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The Scotland international will be looking to lift her fourth Women's FA Cup when the Blues take on Manchester United at a sold-out Wembley on Sunday

Erin Cuthbert can't help but smile when recalling her stunning goal from the 2022 Women's FA Cup final. By her own admission, the fiery Ayrshire native has not scored many since her move into a less-advanced midfield role a year-and-a-half ago. But, always a player for the big occasion, she made sure she brought her shooting boots for last year's showpiece event at Wembley Stadium.

With the scores level at 1-1, Beth England tapped the ball into her path. Cuthbert was well outside the box, but only had one thought in her mind. After giving herself half a yard of space to take a swing, she unleashed an unstoppable strike that flew past Ellie Roebuck in the Manchester City goal, with the ball bouncing down off the crossbar on its way in.

"What a moment that was for myself personally," Cuthbert tells GOAL. "I don’t normally score that many goals so that was one to remember, especially when it hits the crossbar, comes down and then hits the top of the net. That really is pretty good going. I was pretty buzzing with that."

Although Hayley Raso would equalise for City at the death, a battling extra-time performance from Chelsea saw them clinch the trophy without having to endure the lottery of a penalty shootout. It was the type of gritty performance that has characterised Emma Hayes' side in recent years, and few players typify this win-at-all-costs mentality more than Cuthbert, who is now into her seventh season at Kingsmeadow.

Getty ImagesIt's been a long season

The Scotland international now has her eyes on having an equally-decisive impact on Sunday, when Chelsea take on Manchester United in this year's final. The game will be played in front of a sellout crowd at Wembley for the first time ever, another indication of the unbelievable growth of women's football since Euro 2022.

It also comes towards the end of a testing season for Chelsea. Defeated in the Conti Cup final by Arsenal in March, the Blues were then knocked out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by Barcelona. The Women's Super League title remains up for grabs, but the Blues currently trail leaders United by four points, albeit with two games in hand.

Injuries have been a recurrent theme for Chelsea, with Cuthbert herself missing games this season due to fitness issues. However, she insists that the squad are not feeling the mental and physical effects of a gruelling campaign.

"I was reflecting on how I felt last season and I never slept a wink in the last few weeks, honestly. I’m certainly sleeping like a baby this time around! I’m really enjoying it and relishing it. I personally don’t feel mentally tired. The minutes have been shared a lot more around our squad than maybe others. It will be different for each team and how they’re feeling," she says.

"We’ve been in a lot of tournaments but certain things and certain turning points give you energy. The performance against Lyon in the home leg [of the Champions League quarter-final tie] certainly gave us a lot of energy. Even just going to Barcelona and Camp Nou and showing what we were capable of gave everybody in the dressing room a lift. We were gutted to go out but the dressing room saw it as a turning point and fuel in the fire to really kick on. We all said ‘this is time to go on and win two titles.'"

AdvertisementGetty'We have to use these moments'

The Lyon victory that Cuthbert refers to was one of the most dramatic games in Champions League history. With Chelsea protecting a 1-0 lead from the first leg – in which Cuthbert was exceptional, setting up Guro Reiten's stunner with some classy midfield play – Vanessa Gilles' late leveller sent the game to extra-time.

Sara Dabritz then looked like she had won it for the reigning champions, only for Maren Mjelde to convert a penalty in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time following an excruciating VAR delay. The Blues would then triumph in the shootout thanks to some heroics from goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

It was far from the first time that Chelsea's elite winning mentality had seen them through a sticky situation, and this experience in crunch moments might be needed when they take on young upstarts United this weekend.

"We have to use these moments, bank them up, bottle them, keep them safe. And when you might need them, they come out of the woodwork. I think experience is really important. At this level, especially this season, there’s such fine margins between all the teams so you have to use whatever competitive advantage you have," Cuthbert says.

"Those moments are so hard to come by and as players we live for the adrenaline. Nothing can come close to that feeling, that feeling we had at Lyon. It was an incredible day for the football club and it makes you want to have more of them. We’ve had them, we want more and I think that’s what’s driving everyone."

Getty'What Man Utd have done is brilliant'

Cuthbert knows that Marc Skinner's side will provide a real test for Chelsea, though. The league table does not lie, even if the Red Devils have not beaten Sunday's opponents in nine previous meetings.

Asked whether Chelsea enter the game as favourites, she says: "I don’t know. We go into the game with two teams who are very evenly matched. I don’t know if there is a favourite. Both teams have been performing very well this season. I respect Man United.

