England returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Finland in Helsinki on Sunday evening, delivering a far more coherent and cohesive display three days after stumbling to a muddled defeat against Greece.
Lee Carsley shelved his free-form tactical plans which produced a grand total of two shots on target in the midweek loss at Wembley, restoring some sort of shape with six changes to his starting lineup. One of those incoming additions, Jack Grealish, kickstarted a comfortable victory which wasn’t entirely devoid of scares.
Trent Alexander-Arnold doubled England‘s lead with a sweetly struck free-kick before Arttu Hoskonen pulled one back for the hosts at a corner. Declan Rice restored the visitors’ two-goal advantage in the dying embers of a much-needed victory.
Here are the figures that underpinned England’s recovery according to 90min‘s player ratings, and those who didn’t play such a key role.
Jack Grealish: 8/10
Grealish scored two international goals across his first 36 appearances for England after switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland. Manchester City’s wide man has now doubled his haul during Carsley’s brief tenure.
Making the type of penetrative dart which had been so lacking from England’s ineffective attack against Greece, Grealish latched onto Angel Gomes’ wonderfully disguised pass and cooly slotted the game’s opening goal beyond Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible goalkeeper, Lukas Hradecky.
“We needed a win today,” Grealish told England‘s media team after the contest. The 29-year-old’s ability to probe while preserving possession was instrumental in securing that victory.
Honourable mention
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 8/10
— England (@England) October 13, 2024
Despite lining up in an entirely new position – shunted onto his unnatural left flank – Alexander-Arnold produced another impressive performance, always looking to pierce the massed ranks of white shirts without neglecting his own defensive duties.
Even before he won a £500 bet with Grealish, topping up his match bonus by stuffing a free-kick into the top corner, the Liverpool full-back had caught the eye. As Carsley beamed post-game: “Trent’s quality speaks for itself.”
So long consigned to the fringes of the England first team despite establishing himself as one of the best right-backs in the world since his early 20s, Alexander-Arnold has “more than earned his space” in the starting XI according to England’s interim boss.
If that is to be at left-back, Alexander-Arnold showed the benefits of having him on that flank by repeatedly and productively combining with his good friend, Jude Bellingham. Although, the player that started in England’s right-back slot didn’t exactly offer a compelling case to retain his position.
Kyle Walker: 4/10
Euro 2024 produced plenty of surprises. But beyond Georgia’s success, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s penalty miss and the unreliability of Germany’s transport network, Kyle Walker’s inclusion in the official team of the tournament has to be the biggest shock.
The 34-year-old right-back seemingly lost all confidence when completing the most basic of tasks, shanking simple square passes out of play while linking up with his long-serving clubmate, John Stones, with all the fluency of a complete stranger.
Walker was left out of Carsley’s squad for the September internationals, but earned a reprieve this month, starting for the interim coach for the first time on Sunday. Without sinking to the depths of last summer, Walker wasn’t much better. The not entirely obvious threat of Aberdeen’s Topi Keskinen gave Manchester City’s skipper plenty of problems while he offered little going forward himself.
Dishonourable mention
Harry Kane: 5/10
Harry Kane was unquestionably the biggest winner from England’s midweek defeat to Greece. The absence of any sustained attacking thrust from a team of double false nines pointed towards a return for the nation’s most prolific number nine of all time.
Kane did not prove to be England’s saviour on Sunday. Offering more grit than glitz, the Bayern Munich striker provided a focal point for England’s midfielders to bounce off without getting into many dangerous positions himself.
England’s record breaker failed to test Hradecky and only had two touches in Finland’s box – fewer than centre-back John Stones.
