[monks data]
England national football team
Women's European Championship | Group Stage
Jul 9, 2025 at 5pm UK
Stadion Letzigrund
Netherlands national football team

England Women
4 - 0
N'lands Women

FT

England 4-0 Netherlands: Highlights, player of the match, stats as Lionesses roar to emphatic Euro 2025 win

By , Senior Reporter
The Lionesses roar again as rejuvenated England destroy Netherlands at Euro 2025
© Imago
England Women keep their Euros defence alive in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 thrashing of the Netherlands in their second Group D encounter.

England Women kept their Women's Euro 2025 title defence alive in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 battering of the Netherlands in their second Group D battle.

Following the weekend's pitiful opening loss to France, England's display on Wednesday was chalk and cheese to Saturday's disappointment, and Sarina Wiegman's team deservedly went into half time with a 2-0 lead.

A fine Lauren James finish - which followed an outrageous pass from Hannah Hampton - propelled the holders ahead, before a Georgia Stanway thunderbolt doubled England's lead on the stroke of the interval.

There was no let-up from the relentless Lionesses as the second half kicked into gear; James bagged her second of the night on the hour mark, shortly before Ella Toone got in on the act.

A stress-free finale followed as England assumed first place in Group D, albeit having played a game more than France, whom they only lead on head-to-head goal difference amid their three-way points tie with the Netherlands.


SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

England Women's Georgia Stanway celebrates on July 9, 2025

The champions respond in the manner of champions.

Almost everything that could go wrong for England did go wrong against France; Wiegman's players were bombarded on the wings, uncharacteristically failed to hang onto the ball and were toothless up front for 85 minutes.

Just four days later, the Lionesses magnificently rectified those mistakes and then some against a dismal Dutch outfit, who were simply suffocated by a fired-up England side for the entire 90 minutes.

From Hampton's mesmerising passing range, James's ruthless finishing and a tireless midfield trio, this was an evening where everything that could go right did go right for the holders, who would have been at risk of an early exit had they suffered a second straight defeat.

Instead, the Euro 2022 winners have potentially put themselves back in contention for a first-placed finish, and Wednesday's world-class performance is sure to reignite the feeling that the title defence is well and truly back on.


ENGLAND VS. NETHERLANDS HIGHLIGHTS

Lauren James goal vs. Netherlands (22nd min, England 1-0 Netherlands)


Are you Ederson in disguise?

James finishes the move off, but this goal is all about Hampton, as England's number one plays a spectacular long pass right into the path of Alessia Russo.

The Arsenal forward turns her marker and lays off the arriving James, who cuts inside and picks out the top corner with a terrific left-footed strike!

Georgia Stanway goal vs. Netherlands (45+2 min, England 2-0 Netherlands)


The perfect second at the perfect time!

England go two goals to the good just before half time, as the Netherlands fail to properly deal with a James free kick into the mixer, and Russo touches the ball down for Stanway.

Never one to shy away from a long-range rocket, the Bayern Munich midfielder lets fly first time from 25 yards, and her fizzing strike takes a slight deflection before creeping into Daphne van Domselaar's near post!

Lauren James goal vs. Netherlands (60th min, England 3-0 Netherlands)


In case there was any doubt, England will certainly live to fight another day at the Women's Euros!

The effervescent Hemp bursts away from two orange shirts down the right-hand side and sends the ball into the mixer, where Toone's strike hits Kerstin Casparij.

However, the rebound falls kindly into the path of James, who nonchalantly rolls the ball into the bottom corner for her second and England's third!

Ella Toone goal vs. Netherlands (67th min, England 4-0 Netherlands)


A four-midable display from the reigning European champions.

Once again, the Dutch are undone by a long ball over the top, as Jess Carter's audacious pass falls into the path of the charging Russo in the left-hand side of the penalty area.

The 26-year-old checks back and finds her ex-Manchester United teammate Toone, who finds herself under pressure but keeps her balance and drags a low left-footed strike into the far corner.


PLAYER OF THE MATCH - LAUREN JAMES

England Women's Lauren James pictured on July 9, 2025

It almost feels wrong to single out one player from what was an exemplary team performance, but two-goal hero James was at her eye-catching, ruthless and unstoppable best in Zurich.

The Chelsea attacker took her first finish with aplomb, was in the right place at the right time to nab her second and was a perpetual tormentor of the Dutch defence, firing five shots throughout the course of the game.


ENGLAND VS. NETHERLANDS MATCH STATS

Possession: England 52%-48% Netherlands

Shots: England 17-4 Netherlands

Shots on target: England 6-1 Netherlands

Corners: England 4-5 Netherlands

Fouls: England 8-12 Netherlands


BEST STATS




WHAT NEXT?

After taking in tonight's contest between Wales and France, England face the former in St Gallen on Sunday, safe in the knowledge that a win will assure them of a spot in the quarter-finals.

The same is still true of the Netherlands, but their final Group D clash with France in Basel on July 13 is now set to be a tantalising winner-takes-all affair.

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Read more about Alessia Russo Ella Toone Georgia Stanway Hannah Hampton Lauren James Sarina Wiegman Football