Latest news with #Lionesses'
South Wales Guardian
17 minutes ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
King and Queen congratulate Lionesses as they reach Euro 2025 final
The Lionesses beat Italy 2-1 in Geneva on Tuesday evening. Charles said in a statement: 'My wife and I join all our family in wishing you, the proud Lionesses, our warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the Uefa Euro tournament. 'Your journey to this stage has been nothing short of remarkable, showcasing the skill, determination (and test of nerve!) for which your team is so rightly celebrated. 'Knowing the Lionesses' fighting spirit, I suspect we are in for another thrilling encounter on Sunday. 'Your achievements continue to inspire countless girls and women across the nation, proving once again that with dedication and teamwork, anything is possible. 'Good luck, England. May you roar to victory once more. Charles R.' A message from The King to Sarina Wiegman, the mighty @Lionesses and all in their support team, following their success in this evening's Women's Euros semi-final.#WEURO2025 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 22, 2025 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer posted on social media 'what a performance', adding: 'Into the final and inspiring the nation. Let's bring it home.' England, in their sixth straight appearance in the final four of a major tournament, were on the brink of elimination when 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and rescued Sarina Wiegman's side with a second-half stoppage-time equaliser. England were given a penalty late in the second period of extra time and, though Chloe Kelly's initial attempt was saved, the Arsenal forward made no mistake when she buried the rebound. They will face Spain or Germany in the final in Basel, Switzerland, on Sunday.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Agent of chaos' Michelle Agyemang is Lionesses' trump card
Michelle Agyemang is the player Sarina Wiegman does not want to have to call upon. If she is coming off the bench, it likely means England need a goal. But there is no better player in that scenario than Agyemang. Dubbed an 'agent of chaos', the 19-year-old has kept the Lionesses' Euro 2025 campaign alive – twice. First she was the saviour in their quarter-final with Sweden, which they eventually won on penalties. The forward had only been on the pitch for 11 minutes when she slotted the ball home from close range with the composure of a player far more experienced than she is to level the scores. Then she scored the equaliser in the semi-final against Italy, albeit a little later on this occasion. She arrived in the 85th minute and a little over 10 minutes later she found the net. When a Lauren Hemp cross fell to her in the box, she drilled a low shot between the legs of both a defender and the goalkeeper to take another match to extra time – and England duly won 2-1 to reach the final. Agyemang is a player who gets you off your seat, a raw talent that still needs refining – but that is what makes her so exciting to watch. That we have seen only glimpses of what she can do makes her all the more intriguing. Agyemang, who is contracted to Arsenal but spent last season on loan with Brighton and Hove Albion, burst onto the international scene when she scored a superb volley just 41 seconds into her debut in April. She had only been called up to the senior squad because of an injury to Alessia Russo and, despite that sensational strike, it was unclear whether Wiegman would gamble on selecting her for the Euros. The forward was an unused substitute in the subsequent Nations League games against Portugal and Spain and it seemed as if her chance may have gone. But when Wiegman named her 23-player squad in June, Agyemang's name was on the list. A wildcard, perhaps? Certainly someone who would benefit from experiencing a major tournament. Little did we know just how vital Agyemang's inclusion in this squad would be. When England trailed France 2-0 in their opening match, she was brought off the bench in the 86th minute. 'Go on and change the game,' Wiegman had said to her young forward. She did just that, playing her part in the build-up to Keira Walsh's volley. The Lionesses could not find an equaliser but there was an argument to say that, had Agyemang's introduction come sooner, England might have done. She did not feature against Netherlands or Wales because the Lionesses were in control. But with England 2-0 down in their quarter-final with Sweden, Wiegman turned to Agyemang in the 70th minute – and the agent of chaos responded. She harassed Sweden's defenders, gave England a greater presence in the box and, after Lucy Bronze had pulled a goal back, Agyemang levelled 103 seconds later. Stepping up in pressure situations 'When we finished the game the other night I just said, 'Mich, you are clutch!'' England defender Esme Morgan said. 'That's twice now she's stepped up in pressure situations, come off the bench and made an incredible impact. 'She's someone that we know we can turn to in stressful moments to be a presence, holding the ball up and linking play, making runs in behind. She's a really hard worker and has an incredible sense for the positioning she should take up in the box to get on the end of things and finish chances.' There was some concern when Agyemang picked up a yellow card. One of her strengths is her physicality and Wiegman has previously told the forward to temper that in training. 'In duels I think she needs to calm down a little bit as she makes some fouls,' Wiegman said in May. 'You don't want to almost destroy your opponent.' Bronze, on the other hand, has told her to go even harder. 'We did have that conversation, me and Sarina,' Agyemang said earlier in the tournament. 'I've been working on it in training and I think I've improved on it but Lucy was saying she thinks it's a super strength of mine.' There is a contrast between Agyemang's persona on the pitch and that off the pitch, as Morgan explains: 'I love Mich, she's such a wonderful human being. 