James inspires rout as Lionesses get back on track

From shambolic to sublime, England, the reigning European champions, brushed off fears of a group-stage exit with a thrilling and clinical 4-0 defeat of the Netherlands which puts progression firmly in their hands.

- Suzanne Wrack

Woken by a somewhat humbling 2-1 loss to France on Saturday, a more recognisable England arrived at the 2025 Euros, two goals from Lauren James and one apiece from Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone ensuring a win against Wales on Sunday will be enough to book a place in the knockout stage.

"We finished the game against France and we got cameras and microphones shoved in our face telling us how bad we are, so it was important that we changed the narrative for ourselves and we stuck together," said Lucy Bronze. "Drawing on experiences is obviously a huge part of that. Getting the noise out of your head and getting a different noise in."

The bones of England's defeat by France had been well and truly picked over, and there was a calmness around the England camp in the buildup to a game Toone described as "a final that's come really early in the tournament". In the morning Toone, Leah Williamson, Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo and Beth Mead played Monopoly; Bronze did a puzzle with Michelle Agyemang and Maya Le Tissier.

England know how to win knockout matches, having reached back-to-back major tournament finals, and that was the territory they had entered a little earlier than planned.