Wullaert double for Belgium sinks England in Women’s Nations League | OneFootball

England’s puzzling form continued with a defeat in Belgium but Sarina Wiegman insisted she is unconcerned and believes the result will help her side in the long run.

From 3-0 down, the Lionesses attempted a stunning comeback, helped by a world-class debut goal from the striker Michelle Agyemang, but it was too little too late. Having seemed to be back to their entertaining best when emphatically beating Belgium on home soil on Friday, an injury-hit England side produced a wholly contrasting first‑half display in Leuven and could have no complaints about the scoreline.

“It’s April now. I’m not concerned,” Wiegman said. “Although this doesn’t feel good, it’s a huge learning for us. They [Belgium] actually played as we expected. We know it was going to be totally different [to Friday].

“There are a lot of different circumstances. Friday was all good and we were 5-0 up. We just stay neutral. There are things in your journey that go well and things that don’t go well. Tonight was a disappointment but there were a lot of learnings.”

One thing she will have learnt is that they have a magical talent on their hands. Brought on as a substitute for the final 10 minutes with England trailing 3-1, with her first two touches of senior international football the 19-year-old Agyemang controlled the ball with her thigh and volleyed home an outstanding, instinctive finish that gave the visitors hope of a late comeback, but they were unable to add to that magical moment and were left to rue their poor first-half performance.

With this result England drop to second in their Women’s Nations League group with a total of seven points from four games, behind a Spain side who moved top courtesy of their 7-1 victory against Portugal. More pertinently, with just under three months before the start of the European Championship in Switzerland, the first 45 minutes of this game was another reminder that England must improve significantly and become more consistent if they are to retain their title.

The first goal, scored inside four minutes, was alarmingly simple from an England point of view. A routine ball over the top of the Chelsea left-back Niamh Charles was latched on to by the fit-again Belgium captain, Tessa Wullaert, and she proved too quick for the England backline, having plenty of time to pick her spot and place the ball low into the far corner past Hannah Hampton. It was the hosts’ first attack and the European champions proved powerless to stop their break upfield.

For England’s coaching staff, the second Belgium goal will also have been worryingly easy, with the tallest player on the pitch heading in from a set piece. The Everton midfielder Justine Vanhaevermaet beat Leah Williamson in the air and looped her header into the corner from the Inter striker Wullaert’s well-placed free-kick delivery.

When the third Belgium goal went in before the half hour, England were in truly uncharted territory in the Wiegman era and facing something of a humiliation. This time it was a well‑worked Belgium move that dragged the England back four across to the right and Wullaert beat Millie Bright to meet the low cross played in from the left by Davina Philtjens. The travelling England fans behind that goal could scarcely believe their eyes.

Defensively from the Lionesses it was all too reminiscent of their most recent visit to this stadium in October 2023, albeit with different personnel. On that night they were beaten 3-2 after being unable to contend with the pace of Wullaert on the counterattack. Admittedly, England had been depleted by injuries since the resounding win at Ashton Gate on Friday, with the Arsenal striker Alessia Russo and the Chelsea forward Lauren James – who both looked in excellent form in Bristol – returning to their clubs for treatment, with Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp also among the injured forwards.

After Beth Mead pulled a goal back from the visitors with a crisply converted penalty shortly before the break, Wiegman made changes in the second half and England went close when a long‑range Williamson strike was tipped over the crossbar and Lucy Bronze headed wide from a Mead cross, before the Brighton youngster Agyemang – who is on loan with the Sussex club from Arsenal – introduced herself to the national team in style.

Wiegman praised the debutant’s strike, saying: “She came in and did really well. She scored an incredible goal, the composure she has and the calmness. I think we do have to celebrate that a little for her. We haven’t done now because overall we are disappointed, but that was really good.”

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