HELSINKI (Reuters) -England enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Finland thanks to goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Sunday to get their Nations League campaign back on track after Thursday’s humbling loss to Greece.
The win for England’s under-scrutiny interim manager Lee Carsley left his side second in Group B2 with nine points after four games, level on points with leaders Greece who host Ireland later on Sunday, while Finland are bottom without a point.
“I think we could have had a few more (goals), especially towards the end as the game opened up,” Grealish told ITV.
“It was difficult at times in the first half, but we went in at halftime with a one-goal lead, and then I think we dominated the game.”
Grealish opened the scoring in the 18th minute with his fourth England goal when Angel Gomes spun and slipped a clever pass into the path of the winger, who slotted the ball into the far corner past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
“The goal came from the manager letting us play with that freedom,” said Grealish, who stuck a thumb in his mouth in celebration, saying it was for his daughter who was born last month.
Alexander-Arnold gave England some breathing space when he bent a free kick from 20 metres over the wall into the top corner in the 74th minute.
“I joked to Trent before the free-kick ‘score this I will give you 500 quid ($650),’ and he slapped it in top bin (corner),” Grealish said.
Rice tapped home substitute Ollie Watkins’ cross 10 minutes later after making a bursting run upfield.
“I was still in my own half, in the box when the ball got played to (Watkins), and I thought ‘you know what, just keep going,’ and it was just instinct being aware, Ollie’s crossed it and I arrived there,” Rice said.
FINLAND CONSOLATION
The one notable blot on England’s performance came when Arttu Hoskonen pulled a goal back for Finland with an 87th minute header from a corner, the lapse in defence costing keeper Dean Henderson a clean sheet on his first start.
“At the end, we were a bit gutted as players to concede from a set piece. But … we needed a win today, so happy with that'” added Grealish.
Carsley made six changes to the England team from the shambolic 2-1 defeat by Greece at Wembley, with captain Harry Kane back from injury to lead the line.
England also returned to a more conventional formation after Carsley’s experimental lineup without a main striker against the Greeks failed miserably.
He has faced criticism following the loss, his first since Gareth Southgate stood down as England manager after Euro 2024.
Sunday’s win at the stadium that hosted the 1952 Olympics kept alive England’s hopes of automatic promotion to League A of the Nations League after they were relegated last time out.
They need to finish top of the group to automatically secure a berth in the competition’s highest section, which likely means a victory when they play Greece again in Athens on Nov. 14.
Finland will regret missing chances when England led 1-0, including two from Fredrik Jensen who fired just wide in the first half and missed a sitter early in the second, flashing the ball over from close range and burying his head in his hands.
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(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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