"I think what they’ve done is brilliant. Their resilience to bounce back from last year when they missed out on the Champions League has been amazing. But I think we’ve picked up a bit of momentum in the Champions League. Having those games, using the energy. I honestly think it’s difficult to say if there is a favourite."

The battle for the wings will likely play a significantly role at Wembley. The performances of Reiten and Lauren James have been vital for Chelsea this season, but United's Leah Galton and flying full-back Ona Batlle have enjoyed similarly impressive campaigns.

"They’re quite an aggressive team. Very good in wide areas, they’ve got fast players who are very technical and have had very good seasons. They’re a team that’s hungry. When you’ve not won anything you have a certain hunger and desire to get there and we’ve got to match that as a bare minimum.

"When they were the underdogs people would think they would never win, but now they want to prove to everyone themselves and become a really good team. They’re right up there competing with us and it shows in the league how toe to toe we’ve gone all season. It shows the quality of their dressing room. Of course, mentally it does play a part that we’ve beat them in both games. It’s quite a good phycological advantage knowing that we can beat them."

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GettyHow will this affect the WSL title race?

It's not just in the FA Cup that United are looking to challenge Chelsea's supremacy either. Although the WSL title remains in the Blues' hands, only beating Liverpool narrowly at home recently hinted at the possibility of Chelsea not winning all of their remaining league games – one of which is against Arsenal. Should that happen, things will go down to the wire. There's even the possibility of the title being decided by goal difference.

The FA Cup final could play a key role in deciding where the trophy ends up. The game comes just three days before Chelsea travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham, and only a week prior to their showdown with Arsenal. Losing at Wembley would dent their momentum, but Cuthbert is determined to prevent this being a factor.

"Is there a chance? Always," she says, when asked if the game could affect the title race. "We’ve got to make sure that chance is zilch. Of course, winning the FA Cup would give us a great deal of momentum going into the league campaign, but we haven’t let the Champions League campaign derail our league season, or the Conti Cup.

"We’ve lost the last two Conti Cup finals and everyone thought: 'Chelsea are out, they’re falling apart, here we go'. Everyone wants to see us fail, but the best thing about this team is we bounce back up and show ourselves in big moments. Whatever happens, we’ll be ready."

Jose Mourinho's prediction could yet come true for Diogo Dalot

It didn’t take long for Diogo Dalot to learn where he would be playing his football this season. While a host of Manchester United players endured a summer of uncertainty, the Portugal international was told in no uncertain terms that he was part of Erik ten Hag’s plans.

That vote of confidence represented a remarkable reversal of fortune for a player who has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old was hailed as United’s new Gary Neville under Jose Mourinho, turfed out by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – before being thrown a lifeline by Ralf Rangnick.

But even after forcing his way ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the second half of last season, he looked like one of the more vulnerable members of an imbalanced squad inherited by Ten Hag in the summer.

GettyOverhaul

A manager who places such importance in his full backs, the Dutchman was expected to strengthen in that department as he embarked on a major overhaul in his first transfer window at the club.

It was perhaps a surprise then that he opted to recruit a left back in Tyrell Malacia, despite having Luke Shaw and Alex Telles on that side.

On the right, meanwhile, he had Wan-Bissaka – a £50million signing whose attacking deficiencies are at odds with Ten Hag’s system – and Dalot, whose best hopes of staying at United looked likely to be in a back-up capacity.

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Had United been able to find a buyer for Wan-Bissaka then Dalot may well have faced greater competition for a starting berth.

Denzel Dumfries was among the targets identified.

But after being handed the role of first choice, Dalot has seized the opportunity with both hands.

He has started every game this season, won more tackles than any other player at the club (14), won more aerial battles (12) and had more touches (408).

In a recent report by research group, CIES Football Observatory, Dalot was cited as the most impactful full back under the age of 25 in the Premier League this season.

Across Europe, only Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies ranked above him.

GettyUndroppable

Dalot is very much the modern full back, with an attacking instinct, as well as the energy to track back – even if his defensive awareness is still an area in need of development.

But it is easy to see why both Rangnick and Ten Hag considered him a better fit than Wan-Bissaka, who is an outstanding one-on-one defender – but offers little as an offensive weapon.

It has left United in the awkward position of trying to make whatever return they can on the enormous outlay spent on the former Crystal Palace defender, which proved to be particularly problematic over the summer.

It leaves Dalot – a player largely written off after the arrival of Wan-Bissaka and a subsequent loan to AC Milan – as an unexpected undroppable for Ten Hag.

The close of the window has only cemented his position on the right of United’s defence – and given him the opportunity to prove he can be the long-term option.

While Ten Hag remains determined to strengthen in that department, much is dependent on securing a move for Wan-Bissaka.

