Lewis Hall shines in 7-0 rout as England run riot in Rijeka
Lewis Hall continued his impressive run of form, this time in an England shirt, as England battered Croatia 7-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday night.
It was another chance to show Thomas Tuchel what he can offer, and once again Hall looked completely at home at international level, shining again after a strong showing in last week's 2-0 win over Czechia.
Hall helps England batter Croatia
England dominated Croatia from start to finish and Hall played his part in an outstanding all-round performance.
He provided plenty of width on the left and formed a particularly useful partnership with former Mag Anthony Gordon, who shone again with another goal and assist.
Alongside Gordon, goals from Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham made it 4-0 at the break, with Kane and Saka scoring again in the second 45.
With England 6-0 up and the result long since settled, Hall was eventually taken off in the 79th minute, with Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly coming on in his place before Morgan Rogers made it 7-0. It meant another clean sheet for Hall and another really positive night's work for the 22-year-old.
From a Newcastle perspective, it was exactly what we wanted to see. Hall is getting regular minutes for England, bouncing back from that World Cup snub, looking comfortable at this level and building some serious momentum as he continues to establish himself as one of the country's leading young full-backs.
England's best left-back stakes his claim
What stood out most was how much Hall offered going forward without ever looking exposed at the other end. His weight of his passing was excellent, particularly when he was picking out teammates from deeper positions, and he looked keen to make things happen rather than simply recycling possession.
His link-up with Gordon was another big positive. Hall supported the Barcelona man well throughout the game, providing an outlet whenever Gordon came inside and giving England another way of attacking down that flank. He was also creating from deep, showing the sort of passing range that can make him particularly valuable against sides who sit back.
Defensively, there really wasn't much for Hall to worry about, a few blocks aside, but he still worked relentlessly when England lost possession. His pressing helped force Croatia into mistakes, with some of those turnovers helping England launch attacks that ultimately led to goals. It was a proper all-round performance rather than simply a case of getting through an easy game.
Hall is certainly making a strong case for himself, stepping in superbly in the last two games in Nico O'Reilly's absence. From a Newcastle perspective, seeing our man put in performances like this for England can only be a good thing, and on this evidence, it is becoming increasingly clear that Hall is England's best left-back right now.
