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Spurs v Leicester FA Cup Semi-Final Photographer Ryan Asman Tottenham Hotspur made history on Sunday as they earned their place in the FA Cup Final due to take place at Wembley in a couple of weeks. The Foxes took an early lead through Jutta Rantala's rocket strike and looked to hold on to this as the match began to draw to a close. Jess Naz equalised in the 83rd minute taking the game to extra time. Despite good efforts from both sides including a fantastic Rantala free-kick that bounced off the crossbar, it felt as though the deadlock would not be broken. Martha Thomas became a hero and Spurs legend in the 118th minute as her header outdid the foxes defence and flew past Lise Kop into the back of the net. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted with supporters soaking up every fibre of the special moment and celebrations continued as referee Emily Heaslip blew the final whistle just minutes later.

BK Hacken frustrate the home crowd as they hold Chelsea to a nil-nil draw Back Match Report UWCL: Chelsea v BK Hacken BK Hacken frustrate the home crowd as they hold Chelsea to a nil-nil draw Ryan Asman 16 December 2023 By Paul Donegan It was a frustrating evening for Chelsea as they drew 0-0 against BK Hacken in the UEFA Women’s Champions League at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening. Despite having 70% of possession and 22 shots, though only 5 of those on target, the Blues were unable to find the back of the net, being denied by the woodwork twice, the assistant referee’s flag, Hacken goalkeeper Jennifer Falk and some poor finishing. Chelsea manager Emma Hayes made five changes to the side from the one that lost 4-1 to Arsenal in the WSL on Sunday with Zecira Musovic, Kadeisha Buchanan, Sophie Ingle, Fran Kirby and Guro Reiten coming into the starting eleven. The hosts started brightly with Reiten and Kirby combining in the early minutes but the ball was put behind for corner by the Hacken defence. Kirby had a shot that took a touch off a defender and went narrowly wide. The England international needed treatment on her knee after this but was able to continue. Sam Kerr volleyed wide following a corner in the 9th minute. A nice one-two between Niamh Charles and Kirby finished with the ball being put into the side netting. Reiten saw an effort blocked by Hacken’s goalie Falk in the 12th minute. Buchanan headed wide after a scramble after another corner. The visitors first opportunity came when they broke with Clarissa Larisey’s effort coming off the foot of Jess Carter and into Musovic’s hands in the 16th minute. After the frantic start, there was a bit of a quiet spell chance wise, until the 28th minute when Erin Cuthbert’s volley hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down on the line before being cleared. Hayes was visibly frustrated in the technical area when Chelsea gave the ball away and Hacken started to break. In stoppage time, Reiten saw an effort deflected behind. Chelsea’s first half can perhaps be summed up as producing some nice build up play but no end product. Cuthbert had first opportunity of the second half, within the first minute of it, but her shot from 30-yards went well over. Buchanan made a good tackle to stop Hacken half time substitute Monica Jusu Bah before she could shoot. Kirby sent a dipping effort onto roof of net in the 56th minute, then a minute later, Charles saw her cross finish in the same place. In the 59th minute, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was denied by the outstretched leg of Falk. Kerr saw a header from a corner hit the crossbar and bounce away. Charles then headed over in the 63rd minute. The loudest cheers of the night were reserved for when Lauren James came onto the pitch in the 64th minute. Sjoeke Nusken, who had also come on, shot over from just outside the area in the 67th minute. James then twisted and turned past defenders but no one could get on the end of her cross across the front of goal. Anna Anvegard put an effort over for the visitors from 25-yards in the 72nd minute. A James cross was headed into the net by Kerr seconds later but the offside flag was up to save Hacken in what looked like a very close decision. Buchanan was there again to stop a through ball from the away side. James’ shot was easily saved. Even though being on top, the Blues still couldn’t find a breakthrough as the match reached the final 10 minutes. Nusken’s low cross in the 90th minute didn’t find any of her teammates before being cleared. The German international then headed a corner wide as the match entered five minutes of stoppage time. Falk made another save as she palmed away a low cross from James. Eve Perisset’s free kick from 25-yards went the wrong side of the post, and this turned out to be the final chance as the final whistle went seconds later. The drew leaves Chelsea in second place in their Champions League group, two points behind Hacken. The two sides play each other again next Wednesday in Gothenburg. Line ups Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Musovic, Perisset, Buchanan, Carter, Charles, Cuthbert (Nusken 64’), Ingle, Rytting Kaneryd (James 64’), Kirby (Fishel 80’), Reiten (Beever-Jones 74’), Kerr (c) Unused substitutes: Hampton, Fleming, Mjelde, Brown BK Hacken (4-2-3-1): Falk, Kosola, Rybrink (c), Luik, Junttila Nelhage, Bergman-Lundin, Fossdalsa Sorensen, Anvegard (Schroder 86’), Kafaji (Grant 90’+3), Sandberg (Jusu Bah 45’), Larisey (Masaka 76’) Unused substitutes: Geurts, Hoglund Jansson, Johansson, Csiki, Lowing, Wijk Referee – Esther Staubli Attendance – 3,300