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So far Dalot has proved himself capable of fitting the profile of the type of player the new United manager has looked to add to his squad – energetic, hungry and enthusiastic.

The chest-bumping and fist-clenching that greets each block fits with the attitude Ten Hag is trying to instil. Malacia shares similar qualities, with a tenacious thread stretching right across the defence and embodied by Lisandro Martinez at the heart of it.

But Ten Hag wants quality as well as spirit – and it will be intriguing to see how Dalot develops under the Dutchman’s guidance.

Mourinho was so enthused by his potential that he predicted he’d be United’s right back for 10 years.

Solskjaer was less convinced – persuading the club to pay such a high fee for Wan-Bissaka after infamously whittling down a long list of 804 options.

Atletico Madrid were among the clubs interested in offering Dalot a route out of Old Trafford – but he was determined to establish himself at United.

Rangnick gave him that chance in his interim role last season – and Ten Hag informed him almost immediately that he was in his plans as he shaped a new-look United.

Four good years have culminated in Australia’s rise to No. 1 in the Test rankings, but their task now is to extend the lead without the likes of Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and a few others

Brydon Coverdale24-Feb-20163:18

‘No. 1 a big motivation for us’ – Smith

A small crowd, a quiet Christchurch day in the last week of February, an Australian rise to No.1. It could have been Allan Border overtaking Sunil Gavaskar 23 years ago to become the leading run scorer in Tests. Instead it was Steven Smith’s men nudging ahead of India to become the top-ranked Test side in the world. For Border, it was the culmination of 14 years as a Test batsman; for Smith’s team it feels like the result of four good months.In fact, it is the culmination of four years of cricket, under not only Smith but his predecessor Michael Clarke. The current rankings stretch back to 2012, so they include Australia’s home Ashes whitewash in 2013-14 and their series win in South Africa that followed. After those triumphs Australia briefly jumped to No.1 under Clarke but that lasted a matter of months, and their task now is to not only hold their lead but extend it.And they must do so without Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris, all of whom retired over the course of 2015. Those departures have left Australia with a significantly different looking side under Smith, and while they have started well by winning at home to New Zealand and West Indies and now away in New Zealand, other challenges await.They include a series in Sri Lanka later this year and then home Tests against South Africa and Pakistan, followed by arguably world cricket’s toughest challenge: an away Test series in India. How long Australia can hold the No.1 position remains to be seen, but under Smith and vice-captain David Warner, the initial signs have been good.”A lot of credit has got to be given to the guys who have recently retired as well,” Smith said after winning the second Test at Hagley Oval. “The ranking system goes for quite a while and those guys were quite a big part of our success as an Australian team. Having said that, the guys that have stepped up to the plate since those six big retirements have been outstanding and I’m really proud of the way the boys have been performing.”Such has been the success of Australia this summer that all members of their top five are averaging 50-plus since Smith officially succeeded Clarke as captain. The stars have arguably been Adam Voges and Usman Khawaja, but in the second Test against New Zealand it was Joe Burns who stepped up, earning his first Man-of-the-Match award for his 170 and 65.The value of his patient first-innings century should not be underestimated, given that New Zealand had made such a remarkable start to the Test through Brendon McCullum’s record 54-ball century on the first day. New Zealand reached 370 in their first innings, and it was the first time under Smith that the Australians had needed to fight back from being behind in the match in the early stages.”We did have to fight,” Smith said. “I thought that probably on the first day somewhere around 250-300 would probably be par on that wicket and they really took it away from us in that second session. That’s a credit to the way that both Brendon and Corey Anderson played.”They came out and really took the game on and we didn’t know what to do for a period of time there. But, credit to the guys the way we were able to fight back scoring 500 in our first innings again, I think that really sets the game up for you and I thought the guys responded really well.”Smith was also key to the turnaround, accompanying Burns for much of the second innings and registering his third century of the Test summer. Although Smith was charged with a Code of Conduct breach for his remonstration with umpire Ranmore Martinesz on the fourth day at Hagley Oval, the retiring McCullum said he believed that under Smith the Australians focused on “positive play” rather than verbals.”I think the team plays slightly differently to what they have done previously,” McCullum said. “Most Australian teams play the way their leader is. If you look at Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, they always take on a slight twist. Under Steve Smith, we’ve seen a very similar thing.”This series has been played in great spirits, I think, and the one back in Australia. I think Steve Smith has been a catalyst for that. He plays the game for the right reasons as well. He plays with his heart on his sleeve but he’s a very respectful guy and a wonderful cricketer. They’re No.1 in the world now and a lot of that is to do with his leadership and Darren Lehmann’s as well.”They probably skin the cat slightly differently. The majority of their focus is on positive play rather than necessarily some of the semantics of past eras. They go about their work in a nice manner and they play hard cricket but in the series that we’ve had, I don’t think they’ve ever looked to step over the line.”As a result of the victory in Christchurch, Smith remains undefeated as Test captain, with seven wins and four draws from his 11 games in charge – including when he was standing in for the injured Clarke in 2014-15. Under Smith, Australia have beaten New Zealand in four of five Tests this summer, and McCullum said Australia had the potential to remain at No.1 for some time.”I think so because they’ve got depth as we’ve seen in these two series,” McCullum said. “The bowling line-up in this series is quite different and they’ve all stepped up and that’s the beauty of Australian cricket. They’ve got so much depth that if they can get everyone heading in the same direction and their game-plans are simple, then they’re going to be dangerous no matter what.”That’s why they’ve been able to rise to No. 1 in the world. They’ve also got some outstanding batters, not necessarily the flashiest batters that Australia has produced but they’re churning out runs and when you do that your bowling attack becomes a lot more potent.”

