England produced the best display yet of the Thomas Tuchel era to take a commanding step towards World Cup qualification with a thumping 5-0 win in Serbia.
After another stodgy start England kicked into gear once captain Harry Kane headed in his 74th international goal from a Declan Rice corner.
Noni Madueke sprinted away to score a superb second before the break and centre-half partners Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi added more goals from set-pieces after the break.
Serbia’s misery was completed when captain Nikola Milenkovic was sent-off with 19 minutes left for chopping down Kane. Guehi scored from the following free-kick and sub Ollie Watkins then touched in from an offside position before Marcus Rashford scored from the spot.
England had not visited Serbia since 1987 and were gifted a late penalty when Watkins was chopped down and another replacement, Rashford, rolled in.
England lead Group K by seven points with three games remaining.
Tuchel is the fourth manager to win each of his first five competitive games in charge of England after Fabio Capello (first 8), Ron Greenwood (first 6) and Sven-Goran Eriksson (first 5).
How the goals went in
33′ The visitors had been taking a meticulous approach to set-pieces and Kane was inexplicably allowed to meet Rice’s outswinging corner with a header that went in off the post.
35′ A second England goal followed two minutes later. Morgan Rogers’ smart flick from Elliot Anderson’s pass put Madueke behind, with the winger keeping cool under pressure and smartly clipping home.
52′ Djordje Petrovic could only spill a shot from Anthony Gordon into that path of Guehi to bundle on, with Konsa turning home at the far post.
Serbia’s faint hopes of a comeback had gone up in smoke and the visitors continued to threaten, with Rice frequently finding himself in dangerous positions.
75′ Rice sent in the free-kick and Guehi did well to direct home from close range.
90′ England were awarded a late penalty following a VAR review for a foul on Watkins by Strahinja Erakovic. Rashford slotted home the resulting spot-kick.