The Lionesses secured a 1-0 win over the World Champions Back Match Report England light up Wembley with impressive victory over Spain The Lionesses secured a 1-0 win over the World Champions Ryan Asman 27 February 2025 By Aimee Logan “We do have a plan and we are on a journey.” Leah Williamson reflects on the reverse of events after England secured a 1-0 victory over World Cup Champions, Spain. Salma Paralluelo with the first chance of the game, her quick footwork taking her past the large majority of English defence before Millie Bright clears the ball for England. The home side had not a lot to show from the first 15 minutes of the game, but Spain continued to look ruthless, significantly when Lucia Garcia almost caught England goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, off-guard on the goal line and minutes later, narrowly missing the target and hitting the crossbar. England began to build into the game at Wembley Stadium, with an influx of attacking play after mistakes from the Spanish defence. A free kick from Lauren James, the best of the opportunities, was blocked by Cata Coll at the near post. The Lionesses were unable to convert any of their corner kicks to goals in the first half despite the messy defending from the Spanish team. In a fantastic rum of play, it wasn’t long before England punished the Spanish defence when a lack of communication between the away side allowed England’s Jess Park to knock the ball into the back of the net, opening the scoresheet in the 33rd minute under the arch. Photo: Ryan Asman Spain once again proved their drive and came back fighting against the English defence, Pina and Paralluelo unable to hit the target, firing the ball just wide of Hampton’s net. Hampton was England manager Wiegman’s only change from the starting line-up that played against Portugal, a decision that proved to be a successful choice due to Hampton’s impressive shot-stopping display against a world-class Spanish front line. There was a chaotic start to the second half with shots coming from either end of the pitch. The Spanish looked to catch the England side (off-guard) with continuous shots from range, while the home side perfected their build-up play on multiple occasions, only just unable to complete the attacks. Montse Tome was first to make a substitution with the only goalscorer of the World Cup final, Olga Carmona, making way for Leila Ouahabi. England’s first substitutes of the evening saw Alessia Russo and Jess Park make way for Nikita Parris, for her first England appearance since 2022, and Chloe Kelly, on for her 50th cap in an England shirt. Wiegman’s backline consistently looked in great shape, something that has previously punished the side. The Spanish forwards continued to display their quality in front of goal, striking with accuracy and power but Hampton was accurate in saving the shots. Despite bringing attacking threats off of the bench, Spain were unable to challenge the solid performance from the English backline who prevented the opposition from making a mark on the score sheet. After Spain’s extra-time comeback against Belgium, it became clear that the Spanish weren’t going to give-up on taking a point away from the fixture but it was England who tonight sealed a 1-0 victory over the World Champions. The Lionesses were back on top at the same place they conquered Europe back in 2022. England’s defence displayed one of their best performances against the World Champions, keeping a clean sheet at Wembley stadium. Post-match, Lionesses captain Leah Williamson agreed stating, “individually there were some spectacular individual performances in 1v1s in defence.” She also praised the attacking play from her team, “in the first half, especially, there were some lovely passages of play.” “They're a top team and they’re world champions for a reason.” She hadn’t faced the Spanish side since the 2022 European semi-final as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevented her from playing the World Cup final in Sydney nearly two years ago. Bright, another defender who put on an impressive performance on the pitch, noticed how the team had changed after the draw against Portugal earlier this camp, “ tonight we showed huge improvements from the last game” , adding, “yes we dropped points in the last game but we don’t let that derail us.” “The next step now is creating more chances and scoring more goals.” Bright suggested. England recorded nine shots and six on target and their opponent with over double the amount of opportunities in front of goal, 20 shots and five on target, all of which were stopped by Hampton in the net. England topped the group at the end of the first camp of the 2025 Nations League, matched by Portugal who also finished the international break with four points. For the Lionesses, their upcoming fixtures are home and away legs against Belgium on 4th and 8th of April respectively. England: Hampton Bronze Williamson Bright Charles Clinton Walsh Toone → Naz (84’) Park Russo → Parris (64’) James → Kelly (64’) Unused Substitutes : Beever-Jones Blindkilde Brown Carter Earps Le Tissier Mace Moorhouse Morgan Turner Spain: Coll Battle Paredes Mandez Carmona → Ouahabi (55’) Bonmati Aleixandri → Zubieta (83’) Caldentey Pina L. Garcia → del Castillo (70’) Paralluelo → Redondo (83’) Unused Substitutes: Codina Garcia Lopez Martin-Prieto Nanclares Oroz Sullastres

