England offer response vs Finland but Lee Carsley questions remain - 5 talking points
FINLAND 1-3 ENGLAND: England wasted little time putting their defeat to Greece behind them, getting in front early through Jack Grealish before Trent Alexander-Arnold's superb free-kick and Declan Rice's tap-in left the team cruising
England got back to winning ways against Finland on Sunday night, cruising to a 3-1 victory in Helsinki to get their Nations League campaign back on track in a major boost to interim boss Lee Carsley.
The Three Lions were looking for an immediate response to their dismal 2-1 home defeat to Greece last time out - following a woeful performance that saw the team outplayed and outfought by the unfancied visitors.
But England wasted little time putting that bad night behind them, getting in front early on as a superb move saw Jack Grealish slipped inside by Angel Gomes, with the Manchester City winger cooly slotting home in the 18th minute.
Trent Alexander-Arnold then thumped in a superb free-kick in the second half to give England a two-goal cushion - after Finland missed a complete sitter through Frederik Jensen. With the game closing out, Declan Rice tapped home from Ollie Watkins' cross to make it three.
Arttu Hoskonen scored what proved to be a consolation for Finland at the end - but it couldn't ruin England's night.
Grealish is daddy cool
Jack Grealish missed the Greece game after picking up a knock, and he made an instant impact on his return by putting England ahead early on - just a week after becoming a father for the first time, with he and his partner Sasha Atwood welcoming daughter Mila into the world.
After his cool finish against Finland, he celebrated by sucking his thumb, a nod to his newborn, rounding off a memorable period for the 29-year-old City player. Speaking ahead of the game, he said having a daughter was "the best moment of his life".
"I don't really know how to explain it," he said. "You feel so many good moments in your life, but that just tops everything." When asked about the struggles of being a parent, he replied: "I think [Carsley] will have a lot more [sleepless nights] I reckon with the players he's got to pick from!"
Henderson stakes claim as new No 1
Jordan Pickford being dropped for this game was calmly dismissed as a rotation tactic by Carsley, saying it was always his plan to play Dean Henderson at some point during this international break.
But it can't be a coincidence that Henderson was drafted in after Pickford made a string of poor mistakes against Greece and he certainly had a more solid evening by comparison - albeit against lesser opponents.
Henderson, who has played all seven of Palace's Premier League games this season, making a total of 22 saves, will be frustrated not to pick up a clean sheet on Sunday. There was little he could do about Arttu Hoskonen's consolation.
There have been some calls for Pickford to be dropped amid his poor recent form and Henderson might be able to build on this appearance and stake a claim to be England's new No 1 if he continues impressing for Palace.
Kane returns after forward gamble
Carsley's decision to field Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden together up front against Greece didn't go down well with many onlookers. The tactical experiment was a failure as England lacked cohesion up top, so the return of captain Harry Kane was most welcome - even though he suffered a quiet night.
England's leading scorer might not have had too many action moments during the trip to Helsinki, but his presence on the pitch as a focal point was assuring for the team - who looked a lot more organised as a result.
The Bayern Munich striker often dropped deep and got involved in the build-up play, which we didn't see too often from anyone against Greece.
He only played 68 minutes before being replaced by Ollie Watkins - with Carsley needing to manage his minutes after picking up an ankle blow. It might take some time for Kane to get back to top form and fitness after his injury but one thing is certain - England are a much better team with Kane on the pitch.
Versatile Trent could solve left-back woes
This is one tactical decision Carsley did get right. The big news before kick-off was that Trent Alexander-Arnold was going to be shifted onto the left hand side, coming in for Rico Lewis - who played against Greece. How he rewarded the interim boss with an excellent all-round performance before polishing it off with a superb strike from a free-kick to double England's lead.
The Liverpool man has played at right-back, central midfield and left-back for England in the last three months and he proved how valuable he is to the team by putting in another superb shift in an unfamiliar position on Sunday.
So many of England's attacks went down the left-hand side against Finland and Alexander-Arnold was central to many of them, aiding the team with some surging runs and crosses.
He didn't have the best game against Greece but this game saw him return to form and show he could be someone England could rely on in the future. With Luke Shaw still injured and not many other top left-backs out there, he provides a solid option.
Jury is still out on Carsley
Carsley was viewed by some as a natural successor to Gareth Southgate after steering the team to back-to-back wins against Republic of Ireland and Finland to open his temporary reign - before questions were asked of him following the Greece result.
This is undoubtedly one of the biggest jobs in football and with an expectant fanbase, the pressure will always be very high indeed - as Southgate often discovered.
Carsley could still become the long-term England boss if he continues picking up results like this - though fans and pundits will remain on the fence about whether he is the right manager for the team, especially with other options like Eddie Howe and Graham Potter in the frame.
He has two more matches to play this calendar year to proves the doubters wrong, with games against Greece and Republic of Ireland to come. At the very least, the response he got from his players tonight showed they are buying into his ideas.
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