Chloe Kelly thriving under pressure for England at Women's EURO 2025

Instinctive pounce, close-range poke into goal and scant regard to the pressure of being deep into extra time: If Chloe Kelly's dramatic late winner against Italy on Tuesday felt all too familiar, then that's because it was.

Three years on from clinching the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 title for England with a goal bearing more than a passing resemblance, the winger had done it again to set up a second successive final. Hat-trick, anybody?

"Chloe Kelly is made for the big moments," her team-mate Lucy Bronze told womenseuro.com after the final whistle of England's semi-final win in Geneva. "Everybody knows that from previous tournaments and she's stepped up again."

Kelly has come on as a substitute in all five of England's games in Switzerland, but at the start of the year her participation in the tournament looked uncertain.

The 27-year-old wasn't playing regularly for Manchester City so, in January, she opted to move to Arsenal on loan in pursuit of more minutes – citing wanting to represent England at Women's EURO as a key factor.

Kelly found her form again in the second half of the season with Arsenal, earning a starting spot in the Gunners' UEFA Women's Champions League final victory over Barcelona in May.

Super-sub role

Having come off the bench in all six of the Lionesses' Women's EURO games three years ago, Kelly has again been utilised by Sarina Wiegman as an impact substitute this tournament.

In England's quarter-final against Sweden, Kelly came on in the 77th minute with the Lionesses trailing 2-0. Four minutes later, two of her crosses had set up goals for Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang and England were level.

She then showed nerves of steel to keep England in the game's eventual penalty shoot-out by converting her team's fifth spot kick, after Sweden's Jennifer Falk had saved from three other Lionesses.

That was Kelly's third penalty converted in a shoot-out for England, having delivered against Nigeria at the 2023 Women's World Cup and Brazil in the Women's Finalissima the same year.

In Tuesday's semi-final, Kelly once again entered the pitch on 77 minutes and, after Agyemang's 96th-minute equaliser took the game to extra time, stepped up to take a 119th-minute penalty.

Laura Giuliani saved the spot kick, but Kelly coolly followed up to tap in and was named Player of the Match. "That penalty wasn't supposed to go like that," Kelly said after the game. "But I was ready for the rebound and I'm ready for any opportunity given to me wearing an England badge."

While Kelly celebrated her goal in the final three years ago by waving her shirt emphatically above her head, this time she performed a 'calm down' gesture with her hands – revealing this was to communicate the message: "Chill out, I was going to score the tap-in."

After the match, England defender Esme Morgan said: "She thrives in those moments where all eyes are on her and she knows she needs to produce, and she's just got this belief in herself."

England coach Sarina Wiegman agreed: "She's excited about those moments, she loves them – you can tell."

The Arsenal forward is now relishing the prospect of making more history with England in Basel on Sunday: "Three finals on the bounce – and we want more," she said.