Nwaneri and Gray score as England U21s beat Moldova
Ethan Nwaneri scores twice and Archie Gray also gets a goal as England Under-21s beat Moldova in European Championship qualifying.
UEFA Under 21 Championship Qualifiers England U21 4 - 1 Moldova U21 FT Nwaneri is currently on loan at Marseille from Arsenal [Getty Images] Arsenal forward Ethan Nwaneri scored twice as England Under-21s beat their Moldova counterparts to stay top of their European Championship qualifying group. Nwaneri tapped in a rebound from close range to open the scoring at Carrow Road after fellow Gunner Myles Lewis-Skelly had an effort saved. The evening was made nervy for England when Vasil Luchita rifled inside the near post from the edge of the area to equalise three minutes into the second half, but the hosts soon responded.
Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray put England back in front when he drove an emphatic finish into the top corner after a shot from Rico Lewis was blocked. Moldova struggled to find the required levels to fight back and Nwaneri, who is spending the second half of this season on loan at Marseille, added his second goal of the night by drilling in after an excellent Lewis-Skelly backheeled pass. Romain Esse added the hosts' fourth as he headed in a Josh King cross to get his first goal for the young England side.
England lead the Group D table, now three points clear of Slovakia. Group winners and the best runner-up automatically progress to the 2027 tournament, while there are also play-offs.