England gets first victory under Carsley, beating Finland 3-1

England bounced back from their midweek UEFA Nations League defeat to Greece with a commanding 3-1 win over Finland, strengthening their bid for automatic promotion from League B Group 2. After a disappointing 2-1 loss at Wembley, Lee Carsley’s side quickly regained form in Helsinki.

3️⃣ goals and 3️⃣ points for the #ThreeLions 🫶 pic.twitter.com/R1AG4kDll4

— England (@England) October 13, 2024

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Euro 2024 absentees Angel Gomes and Jack Grealish combined for England’s opening goal just 18 minutes into the match. However, after taking the lead, England struggled to maintain control as Finland created several chances to equalize. Topi Keskinen was a standout performer for the hosts, but Finland failed to capitalize on his playmaking, with Fredrik Jensen missing a clear opportunity just after halftime.

England managed to hold their advantage and doubled their lead through a superb free-kick by Trent Alexander-Arnold with 16 minutes left on the clock. Ollie Watkins then set up Declan Rice for England’s third goal in the closing stages, sealing the win. Finland found a late consolation goal when Arttu Hoskonen headed in from a corner, but it was too late to impact the outcome.

The victory places England level on points with Greece at the top of Group 2, although they trail on goal difference. Greece still has a game in hand, as they face the Republic of Ireland on Sunday evening.