England responded to their shock home defeat to Greece with a 3-1 win over Finland in Helsinki, ensuring Lee Carsley’s side remain in charge of their Nations League group and getting the interim head coach's audition for the permanent job back on track.
Goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice and a return to a conventional line-up meant this game felt far more like a standard autumn international for England than Thursday’s disasterclass at Wembley.
It was not thrilling and nor were England perfect, but they got the job done and with Harry Kane (largely anonymous) returning and Angel Gomes (eye-catching) coming into midfield for his second start under Carsley, the visitors were back in a coherent structure.
There were still unconventional tweaks from Carsley, including the impressive Alexander-Arnold playing at left-back for the first time in his career and a second cap for goalkeeper Dean Henderson, with Jordan Pickford missing a competitive international for the first time in two years after a jittery performance midweek.
England were still more open defensively than they might have been under Carsley's predecessor Gareth Southgate, with Fredrik Jensen firing over the bar from great positions in each half.
England, though, also produced some impressive attacking flourishes, including the opening goal by Grealish following Gomes’ sublime round-the-corner pass.
There is increasingly doubts over whether Carsley actually wants the job permanently and is even in the frame but, if he in contention, this was a decent enough way to boost his chances.
Grealish stars again
For all the talk of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer – and how Carsley could fit all three into the team – here was another reminder that England have another talented option in the forward line in Grealish.
The Manchester City playmaker started last month’s games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, when Foden, Bellingham and Palmer were all missing, and returned to the XI in Helsinki, with his City team-mate Foden dropping to the bench and Bukayo Saka injured.
Playing from the left, Grealish broke the deadlock with a smart run and finish in the 18th-minute, starting the move with a pass to Alexander-Arnold before collecting a brilliant pass from Gomes and side-footing home.
It means Grealish, who scored in Dublin in Carsley’s first game in charge, now has two goals in three games under the interim head coach, the same number he managed in 36 appearances under Southgate.
The opener capped another lively display from new-dad Grealish, who managed to give England width and balance down the left, while maintaining his threat in central areas. Palmer had some bright moments but was less effective on the right and replaced for the final 20 minutes by Noni Madueke.
Saka will likely return to contention next month, leaving Carsley facing the same headache of how to fit all his forwards into the team. Grealish, though, has earned the right to be included in the conversation, if not the manager’s best XI.
Carsley England too open defensively
In the end, the result was relatively comfortable for England, with Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant 25-yard free-kick effectively ending the game as a contest in the 74th-minute. Rice tucked in England’s third before the end – like Grealish, he has two goals under Carsley – to add gloss to the scoreline.
England, though, had some wasteful finishing from Jensen to thank for not being pegged back at 1-0, with the striker twice missing the target in good positions.
His second effort, at the start of the second half, was a particularly poor miss, the Augsburg midfielder scooping a shot over the bar from a six yards out.
When Artu Hoskonen easily headed home a late consolation from a corner, it was no less than Finland deserved for the chances they fashioned on the balance of play.
Giving up chances has been a theme of Carsley’s England, even in the three games where they have shown more coherence in attack, and tightening up defensively without losing any threat in the final third is the coach’s challenge for next month’s games.
Carsley and his players can reflect on a solid job in Helsinki but the Republic of Ireland and Greece, who England play in November, should feel this is a side which can be exploited.
