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England 8-0 China: Stanway stars as Lionesses seal historic victory
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- England 8-0 China: Stanway stars as Lionesses seal historic victory
England 8-0 China: Stanway stars as Lionesses seal historic victory
The Lionesses returned to Wembley Stadium for the third fixture of their homecoming series, a set of friendlies designed to celebrate their Euro 2025 triumph and prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Up against China , a side with pedigree but currently not in the best of form, England were expected to showcase their strength. What unfolded was not just a win but a statement: England's biggest ever victory at Wembley.
Without a number of regulars through injury, Sarina Wiegman's team still fielded a line-up filled with an array of talent which included Anna Moorhouse , making her debut in goal, alongside Ella Toone , Lauren Hemp , and Beth Mead spearheading the attack. The atmosphere was electric, with supporters eager to see their champions back under the famous arch.
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As it happened
Mead opened the scoring for England in the 12th minute, with England wasting no time at all in asserting their dominance. Mead controlled a very clever pass before finishing clinically to put the Lionesses ahead. She then doubled her tally two minutes later, tapping home after a flowing move. Her brace set the tone for a ruthless afternoon.
Hemp made it three in her return to the side after injury, sliding home to put England all but out of sight after no time at all. The pace and precision of England's attack left China shellshocked.
Georgia Stanway , who had been conducting play from midfield, smashed home a half-volley to make it 4-0.
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After a handball in the area to block a Russo shot, England were awarded a penalty which Stanway coolly converted from the spot. England went into halftime 5-0 up after completely dismantling China's defence.
Stanway completed her hat-trick in the 52nd minute. The Bayern Munich midfielder topped off her performance with a slick finish, sealing the match ball and England's sixth goal. Toone added her name to the scoresheet in the 71st minute, capitalising on a poor clearance from the Chinese goalkeeper Pan Hongyan to finish into an empty net. Her goal was a reward for a creative display that also included three assists.
Russo was the player to well and truly seal the deal, steering home England's eighth and completing the demolition to send Wembley into raptures.
By full-time, the scoreboard read England 8-0 China, a result that underlined not only the gulf in quality but also the depth of England's squad.
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This was Wiegman's 50th win in charge, and it could hardly have been more emphatic. The attacking fluency, pressing intensity, and ruthless finishing left China with few answers. The win bested the previous Wembley record of 6-0 against Portugal , marking this match as a historic moment. This will be a performance to celebrate and a warning to others as the Lionesses now look toward their final Homecoming Series fixture against Ghana .
