England were vastly more impressive than their 2-1 defeat to Greece on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 over Finland in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.

The Three Lions arrived at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium desperate to improve on their recent outing, with Manchester City star Jack Grealish the first to open the scoreline in the first-half.

It was a calm, composed performance from Lee Carsley’s side who dominated possession and made light work of a win on the road to signify the end of their October international break.

How the game unfolded

From the offset, England were unrecognisable from the team that fell to a 2-1 defeat to Greece just three days earlier. Calm, composed and balanced, the Three Lions dominated possession while continuously driving the ball towards the Finland goal to put pressure on the hosts.

Manchester City’s Jack Grealish was the first to find the back of the net, curling a low ball past Lukas Hradecky after an excellent ball from Angel Gomes. Grealish made a superb run to ensure he was in the perfect spot to slot the ball into the back of the net, dancing past Finland’s defenders with ease.

England continued to control the game, driving the tempo while Finland seemed to sit back. Lee Carsley’s side demonstrated immense chemistry on the pitch, moving fluidly whilst spraying the ball around to drive attacking play.

Further into the first-half, the Finns began to up the pace – working hard to win the ball in advanced positions and attempt shots on goal. Opportunities came, but none good enough to adjust the scoreline as they headed into the break trailing 1-0 to England.

England seemed to return to their flat, lack of energy football in the second half – failing to create exciting chances and move without the ball. Finland came close to levelling out the scoreline just ahead of the hour mark as Fredrik Jensen fired a strong ball over the net, holding his head in his hands as he watched his effort fly away from the goal.

The visitors did get the chance to double their lead later in the half, however, as Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a stunning free-kick into the back of the net, bending it over the wall and beyond the reach of the keeper.

Arsenal’s Declan Rice solidified England’s victory in the latter stages of the game, tapping in a ball from Ollie Watkins to fire a low ball into the back of the net – making it 3-0.

Finland grasped a last-minute chance to earn something back when Arttu Hoskonen headed an effort into the top corner of the net, ending Dean Henderson’s dreams of achieving a clean sheet on his first England start.

It was positive news for the Finns, but ultimately not enough to stop England as they cruised to victory.

GK: Dean Henderson – 6/10 – The shot-stopper was handed his first England star against Finland and worked hard to impress. He pulled off a great save to prevent Benjamin Kallman from scoring early on and continued to look confident between the sticks.

RB: Kyle Walker – 4/10 – Walker came in at right-back in place of Alexander-Arnold, but simply did not impress in defence. He struggled to pass the ball and was often caught in troublesome positions before giving the ball away to his opponent.

CB: Marc Guehi – 7/10 – Stability, composure, presence – Guehi brought an awful lot to this England side and represented a true leader in the back-four. The Crystal Palace star was simply immense, showing the quality that England often relied on during their Euro 2024 campaign.

CB: John Stones – 5/10 – Stones, however, offered a less impressive performance in the centre of defence – carrying out movements that were often too slow to have any impact. He stepped up on a few occasions to take Henderson’s free-kicks, but appeared nervous and unaware for most of the game.

LB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8/10 – Okay, Carsley turned heads when he decided to play Alexander-Arnold at left-back, but the Liverpool star proved he has the ability to perform on either side of the pitch. His new role allowed him to link up with Bellingham and Grealish well – creating dangerous chances for his side. He added a nice free-kick goal to his roster in the second-half too.

DM: Angel Gomes – 7/10 – Gomes was simply fantastic against Finland. His position in midfield freed up Declan Rice and allowed the pair to stand out on the pitch. Gomes’ assist for Grealish’s opening goal was sublime, highlighting his ability to read the game.

DM: Declan Rice – 7/10 – Arsenal star Rice seemed much more confident alongside Gomes. He made runs into the box and utilised his abilities to push forward – knowing that his teammate could cover behind. His willingness to push forward brought along England’s third goal of the game, capping off their victory.

RW: Cole Palmer – 6/10 – Palmer demonstrated an uncharacteristically quiet performance on the right-wing, often left out of play while the ball flew down the left side of the pitch. His role on the wing seemed to limit his useful abilities, silencing the Chelsea star when he could’ve been a game changer.

AM: Jude Bellingham – 6/10 – Bellingham would’ve been pleased with Alexander-Arnold’s role in the left-back position, partnering with his teammate to drive play down the left side of the field. His spot in the centre of the field did cause issues for his team, however, limiting his ability to run and win the ball. A deeper role would’ve unlocked more of his skills.

LW: Jack Grealish – 8/10 – Grealish was a huge miss during England’s clash with Greece, that was evident from how fast he found the back of the net against Finland. His ability to dance around the pitch, manoeuvre the ball and torment his opponents made him one of the most impressive players on the pitch.

ST: Harry Kane – 5/10 – Only goalkeeper Henderson had fewer touches than Kane in the opening 50 minutes of the game, with the Bayern Munich star finding the ball just 21 times. The striker looked tired and sluggish – once again unable to replicate his club performances on the international stage.

Substitutes

SUB: Noni Madueke (68′ for Palmer) – 6/10

SUB: Ollie Watkins (68′ for Kane) – 7/10

SUB: Phil Foden (79′ for Bellingham) – 6/10

SUB: Rico Lewis (79′ for Gomes) – 6/10

SUB: Conor Gallagher (84′ for Rice) – N/A

Subs not used: Jordan Pickford (GK), Nick Pope (GK), Levi Colwill, Valentino Livramento, Anthony Gordon, Dominic Solanke.

Manager

Lee Carsley – 6/10 – A much better set-up from Carsley who resorted to a more usual formation to give his side space to utilise their skills and impress in front of goal. Made good substitutions in the second-half when he noticed the game was stale.

Player of the match – Jack Grealish (Manchester City)

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