James stars as England kick-start Euros title defence

Lauren James made sure England avoided a major scare at Women's Euro 2025 with a brace in Wednesday's 4-0 thumping of the Netherlands which kick-started the Lionesses' title defence.

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Chelsea star James opened the scoring with a rocket of a shot in the 22nd minute and added a third on the hour mark to cap a superb individual performance in Zurich, where England started the game at risk of elimination following defeat to France in their opening fixture.

James' hugely impressive performance, this time on the right flank, against the meek Dutch came in just her second appearance in a competitive fixture since suffering a hamstring injury in April.

The 23-year-old had been a doubt for the tournament but now looks to be approaching her best form after a shaky start to the tournament against France.

"I enjoyed it a lot. The goals say it all," James said to the BBC.

"We bounced back from our previous game and today we showed we're more than capable of showing the world what we can do."