England back on track with inspiring second-half performance against Finland
England put Finland to the sword in Sunday’s UEFA Nations League action, securing a 3-1 victory at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
Based on England’s results against the Finns in the 21st century (W2, D1), three points against FIFA’s #64-ranked nation were supposed to be a routine task.
However, the beaten Euro 2024 finalists stuttered in another lethargic first-half showing, casting further doubt on the tactical approach and the team’s mental resilience.
Caretaker manager Lee Carsley made five changes to the starting line-up that slipped to a disheartening 2-1 loss to Greece on Thursday, reinstating Harry Kane at the heart of the attack.
However, the Bayern Munich superstar delivered a near-anonymous performance for over 60 minutes before being subbed off for Aston Villa talisman Ollie Watkins.
Angel Gomes and Jack Grealish, who missed out on England’s first-ever defeat against the Greeks, combined to propel the Three Lions to an early lead.
Gomes’ inch-perfect pass between the lines released Grealish one-on-one with Lukas Hradecky, with the Manchester City ace breaking the deadlock with a composed finish from close range.
England spent the remainder of the first half slowing the tempo with meaningless passage of plays, increasing possession with no end product, something they used to do under Gareth Southgate.
Despite barely having a lengthy spell of possession, Markku Kanerva’s side threatened Dean Henderson’s goal multiple times before half-time, taking advantage of England’s nonchalant defending.
Finland nearly drew level at the start of the season half, but Fredrik Jensen skied the ball over the crossbar from only a couple of yards out after latching on to a delightful cutback from the left flank.
As often happens in football, the Nordic side would soon come to regret several wasted opportunities.
According to The Mirror, Carsley ignored Gary Neville’s warning over misusing Trent Alexander-Arnold against Finland, deploying the Liverpool stalwart as a midfielder again.
This time, it paid off. The 26-year-old doubled England’s lead with a brilliant free-kick goal midway through the second half, grabbing a fitting reward for a decent performance.
Only ten minutes after Trent’s masterpiece, Watkins set Declan Rice on a silver platter, with the Arsenal midfielder tapping the ball home from inside the six-yard box to make it 3-0.
Finland replied almost instantaneously.
Arttu Hoskonen sneaked into the near post to head home a teasing corner-kick delivery and give the home team a well-deserved consolation goal.
England reacted well after the Wembley Stadium heartache to draw level with Greece at the top of Group B2, leaving Finland nailed to bottom without a point from four matches.