Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Alexander-Arnold’s Goal is Worth £500!

England winger Jack Grealish delivered a standout performance during England’s 3-1 win over Finland on Sunday night in the UEFA Nations League’s second tier.

The Manchester City star opened the scoring in the 18th minute after receiving a pass from teammate Angel Gomes and slotting the ball past the Finnish goalkeeper.

However, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal that added some fun to the match. Grealish revealed a playful wager with his teammate, saying, “I joked with Trent before the free-kick, telling him, ‘If you score this, I’ll give you £500,’ and then he put the ball straight into the top corner.”

After the match, Grealish shared his thoughts with the media, stating, “We could have scored even more, but it was tough at times. Trent’s goal came thanks to the freedom our coach gave us to express ourselves on the pitch.” He also praised Gomes, adding, “I train with Angel, and I know he’s top-class. My celebration was for my little daughter.”

Regarding the ongoing criticism of England, particularly with interim coach Lee Carsley at the helm, Grealish responded, “No matter who’s in charge, people always have something negative to say.”

He added: “Before, everyone was calling for all the attacking players to be involved, and when it didn’t work. I don’t get it. These things happen in football. Personally, I love coming here—Carsley is a top-class coach, and I enjoy playing under him.”

England got back to winning ways with goals from Grealish, Alexander-Arnold, and Declan Rice, countering Finland’s single goal by Valtteri Hoskone.

The win pushes England’s points tally to nine from four matches, placing them second in their group. Greece maintains a perfect record with 12 points, following a 2-0 win over Ireland.

England captain Harry Kane returned to the squad after missing the defeat to Greece due to a minor injury sustained in Bayern Munich’s 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt two weeks ago.

Interim coach Lee Carsley made six changes from the side that lost to Greece, including starting Grealish, while Crystal Palace goalkeeper stepped in for Jordan Pickford.

In the third group of the second tier, Austria leveled with Norway on points after a 5-1 demolition, with Marco Arnautovic scoring twice.

Norway remains tied with both Austria and Slovenia, who secured their second win by winning over Kazakhstan 1-0.