The Lionesses just can’t stop making history.
It has been some year for Sarina Wiegman and her England side. First, in July, they became European champions for the first time ever and now, they have won the first Women’s Finalissima, beating Brazil 4-2 on penalties.
Ella Toone had given England a first half lead after some incredible build up play that saw Lucy Bronze getting in behind the Brazil defence before expertly pulling the ball back for the Manchester United star to fire past Leticia. The Lionesses looked to have won the game in normal time, but a rare mistake from Mary Earps in the England goal led to Andressa Alves equalising in stoppage time and a penalty shootout.
Step forward Chloe Kelly, who dispatched her penalty confidently to give herself another match winning Wembley moment and secure another trophy for the Lionesses.
After even more success, the focus now switches to the 2023 World Cup, where England will look to make an even bigger name for themselves on the world stage, where they are second favourites to lift the trophy, just behind holders and four-time winners USA.
The Lionesses made it all the way to the semi-finals in 2019, but will be hoping to go one better in Australia and New Zealand and these stats show just why England fans can be quietly confident about bringing home the famous trophy.
Sarina’s unbeaten record
Since being appointed in August 2020, Sarina Wiegman has set record after record as England’s head coach and her unbeaten run now stands at an incredible 30 matches. Yet to taste defeat in charge of the Lionesses, she boasts a more than impressive 83.3% win ratio as well lifting the European championship trophy, retaining the Arnold Clark Cup and winning the aforementioned Finalissima against Brazil.
Not only has she turned England into a winning machine, but she has done it in style, setting a new national record with a 20-0 win over Latvia during qualfying for the tournament and deservedly being named The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, to become the first ever woman to win the award three times.
England's form since Sarina Wiegman's appointment:
WWWWWWDDWWWWWWWWWWWW(?)WWWDWDWWWW(?)
?iegman. pic.twitter.com/7YvaykZqJa
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 6, 2023
Penalty hoodoo finally lifted
Whether it’s the men’s side or the women’s side, history dictates that England have never been any good in penalty shootouts. Against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, Eric Dier’s spot kick sent the Three Lions through to the quarter-finals and in the process England won a World Cup penalty shootout for the very first time in their history.
England Women's all time record in penalty shootouts:
❌ 4-3 vs Sweden
❌ 4-3 vs France
✅ 4-2 vs BrazilA new feeling for the Lionesses. ?#Finalissima pic.twitter.com/kKzCjeY7G0
— Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) April 6, 2023
Just like the men, the Lionesses have also struggled when it goes to a penalty shootout, but against Brazil at the Finalissima, they put things right to win a shootout for the very first time, a new skill they might need in Australia and New Zealand when it comes to the latter stages of the tournament.
Ella Toone’s goalscoring record
With the Lionesses all-time goalscorer Ellen White retiring and Beth Mead having suffered an ACL injury last December, England need someone to replace their goals in the side. White scored 52 times in 113 appearances during her international career, including 10 at major tournaments, which is the joint-record for any men’s or women’s player for the national side. Mead, who has not been totally ruled out for July’s World Cup, has an even more impressive goals-per-game rate, with 29 in 50 caps.
Step forward, Ella Toone. The Manchester United star also has an strong record so far for the Lionesses, averaging a goal every other game since she made her international debut in February 2021 against Northern Ireland, with no other player in the current squad scoring more in that time (16 in 30 caps).
Ellen White has scored more goals for the #Lionesses than any other player (52).
No man or women has scored more goals at senior major international tournaments for England (10).
Enjoy retirement, @ellsbells89. ? pic.twitter.com/nB67QdMta2
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 22, 2022
Chloe Kelly – the clutch creator
Chloe Kelly has now stepped up twice to win a trophy for England, first scoring the winner in the Euro 2022 final, creating an iconic photo and now scoring the winning penalty in the Finalissima for another magic moment at Wembley.
But away from the international stage, the Manchester City forward has also been killing it in the WSL this season, creating more chances (56) than any other player in the division and creating more chances per 90 (3.8) than any other player in the top-five European leagues in 2022/23. By registering six assists and ranking in the top seven for dribbles completed per 90 (1.7) she is the full package, that could complete the hat-trick for another clutch moment for the Lionesses, this time in the World Cup final.
3.8 – Chloe Kelly has created 3.8 chances per 90 minutes in the Women's Super League this season, the best ratio of any player across the women's top-five European leagues in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain (min 1,000 minutes played). Vision. pic.twitter.com/suJcMZIeKF
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 6, 2023
Lauren James – take-on queen
“I believe she is the best women’s footballer in the world, and will be for the next 10-15 years, without doubt. “She inspires me every day and will continue to.”
Reece James said this about his sister Lauren in a Twitter Q&A back in November 2022, and she is well on her way to making his words come true. After a host of impressive displays for club and country that saw her get rave reviews from pundits and fans alike, the Chelsea winger was named player of the tournament for the Arnold Clark Cup and has continued to improve in her nine caps for the national side, scoring her first goal against South Korea in that exact same tournament.
This season in the WSL, Lauren has completed more take-ons per 90 than any other player (2.4), which is an even more impressive stat when you find out she has completed 70.6% of these dribbles, which is a better success rate than any other player to complete 1.3 or more take-ons per 90 this campaign.