All you need to know about the Women's Championship as it kicks off this weekend. Barclays Women's Championship Guide 2022-23 Friday, 19 August 2022 By Paul Donegan All you need to know about the Women's Championship as it kicks off this weekend. Barclays Women's Championship Find out who's in and who's out as the Women's Championship, the second tier of women's football, kicks off! Birmingham City's Siobhan Wilson Birmingham City Ground – St Andrew’s B9 4RL Tickets - Event Tickets List - Online ticket office (eticketing.co.uk) Twitter - @BCFCWomen Manager – Darren Carter Last season – 12th WSL Players joined - Siobhan Wilson (Crystal Palace), Martha Harris (Manchester United), Mollie Green (Coventry United) and Lucy Thomas (Coventry United). Loan deals - Tara Bourne (Manchester United), Fran Stenson (Arsenal), Charlie Devlin (Leicester City) and Ashley Hodson (Liverpool). Players left - Rebecca Holloway, Veatriki Sarri, Marie Hourihan, Emily Whelan, Lucy Whipp, Sarah Ewens, Cecilie Sandvej and Arabella Suttie. After being relegated from the WSL at the end of last season, Birmingham appointed Darren Carter as permanent manger and former Birmingham player and Lioness Jo Potter as assistant head coach over the summer. They have managed to keep a lot of the squad from last season including captain Louise Quinn, Jade Pennock, Christie Murray and Lucy Quinn. They have sign players with Championship experience including Siobhan Wilson from Crystal Palace, and Mollie Green and Lucy Thomas from Coventry United. They also signed Martha Harris from Manchester United. They have brought in on loan young goalkeeper Fran Stenson from Arsenal and Charlie Devlin from Leicester City, who has won the Championship twice with Manchester United and then Leicester, as well as Tara Bourne and Ashley Hodson. Blackburn Rovers Ground – Sir Tom Finney Stadium PR5 6UX (Clubs main ground – Ewood Park BB2 4JF) Tickets - Event Tickets List - eTickets (eticketing.co.uk) Twitter - @RoversLadies Manager – Gemma Donnelly Last season – 10th WC Players joined - Evie Smith (Liverpool) and Faith Nokuthula (Brighton & Hove Albion). Loan deals – Chloe Williams (dual registration Manchester United) and Niamh Murphy (dual registration Manchester United) Players left - Aimee Hodgson, Chelsey Jukes, Chloe Dixon, Katie Anderson, Erica Cunningham, Amaya Coleman-Evans and Annabel Blanchard. Gemma Donnelly has signed a few new players for Blackburn after they finished 10th in the Championship last season. Evie Smith comes in from Liverpool and Faith Nokuthula joins from Brighton. Welsh international Chloe Williams and Scotland youth international Niamh Murphy have also joined on dual registration from Manchester United. Most of the squad from last season, including Hannah Coan and Saffron Jordan, have re-signed for the 2022/23 season but Player of the Year and joint top goalscorer Annabel Blanchard has joined Championship rivals Crystal Palace and long serving player Chelsey Jukes has also left the club. Bristol City's Abi Harrison Bristol City Ground – Robins High Performance Centre BS8 3TN (Clubs main ground – Ashton Gate BS3 2EJ) Tickets - Buy Tickets: Bristol Sport Ticketing (bristol-sport.co.uk) Twitter - @bristolcitywfc Manager – Lauren Smith Last season – 3rd WC Players joined - Fran Bentley (Manchester United), Olivia Clark (Coventry United), Jodie Hutton (Aston Villa), Chloe Mustaki (Shelbourne), Shania Hayles (Aston Villa), Elyssa Boddy (Leicester City), Vicky Bruce (SC Sand) and Emily Syme (Aston Villa). Players left - Flo Allen, Satara Murray, Izzy Cook, Maisy Collis, Simran Jhamat, Ava Kuyken, Sophie Whitehouse, Mel Johnson and Gwen Davies. After being in the chasing pack behind Liverpool for most of last season and eventually finishing third, Bristol City will be looking to get back to the WSL at the second time of asking. A lot of comings and goings over the summer with eight new players coming in and ten leaving. Among those still at The Robins is Abi Harrison who won the Championship Player of the Year award and finished top goalscorer in the league last season with 17 goals. Fran Bentley has joined permanently after being on loan last season, Welsh international Olivia Clark joins from Coventry United, and Jodie Hutton, Shania Hayles and Emily Syme have all signed from WSL side Aston Villa with Syme returning to the club where she started. Charlton Athletic Ground – The Oakwood DA1 4EU (Clubs main ground – The Valley SE7 8BL) Tickets - Buy Tickets: Charlton Athletic Ticketing (cafc.co.uk) Twitter - @CAFCWomen Manager – Karen Hills Last season – 5th WC Players joined - Angela Addison (Tottenham Hotspur), Freda Ayisi (Lewes), Corinne Henson (Watford), Emily Simpkins (Brighton & Hove Albion), Sophie O’Rourke (Lewes), Heidi Logan (Lewes), Tegan McGowan (Chelsea), Poppy Soper (Chelsea) and Mel Johnson (Bristol City). Loan deals - Sian Rogers (Aston Villa), Lucy Watson (Chelsea) and Elisha N’Dow (Aston Villa) Players left – Eartha Cummings, Jess King, Anna Filbey, Sophie Hillyerd, Becky Jane, Vyan Sampson, Hollie Olding, Elisha Sulola, Megan Wynne, Elise Hughes, Sophie Quirk, Lois Heuchan and Natalia Negri. Charlton Athletic finished fifth in the league last season, which was their first as a professional side. Karen Hills has been busy in the transfer market with 12 players coming in and 13 leaving over the summer. Among those joining from WSL sides are Angela Addison from Tottenham and Emily Simpkins from Brighton. Experienced forward Mel Johnson has also signed from Bristol