England 7-0 North Macedonia

Bukayo Saka grabbed an impressive hat trick as England swept aside their visitors from the Balkans, in front of 70,708 at Old Trafford on Monday evening.

Captain Harry Kane grabbed a brace, including a second half penalty as Gareth Southgate's side were simply too good for Blagoja Milevski's side.

Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips were the other scorers as the Three Lions made it four wins from four in Group C as the European Championship looms next summer.

On a day when the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston took centre stage during the day - with Day Four providing plenty of drama - the nation's football team grabbed the headlines with a relentlessly powerful display on a sultry June evening in the north west.

With the longest of the year only 48 hours away, perhaps it was no surprise we saw a cagey start as both sides weighed each other up. Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire - who made only 11 appearances at Old Trafford all season - headed wide from Trent Alexander Arnold's corner on 27 minutes.

Macedonia failed to heed the warning as Kane slotted home to make it 1-0 sixty second later. The opener came from Luke Shaw's cross after the left-back was fed by Rashford's intelligent ball, as the Spurs striker made it four in four and 56 from 83 caps.

England found their stride and put the visitors under the cosh - pressure that was to barely lift until the end of a one-sided match. Moments later Saka's searching ball driven into the box found Alexander-Arnold who squared into the middle. To Macedonia's relief the ball came of Jordan Henderson's hip and wide of keeper Stole Dimitriesvk's right hand post.

The intensity was relentless as Saka emphatically fired past Macedonia keeper Dimitriesvki's near post and into the roof of the net to double England's lead and make it 2-0 on 38 minutes.

Four minutes later Rashford could and should have made it three after a well-worked move saw the United attacker fire directly at the Macedonia keeper, who blocked.

However, Rashford slotted home after excellent England pressure saw Kane win the ball for Henderson who teed up the United forward to made no mistake from close range for 3-0 before half time.

With Saka and England intent on maintaining their ascendancy after the interval it was no surprise Arsenal attacker Saka joyously fired past the increasingly beleaguered Dimitriesvk to make it 4-0 on 47 minutes.

Gunners star Saka - who, we must be reminded was turning out for Arsenal's Academy side against Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers only five seasons ago - grabbed his treble on 52 minutes, to the delight of the Manchester crowd.

Kalvin Phillips made it 6-0 when slotting home from close range on 63 minutes prior to Kane firing home a spot-kick with 17 minutes remaining - as he scored for the sixth consecutive match for the third time in his England career.

Goal! Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka grabs England’s fifth goal here at Old Trafford to make it a wonderful hatrick for the Three Lions. What a player pic.twitter.com/vKIYsMfvA9

— Layth (@laythy29) June 19, 2023