England’s impressive 1-0 victory over Spain brought a huge sigh of relief for Lionesses fans on Wednesday evening.
After a disappointing 1-1 draw with Portugal on Friday, Sarina Wiegman‘s side needed to show signs that they were gearing up for a defence of their European Championship crown this summer.
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It was the first time the nations have met since the World Cup final heartbreak of 2023 for England, and just days after the outcome of the Luis Rubiales case in Spain.
Competing in the Women’s Nations League, the tournament provides the ideal warm-up for this summer’s Euros in Switzerland.
Manchester City‘s Jess Park scored the only goal in the 33rd minute as Alessia Russo broke through Spain’s defence.
Russo – who has scored eight goals in the WSL so far this season for Arsenal – struck towards Spain keeper Cata Coll, but Park was on hand to turn in the rebound.
Park was not the only one to put in an impressive display though. Lauren James gave Spain’s defenders a headache on the wing, Lucy Bronze fought for every ball from tough opposition, and Millie Bright was dogged in defence.
But despite the victory at Wembley Stadium, there’s a chance the result has left Wiegman with more questions than answers.
England’s no.1 – Earps or Hampton?
Dropping England’s usual number one given her iconic penalty save against Spain in the World Cup final, felt like a strange decision from Wiegman.
However, the choice to swap the PSG star for Chelsea‘s Hannah Hampton proved to be the right one.
Good on her feet and quick to react, Hampton made a number of vital saves throughout the game – including one which denied Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s The Kickback, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Chloe Morgan echoed her sentiment, adding: “Hampton is so good with her feet and cool, calm and collected. But then Mary Earps has been in major tournaments, she’s got that confidence in her.”
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Shebahn Aherne described it as a “good problem for Sarina Wiegman” in what will prove to be a selection headache.
“Hampton has really made her mark” host Aherne added. “She’s gone away, done some maturing, being at Chelsea has given her the edge over Mary Earps.”
With Hampton’s impressive performances at club and country – as Chelsea compete in four competitions – Wiegman will be mulling over which keeper she chooses to hand the number one jersey to this summer.
Strength in depth
If anything came of Wednesday’s victory, it’s England abundance of talent across the pitch.
Even with some key absentees – Beth Mead, Georgia Stanway, Alex Greenwood, and Lauren Hemp – the win proved the strength of England’s young stars.
Goalscorer Park was a standout, as well as Lauren James, but the depth of the squad meant Spurs’ Jessica Naz and Chloe Kelly came on with impact late in the game.
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Nikita Parris – who has returned to the squad after a two-year absence – was met with cheers when she came on in the 64th minute.
“She’s taken the knock-backs. It shows that you can leave Man United, move further down the league to another team and take your moment to get back in” Aherne said.
Morgan added: “It does feel a little bit like the 2022 squad in a way because you’ve got that blend of youth coming in, but also experience.
“You’ve got Millie Bright, who was an absolute rock at the back and you’ve got someone like Jess Park just finding her feet with the England squad – the wing play from her was absolutely unreal.”
“I think it’s just good for competitiveness all-round and that kind of thing just raises the standards,” she continued.
“When you’ve got players of Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp’s calibre waiting in the wings and ready to come back – that feels a bit scary.”
How England could line-up at the Euros
After a strong performance to cap off the international break, England’s starting XI over Spain could be one which we can get used to seeing.
The dilemma between Earps and Hampton will remain toing and froing until the summer, but Wiegman’s trusty defence is likely to stay the same.
Millie Bright and Leah Williamson can partner at centre-back, though Alex Greenwood is a usual favourite on the backline despite missing this camp through injury.
Lucy Bronze has staked her claim over right-back, but where Greenwood takes up left-back, Chelsea’ Niamh Charles showed signs of excellence against the world champions.
The midfield, whilst without Georgia Stanway has seen Man United’s Grace Clinton step in, alongside Keira Walsh and Ella Toone.
Wiegman will likely use Toone as an impact substitute, or to rotate with Clinton alongside Walsh and Stanway.
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Up front, Alessia Russo takes the favoured spot for number nine, and whilst Lauren James looks impossible to drop, she has played in midfield before for England and excelled.
Mead and Hemp are likely to be Wiegman’s wingers, though Park, Chloe Kelly, Naz and Parris are all strong options.
The Lionesses are next in action on April 4 against Belgium as they continue their Nations League campaign.
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