England Women Must Score More After Iceland Victory, Wiegman Says

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England stayed perfect in World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 victory over Iceland, yet Sarina Wiegman still highlighted missed chances as a concern. Goals from Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway secured three points at The City Ground, but the Lionesses’ head coach felt the scoreline did not fully reflect their control of the match.

The result followed England’s opening win against Ukraine and left Wiegman’s team with two wins from two in Group 3. England created more than enough opportunities to extend the margin, and the performance again underlined a strong defensive structure, with Iceland kept quiet for almost the entire contest.

Across the 90 minutes, England attempted 31 shots and produced an expected goals figure of 2.93. Iceland managed only a single effort on target, worth 0.24 expected goals. The numbers reflected England’s dominance in possession and territory, yet also supported Wiegman’s belief that a more clinical edge was possible against compact opposition.

That one Iceland chance mentioned by Wiegman required sharp work from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who preserved the clean sheet. Otherwise, England restricted Iceland to limited counter-attacks, dealing well with their physical style. The Lionesses controlled transitions and regained the ball quickly, which allowed constant pressure on Cecilia Runarsdottir’s goal.

Bronze marked cap number 145 with the opening goal in the 22nd minute. Lauren James supplied a precise cross, and Bronze met it with a looping header over Cecilia Runarsdottir. Late in the game, the roles reversed. With 12 minutes remaining, Bronze delivered a pass for Georgia Stanway, who struck a low volley into the bottom-right corner.

Those contributions capped a memorable evening for Bronze, whose appearance moved the defender to third on England’s all-time list. Only Jill Scott, with 161 caps, and Fara Williams, with 172, have played more times for the Lionesses. Bronze also moved beyond Karen Carney, which added another personal milestone to a dominant team display.

Wiegman praised the collective performance but stressed that efficiency in front of goal must improve as qualifying continues. "An important win. I think we played well, we know they're very disciplined, very powerful and really dangerous on the counter," Wiegman told ITV. "For the most part, we took them out so they didn't become dangerous. They had that one chance when Hannah Hampton did really well. Overall, we showed some good football. Of course, we want to score more goals, but it starts with winning the game, and we created so many chances. If we're so dominant, we'd like to score more. What you saw on Tuesday against Ukraine, and now Iceland, they're just so disciplined in defence, it's really hard to break through. If I look at the development of the team, how do we do better in the final third? Even from Tuesday to today, I saw some things we added."

England World Cup qualifying campaign boosted by Lauren James

This qualifier also represented an important step for Lauren James, who made a first England start since the Euros final last year. The Chelsea midfielder impressed across the attacking third, drifting into space and linking play. James created a team-high five chances, took seven shots and recorded nine touches in the box, only trailing Alessia Russo in those final two categories.

Russo finished with eight shots and 14 penalty-area touches, yet James still stood out in Wiegman’s assessment. "We know she has something special," Wiegman said of James. "It's really good for her that she's fit and can play games, she's back with Chelsea now and us, and you can see that she can make a difference. We put her in positions where she can make a difference, so don't underestimate the other players too, I would say."

England World Cup qualifying context and Bronze milestone reaction

Bronze reflected on the significance of her appearance record after moving beyond Karen Carney’s tally. "It's really nice to get the extra cap past Karen Carney, a huge Lioness legend and to be behind Fara Williams and Jill Scott," Bronze said. "The three of them are close friends of mine, team-mates from the past. I'm just really proud to represent my country so many times."

The victory over Iceland kept England in control of Group 3 after the earlier success against Ukraine, while also offering signs of progress in attacking patterns. Wiegman highlighted improvements between the two fixtures and will look for further gains in the final third. With defensive stability established and key players like James and Bronze influential, England’s World Cup qualifying campaign remains firmly on track.