While the scoreline suggests dominance, the performance itself didn’t always match the numbers on the board.
Sarina Wiegman’s side was undoubtedly the stronger team throughout, boasting a line-up stacked with WSL stars from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, but at times, their finishing lacked sharpness, and Belgium’s compact shape exposed some of England’s slower build-up play.
The first-half goals from Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright came from set pieces rather than slick attacking moves. Bronze’s opener took a heavy deflection and Bright’s came via a back-post scramble. Effective, yes, but hardly electric. England missed several clear chances in open play, with Alessia Russo hitting the post and Beth Mead wasting a one-on-one.
The second half brought more goals, with substitutes Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Park scoring, the former netting her first for the Lionesses, before Keira Walsh finally got her long-awaited first goal for the national team. Still, even those moments felt more opportunistic than the result of sustained creative pressure.
Belgium failed to register a shot on target and looked out of their depth at times, yet England didn’t fully capitalise on the gaps. The killer instinct was missing for large spells despite England controlling possession for most of the game.
Fans on social media praised the result but questioned whether England had shown enough cutting edge ahead of tougher challenges, particularly with the Euros fast approaching.
With a trip to Leuven on Tuesday, Wiegman’s side sits at the top of their Nations League group, unbeaten in six. But if this performance is anything to go by, there’s still work to be done because not every 5-0 tells the whole story.
