Hannah Hampton's England heroics prove form is temporary and class is permanent as Lionesses No.1 provides moment that could be a catalyst for her season

Hampton's form in recent weeks has been a factor of real curiosity. Widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the very best, she came into this international break having conceded seven goals in her last six games for Chelsea. Her last clean sheet was in the League Cup final triumph over Manchester United last month.

Chelsea's defence is a reason for that, though. Amid injuries to key players such as Nathalie Bjorn and Millie Bright, among others, and a more attack-first approach to the season from head coach Sonia Bompastor, the Blues haven't been as formidable at the back as they were last year.

Fortunately for Chelsea, that has coincided with opponents largely finding Hampton in fine fettle behind that defence.

In recent weeks, though, errors have crept in. When Chelsea faced Brighton after that League Cup final, a surprise misjudgement of a shot from Hampton led to the Seagulls levelling the scores and they would have held the reigning Women's Super League champions to a draw had young midfielder Lexi Potter not spared Hampton's blushes by netting late on.

A week later, in the first leg of Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, eyebrows were raised again as Chloe Kelly's effort from range flew past Hampton, with a shot-stopper of her world-class calibre expected to do better.

Then, in Chelsea's final game before the international break, another surprising misjudgement from Hampton allowed Tottenham to level the scores in their FA Cup quarter-final clash, before Veerle Buurman this time came to the rescue with a brilliant strike to win the tie in the closing minutes.

As such, Hampton was under a little more scrutiny than usual going into this international break. As England's undisputed No.1, it was known that she would play a significant role this week. So, the big question was, could she put the lapses of recent outings behind her?

In the first half at Wembley, some may have doubted her ability to do so. Well known for her excellent distribution as well as her brilliant shot-stopping, Hampton's passing was off and it almost allowed Spain to level the scores when she played the ball directly to Mariona Caldentey in a dangerous position.

However, in the second half, Hampton showed just why she is regarded as one of the best in the world. Those sloppy passes reduced and, as Spain piled on greater pressure in search of an equaliser, England's No.1 produced a number of solid stops that kept La Roja at bay.

Then, in the final minute, she produced the biggest of the lot to thwart Imade and ensure the Lionesses held on for a vital three points.

"That is why you need a world-class goalkeeper, for these moments," Fran Kirby, winner of the Euro 2022 title with the Lionesses, remarked on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "That save at the end basically won England the game. She has to take immense confidence from that going into the next game.

"Hampton has come into this camp with a lot of question marks around her because of her form at club, because of the goals she has been conceding, but this is the moment for her confidence to grow again."

The old cliché notes that form is temporary but class is permanent. Hampton's heroics at the end of Tuesday's win certainly proved the point.

The 25-year-old has had some iffy moments as of late, sure, but she has also had some good performances in recent weeks. Her form has been a little wobbly and a little inconsistent, nothing more than that, and it has been all the more notable because of how unlike her that is, and also how rare the errors tend to be.

Might Tuesday be a catalyst for Hampton to regain the consistent level of performance that has helped to mark her out as a world-class goalkeeper, then?

Chelsea will certainly hope that can be the case, as the Blues look to end an underwhelming season with success in the FA Cup and the clinching of a Champions League spot, and England will hope so, too, as they prepare for another big qualifier on Saturday.

The Lionesses travel to Iceland for the next game in this international break, having beaten the Nordic nation 2-0 last month in a game that also saw Hampton produce a remarkable save when the score was still only 1-0.

It was a moment Wiegman recalled on Tuesday night, when discussing the latest big moment from her excellent No.1 goalkeeper.

"She had a save against Iceland, when we really dominated the game but it was still 1-0, she had a crucial save, and tonight she had that crucial save also," she said. "That's really nice to have in the team. That makes a difference."

Indeed, it could make a massive difference in a macro sense. After beating Spain, England are now in pole position to secure the only automatic qualification spot in this group for next summer's World Cup. To keep that advantage, winning in Iceland is vital, before a trip to Spain in June.

If the Lionesses can get a result in Mallorca, top spot would be all-but-secure, but if they were to lose, goal difference, one way or another, could end up being the decisive factor.

That's where Hampton's world-class quality is a massive advantage for an England team looking to get the job done as soon as possible.