England player ratings: Lionesses earn nervy World Cup win vs Haiti, Georgia Stanway and Mary Earps key

England may be off the mark in their 2023 World Cup campaign but their victory left a lot to be desired. A slim 1-0 win over debutants Haiti was likely not a scoreline many predicted as Sarina Wiegman’s side escaped what could have been a hugely disappointing opening match.

Georgia Stanway’s penalty was the only goal of the game and did enough to bank the three points, but the Lionesses will be hoping to kick into a much higher gear against Denmark in their next outing.

We have given every England player a ranking out of 10 based on their performances against Haiti. Their next challenge in Group D will see them take on Denmark and the likes of Pernille Harder and Signe Bruun.

Mary Earps — 7

Overall, the Manchester United shot-stopper didn’t have too much to do. However, when called upon, Earps delivered and produced two crucial saves in the second half to keep England’s noses ahead.

Lucy Bronze — 5

A performance bearing little impact from Bronze, which is very out of character for the right-back who is usually influential in both attack and defence.

Millie Bright — 5

Understandably, Bright looked pretty rusty at the back after recently coming back from injury. Maybe the pressure of being captain also played a part in her performance but she’ll be hoping there won’t be a repeat after this.

Jess Carter — 6

England overall struggled in defence but Carter for the most part did what was expected of her. Put in an important tackle late in the game to deny Melchie Dumornay a chance.

Alex Greenwood — 6

Greenwood was one of the stronger assets to the England defence on Saturday and also did well to ping some crosses in to help muster up some creativity from an otherwise flat attacking display.

Keira Walsh — 5

Usually the catalyst of the England midfield, Walsh had very little impact on the game. Haiti did very well to keep the Barcelona star quiet.

Georgia Stanway — 7

It would have been a hugely disappointing draw for England if Stanway hadn’t converted their crucial penalty. She also created some futher chances for England as they pushed for a more convincing win. It was not her usual standard of creativity but it won the Lionesses the game.

Ella Toone — 5

Another midfield star who was kept quiet on Saturday. Based on her electric performances at the Euros, it was very out of character how much of a quiet game Toone had. She’ll definitely be hoping to be more involved against Denmark.

Chloe Kelly — 6

A tough score for Kelly who undeniably put in a strong shift and did well to create some opportunities for her and the team. Her pace and footwork was a slight niggle for Haiti but otherwise they dealt with England’s attack pretty well overall.

Lauren Hemp — 5.5

Similar to Kelly, did a lot to try and break down the Haiti defence and create some chances but couldn’t materialise on any. Was brought off at the hour mark for Lauren James.

Alessia Russo — 5.5

Russo did well to create some chances for England and had some fall for herself, but ultimately she couldn’t put any away when it mattered. Her usual thorn-in-the-side presence in the box was not really there against Haiti.