Finland v England LIVE: Nations League result as Trent Alexander-Arnold scores stunning free-kick in win
Finland 1-3 England: The Three Lions bounced back from a disappointing defeat to Greece at Wembley last time out
England returned to winning ways against Finland as Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a stunning free-kick to lift Lee Carsley’s side to victory in Helsinki.
The full-back curled an excellent free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards to double England’s lead after the visitors had lost their momentum following Jack Grealish’s first-half opener.
Declan Rice then added a third for England on the counter-attack as Ollie Watkins came off the bench to make an impact after replacing Harry Kane. Finland pulled one back late on through a corner, with Arttu Hoskonen left unmarked.
But the result was a positive one for Carsley overall with the interim manager returning to a more conventional formation following the disastrous defeat at home to Greece on Friday, and three points gets England back on track in their Nations League campaign.
Follow all the latest reaction to England’s win below:
Finland 0-1 England
70 mins
Walker hangs up a cross that Watkins can’t get a head to, before Grealish wins a corner after his cross is blocked.
Finland 0-1 England
68 mins
England are still struggling to break down the low block, but at least they’re trying something now as Alexander-Arnold tries to chip a through ball to Bellingham, but Hradecky collects.
Palmer and Kane make way for Noni Madueke and Ollie Watkins.
Finland 0-1 England
67 mins
All too pedestrian from both sides at the moment, though England are the guiltier party. Palmer and Kane try to force the issue, but England recycle it backwards.
Noni Madueke is among the subs getting ready.
Finland 0-1 England
65 mins
Those changes prompt Finland’s first bit of sustained possession in this half, but they can’t make anything of it yet.
Finland 0-1 England
63 mins
Angel Gomes is the latest to try the effort from distance, but it goes wide as he tried to curl in.
Finland make two changes, as Schuller and Kallman make way for Leo Walta and Joel Pohjanpalo.
Finland 0-1 England
61 mins
We’ll see the first subs of the evening soon. England do look like they need to change something – they’re really lacking that final bit of quality at the moment.
Finland 0-1 England
58 mins
Other than the goal, that was by far the best chance of the game so far. Jensen can’t believe he’s missed.
Plenty more possession from England but they’re really struggling to unlock the Finland defence. Rice collects the loose ball on the edge of the box and drives a low shot straight at Hradecky.
Finland 0-1 England
56 mins
CLOSE!
Palmer uses his body well after a sloppy pass from Bellingham, but the chance goes begging again after Kane isn’t alert enough.
Finland launch a counter-attack and Keskinen bursts into the left-hand side of the box before fizzing in a cutback. Kallman misses it but it’s on a plate for Jensen, and he blasts over from around six yards!
Finland 0-1 England
54 mins
Very comfortable again for England at the moment. Kane holds up play and threads a lovely through ball into the path of the overlapping Walker, but he doesn’t have many options in the box and the chance goes begging.
‘A curious England performance’
“A curious England performance from England in Helsinki. They're winning, and they've obviously been much better than against Greece on Thursday, but that isn't necessarily the bar. The one thing that has already seemed clear from Carsley's four games is that they look so much closer to that classic positional game approach with Gomes in the team. He may not be perfect at - as seen with one bad pass backwards - but he is better than anyone England have. The pass through for Grealish's fine goal was divine. That is Carsley football at its best. The concern is they other side, as they have coughed up a lot of chances to a moderate side.”
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