After the full-time whistle, England players hung around to sing and dance in jubilation before a boisterous crowd at Brighton's Amex Stadium. They have ample reason to celebrate a record-breaking night that would be forever etched in the memories of all in attendance. 

Sarina Wiegman's side made sure of a place in the knockout stages of the Women's Euro 2022 with a sensational 8-0 thrashing of two-time European champions Norway. While their opening match against Austria was a cagey affair, England finally put their attacking prowess on full display on Monday night. 

Bayern Munich star Georgia Stanway put England in front in just 10 minutes with a ruthless penalty and it prompted the floodgates to open. Arsenal striker Beth Mead netted a stunning hat-trick, while Manchester City talisman Ellen White scored twice to move to within one goal off Wayne Rooney's all-time England goal-scoring record.

PFA Women's Young Player of the Year Lauren Hemp and Manchester United youngster Alessia Russo also got on the scoresheet as Norway were utterly outplayed and outclassed in all departments throughout the encounter. 

It was the first time in the history of the European Championship that a team, either men's or women's, scored eight in a single match. The Lionesses also broke the record for the largest lead at half-time (6-0) in the history of the competition a day after France had set it (5-0 vs. Italy). 

Since Wiegman took charge, England boast an impressive record of 16 games unbeaten, with Monday night's victory at Amex Stadium their 14th win during that period. Over the same length of time, the Lionesses have amassed an incredible 93 goals and conceded just three.

"You could tell the players really enjoyed it; I just hope the fans enjoyed it. That's what we hope to do to make the nation proud," beamed Wiegman. "We got momentum so we could create more chances and score more goals. They struggled to get pressure on the ball." 

"Hat-tricks are not something I've ever thought about really, but I'm really proud to be in those positions. I'm super proud and more proud to get the points than the goals for my team," Mead said. 

The sentiment was echoed by White, who could not contain her excitement. "We will definitely enjoy tonight because it was amazing," she told reporters. "It was an incredible performance and to do it in front of this crowd in the European Championships was amazing."

While the 8-0 rout laid down a marker and told all the teams in the Women's Euro that they were title contenders, Wiegman warned her players not to get carried away. "If you win 1-0 or 8-0, it doesn't make any difference – you haven't won anything yet," said the Dutch tactician. 

England will conclude their group stage campaign with a showdown with Northern Ireland at St Mary's on Friday. It could be a chance for Wiegman to give game time to those substitutes who play peripheral roles in the squad. 

Meanwhile, Norway coach Martin Sjogren urged his players to shrug off one of the worst performances in their history and move on. 

"The only comfort is that we still have everything in our own hands," he told a press conference. "If we beat Austria, we can go through to the next round. It's the responsibility of me, the coaching staff and the players to regroup and come together. We're a strong team with a great team spirit."