Divin Mubama scored his first two goals for England Under-21s, but Ethan Nwaneri was the architect of a 4-0 win over Moldova which took them top of their European Championship qualifying group with a second successive victory.
Arsenal attacking midfielder Nwaneri was given licence to roam in the number 10 position and provided assists for the opening two goals scored by Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens and Stoke striker Mubama in Chisinau.
He also laid on the through ball that saw debutant Josh King brought down for a 74th-minute penalty, which was converted by Mubama.
It was Nwaneri’s 28th-minute run, having offloaded the ball, which took two defenders with him and allowed Gittens to cut inside on his right foot beat Victor Dordon at his near post with a shot the goalkeeper should have done better with.
Everton winger Tyler Dibling started to become more influential, winning a free-kick which Nwaneri fired over, but it was the Gunners man who continued to pull the strings and early in the second half the pair combined for the latter to weave past a couple of defenders, only to run out of pitch before he could cross or shoot.
Jobe Bellingham lashed a left-footed shot just wide before Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle made his only intervention of note by punching away an inswinging corner under his crossbar.
In the 68th minute, Nwaneri’s clever reverse pass picked out Mubama, who took one touch and beat the goalkeeper for pace, before his well-placed spot-kick meant even though Dordon guessed correctly, he could not reach it.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy forced a good save out of the goalkeeper before, in the 89th minute, Rico Lewis picked up the ball from deep and ran at a back-tracking defence before beating Dordon inside his left-hand post from the edge of the penalty area.
