England’s Lionesses returned to Wembley in style, thrashing China 8-0 in a commanding display. Georgia Stanway led the charge with a first-half hat-trick, while Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp also found the net early to establish a 3-0 lead within just 20 minutes. The team’s relentless pressure left the Chinese side reeling from the start.
Stanway’s goals included a rifled volley, a penalty after a VAR-reviewed handball, and a composed finish from a one-two with Ella Toone. China’s woes were compounded by a catastrophic error from goalkeeper Hongyan Pan, who gifted a simple tap-in to Toone. Alessia Russo added a late goal to complete the rout in front of a massive 74,611-strong home crowd.
Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse enjoyed a quiet senior debut, barely troubled throughout the match. This emphatic victory, surpassing their 6-1 World Cup win over the same opponents, capped an unforgettable year for the European Champions, who next face Ghana in another friendly.
