England Dominates China 8-0 As Stanway Scores Hat-Trick In Wiegman's Milestone Match

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Georgia Stanway's hat-trick led England to a commanding 8-0 victory over China in a friendly match at Wembley Stadium. The Lionesses dominated the first half, with Lauren Hemp scoring in the 16th minute between two goals each from Stanway and Beth Mead. Bayern Munich's Stanway completed her hat-trick shortly after halftime, while Ella Toone and Alessia Russo added to the scoreline.

England's attacking prowess was evident early on, as they took control within 14 minutes. Mead's quick double gave them an ideal start in London. Hemp then converted a cross from Stanway in the 16th minute. Shortly after, Stanway capitalised on a mistake by China's goalkeeper Pan Hongyan to score again.

Stanway further extended England's lead by converting a penalty in the 38th minute after Li Mengwen handled the ball inside the box. She completed her hat-trick by receiving an incisive pass from Toone, steadying herself, and finding the bottom-left corner of the net.

The Lionesses continued their dominance into the second half. They waited until the 72nd minute for their sixth goal when Pan Hongyan's poor clearance allowed Toone to score easily from inside the box. Russo sealed the victory with another goal 12 minutes before full-time, working well with Toone despite Hongyan's efforts.

Before kickoff, discussions centred around England’s goalkeeping issues due to injuries to Hannah Hampton and Khiara Keating. However, England’s attack stole the spotlight. The team recorded an expected goals (xG) total of 4.03 from 19 shots, nine on target, while China managed only 0.33 xG from six attempts.

Stanway received praise for her hat-trick, but Manchester United’s Ella Toone was also outstanding. She led with three assists, created three chances, and made 32 passes in the final third. Her performance helped Sarina Wiegman achieve another milestone during her tenure as England manager.

This victory marked Wiegman's 50th win with England in just her 73rd match (D13 L10). She became only the second manager after Hope Powell to reach this milestone for England, with Powell needing 103 games to achieve it.

The match highlighted England's offensive strength and tactical superiority under Wiegman's leadership. Their ability to capitalise on opportunities and maintain pressure throughout demonstrated their readiness for future challenges.