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England recovered from their humiliating UEFA Nations League defeat to Greece but remained far from convincing as they secured a 3-1 win over Finland. Interim manager Lee Carsley made six changes from the debacle at Wembley, including replacing Jordan Pickford with Dean Henderson in goal, but the team only pulled away as Finland, ranked 64th, ran out of steam in the latter stages.
Jack Grealish eased England’s early jitters, finishing calmly from Angel Gomes’ pass in the 18th minute. However, Finland had multiple chances to capitalize on England’s sluggish performance, with Fredrik Jensen the main culprit, missing key opportunities to increase the pressure on Carsley’s side.
It wasn’t until the 74th minute that Trent Alexander-Arnold, playing at left-back in another tactical experiment, produced a moment of real quality. His stunning 25-yard free-kick curled past Finland keeper Lukas Hradecky to give England breathing space. Declan Rice added a third goal six minutes from time to ensure the scoreline flattered the visitors, while Finland grabbed a consolation through Arttu Hoskonen after poor defending from a corner.
Scrappy but Sufficient for England England will be relieved to get the win after the embarrassing defeat to Greece, but their performance left much to be desired. Carsley’s decision to leave out Pickford and start Henderson, as well as using Alexander-Arnold at left-back, raised eyebrows, though the latter’s free-kick proved decisive. Despite some semblance of structure returning, England were far from their best and needed fortune on their side, particularly when Jensen missed a golden opportunity from six yards.
Palmer Struggles on the Flank Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, restored to a more familiar role on the right after struggling as a deep midfielder against Greece, failed to make an impact. The young star, who dazzled in the Premier League this season, was largely anonymous before being replaced by Noni Madueke after 68 minutes.
