England’s defeat by France on Friday sparked a resurgence in the Lionesses, reminiscent of their performances that led to European glory two years ago. After a 2-1 loss in Newcastle, England found themselves five points behind France in their Euro 2025 qualifying group, with only one win, one draw, and one defeat from their first three games.
In response to their indifferent form, captain Leah Williamson rallied the team for a crucial discussion ahead of Tuesday’s rematch in France.
The team talk proved effective. England exacted revenge in Saint-Étienne with a 2-1 victory, showcasing a stunning first-half performance that echoed their Euro 2022 success. Although France mounted a strong second-half response, Sarina Wiegman’s side held firm through a tense finish to secure a vital win.
“We needed that. We had some good talks after the last game,” said midfielder Georgia Stanway, who opened the scoring with a stunning 20-yard strike.
“Leah [Williamson] just rounded us all up and we said we weren’t satisfied with the way it’s been. We need to up our level.
“We know it will take an even better, faster, more physically stronger and more technical team to win the Euros next year.
“[Tuesday’s win] is a massive step in the right direction because we’ve beaten a team that beat us a few days ago with the possession that we want.”
It wasn’t just the victory that gave England a boost – it was their performance in the first half that swept France away.
England’s centre-back pairing Williamson and Millie Bright were on top form, Lauren Hemp added a further two assists to her name and Alessia Russo was outstanding up front, hurrying and harrying the French defence.
But what was equally as impressive, was the way England battled through a scrappy second half and held on to fight off France’s relentless pressure.
“Every single player was on it both in and out of possession. We battled like hell,” added Stanway.
“We’ve had some games in the past that we maybe would have won and have not been satisfied with the way we played. But [Tuesday] was different.
“We know we need to take that to the next level and constantly demand it every single game.”
‘We proved people wrong’
Last week’s slip in England’s qualifying group raised doubts about the team’s form. Sloppy possession and a lack of unpredictability had become recurring issues this year. However, striker Alessia Russo believes England has silenced their critics and demonstrated their capability to perform at a high level.
“We wanted to show our standards, we wanted to show where we want to go as a team. We saw that [on Tuesday],” Russo told BBC Radio 5 Live. Emphasizing the importance of the match, she added, “We knew there was no other thing than three points. We knew it was business. As soon as we scored, we went to get the ball to start again. We’re England, we’re the champions of this tournament. Our standards probably haven’t been where we want them to be.”
England’s victory in Saint-Étienne showcased their determination and reaffirmed their status as a top team, proving that they are still capable of delivering top-tier performances.
‘This is the standard – how we want to play’
England’s defensive resolve against France was key to their 2-1 victory, with the team limiting their opponents to just two shots on target. When Marie-Antoinette Katoto breached the midfield, three England players were back to defend, with Lucy Bronze and Chloe Kelly making crucial blocks in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton also made a superb save, diving low to her left to prevent a late equalizer.
Defender Jess Carter highlighted the team’s renewed fighting spirit. “There was a bit of extra fight,” Carter said.
“The standards haven’t been good enough for a while. It’s not out of a lack of trying, but we just haven’t found something else to lift us when things aren’t necessarily going our way. We’ve got to keep fighting and grind our way through it, which is what this team has shown we can do. That was the difference [on Tuesday] – the fight.”
Head coach Sarina Wiegman expressed frustration over the “unnecessary” goals England conceded last week from set-pieces but noted the team’s determination to improve.
“We were really determined to do that better and to show, first of all to ourselves, but everyone else too, that we can beat France,” Wiegman said. “This is the standard – how we really want to play – and now we want to work hard every second of the game to be able to stay up there.”
