England foiled by VAR call as Italy snatch late draw

England’s World Cup preparations continued in encouraging fashion despite the frustration of a video assistant referee ruling allowing Italy to snatch a 1-1 draw at Wembley.

Four days after securing a deserved win in the Netherlands, tentative optimism continued as England produced a promising display against another big-name absentee from this summer’s finals.

Italy are not the force they once were but this was another assured display by England, even though a familiar lack of cutting edge meant Gareth Southgate’s side failed to build on Jamie Vardy’s firsthalf goal.

Lorenzo Insigne grabbed an 88th-minute penalty leveller after a video assistant referee review.

Referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot after looking at footage of debutant James Tarkowski making contact with Italy substitute Federico Chiesa, but it did not take too much gloss off another solid display in England’s last match before Southgate names his squad for Russia.

The friendly was the England players’ last chance to press

0 Lorenzo Insigne scores Italy’s equaliser from the penalty spot last night. Below, Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring England’s opener. home their case for a place on the plane, with the provisional 35-man squad due in with Fifa on 14 May and the final 23-group required to be finalised by 4 June.

Southgate will have been largely impressed by his side’s performance, although the three-man defence was guilty of the odd hairy moment and Jack Butland did not look as assured in possession as Jordan Pickford did on his audition for the No 1 jersey.

At the other end, patient play was complemented by intelligent attacking transitions, with sparkling Raheem Sterling’s directness causing problems – and leading to the freekick that Jesse Lingard played quickly through for Vardy to fire home.

England should have had more but the lack of cutting edge that has been stark in Harry Kane’s absence continued, allowing Insigne to level after the penalty given away by Tarkowski.