
Key takeaways as England get Euros title defence back on track
Here are the key takeaways from a far better day at the office…
There is a reason Lauren James starts
After England's opening-round defeat to France, much scrutiny had been placed on Sarina Wiegman's decision to hand Lauren James a first start since April.
It seemed there was nothing to worry about, with James a key instigator in the opening stages of the Lionesses' loss, and now it has been proved completely ill-judged.
As Alessia Russo raced onto Hannah Hampton's pinged ball forward on 22 minutes there was no one you would rather see underlapping to her left.
The Chelsea star received the ball on the edge of the box before turning on the pace to move clear of two defenders and whipping a shot at goal that put England ahead.
It was the customary moment of magic that Lionesses fans have come to expect of James and it is exactly why Wiegman has chosen her to start despite a lack of minutes.
If any further vindication was needed, James provided it in abundance during the near 70 minutes she spent on the pitch.
She popped up again perfectly-placed in the 60th minute to turn home a rebound from Ella Toone.
Wiegman finds her formula
Against France, England's midfield looked unbalanced and exposed as Les Bleues sat tight to the likes of Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway.
While the Netherlands gave the Lionesses a far easier time in Zurich, Wiegman's switch to play Ella Toone in the No.10 role and move James out to the right in place of Beth Mead proved revelatory.
Toone played the role to perfection, instigating a high press well and providing needed protection to the pairing of Stanway and Walsh behind.
James was still afforded the freedom to roam across the midfield but operated predominantly off the right.
And if Wiegman needed any more confirmation than a truly dominant display at the Stadion Letzigrund, then James and Toone bagging three of England's four goals on the night will certainly have provided just that.
Russo deserves a goal
Alessia Russo had been unlucky not to open the scoring against France on Saturday after Beth Mead was deemed offside by the barest of margins in the build-up to her first-half goal.
It meant what appeared to be an important opener was overturned by VAR and England's momentum stuttered to an abrupt stop.
Russo had the opportunity to open the scoring once more against the Dutch but sent a glancing header just wide while uncontested in the air.
For the nervous England fans, it looked like a golden opportunity missed but Russo went on to put in a brilliant performance, despite not getting on the scoresheet.
Her hold up play was smart and England's tactic to use her a target for searching balls forward worked to perfection. She first received the ball over the top and set up James' opener, before chasing down another and set up Toone to score.
It looked as if she had finally got her goal when she nodded home in the second half, but once more an offside in the build-up saw it ruled out by VAR.
A hat-trick of assists will have proven just reward in this match, but no doubt she will be chasing that first tournament goal against Wales despite already putting the ball in the net twice.
No signs of missing Earps
Hannah Hampton was a pivotal influence, with her ability on the ball crucial in England's attacking efforts.
Though tested little defensively, her distribution worked to brilliant effect as she earned a pre-assist by pinging the ball out to Alessia Russo, who in turn supplied Lauren James' for the opener.
It is a clear strength of the Chelsea goalkeeper, who Wiegman announced was ahead of Mary Earps in the pecking order earlier in the year.
In the first half, Hampton often positioned herself high between the two centre-backs as if to create a back five and help keep position.
After her display today, it is abundantly clear exactly how Wiegman wants to use the ball-playing attributes of her goalkeeper and why Hampton was the first-choice pick.
Women's football continues to grow
While the tournament is not on our doorsteps in the same way it was in 2022, the Netherlands-England match provided yet another milestone for women's football.
With a full round of group games still to go, the 22,600 here helped set new record for the highest combined attendance across a Women's EURO group stage.
That attendance stands at 287,438 with Switzerland opting to host all their group stage matches at major grounds.
It is another reminder, if at all needed, that women's football is continuing its rapid rise with audiences across Europe and beyond continuing to flock to games in their numbers.