On Wednesday morning Australia began their defence of the Frank Worrell Trophy. By Friday evening they had retained it

The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc claimed 4 for 28 to ensure Australia faced only a small chase•Getty ImagesOn Wednesday morning Australia began their defence of the Frank Worrell Trophy. By Friday evening they had retained it. Such is the nature of modern scheduling that a two-Test series was all Australia and West Indies could arrange. Such was the nature of the Roseau conditions that this abbreviated campaign began with an abridged match, won by Australia within three days.The third and final day began with West Indies on 25 for 2 and in danger of capitulating. They needed 145 more to make Australia bat again. Australia’s morning began perfectly when Darren Bravo was taken at mid-off by a diving David Warner off Josh Hazlewood for 5. But then came the complication: Marlon Samuels and debutant Shane Dowrich ground out the highest partnership of the Test.Their 144-run union threatened not only to take the match into a fourth day but to pull it out of Australia’s grasp and back into competitive territory. Only one wicket fell in each of the first two sessions. But then came the collapse. After tea West Indies lost their last six wickets for 27, set Australia a target of 47, and provided the rain and light held out, a three-day finish was on again.David Warner had no intention of coming back on Saturday. He thumped a four and a six off Jerome Taylor’s first over, then another six off Shannon Gabriel in the second over. Warner edged Taylor to slip for 28 with five runs still needed, but Steven Smith joined Shaun Marsh and finished the job within the first five overs of the innings, a nine-wicket win satisfying the Australians ahead of the second Test in Jamaica.In the end it looked clinical, but there were times throughout the match that West Indies were in the contest. When they reduced Australia to 126 for 6 on the second day, they sent some nervous moments through the Australian camp. But the unbeaten 130 from debutant Adam Voges was the big difference, his work with the tail giving Australia a comfortable first-innings buffer.While Dowrich and Samuels were together there were also slivers of hope for West Indies. Both men were steady in the morning session before becoming more expansive after lunch. Within the space of three balls, Samuels lifted Nathan Lyon over mid-on for a four and a six, and his half-century came from his 115th delivery.Dowrich also cleared mid-on for a six off Lyon and brought up his fifty from his 153rd delivery with a pull for four off Mitchell Johnson. Soon, West Indies were back into the lead. If Dowrich and Samuels could bat on, if they could set up a chase of 150 or 200 runs, who knows what might have happened. But it was not to be. Dowrich drove Hazlewood to a catching short mid-on for 70, and it signalled the beginning of the end.After tea, the wickets began to tumble. Jermaine Blackwood advanced, missed a low full toss from Lyon and was stumped by Brad Haddin, who failed to take the ball cleanly but kept his head well enough to complete the job. In the next over, Samuels top-edged a pull off Johnson to Hazlewood at fine leg for 74, and it was all down to the wicketkeeper and bowlers.Denesh Ramdin chopped on off Lyon, Jerome Taylor was lbw for a golden duck to a Mitchell Starc inswinger, and a few overs later Starc finished the job by bowling Devendra Bishoo and Gabriel from consecutive deliveries. Jason Holder was left not out on 12, and Australia were left with the task of beating the cloud and bad light if they wanted an extra day off between matches.Warner made sure they did just that. All that was left was a Man-of-the-Match presentation for Voges on debut, and a reworking of weekend plans for the Dominican fans, who reasonably would have expected cricket in their country on Saturday and Sunday. By collapsing before tea on the first day having chosen to bat, West Indies set themselves behind from the start of this game. And it was an advantage Australia were never likely to give up.

Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Hilton Cartwright and Josh Nicholas all scored half-centuries as Western Australia crawled along on the second day of their Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Adam Voges scored another half-century•Getty ImagesShaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Hilton Cartwright and Josh Nicholas all scored half-centuries as Western Australia crawled along on the second day of their Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland at the Gabba. At stumps on day two, the Warriors were 8 for 337, with Cartwright on 68 and Nicholas on 53, and their lead had gradually grown to 190 runs.The Warriors had started the morning on 2 for 66 and they proceeded to do their best to bat Queensland out of the match, the Bulls needing to win to claim a place in the Shield final. Voges made 52 from 145 deliveries and Marsh made 74 from 168, as Queensland struggled to string wickets together.Legspinner Mitch Swepson and fast bowlers Jack Wildermuth and Peter George picked up two wickets each. Queensland had been skittled for 147 in their first innings on day one.

JP Duminy’s all-round brilliance had set the foundation of Delhi Daredevils’ second win of the season but it still took remarkable presence of mind from Mayank Agarwal to close the doors on Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Report by Devashish Fuloria18-Apr-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:16

Agarkar: Good last over from Coulter-Nile under pressure

JP Duminy’s all-round brilliance set the foundation of Delhi Daredevils’ second win of the season but it still took remarkable presence of mind from Mayank Agarwal to close the doors on Sunrisers Hyderabad. The home team needed seven runs off the last two balls when Karn Sharma’s slice was headed over the rope behind point, but Agarwal leapt and parried the ball back into play to deny Sunrisers four runs. That save more or less sealed the result.That Sunrisers had managed to come so close was largely due to some late blows from Karn and Ashish Reddy, but they had already been put in an awkward position by Duminy. He had scored a 41-ball 54, one of the two key efforts that lifted Daredevils to their eventual 167, and his four key wickets were key in stalling Sunrisers.Duminy removed both David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan in the seventh over, just after the two had taken 30 off the previous two overs. Those strikes changed the momentum. Duminy pulled it towards Daredevils even further in the 17th over when he removed both Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara. It was only the fifth time a player had managed a fifty and a four-wicket haul in the same game.Batting was not easy on a tricky pitch. After their loss to Rajasthan Royals in their previous match, Sunrisers had asked the curator for a surface with more pace, but it wasn’t to be. The new pitch behaved exactly the way the other one did, with ball sticking and the bounce unpredictable. Throughout the game, seamers often used their slower ones, there were plenty of edges, while Dhawan took a couple of blows around the rib cage.Perhaps because of this unknown, Warner had said he wanted to bowl after Daredevils had opted to bat. As Agarwal edged to slip a rising delivery from Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, that decision seemed justified but Shreyas Iyer, after initial discomfort, showed that if a batsman was prepared to stick on, there were runs to be had.Iyer punched Dale Steyn, who was playing his first game of the season, for a boundary through cover in the bowler’s second over but was also lucky a couple of times as the edges evaded the fielders. Twenty-eight runs came in the first five overs but as Duminy held one end, Iyer went on the offensive, taking 12 runs off the sixth over, bowled by Praveen.Iyer reserved special treatment for Karn’s legspin, hitting the bowler for three sixes in the eight balls he faced off him, the last of which brought up his maiden IPL half-century, in 32 balls. That intensity manifested in the scores, as 52 runs came in the second five-over block.Iyer was dismissed soon after as he was fooled by a slower delivery, but Duminy, who had been patiently watching from the other end took the mantle of scoring, hitting two fours and a six off Bopara, then hoisting Steyn over long-on to reach his half-century off 39 balls.Such brilliance doesn’t ensure a win at times. Ask Yuvraj Singh, who has done that all-round double twice before, but his side lost the match in both instances. Today, however, Duminy had two critical supporting acts – Iyer with the bat and Agarwal, in that last over, down at the boundary.

The reigning European champions face an improbable set of permutations on Tuesday night in Glasgow, but there are reasons for them to believe

When the full-time whistle went on Friday at Wembley, the England players looked devastated. They collapsed to the turf and pondered where they had come up short against the Netherlands with some, most notably Mary Earps, in tears. But the Lionesses hadn’t lost the game – they’d actually completed an incredible second-half turnaround to come back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

The paradox of the result and the scenes on the pitch summed up the convoluted set of permutations England face as their Women’s Nations League group-stage campaign comes to an end in Scotland on Tuesday night. A victory by a two-goal margin at Wembley would’ve made things a lot less complicated and put matters more firmly in the Lionesses’ hands – and the players knew that, as they were knocking on the door to make it 4-2 when the referee called time on the match.

