How good is Lauren James?! Chelsea star shines as England open 2023 with big victory over South Korea

• England dominant against defensive South Korea
• Stanway, Kelly, Russo and James get the goals
• Lionesses face Italy in next Arnold Clark Cup game

TELL ME MORE: It wasn't as easy as the scoreline suggests for the Lionesses, with South Korea frustrating them heavily throughout the first half. However, once Georgia Stanway broke the deadlock from the penalty spot, things changed.

Chloe Kelly's deflected shot just seconds after half-time ensured the floodgates opened, with Alessia Russo also getting in on the act before Lauren James fired home a well-deserved goal for 4-0. It was a scoreline that reflected England's sheer dominance - almost an attack vs defence drill for large parts - despite a poor pitch in Milton Keynes.

THE MVP: James caught the eye all night with her incredible close control, wonderful balance and mesmerising ability to just dance past defenders. The Chelsea star is an almost impossible problem for any defence and she proved that again in this superb individual performance. Her run into the box won England the penalty that got them on their way and her goal was a superb strike.

THE BIG LOSER: South Korea's defensive effort was massive in the game but was undone when Jang Sel-gi tripped James in the first half, allowing Stanway to open the scoring with a clinical penalty. From there, the visitors were facing an incredible task to get anything from the game.

MATCH IN TWO PHOTOS:

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Getty

WHAT NEXT? England will face Italy in their second Arnold Clark Cup fixture on Sunday, while South Korea will take on Belgium. In the first game of this tournament, which took place ahead of this match, Belgium beat Italy 2-1.

MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