Now England must back it up - but pumped-up Wales are on a mission to spoil the Lionesses' party, writes TARA ANSON-WALSH

The story of the Lionesses ever since their run to the 2023 World Cup final has been one of inconsistency.

England come into Sunday night's clash with Wales on a seven-game win-loss swing. Yo-yoing between resounding wins and scrappy, lifeless defeats.

You only need to look at the other tournament favourites to see what the standard should be.

Spain have won eight of their nine competitive games in 2025 — their only defeat coming against England in February. And France’s 4-1 victory over Wales on Wednesday made it eight wins in eight for Les Bleues.

Then there’s England with eight games, four wins, three defeats and one draw. 

They have not won back-to-back matches in three months. That’s what makes Sunday night's clash with Wales about more than just securing a place in the quarter-finals. It’s about proving that the reigning champions mean business.

While matching Netherlands’ result against France ensures their safe passage through to the next stage, England will want to keep their progress in their own hands. 

And the only way to do that is by beating Wales.

History says this should be pretty simple given England are unbeaten in all 10 of their previous meetings with Wales — winning nine and drawing once.

But based on the tone coming out of the Wales camp, this could be harder than some England fans expect. One Welsh journalist even choked up when asking captain Angharad James-Turner about her pride in representing Wales.

‘As a Welsh woman, do you want to knock England out? Of course you do. It’s in our blood, it’s in our DNA,’ James-Turner said.

As for Wales’ coach Rhian Wilkinson, who worked with England as an assistant coach in 2021, she tried some mind games. ‘The pressure is all on England,’ she said.

‘We know there’s a chance for us. When there’s a chance, there’s always an exciting element to it that we get to go towards and not be frightened of, because what do we have to fear? It’s just an exciting opportunity.

‘We are here for the first time and here to make an impact. Part of that is celebrating our firsts and that includes all these moments. They are important to celebrate.

‘For those countries that are fortunate enough to have the size and player pool to expect to qualify for these events, they have forgotten what an achievement it is to be here.

‘These women have fought so hard to have these opportunities. I will not allow us to feel like we are here just to participate, so why wouldn’t we go towards a rivalry?

‘We are going to push England to the very end and we are in an incredibly close group. We get to show up and spoil the party — and that’s a wonderful job to have.’

Fighting talk indeed from the Canadian, who added that she appreciates ‘a grudge match with my neighbours’.

The mood coming from the England camp, on the other hand, is a lot less emotional. 

Defender Alex Greenwood stated that it’s simply the next stage in the competition. ‘For me, it’s another game,’ the 31-year-old said. ‘It’s now the most important game we want to play.’

Who will win out between the underdogs with blood and thunder and the reigning champions with controlled tactics and nerves of steel remains to be seen. 

But England know they need to ensure this rivalry stays as one-sided as it has always been.