England produced an impressive performance in their first game on home soil since the EUROs with a 10-0 demolition of Luxembourg. 

Coming 37 days on from that historic final success against Germany at Wembley Stadium connected by EE, the Lionesses marked their homecoming in fine style at Stoke City, hitting double figures for the fifth time in this qualification campaign.

Despite having already secured a place at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the European champions were in no mood to ease up against a side ranked 117th in the world, with the victory parade turning into another clinical attacking display. 

Georgia Stanway and Bethany England grabbed braces and were among eight scorers on the night, as Sarina Wiegman’s team rounded off their Group D campaign with a tenth win from ten games, taking maximum points without conceding a single goal.

They will now start to the plan for next summer’s finals over in New Zealand and Australia with the draw taking place next month on October 22. 

The atmosphere was crackling from the word go in Stoke, with the fans giving the Lionesses a warm welcome home after their remarkable EURO exploits over the summer. 

Even before kick-off, the party atmosphere was in full swing when recently retired midfielder Jill Scott showed off the trophy to the sell-out crowd, while boss Wiegman was presented with her UEFA Woman’s Coach of the Year award.

It was also a special night for Keira Walsh as the classy midfielder made her 50th appearance for England Women.

Once the action did get underway the hosts didn’t have to wait long to open their account for the night, midfielder Stanway tucking away a tenth-minute penalty after Catherine Have tripped Alessia Russo in the box.

Russo had her tenth international goal only a few minutes later as England continued to apply the early pressure, the Manchester United forward connecting perfectly with Leah Williamson’s clever cross.

Defender Alex Greenwood was nearly the next to get on the scoresheet but her close-range header rattled the post.

Instead, the third goal came again from Stanway, who fired home Mead’s cutback after a flowing England move.

The hosts weren’t done for the first half, Rachel Daly heading home from close range after a well-worked corner, before EURO 2022 top scorer Beth Mead made it five only a minute later.

Wiegman made a triple change at the break and it was substitute England who got the ball rolling for the Lionesses in the second half, converting another teasing Mead cross just two minutes after replacing Russo.

The visitors defended stubbornly in the second half, but England’s seventh arrived when Nikita Parris fired home to score in back-to-back qualifiers, following her goal in Austria on Saturday.

Parris then won the second penalty of the night after drawing a foul from Luxembourg’s Julie Marques, with Ella Toone duly converting. 

England should have had their ninth when Lucie Schlime parried Millie Bright’s header straight at Parris, who headed wide from close range.

But the European champions still had time for more when another substitute Hemp fired home from close range after a succession of corners.

And in the final moments, the Lionesses hit double figures when England’s bullet header completed an impressive night’s work.

England: 1 Ellie Roebuck; 2 Lucy Bronze, 5 Leah Williamson (captain), 6 Alex Greenwood, 3 Rachel Daly; 4 Keira Walsh, 8 Georgia Stanway; 7 Nikita Parris, 10 Ella Toone, 11 Beth Mead; 9 Alessia Russo

Substitutes: 12 Mille Bright for Williamson 45’, 14 Katie Zelem for Stanway 45’, 19 Bethany England for Russo 45’, 20 Demi Stokes for Daly 61’, 17 Lauren Hemp for Mead 61’

Substitutes not used: 13 Mary Earps (GK), 15 Lotte Wubben-Moy, 16 Jessica Carter, 18 Jordan Nobbs, 21 Sandy MacIver (GK), 22 Lauren James, 23 Ebony Salmon

Head coach: Sarina Wiegman 

Goals: Stanway 11’ (PK) 26’, Russo 17’, Daly 38’, Mead 39’, England 47’ 90+2’, Parris 59’, Toone 73’ (PK), Hemp 90’

Bookings: None

Luxembourg: 1 Lucie Schlime, 4 Jessica Becker, 5 Emma Kremer, 7 Joana Lourenco, 8 Kimberley Dos Santos, 10 Laura Miller (captain), 11 Charlotte Schmit, 13 Marisa Soares, 17 Caroline Jorge, 19 Catherine Have, 20 Mariana Lourenco

Substitutes: 9 Kelly Mendes for Soares 45’, 21 Isabel Albert for Lourenco 45’, 16 Julie Marques for Jorge 66’, 15 Noemie Tiberi for Lourenco 78’, 18 Edina Kocan for Becker 78’

Substitutes not used: 2 Nathalie Ludwig, 3 Ashley Delgado, 12 Emma Goetz (GK), 14 Martine Schon, 23 Anais Weyer (GK)

Head coach: Daniel Santos

Bookings: None