'She's so intelligent, really soft spoken and quite shy until you get to know her but she's hilarious when she comes out of her shell. I'm so proud of the impact she's been able to make.' It is unique to see a player's international career take off before her club one. Agyemang joined Arsenal at the age of six – initially as a defender before converting to a striker. She was part of an academy team that became accustomed to winning every week but when she reached under-12 level, the club decided to challenge their players by entering them into a boy's league. 'That was a big shift,' Agyemang told earlier this year. 'We were losing every week, we were getting dominated physically, even mentally, it was a struggle. But I think that kind of shaped the way I am as a player and a person.' Agyemang made her Arsenal debut in 2022 at the age of 16. After a handful of first-team appearances, she joined Watford on loan for the 2023-24 season and scored five goals in 10 games despite injuries limiting her action. She played 22 times at Brighton last season, with most of those appearances coming from the bench, and scored five times. Agyemang's goal against Sweden was significant and not only because it kept England's tournament alive. Born in Essex, she is of Ghanaian descent and is only the 25th player with black ancestry to be capped by the Lionesses. The equivalent figure for the men's team is 122. The Lionesses named an all-white starting XI for each game of Euro 2022 and the lack of diversity in the national team and beyond has been an ongoing issue. The Football Association has made concerted efforts to address this and increasing diversity across the game is a key area for the governing body. But there is no greater impact than visibility. Her rise has been rapid and remarkable. Just four years ago Agyemang was a ball girl at Wembley when Wiegman's England beat Northern Ireland 4-0. Now she is the player her country turns to when they need some magic. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Metro
an hour ago
- Sport
- Metro
Sarina Wigeman singles out 'special' England star and gives Lauren James update
Sarina Wiegman singled out Michelle Agyemang for special praise after the teenager produced magnificent performance in a 2-1 victory over Italy to help book England a spot in the Women's Euro 2025 final. The Lionesses' defence of the trophy looked to be coming to a halt at the semi-final stage after Barbara Bonansea struck an emphatic strike beyond Hannah Hampton to give Italy a first-half lead in Geneva. But just five days after their nerve-jangling penalty-shootout defeat of Sweden, Wiegman's side once again dug deep and showed real resilience to turn the game on its head. Agyemang made an instant impact having been sent on for captain Leah Williamson in the closing stages, stretching Italy's tiring defenders before sending England's travelling support into raptures with a driven effort to equalise in the sixth minute of stoppage time. And with another penalty shootout looming, Chloe Kelly – three years on from her Wembley heroics – found a decisive goal for England at the death. After seeing an initial penalty saved by Laura Giuliani, the Arsenal forward scored on the rebound to send the holders through to Sunday's showpiece. The reigning champions will do battle with one of Germany or Spain, who face off at Zurich's Stadion Letzigrund on Wednesday evening. 'I was looking at the clock and thinking it was good we had seven more minutes and they were time-wasting a bit,' Wiegman said of England's remarkable late fightback. 'We didn't want to go too early because you give a lot of space behind you too and they're dangerous there. 'But we know with the players we have in the squad and if we changed a bit, bring more players up front, that we can always score a goal because we've shown that multiple times. 'We had to wait a little bit longer for that now, but at the end we did so then we got extra-time. 'We got that penalty and we were a bit lucky that we could score it at the second stage, but yeah, we're through.' Scoring her third goal in only her fourth match for the national side, Agyemang may well have given Wiegman a selection headache with her phenomenal showing off the bench ahead of this weekend's final in Basel. 'I said with the squad announcement already that she brings something special and she has something special,' the England head coach said of the youngster's display. 'She's only 19 years old, she's very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do. 'When you talk about little things, she picks it up straight away because she's not even in the 18-yard box, but when we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well, too. 'Even when you saw that with the ball on the crossbar… that was not just a shot, she was aiming for it. 'So yeah, if she continues like this then she has a very bright future.' There were concerning scenes at half-time as Lauren James was brought off to be replaced by Beth Mead – and Wiegman confirmed the forward had been struggling with an ankle problem. It remains to be seen if James will recover in time to be able to feature in Sunday's contest, either as a starter or from the substitutes bench. 'She hurt her ankle,' she explained. 'I haven't seen her yet so I don't what it looks like over the next couple of days, but we had to take her off.' While highlighting England's never-say-die attitude, Wiegman felt her side were ultimately the deserved victors from the thrilling clash. On the impact her substitutes made in Geneva, Wiegman added: 'They're just ready to go and they want to make a contribution. 'I think everyone accepts their role, whatever role she's given. What we try to do is give as much clarity about that, but also the task on the pitch when we make a change. 'There's just so much energy and we never give up so we know that until the referee blows the final whistle, we have an opportunity to score a goal. 'We played to win and it's really nice that we got it across the line.' MORE: Ian Wright sends warning to 'lucky' Lionesses after reaching Euro 2025 final MORE: When is the Women's Euro 2025 final and who are England facing? MORE: England player ratings as Lionesses beat Italy to reach Women's Euro 2025 final