A simple way to look at it, though, is that if Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Scotland by a heavy scoreline, thus overtaking the Netherlands in the standings on goal difference, they can progress to the next stage. That doesn’t just mean they have a chance of winning a trophy, but also of booking Great Britain a spot in next summer’s Olympic women’s football tournament.

The Netherlands will take on a tricky Belgium side at the same time on Tuesday, one that has already beaten both the Dutch and England, so there is certainly a chance that they drop points. But the Lionesses will be fully focused on their own task, on beating Scotland and rubbing salt in the wounds of their neighbours, who were relegated from League A of the Nations League after a draw with Belgium on Friday night.

After that remarkable turnaround at Wembley, England will have a lot of confidence that they can defy the odds once more to keep their Nations League and Olympic dreams alive. There are plenty of reasons to believe, in fact, as GOAL picks out five of them…

Getty ImagesOne of the best coaches on the planet

At half-time on Friday, with the Netherlands 2-0 up, England looked down and out. They’d lacked rhythm to their play in the first 45 minutes, there were too many errors and the Dutch had been incredibly ruthless. But the team never gave up hope, which is a testament to the culture in the dressing room, and Wiegman stepped up to show why she’s regarded as one of the best coaches in the sport.

A couple of tactical tweaks, which included addressing the overload the Netherlands had created in midfield, and the introduction of Beth Mead – which raised an eyebrow or two simply because it took a relatively lively Chloe Kelly off the pitch – helped to make England look like an entirely different team in the second half, sparking a truly incredible comeback. “I’m a human being, of course I have doubts in my mind,” Wiegman admitted after the game. “But we have to make decisions and I think we did that pretty well.”

The Dutchwoman hasn’t been without fault in her England tenure and there are issues that have built up during her time with the team that have contributed to this precarious situation, one which leaves the Lionesses’ chances of making the Nations League finals in serious jeopardy.

But she has also reached four major finals – winning two of them – since 2017. This is one of the best coaches on the planet, and she showed just what she is capable of on Friday. Knowing that she could well do so again on Tuesday doesn’t just give England a greater chance of topping their group, it will also give the players a lot of confidence.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBeth Mead’s return

It was no coincidence that England’s comeback on Friday came after Wiegman had introduced Mead at half-time. It was the Arsenal star’s first appearance for her country in over a year, after a cruel ACL injury left her sidelined for a lengthy spell that included the Women’s World Cup, and she made it a return to remember. Mead added conviction to the attack, most notably playing a great pass into Georgia Stanway in the build-up to the Lionesses’ equaliser, allowing the Bayern Munich midfielder to tee up Lauren Hemp to level the scores.

“She had a very good impact,” Wiegman said afterwards. “It’s really impressive, coming back from injury, building with Arsenal, and then playing an international game of this level, this environment, 70,000 people, I’m very proud of her.”

"The days when I've struggled in the gym, long, hard training days of not being able to play football and do the thing that I love, it makes it worthwhile to run out there in front of such a big crowd, getting a great reception and a ruthless second half of football,” Mead added.

Whether or not she is ready for a bigger role in Tuesday’s game against Scotland, the return of her world-class talent is a huge boost for this England team, especially with them likely to need to rack up the goals in Glasgow.

Getty ImagesLauren James’ form

Another forward of incredible quality who made a serious impact on Friday was Lauren James – and it wasn’t even one of her best performances. There was plenty of intent from the Chelsea star, who picked the ball up in dangerous areas and drove at the Dutch defence to try and make things happen. Often, she found her aim was just off, with a few shots flying off target, but she stepped up in the second half to help orchestrate the comeback.

Given the time and space to look up and pick out a team-mate just before the hour, James whipped in a gorgeous cross in her typically nonchalant manner, one that landed perfectly on the head of Stanway as the Bayern Munich star directed the ball beyond Daphne van Domselaar and into the far corner.

In stoppage-time, from a near identical position, she repeated the trick, this time sending the ball towards the back post where Ella Toone was making an untracked run. It fell perfectly for James’ former Manchester United team-mate, who finished brilliantly through the legs of the goalkeeper to win the game for England.

This is a player in incredible form, someone who is currently tied at the top of the goalscoring charts in the Women’s Super League after a remarkable start to the season. Despite never really hitting top gear at Wembley, she showed real glimpses of that rhythm she’s in, with no player creating more chances on Friday than James.

When she is on the pitch, with that magic in her boots, England always have a greater chance of doing something special.

