England Bounce Back with a Late Surge to Defeat Finland in Helsinki

England recovered from their humiliating loss to Greece in the UEFA Nations League with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Finland, though the performance still left questions unanswered. Interim manager Lee Carsley made six changes from the side that lost at Wembley, with Dean Henderson stepping in for Jordan Pickford in goal, but the team struggled to shine until Finland, ranked 64th and without a point in the group, tired in the final stages.

Jack Grealish eased England’s early nerves with a composed finish in the 18th minute, capitalizing on an excellent pass from Angel Gomes. However, Finland had opportunities to pile more pressure on England, with striker Fredrik Jensen missing crucial chances, including a close-range effort after the break that he sent over the bar.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, deployed at left-back in another unconventional move by Carsley, delivered a moment of brilliance with a stunning 25-yard free-kick that flew past Finland’s goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky in the 74th minute, putting England 2-0 up. As Finland’s energy waned, Declan Rice added a third goal from close range with six minutes left, giving the scoreline a flattering look for the visitors.

Finland, to the delight of their 32,000-strong home crowd, got a deserved consolation goal when Arttu Hoskonen found the back of the net after England failed to clear a corner. Despite their spirited efforts, the hosts couldn’t prevent England from taking all three points, though Carsley’s side still have much to improve.