City. Sian Rogers, Lucy Watson and Elisha N’Dow have all joined on loan for the season from WSL clubs. Captain Lauren Bruton has re-signed for another season with Charlton, as have Emma Follis and Ella Rutherford. Coventry United's Merrick Will Coventry United Ground – Butts Park Arena CV1 3GE Tickets - Home | Coventry United Twitter - @CovUtdWomen Manager – Lee Burch Last season – 11th WC Players joined - Cara Milne-Redhead (Seton Hall), Mia Smith (Watford), Merrick Will (Oxford United), Meesha Dudley-Jones (Bridgwater United), Ebony Wiseman, Rosetta Taylor, Hayley Hoare (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Simran Jhamat (Bristol City), Evie Gane (Portsmouth), Arabella Suttie (Birmingham City), Megan Alexander (Oxford United) and Jodie Bartle (Celtic). Players left - Anna Colville, Becky McGrother, Mollie Green, Olivia Clark, Phoebe Warner, Lucy Thomas, Grace Riglar, Katie Wilkinson, Naomi Hartley, Olivia Fergusson, Nat Johnson and Destiney Toussaint. After completing ‘the great escape’ at the end of last season and staying up in the Championship thanks to Mollie Green’s late free kick, there have been a lot of changes at Coventry United over the summer. Jay Bradford left as manager at the end of May. Then it was announced that the club would move to a part-time set up for this season following further financial concerns. Lee Burch was appointed as new manager having previously been in charge at Millwall Lionesses, Yeovil Town and London Bees in the top two divisions. Sian Osmond is the new assistant head coach and has worked with Burch previously at London Bees and then managing them herself. They also changed name to Coventry United Women. A lot of the players from last season left the club over the summer but Burch has brought in 12 new players including Jodie Bartle who returns to the club, Merrick Will, Evie Gane and Arabella Suttie. Crystal Palace captain Annabel Johnson Crystal Palace Ground – Hayes Lane BR2 9EF (Clubs main ground – Selhurst Park SE25 6PU) Tickets - Buy Tickets: Crystal Palace Ticketing (cpfc.co.uk) Twitter - @cpfc_w Manager – Dean Davenport Last season – 4th WC Players joined - Fran Kitching (Sheffield United), Fliss Gibbons (Brighton & Hove Albion), Chloe Arthur (Aston Villa), Anna Filbey (Charlton Athletic), Rianna Dean (Liverpool), Annabel Blanchard (Blackburn Rovers), Kirsten Reilly (Rangers), Natalia Negri (Charlton Athletic), Paige Bailey-Gayle (Leicester City), Hollie Olding (Charlton Athletic), Ellie Noble (Lewes), Elise Hughes (Charlton Athletic), Polly Doran (Melbourne Victory) and Shauna Guyatt (Chelsea). Loan deal - Chloe Peplow (Reading). Players left - Bianca Baptiste, Hannah Churchill, Grace Coombs, Leanne Cowan, Millie Farrow, Sophie McLean, Kate Natkiel, Siobhan Wilson and Chloe Morgan. Crystal Palace finished in their highest ever league position last season and will be looking to improve on that. The Eagles have made some impressive signings over the summer including Scottish international Chloe Arthur, Jamaican international Paige Bailey-Gayle and Fliss Gibbons from WSL clubs as well as Chloe Peplow on loan from Reading. Rianna Dean has joined having been part of the Liverpool squad that won the Championship last season, and she was also with Tottenham when they won this level in 2018/19. A lot of players that have signed have experience of playing in the Championship including Annabel Blanchard, Anna Filbey and Elise Hughes. Amongst those still at the club are Molly Sharpe and last seasons Player of the Year Aimee Everett. Durham's Beth Hepple Durham Ground – Maiden Castle DH1 3SE Tickets - Durham Women FC (ticketco.events) Twitter - @DurhamWFC Manager – Lee Sanders Last season – 6th WC Players joined - Georgia Robert (Sheffield United), Tatiana Saunders (Lewes), Jess Clarke (Sheffield United), Saoirse Noonan (Shelbourne) and Maria Farrugia (Sunderland). Players left - Abby Holmes, Nicki Gears, Kathryn Hill and Danielle Brown. Durham announced earlier in the summer that they were turning to a full-time operating model from this season. Lee Sanders has sign Georgia Roberts, Tatiana Saunders, Jess Clarke and Maria Farrugia from other Championship sides and Saoirse Noonan has joined from Shelbourne who play in the Women’s National League in the Republic of Ireland. # Last season’s Player of the Yeah and captain Sarah Wilson has signed a new contract with the club, as has Beth Hepple who scored 14 goals in all competitions during the 2021/22 season. Lewes Ground – The Dripping Pan BN7 2XA Tickets - Buy tickets for Lewes Football Club (tickettailor.com) Twitter - @LewesFCWomen Manager – Scott Booth Last season – 8th WC Players joined - Josie Longhurst (Brighton & Hove Albion), Emily Kraft (FFC Frankfurt), Sophie Whitehouse (Bristol City), Amber-Keegan Stobbs (Watford), Nat Johnson (Coventry United) and Libby Copus-Brown (Newcastle Olympic). Loan Deal - Emma Thompson (Chelsea) Players left – Zoe Cross, Georgia Timms, Lucy Ashworth-Clifford, Shanell Salgado, Tatiana Saunders, Freda Ayisi, Ini Umotong, Nicola Cousins, Sophie O’Rourke, Heidi Logan, Ellie Noble, Lea Cordier and Izzy Collins. Lewes appointed Scott Booth as their new manager in May. The former Scotland international had previously managed Glasgow City and had a short spell at Birmingham last season in the WSL. Whilst he was at Glasgow City, they won six consecutive league titles, two Scottish Cups, one Scottish League Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2020. Natalie Haigh was announced as new assistant manager