Belgium 3 England 2
England’s Alex Greenwood suffered a serious-looking head injury on a bad night for the Lionesses as they slumped to a Women’s Nations League defeat that leaves their hopes of qualifying a Great Britain side for next summer’s Olympics hanging in the balance.
Fran Kirby scored her first England goal since July 2022 and Lucy Bronze also got on the scoresheet, but England’s defending left much to be desired and Tessa Wullaert took advantage with a late penalty winner.
By far the most concerning moment of an absorbing game came after an accidental clash of heads between Greenwood and Belgium’s Jassina Blom, just before the 20th minute, after which the Manchester City defender received treatment on the pitch for the next 13 minutes. Blom was given a head bandage and was allowed to continue but it was immediately evident Greenwood’s injury could be much more serious.
The centre-back was attended to by six paramedics and four members of England’s medical staff, who eventually strapped Greenwood tightly to a stretcher to carry her off while keeping her body as still as they could.
The 30-year-old was responsive – squeezing the outstretched, sympathetic hands of team-mates Georgia Stanway and Millie Bright as she was carried off – but appeared to be receiving oxygen through a face mask. She received a round of applause from around the stadium as she was taken down the tunnel.
That sight will not only have been deeply worrying for England supporters but also for City, with Gareth Taylor’s team due to face Women’s Super League title rivals Arsenal away on Sunday.
At half-time, it was confirmed that Greenwood was conscious, talking and being monitored by medical staff at the stadium, which will no doubt have offered some encouragement and relief to the Lionesses squad in the dressing room to know that Greenwood had not needed to be rushed to hospital.
If England’s players had been fazed by that incident, however, they did not show it, quickly going on the attack after she was replaced by Jess Carter and forcing an equaliser through Bronze’s cross-goal header that looped over Brighton goalkeeper Nicky Evrard. That cancelled out Laura de Neve’s direct free-kick that had curled over the wall and beaten Mary Earps at her near post.
The Lionesses then went ahead with one of the best team goals they have scored during Sarina Wiegman’s tenure. Keira Walsh played a superb diagonal ball wide to Lauren Hemp, who cut inside to get into the area and cut the ball back for Kirby to score her first international goal since the 2022 Euros semi-finals 15 months ago.
This was Kirby’s first start for her country since Oct 11, 2022, when she had played in a goalless draw with the Czech Republic in Brighton before enduring a series of injuries, the most significant of which was a knee problem that she suffered in February. That kept her out of this summer’s World Cup.
The Chelsea playmaker produced a steady and composed all-round display before being substituted for Ella Toone with 22 minutes left.
Belgium, who levelled just before half-time when Wullaert got in behind Carter and Bright and slotted a low finish past Earps, have looked significantly improved during their campaign so far, starting the group with a shock win over Netherlands before drawing in Scotland, and only narrowly losing in Leicester on Friday night.
They went 3-2 up five minutes from the end when Wullaert tucked her penalty into the corner after Georgia Stanway had been penalised for a handball in the area.
The defeat leaves England third in the group and now needing other results to go their way in December to have any chance of reaching February’s Nations League semi-finals and final, when only the two best-performing sides will join hosts France at the Olympics next summer.
Match details
Belgium (5-4-1) Evrard; Cayman, Kees, De Caigny, De Neve (Wijnants 41), Deloose; Blom (Delacauw 74), Vanhaevermaet, Missipo, Detruyer (Daniels 74); Wullaert (Janssens 89).
Subs Lemey (g), Lichtfus (g), Philtjens, Van Belle, Littel, Iliano, Vangheluwe, Fon. Booked Detruyer, Missipo, Janssens.
England (4-3-3) Earps; Bronze, Bright, Greenwood (Carter 32), Charles; Stanway, Walsh, Kirby (Toone 68); Hemp, Russo (Daly 68), Kelly.
Subs Hampton (g), Roebuck (g), Keating (g), Morgan, Zelem, Wubben-Moy, Clinton, Le Tissier, Park.
Referee Esther Staubli (Switzerland). Attendance 7,235.
