England extended their winning run under Thomas Tuchel to four games in World Cup qualifying, though a laboured 2-0 win over Andorra did little to excite the Villa Park crowd.
Facing opponents ranked 174th in the world, England dominated possession but struggled for long spells to turn control into clear chances.
Tuchel handed a debut to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who impressed with his energy and composure despite the lacklustre nature of the contest.
The breakthrough arrived after 25 minutes, albeit in fortunate fashion, when Andorra defender Christian Garcia turned Noni Madueke’s cross past his own goalkeeper, Iker Alvarez.
Anderson almost marked his debut with a goal, only to be denied by a fine save from Alvarez.
It wasn’t until the 67th minute that England finally killed the game off, Declan Rice rising at the back post to head in Reece James’ pinpoint delivery.
The victory keeps England top of Group K, with two wins over Andorra, plus successes against Latvia and Albania, but Tuchel’s reign has so far been characterised more by results than entertainment.
Against deep-lying defences, England have often looked short of ideas, relying on moments rather than sustained creativity.
While a place at next summer’s World Cup already looks well within reach, Tuchel’s side will face a far sterner examination on Tuesday when they travel to Belgrade to face Serbia.
To make a statement there, England will need much more cutting edge than they showed at Villa Park.
