Get ready for an exciting football showdown as England takes on Ghana in their final friendly match of the year! The Lionesses are on a high after their impressive 8-0 victory over China last week, with Georgia Stanway stealing the show by scoring a hat-trick. Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone, Beth Mead, and Alessia Russo also left their mark on the game, showcasing their skills in front of a supportive crowd at Wembley.
But here's where it gets interesting! England's manager, Sarina Wiegman, has made some strategic changes to the lineup, including giving opportunities to players like Lucia Kendall, Aggie Beever-Jones, and Jess Park. This match marks the first encounter between England and Ghana, who have been on an unbeaten streak in their last seven games since losing to South Africa in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.
Off the field, there was a shocking moment as ITV presenter Laura Woods collapsed live on air. Katie Shanahan stepped in to replace Woods alongside pundits Ian Wright and Anita Asante for the game.
As the players make their way onto the pitch at St. Mary's, the atmosphere is electric. England aims to finish the year on a positive note, but can they maintain their winning streak?
Let's dive into some key stats and insights:
Ella Toone has been a standout player this year, with the most goal involvements (11) and assists (6) for England in 2025. She's following in the footsteps of Lauren James (2023) and Beth Mead (2022), who also had impressive assist records.
Georgia Stanway, who scored her first international hat-trick against China, has been a force to be reckoned with. Since her England debut in 2018, only Beth Mead has more goals and assists than Stanway, who is now just two goal involvements away from reaching the 50-mark for the Lionesses.
Ghana's manager, Kim Lars Bjorkegren, shared his thoughts on the upcoming match, acknowledging the challenge of facing one of the best teams in the world. He expressed hope for his team to gain experience from this big game and emphasized the talent of African players, including those on his own team.
England's recent form has been impressive, with an 8-0 win over China being their biggest victory since September 2022 against Luxembourg (10-0). Under Wiegman's leadership, the Lionesses have won games by eight or more goals on eight occasions, a record that surpasses any other manager in their history.
England has a chance to extend their winning streak, having won their last two matches. The last time they achieved a consecutive win streak of four or more games was between December 2023 and February 2024. The Lionesses will be aiming to replicate their success from 2021, when they ended the calendar year with a win streak of six matches.
Wiegman explained her decision to start Lotte Wubben-Moy in defense, citing Esme Morgan's illness as a factor. She praised Wubben-Moy's performance and saw it as a great opportunity for the player.
In a shocking turn of events, Laura Woods, the 38-year-old ITV presenter, appeared to collapse while presenting the pre-match coverage. Wright and Asante quickly reacted, and ITV cut to commercials shortly after.
England has a strong record in their final home games of the calendar year, remaining unbeaten in the last four years. Their last loss at home was in 2019 against Germany (2-1). Since then, they've had impressive results, including a 20-0 win over Latvia in 2021, a draw against Czechia in 2022, and victories over the Netherlands and Switzerland in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
As the match kicks off, the tension is palpable. Can England maintain their momentum and end the year on a high note? Will Ghana pull off an upset? Stay tuned for all the live updates and join the discussion!
And this is the part most people miss... What do you think? Will England continue their winning ways, or will Ghana surprise everyone? Share your predictions and thoughts in the comments below! We want to hear your opinions on this highly anticipated friendly!