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Chloe Kelly penalty to save England Lionesses' Euro 2025 dream would be RULED OUT under drastic new rules
The football world is at a deadlock about the change ON THE SPOT Chloe Kelly penalty to save England Lionesses' Euro 2025 dream would be RULED OUT under drastic new rules Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CHLOE KELLY'S rebounded penalty booked the Lionesses a place in back-to-back Euros finals. But the England super sub's game-winning strike would've been RULED OUT under a drastic new rule change proposal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Chloe Kelly had her extra-time penalty saved by Italy's goalkeeper Laura Giuliani Credit: PA 5 But Kelly sped forward to tap-in the rebound and secure a 2-1 win for England Credit: AP 5 But the rebounded penalty could've been ruled out under a drastic new rule change proposal Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 5 The Lionesses had yet more penalty drama Credit: Getty England produced yet more late drama at Euro 2025 as they kept the nations dreams of retaining their title alive with a spectacular 2-1 semi-final victory over Italy after extra-time. And with another shootout looming, Kelly stepped up to take a penalty in the 119th minute after Beth Mead was bundled over by Emma Severini inside the box. Goalkeeper Laura Giuliani palmed away Kelly's initial shot, but the Arsenal star stayed cool bury the rebound as England head into Sunday's final, where they will face either Spain or Germany. But if Kelly, 27, were to score the same goal in two years time at Euro 2027 - it might not count. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS Gotta be kitting Fans baffled at bizarre kit quirk during Lionesses semi-final with Italy As exclusively revealed by SunSport, rebounded penalties could be OUTLAWED before the World Cup in the USA next summer. The possible law change is being discussed at the highest levels as world chiefs aim to improve the game ahead of the first 48-team World Cup. A new report has revealed that football's lawmakers are considering whether or not to press ahead with the possibility of awarding a goal kick whenever a penalty is missed. The fact that a rebound then gives the attacking team a second chance to score is now being touted as an 'unfair advantage'. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS It's said that senior figures within the game believe that the punishment for a foul in the box gives the attacking side a 'far greater' chance of scoring than the original phase of play. While any decision would have to be approved by the law-making International FA Board (Ifab), there is growing backing for the idea that would turn a penalty shot into literally ONE shot. I coached Chloe Kelly as a kid and have now spent £3,000 building my own pub to watch her at Euro 2025 Axing rebounds from a penalty would stop any controversy over enroachment with players entering the penalty area early. And while the timetable is short, with any alterations needing to be agreed by the end of February to be in force for the 2026 tournament, there is growing momentum in favour of the radical laws rewrite. But Uefa will oppose moves to change rule on penalties so that if keeper saves the ball becomes dead. Further changes are also being discussed, including 'expanding the scope' of VAR interventions, which was first broached at the end of 2023. 5 Players would have one chance to get their penalty on target if the new law comes in Changes could mean that video officials now be able to intervene in a number of new circumstances. Some of these include the prevention of 'unfair dismissals' via second yellow cards and contentious corner decisions wherever a 'clear error' has been made. Meanwhile, the Lionesses looked to be heading for the exit door after Barbara Bonansea's 33rd-minute goal, as Sarina Wiegman's side struggled to break down Italy's stubborn defence. But the super subs struck again, first Michelle Agyemang, who made it 2-2 against Sweden, struck in the seventh minute of injury time to send the tie to extra-time.
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
King and Queen congratulate Lionesses as they reach Euro 2025 final
The Lionesses beat Italy 2-1 in Geneva on Tuesday evening. Charles said in a statement: 'My wife and I join all our family in wishing you, the proud Lionesses, our warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the Uefa Euro tournament. 'Your journey to this stage has been nothing short of remarkable, showcasing the skill, determination (and test of nerve!) for which your team is so rightly celebrated. 'Knowing the Lionesses' fighting spirit, I suspect we are in for another thrilling encounter on Sunday. 'Your achievements continue to inspire countless girls and women across the nation, proving once again that with dedication and teamwork, anything is possible. 'Good luck, England. May you roar to victory once more. Charles R.' A message from The King to Sarina Wiegman, the mighty @Lionesses and all in their support team, following their success in this evening's Women's Euros semi-final.#WEURO2025 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 22, 2025 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer posted on social media 'what a performance', adding: 'Into the final and inspiring the nation. Let's bring it home.' England, in their sixth straight appearance in the final four of a major tournament, were on the brink of elimination when 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang came off the bench and rescued Sarina Wiegman's side with a second-half stoppage-time equaliser. England were given a penalty late in the second period of extra time and, though Chloe Kelly's initial attempt was saved, the Arsenal forward made no mistake when she buried the rebound. They will face Spain or Germany in the final in Basel, Switzerland, on Sunday.
