England 8-0 China Game Analysis

Cliff Notes – England 8-0 China Game Analysis

• Georgia Stanway’s hat trick led England to an emphatic 8-0 victory over China, marking Sarina Wiegman’s 50th win as head coach.
• The match showcased England’s dominance, with goals from Beth Mead, Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone, and Alessia Russo, as they prepared for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
• Anna Moorhouse made her England debut in goal, with the team capitalising on China’s lack of match fitness, having not played since July.

England 8-0 China (29 Nov, 2025) Game Analysis

Georgia Stanway scored a hat trick as England made a triumphant return to Wembley with a 8-0 thrashing of China.

Stanway’s treble, a quickfire double from Beth Mead and further goals from Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo secured a comfortable 50th win in charge for boss Sarina Wiegman.

England were playing their first match at the national stadium since they successfully defended their title at Euro 2025 in Switzerland earlier this year.

It was the third instalment of the four-match homecoming series, with England narrowly beaten by Brazil in their first friendly after the Euros before bouncing back against Australia.

They will round off another memorable 12 months — and continue the build-up for next year’s World Cup qualifiers — with a final match against Ghana at St Mary’s on Tuesday.

Georgia Stanway bagged a hat trick for England vs. China.

With goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and deputy Khiara Keating absent through injury, Wiegman handed 30-year-old Anna Moorhouse her England debut.

The Orlando Pride keeper need not have brought her gloves such was England’s dominance against an under-cooked China, with the Asian champions playing their first match since July.

It took the hosts just 12 minutes to go ahead after Lucy Bronze overlapped down the right and played in Mead.

The Arsenal forward needed one touch to control the ball with her left foot before lashing it home with her right.

Moments later the Lionesses doubled their lead when Hemp fed Toone down the opposite flank and her cross was finished by Mead at the far post.

It was three goals in four minutes when Hemp, playing her first international since the Euros after a spell out injured, got on the scoresheet.

Russo swept the ball out to Stanway, who raced into the area and squared for Hemp to tuck in from six yards out.

The fourth came after 23 minutes when China goalkeeper punched Pan Hongyan punched Hemp’s cross straight to Stanway, who volleyed it back through a crowded penalty area into the net.

The fifth arrived in the 38th minute via a VAR check which showed Rangers defender Li Mengwen stuck out an arm to block Russo’s volley, with Stanway dispatching the penalty.

Stanway completed her first England hat trick eight minutes into the second half when she played a neat give and go with Toone before slotting the ball home.

Toone struck after 71 minutes, capitalising on a bad mix-up in the Chinese defence to roll the ball into an empty net, and seven minutes later Toone teed up the tireless Russo who slid in number eight.