World Cup: England set new records in 6-1 victory over Panama

Published on: 24 June 2018

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World Cup 2018: England 6-1 Panama highlights 2018 Fifa World Cup on the BBC

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England's 6-1 victory over Panama made it two wins from two at the World Cup, with eight goals scored - five by Harry Kane.

But how do Gareth Southgate's class of 2018 compare to previous generations?

Is this England's best start to a World Cup?

Yes.

Two wins from two games means Southgate's men have matched Ron Greenwood's Spain '82 squad, and Sven-Goran Eriksson's 'golden generation' in Germany in 2006.

What sets the 2018 vintage apart is the manner of their Group G victories.

Greenwood's side scored five times in their first two games - Bryan Robson's 27-second opener helping them to a 3-1 win over France, before a 2-0 defeat of Czechoslovakia.

In 2006, England began with an uninspiring 1-0 win over Paraguay - David Beckham producing an exquisite delivery that Carlos Gamarra headed into his own goal. Five days later another Beckham cross set up Peter Crouch for the opening goal against Trinidad & Tobago, with Steven Gerrard wrapping up a 2-0 win.

Twelve years later they became only the fifth team to score five goals before half-time in a World Cup match, and the first since Germany thrashed hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals in 2014.

Was this England's biggest World Cup win?

Yes - their previous best was 3-0.

In 2002 - Eriksson's first World Cup as England manager - the team beat Denmark 3-0 in the last 16 with goals from Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.

At Mexico '86 - before Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' intervened, Bobby Robson's side scored three times without reply twice - against Poland in the group stage and Paraguay in the last 16.

Michael Owen celebrates his goal during the 2002 win over DenmarkIs this England's biggest ever win?

No.

The Three Lions' biggest victory came way back in February 1882, when they beat Ireland 13-0 in Belfast.

In competitive fixtures they have twice beaten Luxembourg 9-0 - in 1960 and 1982 - and thumped Turkey 8-0 in 1987.

More recently - in March 2013 - they hammered San Marino 8-0, with Jermain Defoe (2), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ashley Young, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge scoring after an early own goal.

Could England be on course for their most World Cup goals?

Possibly.

This is already their joint second-highest scoring World Cup campaign - level with 1954 and 1990.

The only time they have scored more was when they won the competition in 1966, scoring 11 goals including four in the final against West Germany.

But they have not been as prolific of late - they scored as many goals against Panama on Sunday as they had in their previous seven World Cup matches combined.

England found the net just twice in 2014 as they went out in the first round under Roy Hodgson, four years after Fabio Capello's side scored three goals.

They scored six in reaching the quarter-final stages in both 2002 and 2006, and hit seven under Glenn Hoddle in 1998.

England scored eight times at the 1990 World Cup, reaching the semi-finalsWhere does Kane's hat-trick rank?

Pretty high - he is only the third England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match.

Sir Geoff Hurst, unforgettably, was the first - his treble leading England to victory in the 1966 final at Wembley.

Twenty years later Gary Lineker repeated the feat in Mexico, scoring a hat-trick against Poland en route to winning the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.

Lineker remains England's highest World Cup scorer - his 10 goals leaving him five clear of Hurst and Kane.

But Kane has already equalled the tally German duo Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller managed in winning the Golden Boot at the 2006 and 2010 finals respectively.

And he is the first player since Poland's Grzegorz Lato in 1974 to have scored at least twice in both of his first two World Cup appearances. Lato went on to win the Golden Boot.

Harry Kane became the first England player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup since Gary Lineker in 1986

Source: bbc.com

Source: bbc.com

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