Agyemang Injury For England Deflates Bronze’s Birthday Celebrations Against Matildas

The chorus of Happy Birthday echoed astir Pride Park aft England’s Euro 2025 warrior Lucy Bronze had fired successful England’s 2nd against Australia, but nan statement temper was marred by a nasty looking knee wounded to a distraught Michelle Agyemang.

It was amended from nan Lionesses successful Derby, a much system and controlled capacity than nan 1 connected show successful nan 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Brazil connected Saturday night, Aggie Beever-Jones and Georgia Stanway scoring either broadside of Bronze’s effort. Whether that was nan alteration successful unit and positions, aliases conscionable that nan cobwebs needed to beryllium shaken disconnected successful nan first fixture since their large triumph successful Switzerland earlier things started to click into spot is difficult to say.

Either way, location were galore positives to return from nan 3-0 triumph complete nan broadside they knocked retired of nan World Cup successful 2023 astatine nan semi-final stage. Agyemang’s wounded was nan sour statement arsenic some teams ended up pinch 10 players connected nan pitch, Australia’s Alanna Kennedy was sent disconnected soon earlier England’s first extremity for Australia and Beever-Jones needed to travel disconnected aft England had utilized up each their substitutions.

It had been expected that Sarina Wiegman would shuffle her battalion a small and she did. Debuts were handed to Lucia Kendall and Taylor Hinds, Beever-Jones started connected nan near alongside Alessia Russo and Beth Mead, while goalkeeper Hannah Hampton returned to nan starting XI having shaken disconnected her elbow issue. Kendall had been negotiated successful a sit-down pinch journalists astatine nan commencement of this world window, nan 21-year-old was “just present to study arsenic overmuch arsenic possible,” she said, expectations of minutes low. Yet, successful her first start, pursuing her first call-up, nan Southampton academy postgraduate looked a earthy fresh playing successful nan mediate alongside Keira Walsh and Ella Toone. She held her ain against 2023 World Cup stars Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross and demonstrated a composure beyond her years successful nan middle, her physicality and positioning peculiarly promising.

Fellow debutant Hinds was likewise impressive. Pitted against Chelsea’s move right-back Ellie Carpenter she coped well.

England had promised a faster commencement successful beforehand of 26,544 fans astatine Pride Park and they delivered that.

Concern for Michelle Agyemang arsenic nan young substitute is stretchered disconnected precocious on. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

The hosts almost took nan lead successful nan 13th infinitesimal erstwhile Beever-Jones clipped nan shot complete visiting goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold aft nan shot had fallen kindly to her successful nan box, but nan emblem was consecutive up to contradict England’s apical goalscorer for 2024-25.

Australia were struggling to grip England and they were dealt a large rustle 5 minutes later. Cooney-Cross played a short walk to Alanna Kennedy and nan London City Lionesses defender was robbed of nan shot by Alessia Russo who stepped towards nan separator of nan container pinch conscionable nan goalkeeper to hit earlier Kennedy upended her. Kennedy was fixed her marching orders for nan rash determination and, while nan first free-kick was powered debased into nan wall, Bronze was connected manus to push it backmost to Beever-Jones who fired in.

It was a deserved lead and a invited one, England’s profligacy having been a vexation for immoderate clip since their summertime celebrations.

Wiegman’s broadside extended their lead soon earlier nan break, Walsh’s defence-splitting walk recovered Toone and nan Manchester United midfielder flicked it backmost towards an unmarked Bronze to powerfulness in.

Alanna Kennedy thwarts Alessia Russo’s goalward complaint – nan Matildas midfielder was past shown a reddish card. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

It would beryllium Bronze’s past action and her first 45 minutes played since her return from nan tibia break she played successful during nan Euros, pinch her Chelsea teammate Niamh Charles replacing her astatine half-time.

It was flatter aft nan break, nan cushion earned, and a quadruple substitution from nan hosts arrived conscionable aft nan hr people pinch experimentation precocious connected nan schedule of this four-game “Homecoming Series” and legs rested up of a return to nine football. On came Stanway, Missy Bo Kearns, Agyemang and Alex Greenwood, pinch Arsenal guardant Agyemang going closest to extending nan lead further. Mead’s powerful debased shot into nan mediate was excessively beardown for nan guardant to untangle successful clip to nonstop it alternatively than deflect it towards Arnold.

Sam Kerr exited successful nan 70th minute, nan Chelsea guardant restricted to 1 changeable successful that clip by a much solid-looking England.

A lengthy stoppage for nan wounded to Agyemang past marred proceedings, nan Arsenal guardant distraught aft she went down disconnected nan shot earlier being led down nan passageway connected a stretcher – a concerned Wiegman stopping to opportunity thing to nan 19-year-old arsenic she passed. Beever-Jones signalled she needed to travel disconnected soon after, and pinch 5 changes already made, nan hosts played nan remainder arsenic a 10 v 10 affair.

It was comfortable for England successful nan end, a punishment from Stanway sealing nan 3-0 triumph aft Kearns was tripped successful nan box.

The fluidity had been disrupted a small by nan galore changes and nan lengthy wounded stoppage, but it was a capacity offering plentifulness to study from. They will beryllium looked astatine successful nan coming days, but interest for Euro 2025 starlet Agyemang will predominate arsenic teammates and fans alike hold for news regarding nan grade of her injury.