Vangelis Pavlidis scored deep into second-half stoppage time to condemn England to a 2-1 UEFA Nations League defeat by Greece at Wembley.

Pavlidis smashed home his second of the match after some sloppy defending in the England penalty area in the 94th minute.

England thought they had secured a draw when Jude Bellingham scored the equalizer with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Still, Lee Carsley’s team – who were second throughout – got what they deserved due to some slack play at the back.

The result marks England’s first competitive defeat at Wembley in four years, and their first ever defeat to Greece, while Carsley suffered a blow in the third match of his interim spell.

Carsley went with an experimental starting

The warning signs were there early from Greece, with Pavlidis curling wide before a disastrous error from Jordan Pickford led to Levi Colwill having to clear a goal-line clearance, while Konstantinos Mavropanos’ header was ruled out for offside.

Palmer broke away from England’s best opener, but Pavlidis’ 49th-minute opener barely came against the flow of play. He dribbled his way through four defenders before curling a neat finish past Pickford – Greece’s first goal at Wembley.

Pavlidis might have had an assist when he took the lead for Giorgos Masouras shortly afterwards, only for the offside flag to deny Greece, who saw another goal disallowed when Pavlidis drifted ahead of play before heading home in the 83rd minute.

Bellingham’s powerful long-range finish looked to have dragged England out of the mud, but Greece had other ideas, and after terrible defending against captain John Stones and his Manchester City teammate Rico Lewis, Pavlidis drilled a deserved winner. for the visitors, who moved three points clear at the top of Group B2.

Carsley tried to give the England fans what they wanted, but by bringing in Gordon, Saka, Foden, Palmer and Bellingham it was a case of too many chefs spoiling the broth.

England had no central point, and the lopsided nature of their team meant that Declan Rice – who was poor – was unable to protect an exposed defense, behind which Pickford was shaky.

Kane will be back soon enough, but Carsley didn’t react quickly enough in the match, and it may give the FA decision-makers cause for concern.

No surprises if you guess this one! Pavlidis was brilliant and well worth his two goals. Indeed, he could easily have scored a hat-trick – at least as he came close early on.

England’s centre-backs simply could not cope with the Benfica striker, who dedicated his first goal to his former national team-mate George Baldock, who died in Athens on Wednesday.

It was an emotional, historic night for Greece that will live long in the memory.

England: Pickford 3, Alexander-Arnold 6, Stones 5, Colwill 6, Lewis 4, Rice 4, Bellingham 7, Saka 3, Palmer 4, Foden 3, Gordon 4. subtitles: Madueke 6, Watkins 6, Solanke 5.

Greece: Vlachodimos 5, Rota 7, Mavropanos 8, Koulierakis 7, Giannoulis 7, Siopis 6, Kourbelis 7, Masouras 7, Bakasetas 6, Tzolis 7, Pavlidis 9*. subtitles: Vagiannidis 6, Pelkas 6, Konstantelias 6, Zafeiris 6, Mantalos 6.

10 – Chance! England 0-0 Greece (Bakasetas): What a disaster Pickford’s could have been! He has been brilliant for England so many times, but the goalkeeper has Colwill to thank for that after a ridiculous mistake. After getting clear to claim a loose ball, Pickford fumbles on it and is robbed of possession. An effort is quickly deflected towards a gaping Bakasetas goal, but Colwill races back to spare his goalkeeper’s blushes and brilliantly hooks the ball off the line.

11′ – No goal! England 0-0 Greece (Mavropanos): From the next corner, England are caught completely at sea, with Pickford twice unconvincingly clearing his line. On the second occasion he misses the ball and takes out one of his teammates, allowing Mavropanos to head home but the centre-back is in an offside position.

22′ – Ma’am! England 0-0 Greece (Palmer): That should be 1-0 for England! Gordon brilliantly manages to create space and poke a pass to Bellingham, who had made a run behind the Greek defense. He squares his marker and lays it back to the onrushing Palmer, but the 22-year-old smashes his effort over the bar from ten yards out. Bad miss!

49′ – Goal! England 0-1 Greece (Pavlidis): There’s the goal, and maybe Carsley should have changed it at half-time after all! England have not been alert and the goal that Greece threatened before half-time comes. It comes via Pavlidis, who brilliantly danced his way through four defenders before heading home past Pickford. He runs to the corner flag and points to the black armband on his arm before taking it off and pointing to the sky, before his teammates pull out a Greek ‘Baldock’ shirt.

59′ – No goal! England 0-1 Greece (Masouras): Carsley should have changed this much sooner, and if he is to get the England job on a full-time basis he will have to be a little more flexible when it is clear that a tactical plan simply won’t work. A long ball down the left leaves the English defense cold, while Pavlidis is released at the back. He controls the ball for Masouras, who takes a swing, but the action is withdrawn for offside.

83′ – No goal! England 0-1 Greece (Pavlidis): Greece think they have a second left after Pavlidis nets the ball from close range. England conceded sloppy possession in their own third tier, with Tzolis capitalizing and moving the ball across for Pavlidis to slot the ball home. But a VAR check shows that the Greek attacker was just offside before the ball was passed.

87′ – Goal! England 1-1 Greece (Bellingham): Out of nowhere, England are level, and it’s that man Bellingham who scores the goal! Never one to back down in a big moment, Bellingham shouts at Palmer to leave it alone as the ball is rolled outside the penalty area. Bellingham meets it with great conviction and sends a vicious side-footed strike towards the right corner. Vlachodimos gets a hand and might have to save it, but instead parries it into the net.

94′ – Goal! England 1-2 Greece (Pavlidis): That’s it now! England thought they had made it, but Greece have what must surely be their winner??? It’s terrible, terrible defending against the Three Lions as both Stones and Lewis fail to clear their lines. The ball falls to Pavlidis and, having set himself up, he drives home past Pickford. This time it will count, and this certainly sets the stage for Greece to claim their first ever victory over England!