England bounced back from their midweek UEFA Nations League defeat against Greece with a 3-1 victory over Finland. Angel Gomes and Jack Grealish combined to open the scoring, with Trent Alexander-Arnold adding a second goal with a sensational free-kick. Declan Rice sealed the win with a third goal before Finland got a late consolation.
Despite the world rankings difference between the two teams, Finland created several opportunities to level the scoring and could have capitalized on England’s defensive frailties. Fredrik Jensen missed a clear chance to equalize shortly after the interval, highlighting Finland’s struggles in front of goal. Ultimately, England were saved by their opponents’ poor finishing and secured a comfortable victory in the end.
The win saw England level on points with Greece in League B Group 2, with the leaders set to face Republic of Ireland in their game in hand. The victory was crucial for manager Lee Carsley’s side to boost their automatic promotion hopes from League B. However, there are concerns about England making the game harder than it needs to be against lower-ranked opposition.
Player of the match was awarded to Trent Alexander-Arnold for his out-of-position performance at left-back and scoring a sensational free-kick. Despite England’s defensive troubles on the right-hand side, Alexander-Arnold contributed to both goals and did well in an unfamiliar position. Finland’s Topi Keskinen also had a standout performance, but was let down by his side’s poor finishing.
Player ratings for Finland included a standout performance from Keskinen, while England’s Grealish and Rice received high ratings. Key moments in the game included Grealish’s opening goal, Jensen’s missed chance, Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick, Rice’s goal, and Hoskonen’s late consolation for Finland. The result will be gratefully received by England, despite some defensive lapses in the match.
Overall, England’s victory over Finland was important for their Nations League campaign, as they aim for automatic promotion from League B. The match highlighted England’s need to improve defensively and be more clinical in front of goal. With tougher opposition ahead, Carsley’s side will need to address their weaknesses to achieve their promotion ambitions in the UEFA Nations League.
