England have had their fair share of wake-up calls as of late and they haven’t always heeded them. This time, though, they finally did what was required.
The Lionesses found their rhythm against France in Saint-Etienne and ironed out the issues which blighted them in Friday’s defeat in Newcastle. In doing so they handed a significant boost to their Euro 2025 qualification hopes.
They are joint-second in Group A3, trailing leaders France by two points with two fixtures remaining. The top two teams in the group automatically progress to next year’s tournament in Switzerland, the others have to endure play-off rounds.
It didn’t need a complete overhaul, rather some fine-tuning. That Sarina Wiegman opted to make no changes other than replacing the injured Mary Earps with Hannah Hampton turned some heads, but that soon faded out of the conversation.
Georgia Stanway delivered the first blow. Then Alessia Russo got in on the act. By half-time England were in the unexpected circumstance of leading 2-0 and it was definitely deserved.
France battled in the second half to try and rescue a result as England became a tad sloppier. All they managed was a consolation goal from the penalty spot after Leah Williamson clumsily fouled Grace Geyoro and Kadidiatou Diani converted, but they couldn’t dent England’s lead further. Hampton had to make a stunning save to deny Marie-Antoinette Katoto in the 89th minute, but Wiegman’s side clung on to a valuable victory.
For the most part, they didn’t play into France’s hands when out of possession, instead they sat back and waited to take their turn. The hosts tried to draw them out of position in the hope of opening gaps they could exploit like they did on Friday, but England learned their lesson.
Their organisational skills often stifled France and also fuelled the hosts’ frustration and that gave England exactly what they needed. Herve Renard’s side left pockets of space, Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp were ready and waiting to dance through them.
Getting into better areas is just one part of the equation, making the most of them matters too. Perhaps it was the enormity of the situation – a chance to get three crucial points in Group A3 – or maybe it was the desire for revenge. Whatever it was, it was necessary.
The reluctance to try things was gone, Stanway made that clear enough when she opened the scoring. Hemp pulled the ball back to the edge of the area, Stanway found herself in space. She could have carried on a passing move but instead she opted to go it alone. Without any hesitation she struck with her laces, sending a rocket past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.
From that moment on, it was clear that England were in for a good night. They’d had the better of the chances leading up to that point – Ella Toone should really have scored when she instead scuffed into Peyraud-Magnin’s hands from close range when one-on-one – and France just looked uneasy.
Russo was there to provide the second on a night where she excelled. She was in the right place at the right time to meet a looping Hemp delivery with a deft header to get the goal her efforts deserved, but her impact went further than scoring.
The Arsenal striker’s tendency to drop deep can sometimes be infuriating, but, if everything else aligns, it instead becomes an important asset.
Here’s how the routine goes: she moves to collect a pass, turning with it as she takes her first touch and begins a crucial period of hold-up play. After that, Mead or Hemp race down the wings. Then she has the liberty of releasing the ball to wherever is best and creating a chance, usually creating a chance for herself. She appears to do all this without a moment’s thought.
What she lacks in Ellen White’s presence in the box she makes up for with the rest of her abilities. It is only when the performance in other areas of the pitch becomes laboured that her efforts don’t quite pay off.
Thankfully, things were better in nearly every area even if they weren’t quite perfect. Having Alex Greenwood in the back line would have been a definite improvement, especially when the defence tired late in the game. There were also still a handful of wayward passes from Lucy Bronze and others in the midfield. Despite their shortcomings, things were much improved.
It became nervy as France threw everything forward to try and snatch a draw and England grew increasingly haphazard, but they were able to hold out. That is all that will matter.
Handing starts to the likes of Aggie Beever-Jones, Jess Park and Grace Clinton who seem consigned to the bench despite stellar club seasons could help breathe new life into this England side. It might, perhaps, have led to more openings and more goals against France. Yet for all the annoyance Wiegman’s lack of rotation brings, her decision isn’t without merit.
England don’t have “easy” friendlies anymore. Attempting to bed players in and risking new talent on pivotal nights could very well backfire; this time sticking to her squad feels a shrewd decision from a master tactician.
Qualification is far from done, but at least it is now a realistic possibility rather than a slim prospect. They are level on points with third-placed Sweden, trail France by just two and have games against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland left to play.
The race to get the top two spots in the group is a three-horse one and if England can replicate displays like this then they will be in a good place. Should they allow themselves to revert to recent form, slipping in standards after seemingly improving, then it would be disappointing.
July’s fixtures will set the tone for the year that follows. Automatic progression will avail them of the burden of a convoluted play-off system. They must now harness the form that drove them to a first away win against France in 51 years into next month’s camp.