With it being impossible to walk more than 100m without seeing an advert relating to Euro 2025 in Zurich, in Switzerland there is no doubt that everyone watches women's sport.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Colchester sign Forest midfielder Perry
Colchester United have signed midfielder Ben Perry from Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed 20-year-old has signed a three-year contract for the U's and is boss Danny Cowley's fourth signing of the was part of the Forest side which reached the FA Youth Cup final in 2022 before losing to Manchester played 17 games on loan at League One club Northampton Town during the 2024-25 season. Perry told the Colchester website that his loan spell at Sixfields helped with his development."It was invaluable. Going there and into a first team changing room and playing men's football," he said."I've learned so much from my time there, and I'm really hoping to kick on even more this season."Perry never made a first-team league appearance for Forest but did play in the EFL Trophy during both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 begin the new season with a home game against Tranmere Rovers on 2 August.


BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
'A great signing who will suit this squad' or 'all show and no go'?
We asked for your views on the news Spurs have agreed a £55m fee to sign West Ham's Mohammed are some of your comments:Peter: Kudus is a good signing but not a world-class one. He is either a massive part of West Ham's attacking output or an inconsistent player who has quality but can't always reach it. £55m is a bit too much for me and I also think that Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert and Son Heung-min (if he stays) is a lot of competition so Thomas Frank will need to get the best out of him and others. Big price tag. Big player. I'm excited for what is Totally underwhelmed by Kudus. 55p is too much, let alone £55m. Reminds me of Erik Lamela - all show and no Kudus represents a great signing whose playing style will suit this squad. If he can find his feet at Spurs he would be part of a dynamic attack that would grace any Premier League club. With Dominic Solanke, Son, Johnson, Kulusevski, Odobert and Mikey Moore, the options are looking good! Too much to add Eberechi Eze instead of Richarlison?Not a Spurs fan? Find and follow your club herePaul: Not sure about this one as Kudus didn't play much for West Ham and £55m is a bit too much to pay for a Hammers reserve. Would have preferred us to pay the money required for Eze and even Marcus Rashford but you never know how things will turn out as there is still a while to go before the transfer window We've needed a player of Kudus' calibre and quality for so long now. Feels like a Spurs player and I think it's a good Kudus had just three good games last year. Dispossessed too often and inaccurate passing blighted the Hammers. Frank must instil discipline in him. But where's our goal poacher?Josh: Not too sure on this one to be honest. But, always happy to be proven wrong. If he can reignite his form from his first season in the Premier League, then he could be a difference If Frank wants him and can improve him, then it makes sense. Also, this is an experienced PL player, which is important for us.


BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
Doncaster NHS practitioner to swim English Channel for charity
A healthcare worker will take part in a relay swim across the English Channel to support a charity that aims to prevent drowning Bull, an advanced medical practitioner from Doncaster, will take on the 21-mile challenge as part of a team of six women to raise money for SwimTayka, an organisation that teaches children in low-income countries how to Bull, an orthopaedics practitioner at Montagu Hospital, is also raising money for the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) said the other women on her team had been strangers but that their "love of swimming has brought us together and we are so excited for the journey ahead". Ms Bull has previously taken part in the challenging Ironman World Championships and the Ice Swimming World she said this was her first time swimming the Channel and she did not want to let down the charities or her team, who have named themselves the Riptide prepare for the challenge, she has been swimming in either a pool or open water four times a week. 'Truly inspiring' Raising money for the NHS Trust was special, she said, and she hoped it could "improve patient outcomes and working conditions for colleagues".She added the SwimTayka charity was also important to her because she felt "privileged in terms of being able to swim"."I've come across so many people who can't swim, and actually adults as well," she said."It's great they're teaching kids in undeveloped places how to do it - it's a great charity to be involved in."Suzy Brain England OBE, chair of the board at DBTH, said: "Ellie's determination and commitment, both in her clinical role and through this extraordinary fundraising challenge, are truly inspiring."On behalf of the board, we are incredibly proud of Ellie and wish her and the Riptide Racers every success as they take on the English Channel."The team will be on standby to swim between 11 and 18 July, with the exact day being chosen based on the swimming conditions. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.