What Arsenal defender did after 59 seconds against Italy could solve major England problem

If Sarina Wiegman had been questioning whether Lotte Wubben-Moy should become a more regular fixture in England's starting lineup, the Lionesses boss got her answer just 59 seconds into Tuesday night's clash with Italy.

As Alex Greenwood's sumptuous corner-kick delivery sailed into the penalty area, the Arsenal defender made a swift beeline for the near post, stooping to steer the ball past a rooted Laura Giuliani and into the back of the net. It was Wubben-Moy's first England goal and the smile on her face as she wheeled away in celebration said it all.

Though there was barely a minute on the clock at Algeciras' Estadio Nuevo Mirador, it was a moment more than three years in the making, with Wubben-Moy having made her senior England debut as a substitute in a 6-1 rout of Northern Ireland in February 2021.

Since then, she has made a further 11 appearances for her country, but Tuesday marked only her third ever start for the Lionesses and there was a sense the encounter with Andrea Soncin's side might act as a kind of audition for a starting spot in England's back-line. «She's doing really good at Arsenal,» Wiegman told ITV Sport ahead of kick-off.

«She's done really well with us, too, and as I said before this game, we have two games, we want to see many players, so this is her start.» It was clear the England boss was keen to see whether Wubben-Moy was able to replicate her imperious domestic form on the international stage.

But if the magnitude of the opportunity daunted the centre-back, she exhibited few early signs of stage fright in southern Spain. After waiting 1,100 days to score her first England goal, Wubben-Moy almost bagged a quick double against Le Azzurre, rising highest to meet another Greenwood delivery and