England vs. Malta: Time, Live Stream and Preview for World Cup 2018 Qualifying
Gareth Southgate will undergo his first examination as England caretaker manager when the Three Lions play host to Malta at Wembley Stadium, London, in their second 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
England are currently joint leaders of Group F after beating Slovakia in their opening pool fixture, but a win over Malta would give the home fans something to cheer about following a difficult period for the team.
Southgate's predecessor, Sam Allardyce, left the England manager role by mutual consent in September following a Telegraph investigation into football corruption, and Southgate has had little time to prepare for his first test.
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Read on for all of the necessary details to ensure you don't miss a minute of Saturday's World Cup qualifying action, complete with more discussion of the biggest headlines coming into the clash.
| 1 | Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 3 |
| 2 | England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Lithuania | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| 6 | Malta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
Date: Saturday, Oct. 8
Time: 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Gareth Southgate's Impromptu Interview
Malta may not seem like the most daunting debut opponent for an England manager, but Southgate will undoubtedly be feeling the pressure heading into Saturday's maiden fixture at the helm.
Due to the odd manner in which he was handed the team's reins, the interim chief will likely treat Saturday's performance as a form of interview for the job, and he's already making the hard squad decisions, per Sky Sports News HQ:
Any new manager faces a conundrum regarding whether to shake things up, attempting to really deviate from their predecessor's path or staying true to form and believing those before them may have been on to something.
For Southgate, the former appears to have been the method of thinking thus far, and former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is a fan of some of his early decisions:
Malta are currently on the sour end of an 11-match winless streak and haven't tasted victory since June 2015, a sign of just how poor the Three Lions' group opponents really are.
That being said, Southgate will be taking nothing for granted in a match that gives him an opportunity to exact his style on the team in a bid to keep the manager's job on a permanent basis.
Players Under Pressure
With so much drama surrounding the manager's status in the England squad, it's ultimately down to the players to show their strength by ensuring the team doesn't suffer any embarrassment at Wembley on Saturday.
One player who appeared content with the change in leader recently was right-back Kyle Walker, who addressed the media and praised the increased sense of preparedness under Southgate, per the Press Association:
Another young asset who could light a spark against Malta is Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, who is in line to start alongside club and national team captain Wayne Rooney, and the stats suggest the starlet should feature:
Scotland play host to Lithuania on Saturday and are also hoping to preserve their 100 per cent start to the pool stage after beating Malta in their opener; they will be looking to keep pace with the Three Lions for now.
It would be simple for England to overlook Saturday's fixture as a foregone conclusion, and we could see Southgate's side at their best or their worst depending on how preparations under the new boss have fared.
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