Football news - Ross Barkley fires double as five-star England crush sorry Montenegro

Ross Barkley hit a double as England bounced back from conceding early to to complete a 5-1 drubbing of Montenegro in their Euro 2020 qualifier.

Gareth Southgate made a number of bold team selections with Barkley handed a start alongside Callum Hudson-Odoi, Declan Rice and Danny Rose and the changes kept England fresh as they racked up a fifth consecutive win.

However, England looked set for a tough test when Marko Vesovic curled home a right-footed finish after some slack defending from Michael Keane after just 17 minutes. But that goal only prompted the visitors into life, netting an equaliser just 13 minutes later through a Michael Keane header.

Barkley put England ahead before the half-time interval, turning home a Hudson-Odoi effort from close range. And then the Chelsea midfielder effectively wrapped up the three points when he swept a finish into the back of the net after a run and cut-back by Raheem Sterling.

England weren’t finished as Harry Kane finished off a counter attacking move to make it four before Sterling got his name on the score sheet, slipping a shot under the goalkeeper after being played through by substitute Jordan Henderson.

The Three Lions have made the perfect start to their qualifying campaign following Friday’s 5-0 drubbing of Czech Republic. They have six points from two games in Group A to lead the section before the Nations League semi-final with the Netherlands on June 6.

Following the match, Southgate spoke out against the racist chants heard from the stands in Montenegro.

Just days after Jadon Sancho lit up Wembley, Hudson-Odoi was handed his first England start (ahead of his first Premier League start, it should be noted) and impressed. The Chelsea winger gives Southgate yet another option in the final third, with Sterling, Dele Alli and the injured Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford making England one of the best frontlines in international football right now.

One wonders if Maurizio Sarri watched this game. If the Italian did indeed tune in he will have caught two players he has sidelined somewhat at Chelsea this season light things up, with Barkley and Hudson-Odoi the standout performers for England. The former had his most productive game in an England shirt, scoring twice and assisting another. He gave them an extra dimension through the middle.

Montenegro - Petkovic 5, Stojkovic 4, Savic 5, Simic 4, Tomasevic 5, Marusic 6, Ivanic 5, Vukecvic 5, Vesovic 7, Beqiraj 6, Mugosa 6. Subs - Jankovic 5, Jovovic 5, Boljevic 5.

England - Pickford 5, Walker 6, Keane 6, Maguire 5, Rose 6, Rice 6, Dele 6, Barkley 9, Hudson-Odoi 8, Sterling 8, Kane 7. Subs - Ward-Prowse 5, Henderson 6, Wilson 5.

17’ GOAL! Montenegro 1-0 England: Out of nowhere Montenegro have taken the lead! That's their first sniff of goal and they have taken it! It came from a long ball forward, the knock down fell to Vesovic, who shifted the ball on to his right foot and then curled a shot into the far corner of the net! Wonderful finish!

31’ GOAL! Montenegro 1-1 England: England are back on level terms! It was a loopy delivery from Barkley from a freekick on the right side, Keane gets up highest and then directs his header into the far corner of the Montenegro net! Southgate breathes a sigh of relief. They are level again.

39’ GOAL! Montenegro 1-2 England: England have completed the turnaround before half time! Hudson-Odoi cuts in off the left side, shifting the ball on to his right foot and gets the shot away. His shot might have been heading wide, but Barkley was on hand to convert from close range. England are ahead!

54’ England get lucky! That could have been an equaliser for Montenegro. England had THREE chances to clear the danger, but the hosts created a chance only for Beciraj to lash wide on the stretch.

59’ GOAL! Montenegro 1-3 England: It's Barkley again! He has grabbed his second of the night and England now have three! Sterling created the chance, sending a low cross into the middle which was deflected into the path of the Chelsea midfielder who swept home a finish from about 10 yards out.

71’ GOAL! Montenegro 1-4 England: It's a fourth for England and they will pick up three points from this game to take home! It was a rapid counter attack from the Three Lions with Sterling racing down the right side before squaring for Kane. He makes no mistake in finding the back of the net.

80’ GOAL! Montenegro 1-5 England: You just knew that Sterling was going to finish that. Henderson played a wonderful through ball for the Manchester City forward to get on the end of and he calmly sent a low shot past the opposition goalkeeper to give England a four-goal lead.

England have scored 5 or more goals in consecutive matches for the first time since November 1984.

Raheem Sterling has been directly involved in seven goals in his last four England games (six goals, one assist), as many as in his previous 31 apps.

Harry Kane has scored 17 goals in 20 appearances under Gareth Southgate for England.

Ross Barkley scored as many goals in this game as he had done in his previous 26 games for England.