in August. Amongst those staying with Lewes include Northern Ireland international Rebecca McKenna, who also won the clubs Player of the Season award for last season, and Paula Howells who won the Supporter’s Player of the Year. New signings include Welsh international Josie Longhurst, goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse and experienced defender Nat Johnson. London City Lionesses Ground – Princes Park DA1 1RT Tickets - TICKETS | Lionesses (londoncitylionesses.com) Twitter - @LC_Lionesses Manager – Melissa Phillips Last season – 2nd WC Players joined - Lois Joel (West Ham United), Millie Farrow (Crystal Palace), Lois Heuchan (Charlton Athletic), Lucy Shepherd (Washington Spirit), Hermione Cull (Arsenal) and Sarah Ewens (Birmingham City). Players left - Hannah Short, Lily Pursey, Kenni Thompson, Annie Rossiter, Alli Muprhy, Mollie Rouse and Brooke Nunn. London City Lionesses finished as runners-up to Liverpool in the Championship last season and will be looking to go one step better this time. Amongst those Melissa Phillips has brought in are Lois Joel from WSL side West Ham, Millie Farrow who won the Championship with Leicester in 2021, and Sarah Ewens who scored 64 goals in 98 appearances for Celtic between 2016 and 2021. Players still at the club from last season include Amy Rodgers, Rianna Jarrett, Lily Agg, Jamie-Lee Napier, Hayley Nolan and Atlanta Primus. Sheffield United captain Sophie Barker Sheffield United Ground – Bramall Lane S2 4SU Tickets - Buy Tickets: Sheffield United Ticketing (sufc.co.uk) Twitter – @sufc_women Manager – Neil Redfearn Last season – 7th WC Players joined - Rachel Brown (Nottingham Forest), Sophie Haywood (Aston Villa), Bethan Davies (Huddersfield Town), Naomi Hartley (Coventry United) and Grace Rigler (Coventry United). Loan deals - Marie Francis-Jones (dual registration Manchester City) and Sophie Barker (Leicester City) Players left - Sophie Walton, Kasia Lipka, Matilda Taylor, Sam Sharrocks, Fran Kitchen, Lucy Watson, Ocean Rolandsen, Jess Clarke, Georgie Robert, Jess Reavill and Sophie Bradley-Auckland A lot of Neil Redfearn’s squad from last season have stayed at the club as they look to push on from finishing seventh last time around. Player of the Season and top goalscorer Courtney Sweetman-Kirk has signed a new contract with The Blades, as have Maddy Cusack, Mia Enderby and Althea Paul. Sophie Haywood has joined from Aston Villa having won the Championship with them in 2020, Naomi Hartley re-joins Sheffield United after spending a season at Coventry United and Grace Rigler also joins from the West Midlands side. Former captain Sophie Barker has re-joined the club on loan from Leicester. The club announced over the summer that they will be playing all their games this season at Bramall Lane. Southampton Ground – St Mary’s Stadium SO14 5FP Tickets - SOUTHAMPTON FC | Women's fixtures | Southampton FC Twitter - @SouthamptonFC (Matchday - @SaintsFCWomen ) Manager – Marieanne Spacey-Cale Last season – 1st WNL Players joined - Paige Peake (Ipswich Town), Beth Lumsden (Oxford United), Sophie Harris (Leicester City), Megan Wynne (Charlton Athletic), Lexi Lloyd-Smith, Katie Wilkinson (Coventry United) and Ashleigh Ward (Actonians). Players left - Alisha Ware, Caitlin Morris, Katie Rood, Kirsty Whitton, Sara Luce, Shannon Sievwright and Shelly Provan Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s Southampton won promotion to the Championship after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the National League Championship Play-Off Final. Most of that side have signed new contracts with the club after it turned professional in May. Among those who stayed on include Sophia Pharoah, who scored the winning goal against Wolves, and Northern Ireland international Laura Rafferty who has also played for Chelsea, Brighton and Bristol City in the WSL. Among the new players are Megan Wynne who won the Championship with Spurs, and forward Katie Wilkinson who has experience at this level with Aston Villa, London Bees, Sheffield United and Coventry United. Sunderland's Emma Kelly Sunderland Ground – Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground DH5 9NA (Clubs main ground – Stadium of Light SR5 1SU) Tickets - Home - eTickets (eticketing.co.uk) Twitter - @SAFCWomen Manager – Melanie Reay Last season – 9th WC Players joined - Abby Holmes (Durham), Nicki Gears (Durham), Danielle Brown (Durham), Tyler Dodds (Glasgow City) and Brianna Westrup (Rangers) Players left - Eva Blakey, Maria Farrugia and Daisy Burt Sunderland finished ninth in their first season in the Championship after getting promoted. In May, they rebranded to Sunderland Women. Not that many changes in players with only five in and three out and the majority of last season’s squad having sign new contracts. Captain n, Emily Scarr, Emma Kelly and Louise Griffiths. Joining the club are Abby Holmes, Nicki Gears and Player of the Season award winner Keira Ramshaw is still with the club as are Neve Herroand Danielle Brown who all come from Durham, or in Holmes and Brown’s cases re-join the club. Tyler Dodds has joined from Glasgow City (another to return to the club) and Scotland international Brianna Westrup has signed from Rangers after captaining them to the Scottish title last season. The Women's Championship kicks off on Saturday 20th August at 12:30pm when Southampton host Charlton Athletic at St. Mary's Stadium. All other fixtures will be played on Sunday 21st August. All matches will be shown live on the FA Player.