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GettyScotland’s sorrows

There’s something to be said about the position Scotland find themselves going into this game, too. Pedro Martinez Losa’s side were relegated from League A in the Nations League on Friday after a draw with Belgium. It’s been a difficult group-stage campaign for the team, with them putting in a couple of relatively decent performances – particularly the one against England in Sunderland – but also some really underwhelming ones.

Scotland’s cause hasn’t been helped by the loss of Caroline Weir, the talismanic Real Madrid star, to an ACL injury and, on Friday, there was further reason for concern when Erin Cuthbert, the talented Chelsea midfielder, came off looking a little worse for wear with a head injury. To lose her for Tuesday’s game would be another huge blow for a team that, despite putting in an admirable performance on Friday, will no doubt be feeling a little demoralised and low on confidence after relegation.

The rivalry between England and Scotland runs deep and the Lionesses’ neighbours certainly will not roll over despite having nothing to play for in Glasgow. But they will be vulnerable, and if Wiegman’s side can get a couple of early goals, their heads could well drop and England’s chances of recording the convincing win that is likely to be needed will improve.

Sadio Mane, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Emre Can and Andrew Robertson make the cut after the Reds rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Hammers

Nick Pope | BurnleyPope made four saves against Southampton as Burnley were held to a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.AdvertisementGetty ImagesAntonio Valencia | Manchester UnitedValencia produced two key passes and made six clearances against Chelsea — both joint-highs among Manchester United players.GettyShane Duffy | Brighton and Hove AlbionDuffy made more clearances (nine) and blocks (three) than any other player in Brighton's 4-1 win over Swansea.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyDavinson Sanchez | TottenhamThe Colombian defender completed 94% of his passes and made eight clearances in Spurs' 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Afghanistan’s World Cup debut was the story of the day in Canberra but Mashrafe Mortaza’s Bangladesh won by 105 runs to assuage worries of an early meltdown at the hands of the newcomers

The Report by Mohammad Isam18-Feb-2015
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfghanistan’s World Cup debut was the story of the day in Canberra but Mashrafe Mortaza’s Bangladesh won by 105 runs to assuage worries of an early meltdown at the hands of the newcomers.Bangladesh stuttered to 267 all out and only reached that score through a 15-over blaze from Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim. Then it was turn of Mashrafe to sink Afghanistan to 3-3 in the third over. Recovery took Afghanistan a long time, long enough to push the asking rate well out of reach. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 162 but would have taken plenty of positives from their first outing.Those, though, would be restricted to their bowling effort. Their 268-run chase didn’t go to plan. Mashrafe removed Javed Ahmadi at the end of the first over, the batsman’s attempt to work the ball into the legside causing him to pop a simple return catch off the leading edge. The other opener, Afsar Zazai, fell next ball, trapped leg-before. It became 3 for 3 when Asghar Stanikzai edged Mashrafe to first slip where Mahmudullah grabbed it after a bit of a fumble.Samiullah Shenwari, who had been removed from the bowling attack after seven balls for transgressing into the danger area twice, led the recovery with the bat. He struck the team’s first boundary, a crash through the covers off Mortaza. Nawroz Mangal helped him pull the team out of trouble, adding 62 for the fourth wicket. The required rate, though, was on the rise and the pressure led to the wicket of Mangal, who holed out at deep square-leg. Rubel took the catch but hurt his leg in the tumble. Shenwari was then run out in the 26th over when Sabbir’s pick-up and throw from the leg-side boundary found him some way short of the crease.Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran added 58 runs for the sixth wicket before Najubullah fell leg-before to Shakib in the 37th over. Mashrafe then picked up his third wicket, dismissing Nabi for 44 off 43. From seven down, the Afghanistan tail struck a few blows before the innings came to an end in the 43rd over.It was apt that the first Afghanistan player known to the wider world, Hamid Hassan, bowled his country’s first delivery in the World Cup. Hassan, decked with warrior-like face-paint, and Shapoor Zadran kept the Bangladesh openers quiet for 14 overs, before Mirwais Ashraf picked up both Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque in the space of two overs. The opening pair batted circumspectly and did well to avoid giving away early wickets.Tamim, though, grew restless, and went hard at Ashraf, surviving a caught-behind appeal when he appeared to edge the ball and a close run-out after a mix-up with Anamul. The latter took his own time until Ashraf trapped him leg-before with a superb inducker.Ashraf bowled a superb first spell, and Bangladesh were under his spell until Soumya Sarkar hammered 15 off his ninth over to spoil his figures. He had given away only 17 from his first eight overs. Soumya and Mahmudullah added 50 patient runs for the third wicket before the pair fell in Shapoor’s second spell.The fourth wicket, at the start of the 30th over, brought together Mushfiqur and Shakib at a crucial stage, when more wickets could have left them vulnerable to the sort of collapse that haunted them in 2014. The team’s most successful batting partnership took control almost instantly, picking up singles and doubles regularly before plundering 48 runs in the batting Powerplay. The pair moved to their respective fifties and had begun launching into the Afghanistan attack when Shakib fell in the 45th over, having made 63 off 51 balls, with six fours and a pulled six over deep square-leg. The fifth-wicket pair had added 114 runs in 15.3 overs.Bangladesh immediately lost their way, as Sabbir Rahman struggled through his 2.1-over stay, keeping Mushfiqur at the non-striker’s end. Mushfiqur struck a four as soon as he got back on strike, but fell soon after for a 56-ball 71, slogging one down deep midwicket’s throat in the 48th over. Mashrafe struck three fours towards the end, but even then Bangladesh had only made 73 in their last ten overs while losing their last six wickets.Having bowled with discipline for the first 29.1 overs of the Bangladesh innings, Afghanistan gave away too many four balls during the Shakib-Mushfiqur partnership. They seemed to tire in the field as well, conceding overthrows and letting balls go through their legs. Afghanistan also failed to use a referral in the 41st over, when Aftab Alam had an lbw appeal turned down. Replays suggested the ball was going on to hit the stumps, and had hit Mushfiqur’s front pad before his bat.

