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Thoughts on: Daniëlle van de Donk Thoughts on: Daniëlle van de Donk van de Donk Back 21 June 2021 By Charlotte Stacey van de Dangerous Edward Payne After six successful seasons with the Arsenal, Daniëlle van de Donk has confirmed her move to French giants Olympique Lyonnais. The Dutch midfielder lifted one WSL trophy, an FA Cup and two Conti Cups during her time in England, establishing herself a key figure in the gunner’s intricate midfield. Van de Donk scored a fair 45 goals in 142 appearances, the largest number of appearances of any overseas player in Arsenal’s history. Crafty. This is the word that immediately springs to mind when one pores over van de Donk’s guileful game. She is crafty, in every sense. A wreaker of havoc with all the tricks and flicks to assure she is so without hesitation. Weaving in and out of oppositions with the intent to cause some damage, van de Donk reinforces her clever movement with a surprise or two up her sleeve. Brazen in her approach, van de Donk teases games of cat and mouse, riling the calmest of feathers on her wily warpath. There is a feistiness, an almost scrappy determination to stamp her impression and an antagonistic audacity to leave in the poison after she has stung. Yet this fiery nature can sometimes result in trouble and van de Donk has been known to argue the toss when she deems decisions unfair. Perhaps it is a red mist, perhaps not, but there is certainly a fire within that keeps all those around her on their toes. Yet, in a twist as unpredictable as those perilous feet, when another suffers a dangerous challenge, it is van de Donk that so firmly stands beside them. Teammate, opposition, even an official, it does not matter, van de Donk personally ensures the wellbeing of those around her. Perhaps that red mist is not so red after all. Despite her gutsy nature van de Donk is not a troublesome player. Although the blindingly obvious passion she radiates may get her hot under the collar every now and again, van de Donk offers far more than the ability to bring it both barrels each and every time. Her attacking skillset lends her nicely to build-up play with her movements often key to the creation of chances. Girls on the Ball Excelling when located high in the middle third, van de Donk is able to unlock defences with her astute positioning. Whether she is on the ball or not, van de Donk works to draw to in opponents which in turn opens up space for her teammates. Tirelessly putting in the ground work to swoop in on loose balls and dispossess high up the pitch, van de Donk uses her pace to quickly break lines and take oppositions off balance. Van de Donk is also notable for her visionary intelligence. With just a quick glance she is able to sweep the blueprint of the pitch and pick out the most valuable pass or progressive carry. She is slick with her dribbling and is able to cover significant distances with the ball at her feet before releasing it with accuracy. Her contribution to shot and goal creation cannot be downplayed. With an obvious attacking flair, it has perhaps been slightly disappointing that in her final season with the Arsenal van de Donk has not been able to fully practice this, having been stationed in a deeper role. It has also been quite apparent she has not received the game time she likely sought and plausibly deserved. When accumulating these factors alongside a contract termination and an offer from one of the world’s most prolific clubs, Lyon, it is not wholly unexpected that van de Donk took the decision to leave North London. What van de Donk leaves behind at the Arsenal is more than just a number on a team sheet. She leaves a never-ending appetite, a lust for success, as well as some hypothetically big shoes to fill. Lyon have landed themselves an excellent recruit and one can bet in their bid to retake France. With van de Donk on side, their midfield just became a little more dangerous.

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Leah Williamson Arsenal centre-back and England captain Leah Williamson will most likely adopt her traditional centre-back role going forward. After trialling a period in midfield, it looks as though Williamson will be positioned in the backline for the time being. With that being said, her progressive nature and exceptional ball playing skill, could see her assume a variation of the number 6 role alongside Keira Walsh depending on Wiegman’s tactics for each game. By and large, what Williamson offers Wiegman is flexibility. Having a player that can be used equally well in the backline and in midfield means a greater number of formations become realistically usable. Williamson is decisive and rational; a player who is largely purposeful with every touch. The Arsenal thoroughbred harbours quality passing abilities, so much so that in fact, she could easily be regarded as one of the best in the world at filtering progressive passes from back to front. The benefits of having Williamson on the field are endless; from leadership and tact, to playmaking and quality possession. Photograph courtesy of the FA.

