2 hours ago
25
In St Gallen against Wales, the pre-planned ‘clicks’ celebration for Beth Mead’s goal galvanised the bench and instilled belief in Sarina Wiegman’s ‘finishers’. Back in Zurich that belief scooped England off the precipice of a Euro 2025 exit as the Lionesses’ gesture, that could have been plucked straight out of the school playground, took on a new meaning for a bench that ultimately defeated Sweden.
But there was nothing child-like nor choreographed about Michelle Agyemang’s roar after burying England’s equaliser in the 81st minute. At 19 years-old and in just her third international appearance, Agyemang entered the stage with just 20 minutes left on the clock with the Lionesses two goals down against Sweden.
For many, such an introduction would bring with it insurmountable pressure, but the young Lioness showed no such reticence and neatly encapsulated the spirit of her side in one performance. When she entered the pitch, Agyemang gave every indication that she believed she could have an impact.
As she struck home the equaliser, that belief rippled through the England shirts in Stadion Letzigrund and across Europe to the 7.4 million fans watching at home. Sarina Wiegman’s tournament teams have set their stall by the impact of the so-called ‘finishers’ and their quarter-final clash against Sweden proved no different.
Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly had made an indelible mark in the minds of England fans at Euro 2022 for their contributions off the bench. It was Toone who provided an 84th-minute equaliser to help the Lionesses past Spain in the quarter-finals, before her and Kelly scored the all-important goals against Germany in the final.
Theirs were big shoes to fill and questions remained over who those duties would be handed to as England touched down in Switzerland. Aggie Beever-Jones appeared the most obvious choice having operated in such a role for two seasons at Chelsea, while Lauren James returning from injury may have expected to offer her magic off the bench.
But with James deemed fit to start and bring her irresistible brilliance from the outset, it was Agyemang who Wiegman turned to as she looked to haul England back level against France. The Arsenal forward’s only previous appearance had come in the Nations League against Belgium, where she entered at a two-goal deficit and scored within 41 seconds.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
It was that belief in making an impact and of an ability to change the course of a game, even with just ten minutes on the pitch, that led Wiegman to call on her once more when the stakes were highest. “We know Michelle hasn’t been in our environment for a long period of time but the moment she came in she did well, and she brings something different," Wiegman told BBC Sport.
"She has shown that in training, she has shown that against Belgium, she has shown that against France. She is so strong and she scores goals." Her tenacity up front saw Agyemang take three shots (the joint-most for a Lioness), three blocks (match-leading in the time she was on the pitch), and two shot-creating actions.
But other than showing exactly why she is such an attractive option for Wiegman late on, none of that would have mattered if she did not bury her chance to send the match to extra-time. Chloe Kelly’s introduction in the 78th minute, another in the clicking clique, saw her deliver an inch-perfect cross to the back post where Lucy Bronze headed home.
And 103 seconds later she had clipped another ball in off the left for Mead to knock down and Agyemang to sweep home. As she turned to celebrate instinctively, not quite reaching the levels of Bronze’s advertising board-kicking pandemonium, it signalled her repayment of the faith that Wiegman had shown in her and the culmination of a belief that had never left England.
At 2-0 down after a woeful first-half display and chance creation hitting a new low, Wiegman’s finishers still had the gall to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and drag their side through to the semi-finals. It was an audacity that made a youngster with just three caps to her name scoring what could be the most important goal of England’s campaign so apt.
Nothing that happened in Zurich was in the script, the ensuing penalties could not have gone worse if either team had tried and yet everything clicked into place for England. For ten years, the Lionesses have reached the semi-final of every major tournament as they operate with a sense of inevitably.
As Agyemang’s youthful tenacity combined with Bronze’ steely grit to haul England to victory it is clear that, from the youngest to the oldest player, not one Lioness knows how to accept they are beaten.
English (US) ·