England fans sing "It's Coming Home" as Lionesses make Euro 2022 statement

They started singing "It's Coming Home" as the goals flew in.

No wonder the sell-out crowd at Brighton 's Amex Stadium were getting wonderfully and deliriously carried away after a huge night for the Lionesses.

The scoreline was eye-catching enough but the performance was even more of a statement of intent as England blew away the hardest opponents in their Group and one of the dark horses for the tournament.

Norway simply did not know what had hit them. England's free-flowing, attacking football had them chasing shadows and, as every goal went in, the defensive inquests looked more severe as they collapsed in spectacular fashion.

Arsenal 's Beth Mead was magnificent as she scored a hat trick, provided an assist and was the best player on the pitch in what was the biggest ever win in a Euros tournament.

And now you will feel the momentum and excitement building throughout a country desperate for success this summer.

It already feels like a wonderful opportunity for Sarina Wiegman's side to go one better than Gareth Southgate's men in last summer's Euros.

Another date with destiny in the Euros final at Wembley on Sunday, July 31, will surely beckon for England if the Lionesses can keep this going.

They did look a little nervous in their opening game with Austria but this was as if they were releasing the pressure valve.

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They are now up to 93 goals scored - just three conceded - in Wiegman's 16 games in charge and the beauty of this performance was that you had no idea where the next was coming from.

It was wonderfully fluid but also hard working and tenacious as the England forwards never gave Norway's defenders a moment of peace.

England got the ball rolling after just 11 minutes. Their nice passing build-up got the ball into Ellen White, she turned and Maria Thorisdóttir tried to stop her. Down went White. At best it was soft. At worst, it was a dive.

But VAR did not intervene and Georgia Stanway smashed home the penalty into the top corner. Her family were sat behind the England bench, all wearing No10 shirts, all enjoying the moment.

England got the benefit of VAR again soon after. Mead's pull back found Lauren Hemp at the back post and her clever back heel put the ball in. The offside flag went up but the VAR gave a goal as three Norway players were playing her onside.

England were making it look easy. White is England's record goalscorer but had not scored for her country since April - and that soon changed. Thorisdóttir's night got worse as White chased her down, caught her in possession and powered through to score.

White was involved again for the fourth as she chased down the ball into the right channel, Hemp then put over a cross and Mead headed in at the back post.

It was 5-0 after 38 minutes as Mead slalomed her way into the box, dribbling before firing a low shot into the far corner. England made it 6-0 even before half time as Fran Kirby's cross was turned in at the back post by White.

Norway tried to shore things up in the second half and play for some pride. But England substitute Alessia Russo headed in a seventh after 66 minutes.

The goal rush finally came to an end after 81 minutes thanks to more kamikaze Norway defending and there was Mead on hand to score from close range to complete a hat trick her performance thoroughly deserved.