Brentford player. 6
Dara O’Shea Returning to the Premier League after joining Ipswich from Burnley, he showed signs of his ability on the ball as Ireland improved in the second half. 6
Matt Doherty The Wolves full-back struggled to cope with marauders Grealish and Gordon and rarely got a chance to get forward. 4
Jayson Molumby He managed to get the lead over Grealish early on and then headed a corner over the bar, with the West Brom midfielder then finishing second. 5
Will Smallbone Completely outclassed and outplayed by Rice, the Southampton midfielder chased shadows for much of the afternoon. 4
Robbie Brady He had a tough time stopping Saka from scoring on the right. He still has an excellent shot from set pieces, but had few opportunities to show it. 5
Chiedozie Ogbene One of Ireland’s few bright spots. The new Ipswich signing is very quick and caused England problems down the left flank. 7
Adam Idah Struggled in attack, the Celtic player was unable to put the only real chance he had in the first half on target. 5
Sammie Szmodics Pickford saved his shot early in the game but lost his cool by needlessly fouling Gordon and missed a great chance to level the score. 5
Replacements
O’Brien (for Coleman 57) He settled things for Ireland on only his second senior appearance. Booked. 6
Knight (for Doherty, 57) He overtook Gordon in a dangerous breakaway. 6
Brown (for Smallbone 75) N / A
McAteer (for Idah 75) N / A
Ferguson (for Brady 82) N / A
England
Jordan Pickford Good save early on to deny Szmodics. Not much to do except run to check on Everton team-mate Coleman’s injury. 7
Trent Alexander-Arnold He showed how dangerous he can be. His brilliant pass was the catalyst for the opening goal and he dictated the tempo when he came into midfield. 8
Marc Guehi Composed and calm as ever, he rarely made a mistake despite starting in an unfamiliar position to Maguire’s right. 7
Harry Maguire Back in the squad after missing Euro 2024 through injury. Doesn’t look match fit but still threatens from set pieces. 7
Levi Colwill He adapted well to his hybrid role as England switched to a three-man defence in possession. He brought a nice balance to the defence and looked confident on the ball. 7
Declan Rice A brilliant finish that set the tone for England throughout the game. He was given more freedom to get forward and also provided the assist for Grealish’s goal. 9
Kobbie Mainoo Booked for a late tackle on Ogbene but looked assured in his deeper central role and gave England a safe platform to attack from. 7
Jack Grealish Booked early on after a heated argument, but seemed to thrive in his role as a pantomime villain. He didn’t hesitate to celebrate his goal. 8
Related: Republic of Ireland 0-2 England: Nations League, the match in pictures
Bukayo Saka He hasn’t quite lived up to the high standards he has set so far this season, although the Arsenal forward was almost rewarded with a late goal. 7
Harry Kane He missed two chances in the first half and will be disappointed not to have extended his goalscoring record. He caused problems by dropping deep. 7
Anthony Gordon A lively presence on the left flank showed he could be a long-term contender for the left side of England’s attack. 7
Replacements
Gibbs-White (for Grealish 77) A fascinating pass with the outside of the foot on his debut. 7
Gomes (for Mainoo 77) They took smart positions. 7
Eze (for Gordon 77) Unable to direct tracking head to target. 6
Bowen (for Kane 84) I almost scored twice at the end of the game. 6
Stones (for Maguire 84) N / A
