Wiegman must address careless midfield if England are to retain title

Sarina Wiegman’s side were given plenty to think about by Sweden who, despite lacking in possession of the ball and having only one shot on target – Fridolina Rolfö’s 64th-minute equaliser – stretched the reigning European champions’ defence throughout. It is a display that will have caused slight consternation in the England camp about how easily Sweden were able to break through as their Euro 2025 qualification campaign got off to a stuttering start.

Wiegman and her assistant Arjan Veurink will have lots to ponder over the next few days fully in the knowledge that the Lionesses must improve defensively. They have been arguably drawn in the toughest qualification group and cannot afford to drop off or lose momentum in games like they did on this occasion if they are to progress directly to next summer’s tournament.

Related: Fridolina Rolfö earns draw for Sweden against England after Russo opener

Where they were lacking in particular under the Wembley lights was pace at the back and this was made clear by the speed of Sweden’s attack. Wingers Rolfö and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd were given acres of space to run into while the direct running of Stina Blackstenius stretched England. They could have been made to pay by the latter later in the game, but the forward spurned the opportunity to send the visitors home with three points when one-on-one with Mary Earps.

It will have been a cause for concern for the fans watching on and will increase the calls for Leah Williamson to return. The England captain is back in the Lionesses camp for the first time since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament and was named on the bench for the first time in 362 days. Her leadership and composure in those moments of stress were a hallmark of their success at Euro 2022, something that England have lacked at times in her absence.

It will be hard for Wiegman, however, to decide how to dismantle her backline. The unusual thing about this performance was that neither of the centre-back pairing of Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alex Greenwood had a poor game. In reality, they dealt with Sweden’s front line quite adeptly – strong in their duels; reading the danger; and able to release pressure forward. Greenwood’s passing ability was a crucial aspect in England being able to push up the field.

Where England lacked the most was in midfield, with uncharacteristically careless performances from Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway. There was little midfield structure when out of possession from the two of them, allowing England to get stretched on the counter. Filippa Angeldal broke the lines through the middle throughout while they were bypassed as the wingers were not afraid to invert and operate more centrally on occasion. It allowed Sweden to bypass the defensive cover and left the centre-back pairing particularly exposed. This, coupled with a carelessness in possession, meant the visitors were able to turn over the ball as the Lionesses pushed up the pitch.

The goal they conceded will have caused particular frustration. With Greenwood occupied by Blackstenius, substitute Rosa Kafaji was allowed space to cross to the far post. Lucy Bronze was found in no man’s land with Rolfö lurking, allowing her a free header.

The bright spark of England’s night, however, was the performance of Alessia Russo. The 25-year-old initially struggled to emerge out of the shadow of Ellen White. With every game, however, Russo is looking more and more comfortable shouldering the responsibility of leading the line.

Russo has fond memories of scoring against Sweden – “the Russo”, her famous backheeled goal came against Peter Gerhardsson’s side in the Euro 2022 semi-finals at Bramall Lane. It was a goal that propelled her into the spotlight that night and she has found the England shirt productive. She amassed three goals at last summer’s World Cup when working in tandem with Lauren Hemp as a front two.

On this occasion, she spearheaded a front three but looked equally as comfortable in her environment. An early gash to the shin did little to dent her energy and she scored England’s only goal with a clinical header off a pinpoint cross from Lauren James. It was her third goal in three games for her country this year and she is evidently Wiegman’s preferred choice, with Rachel Daly left as a substitute.

What sets the Arsenal forward apart from the other options is not only her ability to finish in multiple fashions but the efficiency of her hold-up play. Her ability on the ball allows England to have a focal point, one they know has the technical ability to drop deep, retain possession and feed off to the other members in attack with accuracy.

It will be through her creativity that England will look to build in the coming qualifiers. The Republic of Ireland are next in a historic match at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday and Wiegman will know improvement will be key to break down an opposition that have proved they are not to be taken for granted.