Thomas Tuchel has described England’s victory over Spain as the best performance of his reign, praising his players for producing a “fantastic performance from start to finish” despite being reduced to 10 men.
The Three Lions secured a crucial Nations League win against Spain, with Tuchel insisting his side were deserved winners after dominating the opening hour.
However, the England manager questioned the decision to award Spain a penalty and show a red card in the same incident, admitting he was confused by the double punishment.
Speaking to ITV Sport after the game, Tuchel praised his players and the quality they showed against one of the strongest international teams in Europe.
“A brilliant performance. A well-deserved win. Overall, we were the better team. A fantastic performance from start to finish,” he said.
“A red card and a penalty is always an important decision. I have to understand why it was a double penalty.
“From then on it was a long 30 minutes, but I don’t want to focus on that. There were so many positives in the first 60 minutes.”
Despite having to defend with 10 men for the closing stages, Tuchel believed England had already proved their superiority before the dismissal.
“A complete performance. We brought everything to the table. We were brave. The spirit, the energy and also the quality of the football was the highest level.
“We deserved it. We focused on our performance and attitude. I can’t praise the team enough for what they’ve done.
“Half an hour seems like two hours against a team like this (with 10 men). That’s how it is. Without the red card we were clear winners.”
The England manager is eyeing the quarter-finals of the Nations League
Tuchel believes England’s performance showed the progress his side have made following their World Cup campaign.
Asked about his players’ performance, the England manager emphasized his determination to keep improving.
“What we are made of and what we can do. We are always willing to push our limits,” he said.
“We had our best result in 60 years (at the World Cup) and we weren’t happy. It’s impressive what we did in the last two camps.”
Asked if the display was England’s best under his management, Tuchel seemed to think it was.
“In the circumstances against whom and where we played, yes.”
