England recorded their biggest win at a World Cup to overwhelm Panama and secure a place in the last 16 before their final Group G game with Belgium.
Harry Kane played a captain’s role once more with a hat-trick to become the tournament’s leading scorer, as England built on their opening victory against Tunisia with an impressive show of ruthlessness and quality.
John Stones opened the scoring with an early header before Kane added the second with a thunderous penalty after Jesse Lingard had been fouled.
Lingard added the third in the 36th minute with a brilliant curling effort from 25 yards and, as Panama crumbled, Stones crowned a slick set-piece routine by heading his second and Kane made it 5-0 before half-time with another penalty after he was wrestled to the ground.
Kane completed his treble with a fortunate deflection from Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s shot after the break, before Panama’s noisy supporters were able to celebrate their first goal at a World Cup through Felipe Baloy.
The margin of victory for England topped 3-0 wins over Poland and Paraguay in Mexico in 1986, and against Denmark in 2002.
England top Group G as they have fewer yellow cards than Belgium. If they draw the final game it will go down to disciplinary records to decide who finishes first – and if that is level lots will be drawn
England’s opening win over Tunisia contained one serious flaw that needed correcting – namely a lack of ruthlessness and clinical edge in front of goal.
As Panama were totally dismantled, the failing was addressed and then some as a place in the last-16 stage was secured in quick-fire fashion.
Strangely, England had actually made a subdued and sloppy start before Stones powered in Kieran Trippier’s corner to put them ahead. It was plain sailing from then on.
Southgate’s side sparkled in Nizhny Novgorod, pace and movement mixed with flashes of individual brilliance such as Lingard’s goal to reduce Panama to an ill-disciplined shambles.
When they get it right, England have the firepower to trouble any team, with captain Kane a spearhead approaching world class.
They also showed commendable first-half discipline to avoid getting involved in Panama’s ham-fisted physical approach, simply letting the inevitable take its course in the hands of Egyptian referee Ghead Grisha, who was determined to punish penalty-area transgressions.
England inevitably eased off with the game and that place in the last 16 no longer in doubt, and of course greater tests lie ahead. But this was the sort of commanding performance that will do wonders for confidence as the World Cup reaches the knockout stage.
The piece of paper in assistant manager Steve Holland’s hand that ended up not revealing England’s starting XI was the main talking point from their Zelenogorsk training base this week.
There can be more talk from the training ground now – about England’s hard work behind closed doors on set-pieces that has reaped a rich reward in Volgograd and now here in Nizhny Novgorod.
England’s players have clearly been made aware of the potential of set-piece strength at this World Cup, particularly in the context of the video assistant referee (VAR) and the potential for physical defending to be punished.
It brought two goals from corners for Kane against Tunisia and another superb Tripper delivery led to Stones’ first goal, Panama’s defenders too interested in dragging Harry Maguire around than keeping an eye on the Manchester City defender.
The crowning glory, however, was Stones’ second – another header that capped a perfectly worked routine that had almost brought a goal for Raheem Sterling first and was implemented after lengthy discussions between several England players.
Southgate’s men are playing to their strengths and defences will find it hard to cope with the physical presence and threat the manager can employ.
World Cup debutants Panama stubbornly resisted Belgium until the early stages of the second half before slumping to a 3-0 defeat in their first game.
This Group G game was over as a contest once Stones gave England that early lead as Panama’s ill-discipline and lack of organisation was brutally exposed.
However, they did score their first World Cup goal through Baloy to spark great celebrations from their supporters, who can at least return home with that treasured memory.
For England’s part, they can only make the best of the opposition in front of them – and they delivered an outstanding result.