England hammer sorry Wales as records tumble in Wembley rout - 5 talking points

England picked up where they left off and pummelled Wales 3-0 in their friendly on a record-breaking night at Wembley. Thomas Tuchel's side had won both of their games in September by an aggregate score of 7-0 and are hitting their stride with just two more camps to go until the World Cup.

The Three Lions made a blistering start under the arch through Aston Villa stars Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, taking a 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes. Bukayo Saka then produced a spectacular strike to make it three for England and compound Wales' misery, as Craig Bellamy and Co. were firmly second-best in every department.

Tuchel named a strong side that saw Declan Rice captain the Three Lions in the absence of Harry Kane, who was named on the bench because of an ankle injury. Watkins got the nod to replace him up front while John Stones made his first appearance for England in a year at centre-back.

Here are five talking points from Wembley.

READ MORE: Arsenal star Declan Rice rewarded as Thomas Tuchel makes big England decision

READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel says England are 'underdogs' for World Cup after 59 years of hurt

1. England's heroes are Villains

Wales may've had the first attack after a sloppy touch from Elliot Anderson but it was England who drew first blood, scoring with just two minutes and 11 seconds on the clock. Morgan Rogers was the man to get it, benefiting from good work by Marc Guehi, who kept a Declan Rice corner alive after John Stones couldn't direct his header on target.

Rogers hasn't scored a goal at club level this season but he's off the mark in an England shirt on his first start. The Aston Villa star is making a case to be Thomas Tuchel's backup No.10 behind Jude Bellingham - or perhaps first choice.

There was more to come from Villa, too, as Ollie Watkins doubled England's lead in the 11th minute. Wales were at sixes and sevens as they failed to clear their lines on three separate occasions, giving Watkins a back-post tap-in to mark his return to the side with a goal assisted by Rogers.

2. Saka stunner sends reminder to Tuchel

Could you ever leave this man out? Well, Tuchel said that he 'very likely' wouldn't have even selected Bukayo Saka in his squad had Noni Madueke been fit, nevermind put him in his starting line-up.

But the Arsenal man showed why he's still No.1 when it comes to the right-wing pecking order, unleashing an unstoppable strike to beat the sprawling Karl Darlow and make it 3-0. Speaking at Friday's press conference, Tuchel revealed: "There's a huge chance [I wouldn't have selected Saka], yeah. Very likely, but you will never know now."

Madueke has been impressive under Tuchel but one would imagine Saka's track record and end product gives him the edge. Saka's goal also means that he's now Arsenal's leading scorer for England with 13, surpassing Cliff Bastin, whose record stood for 86 years.

Who should start for England - Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke? Have your say in the comments section.

3. Watkins' injury scare

It was all going so smoothly for England as half-time approached. Three goals to the good, Tuchel's side still looked more likely to score than their opponents.

Watkins had a golden chance to make it four but somehow missed an open net from a mere one yard out. That wasn't the most painful part, though.

England's No.19 banged the top of his left shin against the post and was rolling around in agony. Declan Rice urged England's medical staff to run onto the pitch as Wembley began to fear the worst.

ITV chose not to show a replay of the incident until it was clear that Watkins was at least moving his injured leg around on the floor. He soldiered on but was moving gingerly for a few minutes until referee Urs Schnyder blew for half-time, during which he was replaced by Marcus Rashford.

4. England and Wales unite against Alzheimer's

Both sets of players came out for the second half without names on the back of their shirts, only numbers. This was done to highlight memory loss, one of the symptoms of dementia.

The FA and FAW teamed up with the Alzheimer's Society for the fixture and there was another touching moment pre-match. Twenty two fans living with dementia, nominated from across England and Wales, walked out alongside the players in place of traditional child mascots.

5. Pickford breaks record shared with Banks

He might not've had much to do, barring two saves in an ultimately drab second half, but it was still a night to remember for Jordan Pickford. The Everton goalkeeper has now played eight consecutive games for England without conceding a goal, breaking the record that he shared with the legendary Gordon Banks.

Pickford didn't play in the 3-1 loss at home to Senegal in June, meaning that the last time he had to pick the ball out of his own net was nearly a year to the day, as Greece pulled off a stunning 2-1 win at Wembley last October. There's no debate about who England's No.1 should be.

Will he extend it on Tuesday as England travel to Riga to face Latvia? A win coupled with a defeat for Serbia would see the Three Lions qualify for the World Cup.

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