Georgia Stanway's hat trick helped the Lionesses to a dominant 8-0 win over China at Wembley on Saturday. In the third match of their "Homecoming Series," marking their Euro 2025 triumph, England were completely dominant against a China side who couldn't cope with their tempo or the precision of their attack.
It was also Sarina Wiegman's 50th win in charge of the Lionesses.
England had third-choice goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse making her debut as Wiegman named her strongest possible side, and China were left stunned, shipping five first-half goals. Stanway and Beth Mead both grabbed two in the first half, while Lauren Hemp also scored. Stanway then completed her hat trick with a strike early in the second half with Ella Toone and Alessia Russo also chipping into the rout in front of 74,611 spectators at Wembley.
This comfortable victory was England's third match since the Euro 2025 triumph. The first saw them lose 2-1 to Brazil in Manchester but they followed that up with a 3-0 win over Australia in Derby.
England's first-half display was utterly dominant
China last played together in July ... it showed.
England pulled them apart with ease in the first-half. Whenever the ball was switched to the wings, Lauren Hemp or Beth Mead found ways to get past their markers and the ball inevitably found a white shirt in the box. England could've had more in the first-half, at least another couple to add to the five they scored.
It was the first time since Wiegman got the job that she fielded a defence without Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson, Jess Carter or Millie Bright -- but the back four had little to do in the first 45.
Instead it was Maya Le Tissier (at centre-back) who could dictate so much of the play with long arching balls which bisected the China defence. Hemp and Mead had the freedom of Wembley, Russo's movement caused carnage while the midfield could pick and place defence-splitting passes and England flourished.
The first was a wonderful goal, as Lucy Bronze's cross found Mead who took a neat touch to bring the ball down and then with the outside of her boot, guided the ball past the China keeper. Two quickfire goals followed, to make it 3-0 after 15 minutes with Mead knocking home a pinpoint Ella Toone cross and a Le Tissier pass, finding Russo, who laid it off to Stanway who found Hemp to finish. Job done.
Two further goals followed with Stanway finishing well from the edge of the box and then after a lengthy VAR intervention, Li Mengwen was penalised for a handball and Stanway comfortably slotted home the penalty.
Wiegman brought the changes at half time introducing Lotte Wubben-Moy, Jess Park and Chloe Kelly but the match was long gone by that point. Stanway completed her hat trick in the 52nd minute. By this point England were significantly outscoring their Expected Goals (XG - 2.96 in the 60th minute). Toone added a seventh as she pounced on a woeful bit of goalkeeping and Russo eventually got her goal with a precise finish.
We've been critical of England previously for not being ruthless enough -- take the Brazil match as a case in point where they had 18 shots, three on target and scored just once. Wiegman has also bemoaned their profligacy. But this was an exercise in clinical play and finishing opportunities.
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For England, everything just clicked
Amid the rotation, the familiar faces deliver there's already, quietly, a race on for World Cup spots. After a major tournament, there's usually a fair bit of evolution.
Well-loved players slip to the shadows, and new faces emerge. But that first-half performance by a very familiar midfield and forward group was like they were putting down a marker to those who want their spots. We saw Wiegman name an experimental team for the win over Australia in Derby, but the midfield of captain Keira Walsh, Stanway and Toone, and then the forward three of Mead, Hemp and Russo is a well-established group.
The defence looked more unfamiliar -- Carter rested, Greenwood and Williamson injured, and Bright retired -- but Le Tissier and Morgan did well alongside each other, with Bronze and Niamh Charles having plenty of space from full-back.
That group got the job done in the first half, and it was a procession in the second half as Wiegman made the changes. You do wonder exactly how much Wiegman would have learnt about them up front, but it gave her another chance to see Lucia Kendall in midfield, and Jess Park back after she missed their previous two matches with concussion. She also got to see a new-look centre back partnership of Wubben-Moy (who came on for Morgan at the break) and Le Tissier. That she gave Le Tissier the full 90 would have given Wiegman a key insight into her organisational skills at the back, alongside her wonderful distribution.
She also got to see Taylor Hinds at left-back as they look to assess their depth at full-back. So all in all, a very pleasing evening for Wiegman and a few selection headaches down the line. Exactly what she would've wanted.
Goalkeeping depth tested
Wiegman has used four goalkeepers this calendar year. Hannah Hampton and Mary Earps were fighting it out for the jersey in the run up to the Euros -- with Hampton taking that crown, and Earps retiring.
Hampton was injured for England's match with Brazil in October, so Keating made her debut. Hampton returned against Australia but both Hampton and Keating were injured for the China game -- Keating a late withdrawal after injuring her groin in England's last training session on Friday. That saw the gloves handed to Orlando Pride keeper Moorhouse.
She was there as part of the Euro 2025 squad, and has waited patiently for her chance.
She had a few pesky long throws to deal with in the first half, and had to keep out a late China effort. But this was as comfortable a debut as you'll see. A lifetime goal achieved for Moorhouse, and more experience gathered.