Arsenal's Bukayo Saka achieves unique career first in England's emphatic Croatia victory

By Ben Knapton | 03 Oct 2026 19:56, Last updated: 03 Oct 2026 19:56

Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka achieved a unique career first in the Three Lions' 7-0 thrashing of Croatia in Saturday's UEFA Nations League match.

Thomas Tuchel's side achieved their biggest-ever win under the German in astonishing circumstances in Rijeka, where they became the first team to score five goals or more in an away game against Croatia.

Tuchel made five changes to his England XI for the League A Group 3 battle, including dropping Trent Alexander-Arnold to the bench, but the manager's alterations proved to be inspired.

Five different players found the net in the obliteration of Slaven Bilic's side, as Saka and Harry Kane both bagged braces while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers also got in on the act.

Saka scored England's fourth on the stroke of half time, poking in from close range after Bellingham's cutback, before latching onto Kane's ball for his second and the visitors' sixth in the 68th minute.

It's a GIFT for England! ????????

Bukayo Saka has his second... The Three Lions are relentless. pic.twitter.com/33a8oxd3be

Both of Saka's strikes came via his weaker right foot, meaning that the Arsenal winger has now scored 2+ goals in one game with his right foot for the first time ever.

The 25-year-old made his 378th senior appearance for club and country in Rijeka, where he firmly cemented his place as England's first-choice right-winger.

Thanks to the absence of Chelsea's Cole Palmer, whose repeated omissions Tuchel has publicly criticised, Saka has made the first XI in all three of England's matches during the current international break.

The Hale End graduate failed to score or assist against Spain or Czechia, but his brace against Croatia means that he now boasts 19 goals from 59 games in a Three Lions shirt.

Only Harry Kane (89) has scored more England goals among players in Tuchel's current squad; Real Madrid's Bellingham is third on the list with 14 international strikes to his name.

Saka is now just 10 goals away from breaking into the list of England's top 10 male scorers of all time; Frank Lampard and Vivian Woodward are joint-10th in the charts with 29 apiece.

As well as finding the net twice in Rijeka, Saka created two chances, had five shots in total and made five progressive carries, proving too effervescent for the veteran Ivan Perisic.

England's emphatic victory was not enough to take them top of their Nations League group, as despite going level on points with Spain and overhauling their goal difference deficit, La Roja boast the superior head-to-head record.

The world champions can restore their three-point lead by beating Czechia on Saturday night, while England now prepare to take on the same opponents in their fourth and final game of the break on Tuesday night.

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