Thomas Tuchel expressed disappointment over England's inability to extend their lead against Wales. However, he praised Jordan Pickford's performance. Pickford achieved a milestone by keeping a clean sheet at Wembley, marking his eighth consecutive game without conceding for England. This achievement surpasses his previous record of seven and Gordon Banks' streak in 1966, which ended against Portugal.
Pickford has been England's first-choice goalkeeper since the 2018 World Cup. Despite competition from Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson, and Sam Johnstone, Pickford remains the top choice. His consistent performances have been crucial as England nears qualification for the 2026 World Cup. A win in Riga against Latvia would secure their
spot following Serbia's defeat to Albania.
England and Latvia will face each other for the second time this year. In March, England triumphed 3-0 at Wembley with goals from Reece James, Harry Kane, and Eberechi Eze. Latvia will be the 72nd nation where England plays an away match. The Three Lions have won their last three maiden away games against new opponents.
England has won its last five away matches across all competitions. This is their best streak since November 2008. They last achieved six consecutive away wins between May 1970 and December 1971. Additionally, they have won eight competitive fixtures in a row, their longest run since Roy Hodgson led them to ten straight victories from September 2014 to October 2015.
The Opta supercomputer predicts an overwhelming victory for England with an 84.3% chance of winning against Latvia. Latvia has only a 7.3% chance of causing an upset, while the probability of a draw stands at 8.4%. Tuchel praised Pickford after the Wales match: "He's a fantastic shot-stopper. He kept calm. "
Defensive Strength Under Tuchel
Under Tuchel, England hasn't conceded in five competitive matches with Pickford achieving five clean sheets in UEFA World Cup qualifiers—more than any other goalkeeper. In their last nine matches, they've kept eight clean sheets; only losing to Senegal in June when Crystal Palace’s Henderson played.
Pickford has made just one save in five qualifying matches due to England’s strong defence. Before October’s international break, among European nations competing for World Cup qualification, England faced fewer shots on target than any other team.
Latvia's Challenge Against Top Teams
Latvia faces a daunting task after drawing with Andorra; they must beat England to keep play-off hopes alive. They've lost their last 14 matches against top-10 FIFA-ranked teams by an aggregate score of 41-1. Their last positive result was a draw against Germany at Euro 2004.
This will be Latvia’s seventh game against a top-five FIFA-ranked nation; they've lost all previous six encounters by an aggregate score of 19-0—including March’s loss to England.
Back at it with good energy pic.twitter.com/RlMqTQCg9D
- England (@England) October 11, 2025
Vladislavs Gutkovskis scored from the penalty spot during Latvia’s draw with Andorra but had another goal disallowed for offside shortly after. With just one shot—the penalty—and only 27 touches (the fewest among Latvian outfielders), Gutkovskis needs more involvement if Latvia hopes for an unlikely win.
Harry Kane missed the Wales match but trained on Monday despite Ollie Watkins’ injury; he may play against Latvia. Kane boasts impressive stats: contributing to 35 goals in 36 away appearances for England (25 goals and ten assists). He recently scored during September’s win over Serbia and started well this season at Bayern Munich with eleven goals and three assists in six Bundesliga games.
Tuchel initially focused on defensive solidity but recent matches show attacking prowess too—scoring eight goals across two games under his management while averaging higher successful passes (643), shots (17), and touches in opposition boxes (42) compared to Southgate’s tenure (526 passes; thirteen shots; twenty-eight touches).
