Defoe stakes England claim with commanding show

West Brom 1 Tottenham 1

With Eriksson due to name his squad this weekend for the opening group matches against Austria and Poland early next month, Tottenham striker Defoe gave a command performance as both sides maintained their unbeaten starts to the season.

Defoe grabbed Spurs’ 34th-minute equaliser after Zoltan Gera had crowned his first start for West Brom with the opener inside three minutes. Remarkably, Spurs manager Jacques Santini proved a law unto himself as he replaced the inspirational Defoe midway through the second half. Although it allowed Robbie Keane his first action this season after recovering from an ankle ligament injury, beyond that the game ground to a stalemate.