Emma Hayes witnessed a dominant display from her players at a packed Wembley stadium, but the U.S. coach could not taste victory on her return to England.

Sarina Wiegman and Emma Hayes’ sides settled for a stalemate after the hotly-billed battle of the bosses ended in a goalless draw between England and the United States in their Wembley friendly.

Emma Hayes was put in an awkward spot at Wembley Stadium as her USWNT took on England, and the former Chelsea boss, born in Camden, had to sign both national anthems

Mary Earps made saves to deny Alyssa Thompson, Casey Krueger and Sam Coffey in the first half, and England were relieved when Lindsey Horan’s offside goal was disallowed and a second-half penalty they conceded overturned — both times, the right decision.

Saturday’s friendly match between the England Lionesses and the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) is much anticipated for a number of reasons, but it holds extra significance for Emma Hayes.

WEMBLEY – The Camden accent was not out of place but plenty else about Emma Hayes’ homecoming had the potential to unsettle England as they played out a stalemate against the USA.

United States head coach Emma Hayes says her side does not have time to talk politics as the former Chelsea boss returns to England. The United States women’s national team (USWNT) is in its first international window since Donald Trump won a second term in the 2024 United States presidential election on November 5.

The friendly, which will see the top two sides in the FIFA women’s rankings face off, is expected to have more than 83,000 in attendance at Wembley.

When it comes to the privilege of being spoiled with success, few can claim it as much as the fans of the USWNT. With four World Cup victories and five Olympic gold medals under their belt, anything short of triumph is often deemed a failure or letdown.