England head for Euro 2022 final after 4-0 thrashing of Sweden; Beth Mead opened the scoring in the first half; Lucy Bronze headed the Lionesses into a two-goal lead; Alessia Russo netted a world-class back-heel nutmeg before Fran Kirby rounded off the scoring
Wednesday 27 July 2022 10:30, UK
England Women will get their shot at silverware on Sunday as they booked their first Euro final since 2009 with a scintillating 4-0 victory over Sweden at Bramall Lane. So who stood out for Sarina Wiegman's side?
Was kept busy from minute one. It took a brilliant save to deny Sofia Jakobsson as England were caught napping early on, while she also rebuffed an expeditious effort from Stina Blackstenius. She has not put a glove wrong all tournament and that continued against Sweden - wonderful improvisation also ensured Blackstenius was thwarted in the second half with a sensational fingertip save.
Only looked under threat for the first 10 minutes of the tie, but was much more secure after England rode an early wave of pressure. Her relationship with Leah Williamson is the bedrock of the Lionesses' impressive defensive stability.
Assured. Not much more to say. Partners Bright perfectly at the heart of the defence and is a large part of the reason England have only been breached once this tournament. A true captain's performance - classy, but commanding. The way she drives this team forwards by building from the back, stepping out of defence with confidence and encouraging teammates to play with the same level of determination she shows every game is commendable. There was one stray pass from the back in a shaky opening - but we can forgive that!
Assured first-half performance - many thought she might miss out after a nervy display against Spain. Looked promising going forward in patches and combined well with Lauren Hemp. Also held her own physically.
Caught out a few times by the pace of Fridolina Rolfo, but provided the assist for Beth Mead's opener and scored England's second. She was exposed by Sweden's first-half strategy, overloading the left channel and exploiting the space vacated. Her influence in the final third, though, was pivotal and her game management is always excellent.
So dependable. Her goal in the last round stole the headlines and rightly so. She's the reason England are in this position. She didn't quite hit the same heights against Sweden but is consistently steady. She was happy to disrupt Sweden's rhythm in midfield and stopped supply into Blackstenius and Kosovare Asllani - the latter's influence was severely reduced after the break.
Dispossessed everything in her path. Doesn't often grab the headlines but is such an important part of England's success. Powerful, authoritative and calm and composed on the ball. Her range of passing also goes unnoticed next to the exuberant Stanway, but she's equally as adept at picking a useful pass. There probably wasn't a blade of the Sheffield grass she didn't cover.
Missed a gaping goal when teed up by Alessia Russo in the second half, but worked tirelessly. She hustled and harried throughout but didn't get the rub of the green in front of goal. She's undoubtedly a threat, but definitely has more to give - what has she saved for the final showpiece?
Not quite as poised in possession as usual, but her touch in front of goal was as infallible as ever. Scored the opening goal, arguably against the run of play, as Sweden enjoyed a positive opening 45 minutes. The finish was symptomatic of a player in the form of her life. Her goal changed the dynamic of the tie and she delivered the corner for Bronze's headed goal - the Golden Boot is well within sight and she's already overtaken Jodie Taylor's five scored at Euro 2017, with a game to go.
Executed the playmaker role admirably, using her adhesive touch to pick pockets of space and invite players to join attacks. Her hold-up play was crucial for England's second goal, feeding Hemp, who won the corner that provided the opportunity. She then scored the Lionesses' fourth with a cheeky lob to safeguard victory. The cherry on a very sweet cake.
Failed to make much of an impact, but had a couple of first-half chances - owing to some clever movement. Was replaced by Alessia Russo before the hour-mark but never stopped running. Her place might, only might, be under threat such is the brilliance of Russo.
Super sub strikes again! A ridiculously audacious finish, which stunned every onlooker inside Bramall Lane. She teed up Hemp within seconds of entering the field, before scoring with a back-flick that fooled Hedvig Lindahl into submission. Her introduction has always been impactful, but her finishing is becoming hard to overlook. She couldn't do any more to earn a starting place.
Didn't have a huge amount of time to make an impact but went about her work diligently. She is always a bundle of energy from the bench and has played a major part in England's success to this point. Expect to see the forward feature, in some way, during Sunday's Wembley final.
Chloe Kelly (for Beth Mead, 86) - n/a
Jill Scott (for Georgia Stanway, 87) - n/a
Alex Greenwood (for Rachel Daly, 87) - n/a
Charlotte Marsh and Anton Toloui are back after another huge night for England, who beat Sweden 4-0 to reach the Euro 2022 final at Wembley.
The pair take a look back at just how England recovered from a nervous start to sweep Sweden aside, including a sensational goal from Alessia Russo. Plus, they look at where it went wrong for the Swedes.
Anton also chats to Russo, Beth Mead, Ellen White and Sweden's Magdalena Eriksson to get their reaction to the semi-final.
Quarter-finals
Wednesday July 20
Quarter-final 1: England 2-1 Spain (AET)
Thursday July 21
Quarter-final 2: Germany 2-0 Austria
Friday July 22
Quarter-final 3: Sweden 1-0 Belgium
Saturday July 23
Quarter-final 4: France 1-0 Netherlands (AET)
Semi-finals
Tuesday July 26
Semi-final 1: England 4-0 Sweden
Wednesday July 27
Semi-final 2: Germany vs France - kick-off 8pm, Stadium MK
Final
Sunday July 31
England vs Germany or France - kick-off 5pm, Wembley
Sky Sports News and Sky Sports' digital platforms will be following every step of England's Euro 2022 journey ahead of Sunday's final.
On the road, the Sky Sports News Mobile Presentation bus will continue to bring you all the best guests and analysis from the likes of Karen Carney, Sue Smith, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and Laura Bassett offering their expert insight. The bus will head to Wembley for the final.
Across SkySports.com, the Sky Sports App and on social media, we'll have all the big moments covered with our previews, features, reports, analysis, plus the Sky Sports Women's Euros podcast with Sky Sports' senior football journalist Charlotte Marsh and Sky Sports News reporter Anton Toloui.
And if you're new to the England squad, don't worry - here's our guide to meeting the Lionesses.
