Lauren James joins Lioness legends with brace against Netherlands | OneFootball

Lauren James fired England back into the Euros title conversation with a superb brace as the Lionesses comfortably dispatched the Netherlands 4-0 in their second group stage clash.

After a shaky start to the tournament and a disappointing loss to France, Sarina Wiegman’s side were in desperate need of a response and they certainly delivered.

The pressure was on, but England came out swinging, with James once again proving why she's considered one of the brightest stars in the women's game.

The Chelsea forward opened the scoring with a blistering finish in the first half, setting the tone for what would become a dominant performance. Cool, composed and clinical, James struck again after the break to bag England’s third and put the result beyond doubt.

It was a statement performance from the 23-year-old, whose double sees her join an elite club of Lionesses to score two or more goals in a single European Championship match. That list includes the likes of Eni Aluko (Euro 2009), Ellen White and Alessia Russo (both in Euro 2022), as well as Jodie Taylor and Beth Mead - the latter two famously netting hat-tricks in Euro 2017 and 2022 respectively.

With the win, England keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages very much alive, and on this showing, few would bet against them building serious momentum from here.