How the Arsenal players fared during March international break

Oh, how you naively thought the March international break was going to offer you some respite!

15 Arsenal players were in action for their respective countries, with the start of Thomas Tuchel's reign as England manager and some tasty UEFA Nations League quarter-finals boasting Gunners interest meaning that football surely wasn't avoided during the domestic interval.

However, with so many of Mikel Arteta's squad involved in international action, keeping track of all developments across the globe, despite the brilliance of social media, means you may not be aware of how the 15 representatives got on.

So, let's make sure you're up to date ahead of a weekend of FA Cup action and Arsenal's Premier League return next week. Here's an overview of the March international break from a Gunners perspective.

England duo contribute at start of Thomas Tuchel's reign

Tuchel may be at the helm, but England played out a pair of familiar-looking qualifiers in March. Albania and Latvia were swatted aside without much fuss, and we all watched on as Hale End graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly stepped up on the international stage.

The teenager's 20th-minute strike against Albania meant he become the youngest player to score on their Three Lions debut, and he's certainly got a new super fan in Tuchel. The German was quick to laud Lewis-Skelly's character and personality after teaming up with the England squad for the first time, and he started again on Monday night.

The 18-year-old performed a more distinct inverted full-back role against Latvia, often partnering Declan Rice in midfield when England had the ball - which was for much of the contest. Rice, like his teenage clubmate, also started both games. Such occasions are good practice for the midfielder to develop as a #6 against deep-lying defences. He recorded an assist for Harry Kane against Latvia, bursting into the box and crossing for the inevitable forward.

Ethan Nwaneri's time in the senior set-up will come, but he nonetheless earned a first call-up to Lee Carsley's U21 squad in March. His first start came against Portugal on Monday, and the 18-year-old fired home England's second with a finish which is very close to earning a patent.

Joy and despair in the Nations League

Over in the Nations League quarter-finals, there was joy for Spain's Mikel Merino as he scored in the first leg of their eventual victory over the Netherlands. Jurrien Timber was on the beaten side, while David Raya didn't feature in goal for the European champions.

Spain have been joined in the finals by William Saliba's France, who overcame a 2-0 first leg deficit to Croatia and advanced on penalties. Saliba struggled in the first leg away from home but was part of a much-improved French display on Sunday evening.

Kai Havertz will hope to be fit for the summer finals after Germany edged past Germany after a frantic couple of fixtures. Riccardo Calafiori returned home after suffering a knee injury, which will keep him out of action for the next couple of weeks.

Leandro Trossard's Belgium were not involved in the quarter-finals, but they did face off against Ukraine in a promotion/relegation play-off. The Arsenal man wasn't a notable contributor as the Red Devils rallied in the second leg and retained their place in League A by winning 4-3 on aggregate. Oleksandr Zinchenko played 180 minutes for Ukraine in midfield and wing-back roles.

Kieran Tierney was involved in Scotland's collapse against Greece, making substitute appearances in both games. The Scots won 1-0 away but were torn apart on the counter-attack at home and will compete in League B for the next Nations League cycle.

The rest of the action

Martin Odegaard's World Cup qualifying campaign started on the brightest of notes as his Norway team recorded a pair of victories. The skipper recorded an assist in their 5-0 thrashing of Moldova before producing a masterful showing in a significant 4-2 victory over Israel on Tuesday night. Odegaard set up three of Norway's goals, including Erling Haaland's strike, which ended the contest.

Poland's qualifying campaign started with a pair of efficient wins, and Jakub Kiwior completed 180 minutes against modest opponents without conceding.

Further afield, Gabriel's booking during Brazil's dramatic 2-1 victory over Colombia meant he returned to north London earlier than expected - and before the Selecao faced fierce rivals Argentina on Tuesday night.

In CAF World Cup qualifying, Thomas Partey enjoyed himself for Ghana as he recorded an incredibly rare brace in their 3-0 victory over Madagsacar. Ghana's two wins in March has seen them take control of their qualifying group.

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