Stanway nets hat-trick as England thrash China for record Wembley win
Georgia Stanway scored a hat-trick as England produced a scintillating attacking display to secure a record Lionesses' win at Wembley by thrashing China 8-0.Stanway's treble, a quickfire double from Beth Mead and further goals from Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo secured a comfortable 50th win in charge for boss Sarina Wiegman.
England were playing their first match at the national stadium since they successfully defended their title at Euro 2025 in Switzerland earlier this year.
It was the third instalment of the four-match homecoming series, with England narrowly beaten by Brazil in their first friendly after the Euros before bouncing back against Australia.They will round off another memorable 12 months - and continue the build-up for next year's World Cup qualifiers - with a final match against Ghana at St Mary's on Tuesday.
England hit EIGHT as Wiegman gets 50th win
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Beth Mead celebrates after opening the scoring for England in their friendly against China
With goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and deputy Khiara Keating absent through injury, Wiegman handed 30-year-old Anna Moorhouse her England debut. The Orlando Pride keeper need not have brought her gloves such was England's dominance against an under-cooked China, with the Asian champions playing their first match since July.
It took the hosts just 12 minutes to go ahead after Lucy Bronze overlapped down the right and played in Mead. The Arsenal forward needed one touch to control the ball with her left foot before lashing it home with her right.
Moments later the Lionesses doubled their lead when Hemp fed Toone down the opposite flank and her cross was finished by Mead at the far post.It was three goals in four minutes when Hemp, playing her first international since the Euros after a spell out injured, got on the scoresheet. Russo swept the ball out to Stanway, who raced into the area and squared for Hemp to tuck in from six yards out.
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Lauren Hemp celebrates after scoring England's third goal against China
The fourth came after 23 minutes when China goalkeeper punched Pan Hongyan punched Hemp's cross straight to Stanway, who volleyed it back through a crowded penalty area into the net.The fifth arrived in the 38th minute via a VAR check which showed Rangers defender Li Mengwen stuck out an arm to block Russo's volley, with Stanway dispatching the penalty.Stanway completed her first England hat-trick eight minutes into the second half when she played a neat give and go with Toone before slotting the ball home.Toone struck after 71 minutes, capitalising on a bad mix-up in the Chinese defence to roll the ball into an empty net, and seven minutes later Toone teed up the tireless Russo who slid in number eight.
'Important we started fast'
England's Georgia Stanway to ITV:
"I am very happy. The most important thing was that we started fast today. We got a few goals in the opening minutes and that's game-changing.
"We knew we would have moments of dominating the ball and then it was about getting in behind early.
"Everyone turning out, we appreciate it. We hope for more moments like that."
Stanway's hat-trick in pictures...
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Stanway completes her hat-trick and puts England 6-0 up
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Stanway scores England's firth goal from the penalty spot
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Stanway celebrates with Mead after putting England 4-0 up
Wiegman defends call not to hand out England debutsSarina Wiegman defended her decision not to give some new faces a chance during England's 8-0 drubbing of China.Some familiar names were on the scoresheet in a one-sided Wembley friendly, and Wiegman did not take the opportunity to hand England debuts out to the likes of youngsters Freya Godfrey and Anouk Denton."We take every game seriously," said Wiegman after her 50th win in charge of the Lionesses. "And when we sub three players at half-time, I think that's enough."We have a squad of 25 and there's many players that are really knocking on the door. Everyone wants to play."Some players are just coming into the squad and they're really finding their feet. Other players have played for us and are doing a really good job and they're competing for starting positions. That's how I look at the game."
Wiegman praises 'incredible' England support
England boss Sarina Wiegman:
"It's always really incredible to come here, and then with these amount of fans, it's just really incredible.
"I've never, ever taken it for granted. Of course, today it went a bit easier. I think what we wanted to do is come here, show who we are, put a very good performance in and I think that's what we did today.
"What we really wanted to do was start well and they played in a little different shape than we expected. So that took one or two minutes.
"And after that, I thought we started playing really well, we got a little bit more time on the ball and then you could see how good we are.
"We were really connected and created chances very well and I thought we scored some really good goals."
What's next for the Lionesses?England will round off another memorable 12 months - and continue the build-up to next year's World Cup qualifiers - with a final friendly match against Ghana at St Mary's on Tuesday.
