Are you not entertained? 'Vintage England' deliver under pressure

All eyes were connected goalkeeper Hannah Hampton aft a rocky week for nan England squad - but conscionable half an hr in, it was personification other taking nan spotlight astatine Wembley.

Chelsea guardant Aggie Beever-Jones was prima of nan show, scoring her first England hat-trick successful nan 6-0 thumping of Portugal successful nan Women's Nations League.

The 21-year-old's treble came successful conscionable 33 minutes.

It was a scintillating capacity from Beever-Jones and nan Lionesses conscionable 5 weeks retired from Euro 2025 erstwhile they will effort to take sides their European title.

Noise had been building pre-match pursuing goalkeeper Mary Earps' daze world retirement. How would they header without 1 of their talismanic leaders? Could Chelsea's Hampton grip nan pressure?

Clearly, they coped highly well, and recently confirmed number 1 Hampton hardly had to move a muscle.

"Are you not entertained?," said erstwhile England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I'm moving retired of rubber connected my eraser because I support having to alteration [goalscoring] tally marks.

"It's been truthful nosy to watch, pinch truthful overmuch fluidity, and nan enjoyment this England squad has been playing with."

Ex-England defender Lindsay Johnson described it arsenic a "Friday nighttime funfest" and moreover head Sarina Wiegman celebrated much than accustomed successful nan dugout.

With truthful overmuch attraction connected matters disconnected nan transportation complete nan past week, this was a capacity that emphatically unopen retired nan sound and lifted nan mood.

It was "back to business" arsenic Wiegman claimed afterwards.

She had fielded questions regarding Earps' status connected Thursday, admitting it had been a "hard" commencement to nan week.

Wiegman was visibly emotional, reflecting connected nan bully times they shared together and unwilling to talk really frustrating nan abrupt departure of nan 32-year-old whitethorn be.

With only 13 caps for Hampton anterior to kick-off, and nary for nan different 2 goalkeepers successful nan squad, fears were raised astir their inexperience.

But erstwhile nan squad successful beforehand plays truthful well, it quickly becomes little of a concern.

Hampton spent nan mostly of nan 2nd half stood still, watching connected arsenic her team-mates tried to adhd to their 5 first-half goals, managing 1 much done Chloe Kelly.

Hat-trick leader Beever-Jones gave immoderate penetration into Wiegman's talk earlier nan Group A3 tie: "She said earlier nan game, 'it's a caller kit, it's a caller England, we person a caller squad'."

But it wasn't a caller England, it was a "vintage" England, according to Bardsley, who was waxing lyrical by nan clip nan 5th extremity came successful only nan 33rd minute, sealing a treble for Beever-Jones.

Lucy Bronze nodded successful England's second, while Beth Mead joined successful connected nan action and substitute Kelly added nan finishing touch pinch nan sixth successful nan 62nd minute.

"This is reminding maine of vintage England, casting myself backmost to 2022," said Bardsley, who made 81 appearances for nan Lionesses. "Portugal person been poor, but among nan noise, it is truthful awesome to spot nan girls pinch smiles connected their faces."

They were not nan only ones pinch smiles connected their faces arsenic supporters danced and celebrated astatine full-time, intelligibly encouraged by what they had witnessed.

England's shape has dipped passim nan past 18 months. Just 7 weeks agone they were beaten successful Leuven by Belgium - who are bottommost of nan Women's Nations League group - and 2 months aft picking up a triumph complete world champions Spain astatine Wembley.

But nan Lionesses showed they were up to nan task erstwhile nan unit was on, buoyed by nan return of cardinal players Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood from injury.

"There has been a batch of sound [this week] and players wanted to put that to bed," added Johnson.

"Questions successful nan property convention were relentless and they are going to be. They conscionable want to talk astir shot and they made it each astir nan football.

"Mary [Earps] will beryllium missed, but erstwhile you people six goals successful nan manner they did, we are conscionable talking astir nan shot and really bully England were."

"Aggie Beever-Jones is simply a baller," was besides Bardsley's connection astatine full-time arsenic she lauded nan matchwinner.

The Chelsea guardant has fixed her chances of action for Euro 2025 a important boost and Wiegman couldn't thief but laughter erstwhile asked nan question.

"I deliberation she did really well…" said nan Dutchwoman pinch a smile.

"She is simply a goalscorer. She scores goals very easy and very well. She has specified speedy feet. She is besides really tight connected nan ball, she played really relaxed."

Team-mate Kelly said it was awesome to spot Beever-Jones "firing" successful an England garment and Bardsley said she was a "pesky" guardant to play against.

Competition for a starting domiciled will beryllium difficult to travel by though.

Arsenal's Alessia Russo was watching from nan bench, rested for this lucifer aft picking up a insignificant calf injury, while Chelsea's Lauren James has still to return from injury.

Hemp was awesome excessively connected her first England crippled since knee room successful November, while Mead was connected nan scoresheet and Kelly proved her worthy disconnected nan bench.

"She really announced herself and put her lawsuit guardant to Sarina Wiegman truthful she knows she is tin of starting astatine nan Euros this summer," added Bardsley of Beever-Jones.

"Knowing there's that weapon, whether it's connected nan chair aliases from nan start, is truthful beautiful to cognize that she's successful Sarina Wiegman's instrumentality kit."

Beever-Jones looked complete to her family to observe and revealed nan squad had signed nan lucifer shot to return location afterwards.

But immoderate her domiciled is astatine nan Euros, she is fresh to make an impact.

"In shot it's ne'er conscionable a consecutive line. I've had to beryllium diligent successful this set-up and that conscionable shows nan value nan squad has," Beever-Jones told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I sewage nan opportunity and I americium grateful to everyone who helped maine get into this place. I couldn't person hoped for a amended day.

"I wouldn't want anyone other for competition. Alessia [Russo] is an unthinkable player, I study truthful overmuch disconnected her and nan full frontline. Hopefully I tin lend wherever I can.

"Whenever I'm playing for England I conscionable dream I'm giving nan correct group nan correct headaches."