England 0-4 Hungary: 5 talking points as the Magyars stun hapless Three Lions with spectacular attacking display | 2022-23 UEFA Nations League
England were left battered by a spirited Hungary side 4-0 at Molineaux on matchday four of the UEFA Nations League on June 14.
A brace from Rolland Sallai followed by goals from Zsolt Nagy and Daniel Gazdag dealt the Three Lions their heaviest defeat in the fixture since 1954.
Much like in their previous three outings, Gareth Southgate's side were listless from the start, struggling to create clear-cut chances and looking woeful in defense.
Sallai put the visitors in front in the 16th minute before doubling their cushion midway through the second half in an excellent counter-attacking move.
Nagy then made it 3-0 another 10 minutes later with a powerful finish from inside the box. Gazdag put the final nail in England's coffin from another quick move in the 89th minute.
Between the last two goals, Stones was sent for an early bath after receiving his second yellow, rubbing salt into the home side's wounds as they were reduced to 10-men.
The result left England winless in Group 3 of League A after four games. With only two points in the bag, mathematically they can no longer qualify for the knockout stages.
Hungary, against all odds, lead the group with seven points, one ahead of Germany and two more than reigning Euro champions Italy, with just two games remaining.
Here are the five talking points from the match:
#5 England's campaign ends prematurely
Without a single victory in four games, England have officially failed to reach the knockout stages of the competition once again. They sit rock bottom in the group, staring at an ignominious relegation to League B.
The Three Lions looked below par in each assignment, while failing to score a single goal from open play. Their only goal so far came from the penalty spot by Harry Kane against Germany on matchday two.
England just lost to Hungary 4-0 at home 😨
They now sit last place in their Nations League group after failing to win a single game. https://t.co/noXbtvXgMv
It was indeed a tough group, with Germany and reigning Euro champions Italy also in it, but Gareth Southgate's team have been genuinely poor this time. They have now paid a heavy price for it as their Nations League campaign is effectively over.
#4 Rolland Sallai puts England to the sword
Rolland Sallai had scored only six international goals for Hungary in 38 games coming into tonight, but tonight he added two more with a spectacular brace.
His first attempt may have been fortuitous. The midfielder's attempt was deflected over into the roof of the net by Aaron Ramsdale, although it was well on target and hit with some power.
Rolland Sallai was left free in the area against England. He made no mistake 💥
The last time the Three Lions faced Hungary, they lost. They're behind again.
LIVE | watchoptus.tv/UNL-ENGHUN-22
#OptusSport https://t.co/Ar5KF5J1Nl
The 25-year-old then doubled Hungary's advantage in the second half. He hit the home side on the break before producing a sublime finish through Ramsdale's legs to put the game beyond doubt.
He was a thorn in the Three Lions' flesh with his pace, directness and movement. His goalscoring exploits added wind to Hungary's sails as they netted twice more late on.
#3 England show no hunger, no drive, no passion
Much like in their previous games, England lacked passion and played without a sense of direction or purpose. The players looked visibly knackered, possibly from a long and challenging season with their respective clubs.
The hosts managed only two shots on target from 10 attempts, neither of which were particularly troublesome for the Hungarian custodian Denes Dibusz.
England haven't won a single Nations League game so far 😶 https://t.co/MlvkHL3tkd
England were also horribly exposed at the back in the second half as Hungary combined pace with brilliant passing to cut the side open.
It was almost as if they didn't want to be here tonight, displaying no fight or desire and just allowing their visitors to walk all over them.
#2 Hungary create history
It was a night of records for Hungary, who secured their first win on English soil since November 1953.
Back then, the Magyars secured a stunning 6-3 victory, but posted a win of a greater margin at Molineaux tonight. In fact, it was their biggest win over England since 1954 (7-1).
4 - Hungary are the first team to score four goals in an away match against England since the Hungarians themselves won 6-3 at Wembley in November 1953. Wolves. https://t.co/2U1zzsbvsy
It was also the first time in 60 years that Hungary managed to score twice against the Three Lions. They had never managed to net more than once in a game against them in their previous 16 clashes.
All this comes on the back of their shock 1-0 victory in the reverse on June 4, which ended their 60-year wait for a win over the Englishmen.
#1 England must go back to the drawing board
Following what's been an abysmal month, England must head back to the drawing board with the 2022 World Cup just over five months away.
There's no question about the side's quality, but their performances in the Nations League games have once again doubts over their ability to perform collectively.
Sure, there were a lot of key players missing in action such as Jordan Henderson, but there's still no excuse for such abject displays, especially tonight.
They still have two more games to come in the competition against Germany and Italy in September. These are merely dead rubbers now with progression hopes over.
However, it will be an opportunity for Gareth Southgate's team to experiment some more and build some momentum ahead of their Qatar trip.