Lauren James scored twice as England delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over the Netherlands in Zurich, keeping their European Championship title defence alive with a much-needed response to their opening defeat.

The Lionesses, who fell to France in their Group A opener, needed all three points to avoid early elimination. With Prince William watching on at the Stadion Letzigrund, they responded in style, led by a sensational performance from James and a dominant team display.

Early Lead Sets the Tone
James opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a superb individual strike after receiving the ball from Alessia Russo, who created the opportunity with a smart run and assist.

England doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time through Georgia Stanway, who converted after a clever set-piece routine. James then added her second on the hour mark, before Ella Toone made it four just seven minutes later.

The result puts England in prime position to qualify for the quarter-finals, with one group fixture remaining — against tournament debutants Wales.

Wiegman’s Tactical Tweaks Pay Off
Manager Sarina Wiegman made two changes to the starting line-up: Ella Toone replaced Beth Mead, who dropped to the bench, while Alex Greenwood started at left-back, moving Jess Carter into a central role.

James, usually deployed more centrally, started wide on the left and was a constant threat throughout the first half. Lauren Hemp also impressed, delivering a pair of dangerous crosses early on that narrowly missed conversion by James.

England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton played a pivotal role in the opening goal, launching a pinpoint long pass into the path of Russo, who skipped past two defenders before finding James. The Chelsea forward calmly worked her way along the edge of the penalty area before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner.

Clinical Finishing Secures Vital Win
England maintained their attacking intent into first-half added time. A James free-kick was partially cleared, but Russo managed to steer it into Stanway’s path. The Bayern Munich midfielder fired low through a crowd, with a deflection helping the ball past Daphne van Domselaar in the Dutch goal.

Russo had the ball in the net shortly after the break, only for it to be ruled out following a VAR check, the second time in as many matches she’s seen a goal disallowed.

James struck again on the hour, finishing clinically after Hemp’s persistence down the right. Toone's initial effort deflected into James’ path, and she made no mistake from close range.

Toone then rounded off the scoring in the 67th minute, finishing coolly after Russo found her in space — delighting the England supporters who had been chanting her name throughout the contest.

Van Domselaar produced a fine save to deny Russo before the forward was substituted for Aggie Beever-Jones, who made her major tournament debut. In total, Wiegman made five second-half changes, giving valuable minutes to fresh legs.

Next Up: Wales
The result ensures England head into their final group match against Wales with momentum firmly on their side and qualification in their own hands.