Back Georgia Stanway Club Manchester City Position Forward D.O.B 03/01/1999 Bio At just 22 Stanway has cemented herself as one of the most versatile players in contention. Stanway has played in a number of positions both domestically and internationally and is a reliable source in rotation. Stanway displays an attacking mindset and is possibly best utilised as a high attacking midfielder, however she has demonstrated disciplined defensive positioning when tasked with holding further back. Naturally spirited, Stanway is not one to shy away from a challenge and will get herself stuck into any and all situations. via Georgia Stanway Twitter D5

Spurs make history as Martha Thomas' extra time goal sends the to the FA Cup Final Back Match Report History makers: Spurs are off to Wembley Spurs make history as Martha Thomas' extra time goal sends the to the FA Cup Final Ryan Asman 14 April 2024 By Finley Chung A 118th minute winner from Martha Thomas was enough to seal Spurs’ first ever spot at the FA Cup Final, defeating Leicester City in extra time. Jutta Rantala had given Leicester a stunning 12th minute lead, which The Foxes held all the way to the 83rd minute, when Jess Naz hauled Spurs level to send the tie to extra time. Martha Thomas rose highest from a Luana Buhler flick on to spark scenes of jubilation in N17 on a historic day for Tottenham Hotspur. Both sides remain unchanged from their last matches, with Grace Clinton and Bethany England starting for Spurs, with Jennifer Foster also naming an unchanged side which included the likes of Captain, Sam Tierney and former Spurs Josie Green. Leicester got us underway in the spring sunshine in North London with a very strong away following backing them in the north east corner of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Sam Tierney had the games first effort, pouncing on a loose Spurs pass, but the Leicester skipper’s long range strike flew wide of the goal. Spurs’ speedster Jess Naz was sent away down the right hand side early on too, running at Janice Cayman but her cross was just beyond the reach of Bethany England who was converging in the middle. The hosts had the games first real chance too, when Celin Bizet raced onto a through ball from Grace Clinton, but her effort was well saved by the legs of Lize Kop in the Leicester goal. The hosts were going at Leicester early on with another chance falling to Celin Bizet who raced clear after being played in by Jess Naz, but this time her effort was too high and sailed over the crossbar. Against the run of play for the opening ten minutes, Leicester blew the early stages wide open with an absolute screamer, Jutta Rantala was fed down the right and cut inside to fire an unstoppable shot into the corner which flew past Becky Spencer before she even saw it and give The Fozes a stunning lead inside quarter of an hour, with her tenth of the season. Spurs attempted to reply in kind instantly with Grace Clinton, but her low effort was straight down the throat of the Leicester keeper. The visitors then almost had a second soon after, as Lena Petermann reacted to a cut back the quickest and saw her effort saved buy the leg of Becky Spencer. Amy James-Turner then found herself in the referee’s notebook for a chopping challenge on goalscorer, Rantala. Jess Naz then once again showed her trickery and speed down the right, facing up her marker before flashing the Balla cross the face of goal without a Lilywhite touch, Leicester also displayed their threat on the counter, with Deanne Rose curtting in from the left but whistling her effort over the bar. Jessica Naz once again for Spurs drove at the heart of the Leicester defence, but her left footed strike flew well wide of the post. Evelina Summanen got her head to a corner, seven minutes before the break but headed over, with replays showing the Finn should’ve at least hit the target with her effort. Emily Heaslip blew her halftime whistle with The Foxes holding a slender lead, thanks to Rantala’s rocket. The Foxes almost got that dream start to the second half, attacking within the opening seconds, as Petermann saw her effort blocked well by Luana Buhler. Grace Clinton fed Amanda Nilden who cut in from the left to have Spurs’ first chance of the half, but her right footed effort sailed over the bar. Evelina Summanen had yet another sighter from a Spurs corner, lashing her effort over the bar when once again she ought to have done a lot better, Vilahman and Spurs were first to shuffle the pack, with Martha Thomas entering the game in place of Celin Bizet, which prompted a Spurs reshuffle, with Bethany England dropping back to the number 10 role, Grace Clinton out on the left, Jess Naz on the right and the introduced Thomas up front. Leicester were next to make a change, with Captain Sam Tierney being replaced by Emilia Pelgander. Naz again was wasteful on the hour, lashing a wild left footed effort over the bar. Clinton then swung in an early cross looking for Martha Thomas, but the Scot couldn’t connect and Kop was out to claim. A late triple Spurs change as we ticked into the last fifteen minutes, with Olga Ahitnen, Charli Grant and Matilda Vinberg replacing Amanda Nilden, Grace Clinton and Evelina Summanen. After her wasteful chances, Jess Naz finally made one count with eight minutes to go, racing through and giving Kop no chance to haul Spurs level and breathe life back into the majority of the 18,000 strong Tottenham Hotspur crowd. Bethany England then almost pinched a winner, but was inches away from getting on the end of Charli Grant’s cross after great work down the left from the Aussie. Leicester weren’t done there and Shannon O’Brien danced past two challenges fantastically before firing low at Bekcy Spencer who pushed the effort wide. From the resulting corner, Spurs charged forward with Naz who had a new lease of life, with her ball in towards England not amounting to anything . Grant again produced another stunning cross, which Thomas headed over as the board with six minutes injury time went up. Lize Kop then pulled off a incredible one touch save to deny Martha Thomas’ arrowing low effort, with virtually all the ground thinking it had nestled into the far corner, but Kop’s antics had kept Leicester in the tie and send it to extra time. Full Time - TOT 1-1 LEI Extra time got underway with a now palpable sense of pressure around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Two free kicks for Spurs in promising positions showcased one extreme to the other, with one chance being headed away by the first player, and the other floating through to be an easy catch for Kop in the Leicester goal. Leicester then won a free kick in a promising position, with Rantala lashing a left footed effort touched every so slightly by Becky Spencer which pushed it onto the bar and bounced away. Olga Ahitnen broke away down the left as we neared the halfway point of extra time after another great ball from Bethany England, but the Finns effort was well saved at her near post by Kop. The break in extra time came and went, with just fifteen minutes standing between the two sides and a place in the FA Cup final. Leicester seemed to find a second wind in the second period of extra time, with Rantalla putting in a stunning cross which couldn’t be met by a Blue shirt and was headed away, With two minutes of extra time to go, Tottenham won a corner, which found the head of Martha Thomas who looped a header past the goalkeeper to send the Tottenham Hotspur stadium into raptures and secure their place at Wembley. Extra Time - Full Time - Tottenham 2-1 Leicester

Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann signs for Juventus Back Alisha Lehmann joins Juventus Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann signs for Juventus Juventus 6 July 2024 By Charlotte Stacey Aston Villa Women have confirmed that Alisha Lehmann has joined Juventus for an undisclosed fee. Lehmann spent three seasons in claret and blue, making 74 appearances and scoring 14 goals. The Switzerland international helped Villa to its best ever finish in the Barclays WSL as well as being voted Women’s Supporters’ Player of the Season in 2021/22. Lehamnn has signed a three-year deal which will see her play in Turin until the summer of 2027. News

Nikita Parris Position Forward D.O.B 10/03/1994 Club Arsenal Hannah Peters

Full quotes from Kerstin Casparij post-match interview following City's second win of the season Back Kerstin Casparij reacts to Manchester City's win over Spurs Full quotes from Kerstin Casparij post-match interview following City's second win of the season Tom Flathers 25 October 2022 By Paul Donegan We got to hear from Kerstin Casparij when she spoke to the press after Manchester City’s recent WSL win over Tottenham Hotspur. The 22-year-old right back joined City over the summer from Twente where she won the Eredivisie twice and the Eredivisie Cup once. She had previously played for Heerenveen and VV Alkmaar after making her senior debut as a 15-year-old. Casparij was part of the Netherlands squad at Euro 2022 and has 16 caps for her country. Kerstin answered questions about the sides current form, Bunny Shaw, settling into Manchester and the squad, expectations and the City supporters. She started off talking about their current form (won last two games) after their difficult start to the season when they lost their first two ... “So, so pleased, to have two wins in a row in just great, obviously we didn’t start well but we believed and stuck to the process and believed in what we can do and I think you really saw that in the last two games.” And it always helps when you have got someone like Bunny (Shaw) as well? “Yeah, she is a beast, she is so good, how many goals she has scored? Five, that is a lot, so is doing really, really well, she is a big asset for us.” How have you found settling in? “Just great, I think I have said like everytime people ask me it is just lovely but it is, it is so great, I love the city, the girls have been helping me so well and I have really felt like (said Dutch phrase) as we would say in Dutch.” It has been a bit of a mixed start to the season, what are your and the squads expectations? “We haven’t really like talked about we want to win every prize, of course we want to win the league, I mean that is something we must want as Manchester City but at least win silverware and finish as high in the league as we can.” Do you think it is jelling quite quickly given the number of new players that all joined at the same time as each other and the rapport off the pitch? “I didn’t expect it to gel so well so quickly, I mean obviously the first two games weren’t so good but now everything settling in very well, and we really found our pace and found feet especially for me as a new person, and with Laia (Aleixandri) as my centre back, I think things just gone really well.” How much you enjoying playing with Chloe Kelly down the right? “Chloe is amazing, I love her, I love her as a person and as a player, she is so skilled and you can just give her the ball at any time, you know she will do something right with it so I am very pleased to be playing with her.” How have you found the fans so far? “Well I feel like they like me, I think, I like them, everytime I try and take as much time as I can to do some autographs and stuff, and everybody is just so lovely, it is just great because I am not very used to that back in the Netherlands we didn’t really have fans we could interact with so that we have that here, and people actually come down to London to watch our games, I think that is just really special, and I would like to thank them all for doing that.” News

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall speaks to the media ahead of United Clash Back Eidevall calls for Arsenal to show "another version" of themselves against Manchester United Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall speaks to the media ahead of United Clash Sky Sports 5 October 2023 By Paul Donegan Jonas Eidevall spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of the Gunners Women’s Super League match against Manchester United on Friday evening, hours after it was also announced by Arsenal that he had signed a new long-term contract with the club. “The commitment is from both parties and it is very ambitious, it is about growing the club as much as possible and accelerate the growth of women’s football” responded Eidevall when asked about the new contract. “The long-term vision that we have and that we share is the important thing” continued the Arsenal head coach, and added that he feels supported by the club. After the defeat to Liverpool last weekend in the WSL, Eidevall noted there has been “a mature reaction” and “a lot of accountability and ownership”. He carried on to say the team want to show “another version of itself” . Eidevall feels they didn’t play with the right energy against Liverpool but it is now about how they respond. “We are really disappointed with that performance, and it was a wasted opportunity with 55’000 people in the stands to put on a better display and energise them better” he continued, and he hopes they return for the Villa game (next Sunday at the Emirates) so his side can show them something different because they deserve that as well. Eidevall confirmed that Beth Mead will not be available (very close though) for the Manchester United game, but Noelle Maritz is fit. There was no other team news. With Alessia Russo facing her former side for