Both of England’s goals in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Serbia came from Arsenal players, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze delivering the cutting edge Thomas Tuchel’s side needed at Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening.

Saka’s Brilliant First-Half Volley

Bukayo Saka opened scoring in the 28th minute with a spectacular volleyed finish after Nico O’Reilly’s blocked shot looped perfectly into his path. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger guided the ball into the bottom-left corner on the volley, demonstrating technique that justified Tuchel’s recent plea for him to score more international goals.

The goal took Saka’s England tally to 14 strikes, continuing his excellent form for club and country this season. His importance to England’s attack was evident throughout a rain-soaked Wembley evening where the Three Lions struggled for fluency against a stubborn Serbian side playing under new manager Veljko Paunovic.

Read More: “Not Good Enough”: Renee Slegers Admits Arsenal Women’s Bayern Collapse Was Unacceptable

Eze’s Stoppage-Time Sealer

Eberechi Eze doubled England’s advantage in the 90th minute after being introduced as a second-half substitute. The Arsenal forward initially struck the crossbar via goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic in the 87th minute before finding the far corner with an accomplished finish three minutes later.

Phil Foden, who entered as a false nine alongside Jude Bellingham in Thomas Tuchel’s second-half changes, provided the assist with a perfectly weighted pass that allowed Eze to curl home England’s second. The goal sealed England’s seventh consecutive victory in World Cup qualifying, maintaining their perfect record while eliminating Serbia’s playoff hopes.

Arsenal’s contribution proved decisive on a night when Bellingham and Foden started on the bench, with Morgan Rogers initially preferred at number 10. The victory extends England’s clean sheet streak to 10 consecutive matches under Jordan Pickford, who wasn’t seriously tested by Serbia’s limited attacking threat led by isolated Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Read More: Injury Update From International Camp About Key Defender Brings Relief to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta

Riccardo Calafiori‘s hip injury is not considered serious by Italy’s medical staff, providing crucial relief for Arsenal ahead of the North London derby against Tottenham on November 23. The defender is managing hip pain but should be available for Arsenal’s first match after the international break.

Read More: Video: Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori Gets Impromptu Throw-In Masterclass From Linesman

Expected to Miss Moldova Clash

Italian reports confirm Calafiori will not feature against Moldova on Thursday despite being named in Gennaro Gattuso’s travelling squad. Italy hope their left-back will recover sufficiently to face Norway in Sunday’s crucial World Cup qualifier, though Arsenal’s priority remains his fitness for the derby.

Gattuso publicly praised Calafiori’s professionalism during the international window. “I have to thank the likes of Barella, Calafiori and Bastoni for being here, as it was by no means to be taken for granted. I congratulate the lads for their professionalism and hunger, which they show every day.”

The 23-year-old has started every Premier League match for Arsenal this season, establishing himself as indispensable to Mikel Arteta‘s system. His 12 appearances across all competitions demonstrate his importance to Arsenal’s strong campaign challenging for the title.

Italy’s World Cup Play-Off Preparations

Italy face a World Cup play-off in March after automatic qualification hopes faded due to Norway’s vastly superior goal difference. Gattuso confirmed significant rotation against Moldova, with Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“I can confirm that there will be many changes, but without any problems or fears,” Gattuso explained. “I have great faith in my players; they all deserve a night like tomorrow’s.”

Arsenal’s medical team will monitor Calafiori closely during Italy’s double-header. His availability for the North London derby represents a major boost given his consistent performances at left-back this season. Arteta cannot afford losing his first-choice defender for such a crucial fixture against Spurs, making Italy’s cautious approach welcome news in North London.

Read More: Who is Arsenal’s New Signing? Meet Maurizio Micheli, The Scout Who Discovered Kvaratskhelia and Kim Min-jae

Renee Slegers delivered a scathing self-assessment after Arsenal Women surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Bayern Munich, admitting her side failed to handle the German champions’ second-half tactical adjustments.

First-Half Dominance Counted for Nothing

Arsenal established complete control through the opening 45 minutes, with Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey goals reflecting their superiority. Slegers acknowledged her team’s excellent pressing game forced Bayern into repeated mistakes while Arsenal dominated possession in the attacking third.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arsenal Women (@arsenalwfc)

“We do a lot of things really well in the first half and our pressing game and how we force them into mistakes and they don’t get out of their half and we play really, really well on the ball,” Slegers explained. “I think we maybe could have even scored one more in the first half and that’s of course, really strong going away against Bayern.”

However, the Arsenal boss recognized Bayern’s second-half transformation exposed her team’s tactical inadequacies. “The second half is another half. I think we dominate the first half, second half is Bayern.”

Tactical Naivety Exposed

Slegers identified Bayern’s strategic shift as the turning point. “What they start to do, especially after they make it 2-1, they start to play in behind and they start to play a long, second ball game and they stack numbers high and we don’t deal with it well enough.”

This admission reveals Arsenal’s inability to adjust defensively when Bayern altered their approach. The high defensive line that worked brilliantly during the first half became a liability once Bayern committed bodies forward and targeted space in behind.

Slegers’ honest assessment pulled no punches about the collapse. “So we’re not happy, it’s not good enough to give away three goals so late in the game against Bayern.”

The defeat leaves Arsenal with two losses from three Champions League matches, placing significant pressure on their title defense. Slegers must quickly solve the defensive fragility that allowed Bayern’s comeback or risk elimination from Europe’s premier competition.

Read More: Dramatic Turn of Events That Led to Arsenal’s Underrated 2013 Signing, and how Fans Reacted to it Back Then