England women player ratings vs Belgium: How good is Mary Earps?! Lauren Hemp's strike makes the difference but the Lionesses' No.1 shines again in crucial Nations League win
The Man Utd goalkeeper made some big stops as the reigning European champions bounced back from last month's defeat to the Netherlands.
There was expectation and, to be honest, a little bit of pressure on England on Friday. Belgium, top of their UEFA Women's Nations League group, were in town and the Lionesses needed to bounce back from last month's defeat to the Netherlands. But if these England players had any anxieties, they overcame them as a narrow 1-0 win moved the reigning European champions a step closer to taking control of a group they need to win to stand a chance of achieving their goal of Olympic qualification.
Despite an early scare when Mary Earps was forced into a fantastic save by Justine Vanhaevermaet, this game was all England. It took just 13 minutes for Lauren Hemp to break the deadlock, pouncing on the rebound after Millie Bright's header cannoned off the post, and although the Lionesses couldn't double that lead, they were comfortable.
After a couple of chances in the first half, Belgium attacks became few and far between as the game wore on, which will have been something of a relief for an England side that just couldn't find that cutting edge in the final third to put the result beyond doubt. Three points was the main objective here, though, and that is exactly what Sarina Wiegman's side left with.
GOAL rates England's players from the King Power Stadium...
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