the first time since joining Arsenal, Eidevall commented that that she is “100% professional and always trains with a lot of motivation, but it is special when you return to play against a club with your former teammates and fans” . He noted Russo has a lot of different qualities and the unique combination of them makes her potential “sky high”. The Arsenal head coach said Manchester United are “consistent in the way they play and are a good football team” . Eidevall added there have been some good and even matches between them over the last two seasons but he was not happy with the Gunners performances or results against them last season. With the league shaping up to be very competitive this season, Eidevall noted “you need to be 100% for every game and every challenge.” Eidevall was asked about his views about bringing VAR into women’s games. He pointed out there needs to be consistency in tournaments with technology in the game and it has to be of the right quality. Manchester United v Arsenal is live on Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League in the UK with a 7:30pm (BST) kick off on Friday. Check local listings/FA Player elsewhere. News

The Seagulls pull off a crucial 3-2 win over the visiting Toffees Back Match Report WSL: Brighton v Everton The Seagulls pull off a crucial 3-2 win over the visiting Toffees Ryan Asman 21 April 2023 By Paul Donegan Brighton beat Everton 3-2 on Wednesday evening at the Broadfield Stadium to claim three points that moved them off the bottom of the Women’s Super League (WSL) table. In Melissa Phillips first home game as manager of the Seagulls, Elisabeth Terland scored twice and Katie Robinson scored their other goal. Katja Snoeijs scored a brace for Everton as they threatened a second half comeback. Phillips made one change to the Brighton’s starting eleven from Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United with Megan Connolly coming in for Julia Zigiotti. This was Everton’s first game since the 2nd of April when they beat Tottenham 2-1. Head coach Brian Sorensen made two changes from that match with Megan Finnigan and Lucy Hope replacing Nathalie Bjorn and Gabby George. It was a sunny early evening though there was a cool breeze blowing across the ground. The home side made a good start, and within the first 20 seconds Terland put an effort well over the crossbar. Robinson’s shot from 25-yards flew wide of the post 5 minutes into the match. They then broke quickly in the 10th minute but Robinson saw her shot blocked and the ball went out for a throw-in. Brighton deservedly took the lead in the 12th minute when set piece expert Poppy Pattinson swung in a free kick from the right-hand side that Terland headed into the net. Everton’s build up was slow at times with Brighton forcing them backwards, though Jess Park had the Toffees first shot at goal in the 19th minute but this was claimed by Lydia Williams. There was some more good pressing from Brighton that won the ball back and forced a corner. Veatriki Sarri saw a shot deflected just wide of the post, and Emma Kullberg then had an effort saved. Geummin Lee saw her dangerous cross pushed away by Brosnan before the ball was cleared in the 33rd minute as the Seagulls continued to be the better side in the first half. Everton had their best chance of the match so far in the 35th minute when Aurora Galli headed the ball down but sent her low shot straight at Williams. Katrine Veje then hit a free kick through the wall but this too was comfortably dealt with by Williams. Brighton made it 2-0 two minutes before half-time. A fantastic long ball played forward from Megan Connolly found Robinson who from the edge of the area superbly lifted the ball over Brosnan and into the net. Everton made a triple substitution at half-time and changed to a 3-4-3 formation for the second half. The Toffees looked a better side during most of the second period after making these changes. There was a break in play early in the half when one of the assistant referees had an issue and disappeared for a few minutes. Photo: Ryan Asman After that delay, Sarri shot just wide on the hour mark as Brighton looked to increase their lead further. It was Everton though who scored the next goal in the 63rd minute. Snoeijs received a pass from Park, run past a few Brighton defenders before shooting low into the corner of the net from 12-yards. Snoeijs almost equalised for the Toffees in the 73rd minute when she hit the post with a shot after a quick attack involving her and Aggie Beever-Jones. In the 77th minute, Everton had another chance to equalise when a Nicoline Sorensen cross found Park in the 6-yard box but her volley went over. The home side made it 3-1 in the 80th minute when Kayleigh Green crossed from the right and Terland finished from 6-yards to score her second of the match. The two goal advantage didn’t last long as three minutes later Everton scored when Park played in Snoeijs who finished low into the bottom corner. Brighton had to endure nine minutes of stoppage time, during which Beever-Jones headed over a free-kick for the visitors, before they could celebrate their first league win since early November. The win sees Brighton move ahead of Leicester and Reading and into tenth place in the WSL. Everton remain in sixth position. Both sides are on their travels on Sunday in the league with Brighton away to Liverpool and Everton go to the Select Car Leasing Stadium to take on Reading. Line ups- Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): L. Williams, Fox, Morse, Kullberg, Pattinson, Connolly (c), Bance (Stefanovic 90’+7), Robinson (Visalli 90’+8), Lee (Carter 71’), Sarri (Green 66’), Terland Unused substitutes: Walsh, Startup, V. Williams, Stott, Park Goals – Terland 12’, 80’, Robinson 43’ Booked – Kullberg, Carter, Pattinson Everton (4-3-3): Brosnan, Hope (Bennison 66’), Sevecke, Finnigan, Veje (Stenevik 45’), Galli (Beever-Jones 45’), Wheeler, Christiansen (c) (Holmgaard 45’), Sorensen (Maier 81’), Snoeijs, Park Unused substitutes: Ramsey, Clarke Goals – Snoeijs 63’, 83’ Referee – Lauren Impey Attendance – 2,456

Willie Kirk is appointed in new Leicester role Back Willie Kirk is appointed Director of Football, Women and Girls at Leicester City Willie Kirk is appointed in new Leicester role Getty 5 August 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Former Everton manager Kirk joins the Foxes with extensive Barclays Women’s Super League experience having held senior coaching positions within the women’s game over several years. The newly formed role will see Kirk work to “deliver sustained on-pitch performance, academy excellence and technical growth, while taking a leading role in creating a motivated and successful environment at Belvoir Drive.” News