The Lionesses' last two fixtures at Wembley might have only been a month or so apart and yet, they could not have been more different. In the first, against Germany, England's defence looked abysmal, though the attack showed some bright moments in a chaotic 4-3 defeat. The second, played aganist the United States on Saturday, was the total opposite, with defensive solidity on show in spades while very little happened up the other end in a goalless draw.
The contrast is telling, representing the imbalance that Sarina Wiegman is trying to resolve as the 2025 European Championships, at which the Lionesses will be the defending champions, loom.
In Germany and the U.S, their last two opponents at the home of English football have been of the highest level, both sides who won Olympic medals at the Games' women's football tournament earlier this year. Going up against opposition of such calibre is always going to highlight shortcomings more, thus helping Wiegman to learn just what she, her staff and her players need to work on before the Euros next summer.
Against Germany, she learned important things about her defence which helped inform the changes made for the visit of the U.S, thus leading to a valuable clean sheet and a much improved performance at the back. However, that came at the expense of any attacking threat, meaning England never really looked like they would win the game. Striking that balance between these two big games is Wiegman's next task.