Warwickshire welcome back Ian Bell and Chris Woakes for NatWest Blast T20 Finals Day, but there is no place in their 15-man squad for Jonathan Trott.

George Dobell22-Aug-2014Warwickshire welcome back Ian Bell and Chris Woakes for NatWest Blast T20 Finals Day, but there is no place in their 15-man squad for Jonathan Trott.Dougie Brown feels Jonathan Trott’s game is more suited to the longer formats than the modern T20•Getty ImagesWhile Trott set a T20 record aggregate for the most runs in a 10-match qualifying campaign in 2009, he has played very few games in the format since 2010. And while Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Dougie Brown, feels that Trott’s form is returning to somewhere near its best, he felt the shortest format of the game had moved on since the last time he played.”Trotty hasn’t played a lot of T20 cricket over the last five or six years,” Brown said. “And when he did play it was a dramatically different game.”His game is more suited to 50-over and four-day cricket, going towards ODI and Test cricket. Whether he would feature in a T20 side for England I would probably doubt, but clearly he has vast experience in all formats of the game but you can only pick XI and you’ve got to make that call.”Trott actually made his international debut in T20 cricket in 2007. But having played just one T20 match in 2011, he did not play again until June of this year when he was in the early days of his return from a stress-related illness. He struggled for fluency in the two matches he played – including a 38-ball innings of 39 against Worcestershire – and has since been restricted to List A and first-class cricket.Trott has scored three centuries – two in the Royal London Cup and one in the County Championship – since July 21 but, despite Warwickshire lacking one of their overseas players – Shoaib Malik – and reflecting on the news that their club captain, Jim Troughton, has been forced to retire with a back injury, Trott still missed out to younger men such as Scotland’s Freddie Coleman and 22-year-old Jonathon Webb.”T20 is a very skilful game,” Brown explained. “I’m not saying he’s not an extremely skilful player. But if you’re looking at having players who play 360 degrees – the likes of Laurie Evans and the new breed like Coleman and Webb, who can play all sorts of different, inventive shots – is that Trotty?”I think he’s happy playing four-day and 50-over cricket. He’s a great player. A proper player. He’s a world-class player when he’s at his best and I reckon he’s getting back to somewhere close to that.”Bell, meanwhile, has not represented Warwickshire in this format since 2010, and accepts he lacks match-practise in T20 cricket. But he is relishing the opportunity to represent the side he supported as a boy at Finals Day on his home ground.”It’s not always easy for us England players to come back and take the place of people who have been doing well for the club,” Bell admitted. “But we’re desperate to play as much as we can for Warwickshire.”Days like this are great. They are the ones you remember when you finish playing and the ones you want to be part of.”As an England player, you hardly get the chance to play T20. And if you don’t get picked by England in T20, you don’t play for anyone. I went through a period when I just didn’t play any. You need to play T20 regularly to know where you are and your game-plan.”At the start of the season, when it was announced the games would be on Friday nights, I thought I’d play more. But I’ve probably played less. It’s been hard to do.”Warwickshire also welcome back fast bowler Boyd Rankin from a hamstring injury, but are without Keith Barker, who has an elbow injury but is expected to play the next Championship game, and Chris Wright, who has a stress fracture and will not play again this season.