Trent Alexander-Arnold’s amazing free-kick led England to 3-0 win
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It was exactly what Lee Carsley was looking for. Following the chaos of the Wembley loss to Greece on Thursday and the resulting aftermath, particularly the doubts about his future in the England team, this marked a peaceful return to the positive development of his initial training session in September.
It was a comfortable win against a weak Finland team, the underdogs of the Nations League group, England not impressing but doing enough to push the Greece match out of focus. Now Carsley has achieved three victories out of four, including wins against Republic of Ireland in Dublin and Finland at Wembley.
The memorable moment occurred when Trent Alexander-Arnold beautifully scored a free-kick from a left-of-center position, elegantly curling the ball with his right foot to double the lead to 2-0. In the first half, England missed opportunities and Finland failed to capitalize, with Carsley’s team showing they had more potential if necessary. They were not present.
Jack Grealish has thrived under Carsley. This was the third time he started under him and he scored first with a calm finish following a nice flick from Angel Gomes. Declan Rice scored the third goal from a cross by Ollie Watkins after coming on as a substitute, while Arttu Hoskonen’s late consolation goal for Finland, heading home from a corner, was only a slight annoyance for England.
The topic of where Carsley will go after his temporary role ends in November was a significant focus. Response: returning to his previous position coaching the youth team. The other major topic was about the team’s style. The failed full-scale assault on Greece resulted in the perfect headline – Kami-Carsley – and this match was expected to be more traditional since Harry Kane returned from injury to play as the No 9.
In Carsley’s second game, England thoroughly outplayed Finland at Wembley, generating numerous opportunities in a match characterized by control. The plan was to continue in the same direction, so Gomes was brought back to play alongside Rice in midfield.
Gomes was the one who unlocked the defense for the crucial goal, managing to penetrate Finland’s tight 5-4-1 formation. At the beginning, England’s tempo was overly controlled and formal. They possessed the entire ball, favoring patience over passion.
Grealish brought a sense of immediacy, moving quickly from the left side to locate Alexander-Arnold and sprint towards the penalty box. What a beautiful pass it would be by Gomes. He was aware of Grealish’s positioning and, upon receiving the ball from Alexander-Arnold in a central area, he skillfully passed it to Grealish, leaving only Lukas Hradecky as the last obstacle.
The goalkeeper from Finland had been a dominant force at Wembley. Grealish angled his body for the sidefoot shot and celebrated by sucking his thumb in honor of his newborn daughter. He appeared set on taking on a more commonly known position on the left side, a role previously occupied centrally by Carsley.
In the first period, there were some flaws from England, particularly when they tried to start their attacks from the defense, leading to a couple of misplaced passes. Gomes committed an early mistake at 0-0, losing possession and allowing Finland to pass it to Benjamin Källman, with John Stones making a crucial block as he took a shot. Topi Keskinen missed the target after the rebound.
On two occasions before the break, Stones kept up with Keskinen and Källman, matching their pace, but both times the Finnish player managed to pass the ball. Dean Henderson, in his first appearance as a starter for England, saved without difficulty. There was concern about Finland exploiting the blindside of Alexander-Arnold, who Carsley positioned at left-back. In the 38th minute, Nikolai Alho made a pass to Fredrik Jensen, who managed to get past Alexander-Arnold before shooting wide.
Rice had a small opportunity for a 2-0 lead at the 34th minute after receiving a good pass from Jude Bellingham in the box, but Matti Peltola failed to make contact with the ball. As soon as the chance for a close-range shot appeared, Robert Ivanov swiftly returned to close the door.
Marc Guehi shifted positions from left center-half to form a back three as Alexander-Arnold advanced into midfield. However, Guehi’s defending can be described as authoritative. He emerged victorious in several confrontations during the first half, and consistently appeared capable of doing so.
There was concern when Stones was facing his opponent alone. In the 57th minute, when Finland passed the ball to Keskinen on the left, Stones was unable to stop the low cross. Jensen ran the entire distance and then shot from close range. It was a huge escape.
England faced challenges in terms of creativity, making it feel like a difficult task at times. Bellingham frequently found it difficult to maneuver with his fast footwork, but Palmer received little attention. Bellingham is always open and honest. He kept asking for the ball, showcasing his skills, and managed to deceive the Finland substitute, Leo Walta, causing him to commit a foul and earning a free-kick. Grealish promised Alexander-Arnold £500 if he managed to score. Carsley felt that the goal was invaluable.
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