Disappointment emanated from the Lionesses after Friday’s 2-1 loss to France made the terrain ahead a lot tougher as the defending champions seek a place at Euro 2025. England slipped to third in Group A3 at the midway point of their qualifying campaign, behind France and Sweden, 3-0 victors in the Republic of Ireland.
Tricky away ties lie ahead, starting with France in Saint-Étienne on Tuesday. Only the top two qualify automatically for next summer’s tournament in Switzerland, with the playoffs a scenario England are keen to avoid. They have collected four points from their first three games and are five adrift of France and level with Sweden, who have a marginally better goal difference.
Sarina Wiegman must now address what went wrong at a packed St James’ Park and decide how England can put things right with three games to play. It was the Lionesses’ first defeat in a World Cup or Euros qualifier since May 2002, when they lost to Germany. However, while the blow of ending that 22-year run paints a grim picture, this campaign was never going to be straightforward.
For the first time, the more competitive Nations League format will decide qualification for the European Championship and England are in a “group of death” with Euro 2022 semi-finalists France, the 2023 World Cup bronze medallists, Sweden, and the only team in pot four to have qualified for the 2023 World Cup, the Republic of Ireland.
These fixtures arrive shortly after gruelling club campaigns, with the next set coming in July, deep into the off-season for players from the winter leagues. There are further complications unique to this campaign, with Fifa scrapping the July and September windows from 2026.
On Friday, England were punished for their profligacy and lack of creativity in the final third by a patient France side. The hosts had welcomed the return of the Euro 2022 captain, Leah Williamson, and her deputy, Millie Bright, the pair playing together for the first time since February 2023, but their rustiness showed.
The decision to drop Alex Greenwood in order to play them was a bold one, with Greenwood critical to England’s World Cup campaign and arguably the most consistent and effective centre-back in the Women’s Super League over the past two years. Having her on the bench meant the Manchester City defender’s threat from set pieces was sorely missed.
Instead, it was France who capitalised from dead balls. England took a first-half lead through Beth Mead, but were pegged back by Élisa de Almeida’s unstoppable volley before Marie-Antoinette Katoto won it, with both goals coming from corners. That is a concern to be worked on before the reverse fixture.
“The two set pieces were two very, very good finishes, we’ll review it and see how we can change,” said the midfielder Georgia Stanway. “We knew they were going to be dangerous on that, so that’s something we should have been able to solve in those moments.”
Despite a dominance in possession, England failed to create many clearcut chances, 58% of the ball only yielding two shots on target to France’s four. There was a lack of creative flair, the absence of Lauren James’s unpredictability keenly felt.
James will be missing with a foot injury from Tuesday’s game, so finding solutions to that problem will be critical. The introduction of Fran Kirby with 11 minutes remaining provided that attacking impetus, but it was too little too late.
England are also likely be without their first-choice goalkeeper in Saint‑Étienne; Mary Earps left St James’ Park on crutches after suffering a hip injury that is being assessed.
Wiegman waited to make changes because “if you bring other players in then the dynamics change – which sometimes we want because you want new energy, but I still thought we did well”. She added: “Then we conceded and we had a chat about what kind of midfield we wanted … That’s why we waited a little longer.”
The manager is not wrong, England did not play poorly in possession, but doing well and looking like you will score are two different things.
Kirby entered the fray alongside the Euro 2022 final match-winner, Chloe Kelly, and the XI on the pitch contained a host of Euros-winning experience. But were Kirby and Kelly the right players? Neither has played consistently this season, Kirby edging towards the Chelsea exit door and Kelly out of form and dropped to the bench in favour of Mary Fowler at Manchester City.
The hugely impressive attacking trio of Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Park, somewhat unknown entities on the international stage, remained on the bench. Wiegman must decide whether that next generation of talent are ready, but England need to find their attacking rhythm and the injection of new blood and fresh energies could transform the dynamics of the team.
England need a win in France to revive their hopes of avoiding the playoffs. Failure to qualify directly from the group would be a huge knock to the credentials of a side hoping to retain their title and the games ahead offer the trickiest test of Wiegman’s tenure.
“All eyes are on Tuesday,” said Stanway. “We’ll do whatever we can to fight for us and to fight for our place in the Euros.”
• This article was amended on 2 June 2024. France were semi-finalists at Euro 2022, not runners-up as a previous version stated.
