The Verdict: Kane delivers against the Czech Republic as Hackett lauds 'good officiating'

Much of the pre-match focus for the England v Czech Republic game centred on Harry Kane equalling Peter Shilton's all-time record of 125 caps, a record that had been unchallenged since 1989.

Czech Republic staring fifth successive defeat in the face

With the captain still the fulcrum of this Three Lions side, there's no telling how many caps he'll beat the record by, and it's clear he has to be in the conversation as to who the national team's greatest-ever player is.

In any event, there was a game to be won, and Santi Denia and his side arrived on the back of four successive defeats.

The visitors to Wembley Stadium hadn't actually won a match since a friendly against Guatemala back on June 5th.

Dutch official Serdar Gozubuyuk took charge of this game, and he quickly made his presence felt.

Referee made his presence felt

"The referee was strict in the opening five minutes, stopping play and awarding free kicks for minor offences," Hackett observed.

"It's good to see him, like many other referees in this competition, penalising holding inside the penalty area. I hope that Premier League referees will adopt a similar approach and engage with the law to stop these grappling offences."

Along with his assistant referees, Patrick Inia and Rogier Honig, Gozubuyuk enjoyed a great start to the game, managing the players and expectations well.

He was also right on top of the action, though at one point he was just too close.

A bit too close for comfort

"Good officiating: the referee rightly stopped the game immediately when an England forward came into contact with the goalkeeper, both lying injured on the ground," Hackett added.

"However, although the official was closely monitoring play, on two occasions he was frankly too close. 

"The first time he blocked a pass, and the second time he prevented an England clearance, with the ball striking him. He must learn to position himself better." 

Thomas Tuchel will have been delighted with the way in which those players who he'd brought in for this game were playing, and Morgan Rogers, in particular, was working hard in every aspect in order to convince the German that, perhaps, he was worthy of a starting spot in future.

England's dynamic attacking

England were by far the better team and their transitional play was quick, sharp and a joy to watch at times.

The speed with which the hosts were getting the ball from defence into attack meant additional physical demands on the officials, something that wasn't lost on Hackett.

"The modern game has changed so much from the 80s and 90s, as it now demands endurance as the foundation of refereeing performance," he suggested.

"Officials must be able to apply dynamic sprinting to maintain good contact with the game and to achieve the best viewing angles from which to base their decisions."

Tuchel unhappy

By half-time, the Three Lions were already 2-0 to the good, thanks to a Vladimir Coufal own goal and a superbly taken Kane finish, after a first-time volleyed cross from Rogers.

At that point it looked a safe bet that the hosts would be extending the Czech Republic's awful run, and once Kane bagged his second just before the hour, it was game over.

Before that third goal, however, Tuchel had cause not to be best pleased.

"Myles Lewis-Skelly received a yellow card for a foul, and that will mean he will be suspended for England's next match - the Nations League game against Croatia on 12 November," Hackett added.

"Clearly, Thomas Tuchel isn't happy that this player will not be available."

Kane's ovation

Michal Sadilek and Martin Vitik followed Lewis-Skelly into the book in the 54th and 67th minutes respectively, and Hackett was effusive in his praise of how the man in the middle had conducted himself.

"Those players who were carded can really have no complaints," he said.

"We often read that players and managers state that the best referees are those that are rarely seen. Well, Serdar Gozubuyuk can certainly be very pleased with his performance.

"He adopted a low-key approach with a good work rate, and applied advantage where appropriate. A great example to others working their way up to international level."

Kane deservedly received a standing ovation when he was subbed in the 81st minute, after what was another brilliant individual performance, and the officials will have also left the pitch knowing that they'd got the job done. 

Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high-profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.