England bounced back from Saturday's historic loss to France with a statement win over the Netherlands on Wednesday, romping to a 4-0 result which keeps their European Championship title defence alive.
There was plenty of reason to criticise the Lionesses after their opener, with Les Bleues controlling the majority of the game and dominating in a manner that their 2-1 victory didn't reflect, but Sarina Wiegman's side hit back with a fantastic display under the highest pressure in their second outing, avoiding a defeat that would've sent them crashing out of the tournament after only two games.
Knowing that even a draw would take their destiny out of their own hands, England were on the front foot from the word go, with Lauren Hemp putting Manchester City team-mate Kerstin Casparij under the cosh down the left and delivering crosses that both Lauren James and Alessia Russo might've done better with. The opening goal, though, came from all the way back in the Lionesses' own box, as Hannah Hampton threaded a beautiful pass through for Russo in behind the Dutch defence, and she teed up James to find the back of the net with a powerful hit.
Despite taking the lead, England never took their foot off the pedal, and Georgia Stanway doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time with a sweet strike from the edge of the box. James then made it three on the hour and Ella Toone added a fourth not long after, as the Lionesses consistently dissected the Dutch defence.
After the doubts created by the France defeat, this was a reminder that England are a serious contender for the Euro 2025 title, with their spot in the quarter-finals now able to be secured with victory over Wales on Sunday.
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