Lauren Hemp double helps revitalised England blast past Italy

England could have slumped ­further after failing to progress to the Nations League finals last year, with Team GB missing out on the Olympic Games as a result. Instead, they talked of resets, fresh starts, new beginnings. They turned that talk into action in Spain, with a 5-1 defeat of Italy added to an impressive 7-2 win against Austria on Friday to begin the charge towards retaining their European title next year.

“I think I might be the most happy with that part,” Sarina Wiegman said after the defeat of Italy. “Of course it was a huge disappointment in December, although I thought we had a really good camp in December and our game flowed again, so that was already really good. I think that’s what you saw now, too – lots of energy in the team, minutes, players ready to go but also the connection with the under-23s … we ticked so many boxes we would have liked to have ticked.”

Lotte Wubben‑Moy opened ­the scoring against Italy, with Lauren Hemp netting twice and the substi­tutes Ella Toone and Rachel Daly adding one apiece to ensure another comfortable win. These two games were just friendlies, but there was no mood for friendliness with ­England ­needing to hit the reset button hard and fast after a disappointing Nations League campaign – albeit which ended with wins against the Nether­lands and Scotland in December.There were several changes to the team that defeated Austria. ­Manchester United’s Grace Clinton, who is on loan at Tottenham, retained her place in midfield after her debut goal, and Wubben-Moy was among those returned to the starting XI.

For Wubben-Moy, who replaced Alex Greenwood at half-time against Austria, a start had been a long time coming. Before kick-off ­Wiegman credited her club form for her inclusion from the off. The ­centre‑back’s form is not new, though. She has been playing superbly for Arsenal all ­season and stepped up towards the end of last season following Leah Williamson’s anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Before starting at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador, Wubben-Moy had not begun a match for England since June 2022, with Millie Bright, ­Greenwood, Esme Morgan, Jess Carter and Maya Le Tissier among those that have been picked ahead of her when available.

Wubben-Moy, who has bided her time patiently, dropping in and out of the squad at times, responded to the challenge of starting for her ­country, providing the opener within two ­minutes of kick-off, the centre‑back losing her marker to send Greenwood’s corner looping into the far corner.

Wubben-Moy remembered to whom she wanted to dedicate her first England goal: she crossed her arms across her chest and did a little wiggle, as she did after scoring for Arsenal against Bristol City, in tribute to the severely deaf young fan Izzy, who some of the players met in July 2023.

“She’s definitely taken a step ­forward because she’s developing a lot,” Wiegman said of Wubben‑Moy. “That’s what we see weekly at ­Arsenal and she shows here, too. What you can see is the competition in positions is really high.”­

England were rampant in the first half, pressing aggressively and with a fire that had dimmed a ­little in the aftermath of a gruelling World Cup final defeat last summer. ­Wiegman’s side proved most potent from set pieces and converted twice more from corners within the first 35 ­minutes. First, Laura Giuliani punched Greenwood’s corner away but Italy failed to clear and Hemp wriggled in a shot between a sea of ­bodies. Then, Lucy Bronze did well to keep the ball in play after another ­Greenwood ­corner was cleared and Georgia Stanway flicked it on for Hemp to send ­looping in.

A defensive lapse allowed Italy to carve out a rare opening at the end of the half when Niamh Charles’s pass to an under-pressure ­Greenwood allowed Sofia Cantore to seize ­possession and find Michela Catena who fed the centre-forward Michela Cambiaghi to slot in.

Wiegman switched things up in the second half, bringing Carter and ­Lauren James on for Alessia Russo and Charles at half‑time and then Toone and Jess Park for Stanway and Jess Clinton just past the hour. Two of those combined for ­England’s fourth goal, with James sweeping a ­wonderful pass back from the left for Toone to side‑foot in first time.

Another change, Chloe Kelly departing for Rachel Daly, led to the fifth, with Daly dancing past the onrushing Giuliani and ­slotting in.

Greenwood departed next, with Millie Turner coming on and England switching to three at the back, but still momentum was maintained.

That is perhaps what has been most impressive across these two fixtures, the seamlessness to England’s play despite the frequency of changes.