Jack Grealish has admitted that he offered Trent Alexander-Arnold £500 if he scored England’s free-kick to put them 2-0 up against Finland on Sunday evening.
The Three Lions looked a world away from the side that fell to a 2-1 defeat to Greece when they travelled to Helsinki for their UEFA Nations League clash with Finland. Manchester City star Grealish delivered the first goal of the game, putting England ahead in the 18th minute.
Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold was the next to add his name to the scoresheet, bending a strong free-kick over the Finland wall and past Lukas Hradecky between the sticks. His efforts doubled England’s lead, before a final strike from Declan Rice in the closing moments of the game secured a 3-1 win for the visitors.
Speaking after the game, Grealish admitted that he and Alexander-Arnold had spoken before the free-kick.
“I joked to Trent before the free-kick ‘score this I will give you 500 quid’ and he slapped it in top bins,” the City winger told ITV Sport.
He also took the time to reflect on his own goal, sharing praise for manager Lee Carsley while doing so.
“We could have had a few more [goals] but it was difficult at times,” he continued. “The goal came from the manager letting us play with that freedom. I play with Angel Gomes in training and I know what a top player he is. The celebration was for my little daughter.
“Whatever happens with the England manager, people will always say negative stuff. Before, people were crying out for all attacking players to play and it didn’t work. I don’t get it, it can happen in games. I love coming here, he’s a top, top manager and I love playing for him.”
READ MORE OF THE LATEST ENGLAND NEWS, QUOTES & MATCH PREVIEWS
Trent Alexander-Arnold was handed a completely new position for England’s clash with Finland on Sunday night, but showed his versatility by making the second most touches into the final third.
The Liverpool star’s spot in the Three Lions squad has been a constant conversation in recent months. Gareth Southgate trialed the defender in midfield during Euro 2024, and while that experiment failed, his ability to play in other areas of the pitch remains intriguing.
Against Finland, Alexander-Arnold was thrust into the left-back spot, while Manchester City’s Kyle Walker occupied his usual space on the right. This decision was met with immediate criticism, but the Anfield man was keen to impress, no matter where he was stationed.
On the left, Alexander-Arnold was able to tap into his chemistry with Jude Bellingham – who drifted out of his position in the 10 to receive useful balls from the defender. Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham and Jack Grealish just in front drove excellent play down the left side of the pitch, shifting almost all of England’s attacking advancements onto their side.
He made 10 passes into the final third, the second most of any player on the pitch, and was able to capitalise on his efforts by firing a scoring a strong free-kick in the second-half, doubling England’s lead.
Alexander-Arnold also won 100% of his ground duels and made 130 touches during the course of the 90 minutes – highlighting his impact in both attack and defensive play.
England have struggled to rely on a constant left-back in recent tournaments, with Manchester United’s Luke Shaw often forced to sit on the sidelines due to injury. If the Three Lions want a mature, composed character in this position – they may have found their answer.
READ MORE OF THE LATEST ENGLAND NEWS, QUOTES & MATCH PREVIEWS
England were vastly more impressive than their 2-1 defeat to Greece on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 over Finland in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.
The Three Lions arrived at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium desperate to improve on their recent outing, with Manchester City star Jack Grealish the first to open the scoreline in the first-half.
It was a calm, composed performance from Lee Carsley’s side who dominated possession and made light work of a win on the road to signify the end of their October international break.
How the game unfolded
From the offset, England were unrecognisable from the team that fell to a 2-1 defeat to Greece just three days earlier. Calm, composed and balanced, the Three Lions dominated possession while continuously driving the ball towards the Finland goal to put pressure on the hosts.
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish was the first to find the back of the net, curling a low ball past Lukas Hradecky after an excellent ball from Angel Gomes. Grealish made a superb run to ensure he was in the perfect spot to slot the ball into the back of the net, dancing past Finland’s defenders with ease.
England continued to control the game, driving the tempo while Finland seemed to sit back. Lee Carsley’s side demonstrated immense chemistry on the pitch, moving fluidly whilst spraying the ball around to drive attacking play.
Further into the first-half, the Finns began to up the pace – working hard to win the ball in advanced positions and attempt shots on goal. Opportunities came, but none good enough to adjust the scoreline as they headed into the break trailing 1-0 to England.
England seemed to return to their flat, lack of energy football in the second half – failing to create exciting chances and move without the ball. Finland came close to levelling out the scoreline just ahead of the hour mark as Fredrik Jensen fired a strong ball over the net, holding his head in his hands as he watched his effort fly away from the goal.
The visitors did get the chance to double their lead later in the half, however, as Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a stunning free-kick into the back of the net, bending it over the wall and beyond the reach of the keeper.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice solidified England’s victory in the latter stages of the game, tapping in a ball from Ollie Watkins to fire a low ball into the back of the net – making it 3-0.
Finland grasped a last-minute chance to earn something back when Arttu Hoskonen headed an effort into the top corner of the net, ending Dean Henderson’s dreams of achieving a clean sheet on his first England start.
It was positive news for the Finns, but ultimately not enough to stop England as they cruised to victory.
Grealish fired his side ahead in the first half / Soccrates Images/GettyImages
GK: Dean Henderson – 6/10 – The shot-stopper was handed his first England star against Finland and worked hard to impress. He pulled off a great save to prevent Benjamin Kallman from scoring early on and continued to look confident between the sticks.
RB: Kyle Walker – 4/10 – Walker came in at right-back in place of Alexander-Arnold, but simply did not impress in defence. He struggled to pass the ball and was often caught in troublesome positions before giving the ball away to his opponent.
