England bounced back from their shocking defeat to Greece with a 3-1 victory over Finland in the Nations League on Sunday. Coming off their first-ever loss to Greece at Wembley just four days earlier, Lee Carsley’s side was under immense pressure to deliver a response. While their performance in Helsinki was far from perfect, moments of brilliance—particularly from Trent Alexander-Arnold—helped secure a much-needed win.
A Shaky Start for England
Interim manager Lee Carsley made six changes to the side that lost to Greece, reverting to a more familiar formation. Dean Henderson was handed his first start in goal, replacing Jordan Pickford, while Harry Kane returned to the lineup after recovering from injury. Jack Grealish, who also missed the Greece match, rejoined the starting XI, along with Kyle Walker, Marc Guehi, and Angel Gomes.
England started on the back foot, struggling to impose themselves early on. A sloppy pass from Angel Gomes deep in England’s half almost gifted Finland an early goal, but Topi Keskinen scuffed his shot wide of the target. Despite the nervy start, England opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a well-executed 17-pass move. Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Gomes, who turned and threaded a brilliant through-ball to Grealish, allowing him to slot home from close range.
Grealish, scoring his fourth international goal, celebrated by sucking his thumb in a heartwarming tribute to his newborn daughter, Mila.
Finland’s Missed Opportunities
Though England took the lead, Finland frequently threatened an equaliser. Keskinen and Fredrik Jensen both had clear chances, but England’s defense—particularly Alexander-Arnold, who was playing in an unfamiliar left-back position—found it difficult to contain Finland’s attack. Jensen missed a golden opportunity from six yards out, blasting the ball over the bar after England allowed the Finnish attack too much space.
Despite Finland’s pressure, their failure to capitalise on England’s defensive lapses would come back to haunt them later in the match.
Alexander-Arnold’s Moment of Magic
In the second half, Carsley made tactical changes, bringing on Ollie Watkins and Noni Madueke for Harry Kane and Cole Palmer. These substitutions injected fresh energy into the attack, but it was Trent Alexander-Arnold who delivered the decisive moment in the 74th minute.
Awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal, Alexander-Arnold stepped up and curled a stunning shot past Finland’s goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, doubling England’s lead. The Liverpool defender’s brilliance gave England the cushion they needed to see the game out.
Declan Rice sealed the victory with a simple tap-in from an Ollie Watkins cross in the 84th minute. Although Finland’s Arttu Hoskonen pulled one back with a header from a corner in the 87th minute, it wasn’t enough to stop England from walking away with the win.
England’s Nations League Campaign Continues
This victory keeps England in the hunt for promotion from Nations League Group B2, but concerns over defensive frailties remain. Interim manager Lee Carsley’s future is still uncertain, with reports suggesting that the Football Association is in talks with former Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel as a potential replacement for Gareth Southgate. England will now prepare for their upcoming fixtures against Greece and Ireland, hoping to build momentum and secure their place in the next stage of the competition.
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