Sarina Wiegman’s side were given plenty to think about by Sweden, who stretched the reigning European champions’ defense to the fullest, despite not having the ball and Fridolina Rolfö’s 64th-minute equalizer being the only shot on target. It’s a display that will leave the England camp with mild consternation at how easily Sweden have been able to get ahead as their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign gets off to a stuttering start.
Wiegman and her assistant Arjan Veurink will have a lot to think about over the next few days, knowing that the Lionesses need to improve defensively. They have been placed in arguably the toughest qualifying group and can’t afford to fall or lose momentum in games like this one if they want to qualify directly for next summer’s tournament.
Relating to: Fridolina Rolfö draws for Sweden against England after Russo opener
What they lacked, especially under the Wembley lights, was pace at the back and this was evident in the pace of Sweden’s attack. Wingers Rolfö and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd were given acres of space to run, while Stina Blackstenius’ direct run put England wide. Having denied the opportunity to send the visitors home with three points in a one-on-one with Mary Earps, they could have been made to pay by the latter later in the game.
This will be cause for concern for fans watching and will increase calls for Leah Williamson to return. The England captain returned to the Lionesses camp for the first time since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament and was named on the bench for the first time in 362 days. His leadership and composure in these stressful moments were hallmarks of their success at Euro 2022; This was something England had at times lacked in his absence.
However, it will be difficult for Wiegman to decide how to break down his back line. What was unusual about this performance was that neither of the centre-back duo of Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alex Greenwood had a bad game. In reality, they fought quite ably on the Swedish front line; they were strong in their duels; reading danger; and can release forward pressure. Greenwood’s passing ability was crucial to England’s ability to push up the pitch.
Where England were most lacking was in midfield, with unusually careless performances from Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway. There was little midfield structure when the two were not in possession, causing England to become tense on the counter. Filippa Angeldal broke the lines in the middle when passing, as her wingers were not afraid to occasionally turn over and move more centrally. This allowed Sweden to bypass the defensive line and left the centre-back pairing particularly exposed. This, combined with carelessness in possession, saw the visitors being able to turn the ball over as the Lionesses pushed upfield.
The goal they conceded was particularly disappointing. With Greenwood occupied by Blackstenius, substitute Rosa Kafaji was allowed to cross at the far post. Lucy Bronze was found in the neutral zone where Rolfo lurked and gave her a free header.
The bright spark of the English night was Alessia Russo’s performance. The 25-year-old actress initially struggled to step out of the iconic Ellen White’s shadow. But Russo seems increasingly comfortable taking on the responsibility of leading Wiegman with each game.
Russo has fond memories of scoring against Sweden: “Russo”, his infamous behind-the-back goal, was scored against Peter Gerhardsson’s team in the Euro 2022 semi-final at Bramall Lane. It was a goal that night that put him in the spotlight and he found his England cap productive. She scored three goals at last summer’s World Cup while working in the front two alongside Lauren Hemp.
This time he spearheaded the front three but looked equally comfortable in his own environment. An early injury to her shin did little to dampen her energy and she scored England’s only goal with a clinical header from Lauren James’ cross. It was his third goal in three games for his country this year and is clearly Wiegman’s preferred choice; Rachel Daly left as a substitute player.
What makes Arsenal stand out from other forward options is not only his ability to finish in different ways, but also the efficiency of his hold-up play. His ability to dominate the ball allows England to have a focal point; They know that this point has the technical ability to drop deep, retain possession and accurately advance to other players on offense.
England will try to achieve success by using his creativity in the upcoming qualifiers. Republic of Ireland will feature in next Tuesday’s historic match at the Aviva Stadium and Wiegman will know that improvement will be key to demolishing an opponent who have proven they are not to be underestimated.