England 3-1 Germany: Lionesses beat Germany on home soil for first time in history
- Published
England remain unbeaten in nine matches under Sarina Wiegman
England scored two late goals to beat Germany on home soil for the first time in their history and win the Arnold Clark Cup.
Chelsea's Fran Kirby and Millie Bright scored in the last 10 minutes at Molineux to give England a victory that saw them move above Spain at the top of the four-team table.
It ended a run of 26 games without victory over Germany on English soil, with the Lionesses' only previous win against their rivals coming in extra time of the 2015 World Cup third-place play-off.
It also ended a streak of nine matches without a win against opposition ranked inside the world's top 10.
Germany, ranked third in the world, finish bottom of the table having suffered two defeats in their three matches.
Ellen White had given England a fine start after 15 minutes when Kirby's pass kindly ricocheted into her path and she slotted the ball past the goalkeeper.
Germany captain Lina Magull equalised before the break with a stunning free-kick but England pushed for the winner and got the job done through composed finishes from Kirby and Bright late on.
It was a historic occasion in Wolverhampton as the England players celebrated in front of 13,463 fans at full-time and there were chants of 'Sweet Caroline'.
England's record goalscorer White sprinted along the touchline and clenched her fists to a huge roar from one side of the stadium, while her team-mates were applauded around the pitch.
Those celebratory scenes capped off a terrific tournament for England in which they extended their unbeaten run under manager Sarina Wiegman to nine games and was the perfect preparation for this summer's home European Championship.
Historic victory shows England progression
Millie Bright scored two goals in the tournament for England
This tournament provided England with the ultimate tests as they faced Olympic champions Canada, Euros favourites Spain and two-time world champions Germany.
Wiegman had said results would not be the only measure of England's progression since her arrival but this victory will only further highlight the improvements they have made in the last six months.
England were the only side to score more than one goal in a match during the tournament and beat Spain to the trophy on goal difference having scored two extra goals in total.
They had to work for their victory over Germany - a side that has proven to be a nemesis over the past two decades - with Leah Williamson making a crucial last-ditch tackle in the second half, after Kirby had efforts of her own blocked by Germany.
The frantic end-to-end climax also typified England's thirst for victory in this match and the feeling of lifting a trophy in front of home fans - albeit in a friendly tournament - will surely give them added hunger ahead of the Euros.
'We have grown really fast'
England manager Sarina Wiegman: "It's really nice to win a tournament. We wanted to develop our style of play and get to know ourselves more. We all did that and I think it's really nice to finish with a 3-1 win.
"I thought we played better against Spain. But still when you have a hard time of not getting into the game we scored three goals.
"We showed resilience. Even though we had a hard time keeping the ball, you saw the team work and effort to really get that goal to win.
"I always want more but we have been able to try out things and develop our style of play against three different opponents. It's February now but what we have shown and how we have developed this week is really good. We can continue from there.
"We've shown we can win against any opponent. I think as a team we have grown really fast."
England defender Millie Bright on ITV 4: "It's massive, it keeps our momentum [going]. Ultimately coming into this tournament it was about developing and about people getting minutes and exposure against top teams. We have done that well.
"We have taken our game to another level and shown that we can win."
'A promising period for English football'
Former England midfielder Karen Carney on BBC Radio 5 Live: "There is something different about this England team. They've got that little bit of class.
"If we can make them more ruthless, and more clinical, we're on to something - not just for the Euros but for the World Cup as well.
"This is such a promising period for English football in this women's national team. The manager is top drawer and the more time that she has to embed and get her style across, the more you will see England really kick on another gear."