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LONDON. — England will hope to erase the lingering stain of Sam Allardyce’s embarrassing exit when interim manager Gareth Southgate takes charge for the first time in today’s World Cup soccer qualifier against Malta.

The match kicks-off at 6pm.Just 12 days after Allardyce was forced to quit in disgrace following his indiscreet and offensive comments to undercover newspaper reporters, Southgate and his players desperately need to deliver a positive performance to restore some lustre to the English game’s tarnished reputation.

When Southgate fills out the team-sheet ahead of the Group F clash at Wembley, he will become the third England manager to undertake that task in the country’s past three fixtures.

Roy Hodgson quit immediately after England’s Euro 2016 humiliation against Iceland, while Allardyce lasted only one match — a 1-0 victory in the opening qualifier against Slovakia — before being forced to fall on his sword.

Even for a team with England’s dismal track record over the last two decades, those debacles were especially galling and former captain Alan Shearer summed up the mood of many when he claimed the national team are a laughing stock in the eyes of the rest of the world.

Handing the reins to Southgate, who had been working as England’s Under-21 coach, for the next four matches buys the Football Association time to search for Allardyce’s replacement.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would be the FA’s dream choice and, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, he has intriguingly refused to rule out taking the job so far.

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can testify to Wenger’s many qualities, but he has been impressed by the diligent Southgate and believes he will help steady the ship for now.

“Everyone knows about Arsene Wenger, what a great manager, but right now there’s a lot going on and all I’m focused on is Gareth,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said. — AFP.