CB: Marc Guehi – 7/10 – Stability, composure, presence – Guehi brought an awful lot to this England side and represented a true leader in the back-four. The Crystal Palace star was simply immense, showing the quality that England often relied on during their Euro 2024 campaign.
CB: John Stones – 5/10 – Stones, however, offered a less impressive performance in the centre of defence – carrying out movements that were often too slow to have any impact. He stepped up on a few occasions to take Henderson’s free-kicks, but appeared nervous and unaware for most of the game.
LB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8/10 – Okay, Carsley turned heads when he decided to play Alexander-Arnold at left-back, but the Liverpool star proved he has the ability to perform on either side of the pitch. His new role allowed him to link up with Bellingham and Grealish well – creating dangerous chances for his side. He added a nice free-kick goal to his roster in the second-half too.
DM: Angel Gomes – 7/10 – Gomes was simply fantastic against Finland. His position in midfield freed up Declan Rice and allowed the pair to stand out on the pitch. Gomes’ assist for Grealish’s opening goal was sublime, highlighting his ability to read the game.
DM: Declan Rice – 7/10 – Arsenal star Rice seemed much more confident alongside Gomes. He made runs into the box and utilised his abilities to push forward – knowing that his teammate could cover behind. His willingness to push forward brought along England’s third goal of the game, capping off their victory.
RW: Cole Palmer – 6/10 – Palmer demonstrated an uncharacteristically quiet performance on the right-wing, often left out of play while the ball flew down the left side of the pitch. His role on the wing seemed to limit his useful abilities, silencing the Chelsea star when he could’ve been a game changer.
AM: Jude Bellingham – 6/10 – Bellingham would’ve been pleased with Alexander-Arnold’s role in the left-back position, partnering with his teammate to drive play down the left side of the field. His spot in the centre of the field did cause issues for his team, however, limiting his ability to run and win the ball. A deeper role would’ve unlocked more of his skills.
LW: Jack Grealish – 8/10 – Grealish was a huge miss during England’s clash with Greece, that was evident from how fast he found the back of the net against Finland. His ability to dance around the pitch, manoeuvre the ball and torment his opponents made him one of the most impressive players on the pitch.
ST: Harry Kane – 5/10 – Only goalkeeper Henderson had fewer touches than Kane in the opening 50 minutes of the game, with the Bayern Munich star finding the ball just 21 times. The striker looked tired and sluggish – once again unable to replicate his club performances on the international stage.
Substitutes
SUB: Noni Madueke (68′ for Palmer) – 6/10
SUB: Ollie Watkins (68′ for Kane) – 7/10
SUB: Phil Foden (79′ for Bellingham) – 6/10
SUB: Rico Lewis (79′ for Gomes) – 6/10
SUB: Conor Gallagher (84′ for Rice) – N/A
Subs not used: Jordan Pickford (GK), Nick Pope (GK), Levi Colwill, Valentino Livramento, Anthony Gordon, Dominic Solanke.
Manager
Lee Carsley – 6/10 – A much better set-up from Carsley who resorted to a more usual formation to give his side space to utilise their skills and impress in front of goal. Made good substitutions in the second-half when he noticed the game was stale.
Player of the match – Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
READ MORE OF THE LATEST ENGLAND NEWS, QUOTES & MATCH PREVIEWS
Eintracht Frankfurt director Markus Krosche has refused to rule out a potential departure for top scorer Omar Marmoush, whose electric form has sparked links to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Marmoush, 25, scored 12 Bundesliga goals last season and has started this year with eight in just six outings, putting him well clear at the top of the league’s scoring charts.
Such form has, unsurprisingly, prompted links to the Premier League’s elite. Arsenal and Liverpool have long been named as suitors for Mohamed Salah’s international teammate, while recent reports have added United’s name to the mix.
While Frankfurt have no desire to part ways with Marmoush, Krosche conceded the club could be powerless to stop the striker from leaving if his form continues.
“It is true that Omar made a very clear commitment to us in the summer,” Krosche told the press. “He has developed well and still has a lot of potential to develop further.
“For us, we don’t want to lose so many key players. I have to honestly say that no Eintracht player is unsellable but we want to keep the team together. I talk about Marmoush after every game. But that’s a good thing. Omar gives our game an incredible amount.”
Marmoush rejected the chance to move to England in the summer, when Nottingham Forest failed with no fewer than three approaches for the Egypt international.
However, previous reports have claimed Marmoush dreams of moving to the Premier League, with the 25-year-old expected to entertain approaches from any top side over the coming months.
READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Manchester United saw an approach for Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness knocked back during the summer before opting to retain Erik ten Hag, a report has revealed.
After a disappointing 2023/24 campaign, Ten Hag entered the summer under immense pressure as new controlling owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS held a post-season review of his performance.
Contact was made with a handful of managers, including Thomas Tuchel, as United officials sought to determine whether Ten Hag was the best boss available at the time.
According to BILD, another manager contacted by United was Stuttgart’s Hoeness, whose stock rose to new levels last season when his side finished second in the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayern Munich and behind only Bayer Leverkusen.
It is claimed that United reached out to Hoeness to discuss a possible switch to Old Trafford but the 42-year-old, who was also linked with Chelsea summer, politely declined.
Hoeness was flattered by United’s approach but felt his work at Stuttgart was not yet finished and refused the chance to jump ship.
United ultimately decided to hand Ten Hag a contract extension but once again found themselves forced to make a choice on his future this week. Club officials met in a scheduled meeting and added Ten Hag’s underwhelming performance to the agenda, eventually deciding to persist with the Dutchman.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
