Raheem Sterling led a brilliant England performance as they stunned Spain with a 3-2 win in Seville on Monday night.

The Manchester City man scored twice as England’s counter-attack tore Spain apart in the first half, with his pace at the heart of all of the Three Lions’ best play. In the process, he also broke a scoring drought at international level that had lasted over three years.

Here’s a closer look at Sterling’s star turn.

KEY STATS

Goals – 2

Shots – 2

Assists – 0

Key Passes – 1

Passing Accuracy – 75%

Dribbles – 0

30-SECOND REPORT

Playing as part of England’s now-familiar front three, Sterling had a superb game, with his pace making him a threat to get in behind Spain’s defence all night long and earning two goals.

He scored his first with a sumptuous finish past David de Gea, following a lovely through ball from Marcus Rashford, and added a second by serving as a perfect strike partner for Harry Kane, who nodded down a simple ball over the top for Sterling to tap in.

GOT RIGHT

Running

Sterling’s pace is often his greatest asset and so it proved again on Monday night. Spain’s defence couldn’t handle his direct running, as he had the beating of them in a foot-race and thus negated their traditional high line.

Finishing

His finishing can often let him down, but on this occasion, Sterling made no mistake. His first goal was extremely well-taken, as he deceived De Gea by going across his body to find the far corner, before tapping in an easy second.

GOT WRONG

On a night where he scored twice, it’s hard to pinpoint anything that Sterling did wrong. However, he was occasionally wasteful in possession, with his passing rate of 75 per cent slightly below the mark – though it was still the best of any of England’s front three. Given that the team’s passing accuracy was 77 per cent, Sterling’s number was just about par.

He was also dispossessed four times, more than any other player who took the pitch in Seville.

VERDICT 

For a player who hadn’t scored since October 2015, this was a stunning way to remind everyone of his goalscoring prowess. The confidence is flowing through Sterling at the moment, and it was plain to see with his display against Spain.

His pace was perfect for a team geared to play on the counter, while his first goal would have banished most of his demons of playing against De Gea, who’s made him look silly on previous occasions. A stunning performance.

RATING – 9/10