Women's football: Lionesses win the Arnold Clark Cup

England have won the Arnold Clark Cup after thrashing Belgium 6-1 in Bristol.

They retained the title after winning all three fixtures in the tournament.

Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman said that the tournament was the "perfect preparation" for this summer's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which kicks off in July.

England are among the favourites to become World Champions and with the Fifa tournament now just five months away, here's five things we learned from the Lionesses' performance at the Arnold Clark Cup.

1. England's unbeaten run continues

England's result against Belgium means that the Lionesses are now unbeaten in 29 matches!

The incredible run stretches back over two years and is the longest unbeaten run in their history.

In fact, the Lionesses haven't lost a single match since head coach Sarina Wiegman took charge of the squad in September 2021.

England qualified for this summer's World Cup with a 100% record having not conceded a single goal and the team will no doubt be wanting to extend their impressive record for as long as possible.

2. England's younger players

The Arnold Clark Cup gave Sarina Wiegman the perfect opportunity to give some of England's younger squad members their full debuts.

Players such as Brighton winger Katie Robinson and Manchester City's Jess Park (currently on loan at Everton) made their first senior starts.

Chelsea forward Lauren James was also a standout performer and goal scorer in England's opening victory over South Korea, and she also came off the bench to provide an assist against Italy.

Chelsea defender Millie Bright said she was impressed with their performances.

She explained: "It was nice to see the youngsters play with freedom as that's a sign we're doing the right things."

3. England's strong squad

England manager Sarina Wiegman says she "does not know" her strongest starting XI for the World Cup yet because of high competition within the team.

Wiegman rotated the squad and changed the starting line-up for every match during the Arnold Clark Cup.

"It shows the team is really good and it's hard to make decisions," she said.

Wiegman added: "I think the depth in the squad is growing. We have more than 11 players who could start in the team.

"We don't have to make that decision now. But it's actually really exciting."

4. Rachel Daly's versatility

You probably remember Rachel Daly as one of England's key full-backs during last year's Euros, where she started every game at Euro 2022 in defence.

However, what you may not know, is that Daly can also play upfront and is pretty nifty in front of goal!

In fact, she's the league's second-highest top scorer this season with 10 goals in 13 appearances for Aston Villa.

Daly scored two crucial goals in her first start up front for England against Italy in their 2-1 victory.

With her impressive and versatile form, it will be interesting to see which position Sarina Wiegman decides to play her in for England's upcoming fixtures.

5. Preparations for the World Cup

England's victory in the Arnold Clark Cup will no doubt give the squad confidence as preparations for this summer's World Cup ramp up.

As it stands, the Lionesses only have two matches remaining before the Fifa tournament kicks off.

The European champions will take on South American counterparts Brazil at Wembley in the first Women's Finalissima in April, before playing a friendly against Australia in London five days later.

England's final group opponent in this year's Women's World Cup have also finally been decided.

The Lionesses will face Haiti in their opening Group D game on 22 July after the Caribbean side beat Chile 2-1 in a play-off.

They will then take on Denmark on 28 July, before their final group match against China on 1 August.

What do you think of the Lionesses' record run? Are you excited for the World Cup? Let us know in the comments...