Whatever the game, whatever the scoreline, Georgia Stanway seems to find the net for England. She scored in both legs against Greece in the Women's World Cup qualifying play-offs, and the Lionesses won 8-1 on aggregate.
She opened the scoring in Crete in a 3-1 away win. When Sarina Wiegman asked for more ruthlessness in Leicester, Stanway delivered again in the 5-0 second leg.
The numbers behind the reputation
Stanway is 27, and her goals this week mean she has scored 11 times in her last 11 England matches. BBC Sport notes she also sits inside the top three for goals by European players in international football since Euro 2025.
Against Greece at the King Power she took four shots, scored once and had another strike disallowed for offside. Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis told BBC Radio 5 Live that Stanway was "unplayable at times". By Brown-Finnis's count she won all of her tackles and passed at 90% accuracy.
The disallowed goal deserved better. Stanway took a long ball from Alex Greenwood inside the box with one touch and drove it into the bottom corner. Wiegman was disappointed it was ruled out, but still praised the athleticism and composure.
A different job in a new-look midfield
Wiegman changed the midfield for the second leg, and it proved an inspired adjustment. Chelsea's Lexi Potter, 20, made her debut and sat deeper, which freed Stanway and Keira Walsh to push higher. Lauren James played at number 10. Stanway spent much of the evening as a right-sided player, a slightly different role from her usual one.
"She is goal-orientated, has a great shot," Wiegman told Radio 5 Live, "and when you really need a fight, or a duel, or a counter-attack breaking up, she is there." She called her a warrior. Brown-Finnis said Stanway had shown how flexible she is, whether as a second striker, out wide, or dropping in as a number 10.
What comes next
England still have work to do to reach the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. The next hurdle is a two-legged play-off against Ukraine at the end of the year. The Lionesses have already beaten them 9-1 on aggregate in the league phase of qualifying, which is a decent sign, though that was a different stage of the competition.
The Potter experiment gives Wiegman something to think about. She said she liked the balance of the midfield and that there is plenty of competition in the area. With Stanway scoring this freely, a formation that gets her higher up the pitch while keeping the middle protected looks like a serious option.
Match facts: England beat Greece 3-1 away and 5-0 at the King Power Stadium (8-1 on aggregate) in the Women's World Cup qualifying play-offs. Georgia Stanway, 27, has 11 goals in her last 11 England games. Next: a two-legged play-off against Ukraine. Source: BBC Sport.
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