Willie Kirk on the challenge of Manchester City, lengths of added time, sitting joint top and more Back Leicester City are "moving in the right direction" says Kirk Willie Kirk on the challenge of Manchester City, lengths of added time, sitting joint top and more Leicester City FC 20 October 2023 By Finley Chung Leicester City boss Willie Kirk spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of his sides game this Saturday evening against Manchester City, The Foxes have made a blinding start to life this term following their great escape from relegation in 2022/23. A 4-2 hammering of Bristol City, a narrow 1-0 win over Everton and a brilliant point in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United last weekend, The Scot’s side have certainly got off to a good start this time around. Naturally, Leicester weren’t expected to be sat joint top even this early into the campaign with the draw against United a particularly eye opening result and one that Kirk wasn’t going to get carried away with. “The United game in isolation was a lot of good things but it also gave us a lot of working on points. We found a way to hang in there, the players changed the approach and the second half we were much, much better. “It’s a great reference point for us in that we need to start games like that and sustain it for ninety minutes if we want to get a result.” Last weekend more than most, added time was a topic of discussion, with twelve added minutes at The Emirates and seventeen added on overall at Leigh Sports Village. Kirk, however: appeared encouraged by the new rule. “I’m all for it, sometimes last season we were playing games where the ball was in play for 55 minutes, that’s not what I want. I guess the directive has changed in terms of getting exact timings which I am fine with, it;’s what the fans want too as they want value for money. We can’t be having a world where 55 minute matches are acceptable.” Alongside Leicester, their opponents on Saturday, Manchester City have had a blistering start to life in the Women’s Super League. Conceding just once, in the eventful draw with Chelsea, City have beaten Bristol City 5-0 and West Ham 2-0 either side of that with their only new recruit from the summer, Jill Roord relentlessly pulling the strings in the middle for the Cityzens. “We’ve prepared for lots of quality, physically good. I think they’ve slightly changed and they’ve become a bit more direct at times. It’s been difficult to fully analyse them because of the sending offs, the first 70 minutes against West Ham. The Chelsea game was really difficult to analyse, which we only could do up until the Alex Greenwood red card and the Bristol (city) game was just waves of attack, I don’t think Man City had a goal kick. “It’s hard to analyse the basis of those three games, but what we do know is that they’re a top team and Gareth’s a top manager and I’ve got a lot of respect for him. It’s about nullifying their patterns and threats and bringing our strengths to the table and seeing what we can do.” With the greatest respect, what Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have shown everyone in the last two seasons is that the so called ‘smaller sides’ can really mix it with the WSL big boys and even though the seasons race is only a few furrows in, Leicester could be the next in that line, but Kirk isn’t carried away. “I think the only message it’ll send is that we’re moving in the right direction, Yeah, we’ll be aiming to win the game first of all and if we don’t win it, how can we get a draw. That’s what we’re setting down as a bare minimum of trying to get points from every game. It’s difficult to do that all the time but it’s something we’re adding into our routine. In terms of sending messages out to the top four, we’re probably not in the position to do that yet.” News

Stevenage earn a 2-0 win over stout Wroxham Back Match Report Stevenage v Wroxham Stevenage earn a 2-0 win over stout Wroxham Edward Payne 5 December 2022 By Edward Payne Goals from Amy Makewell and Kelsey Millen ensured all three points for Stevenage in a comfortable league outing on Sunday. The result meant that Boro kept pace with AFC Sudbury and Needham Market in the chase for league leaders Luton. Despite the dominance of Stevenage, chances were at a premium. Going forward, everything came down the right hand side with captain Lucy Webster and Player of the Match Millen at the heart of it. Makewell, who was playing in her 80th match for Stevenage, had the best of the early chances, both of which missed the target. Millen also had a great one-on-one battle with Cyan Fullbrook in the Wroxham goal, which the ‘keeper won this time. When the first goal finally came, it was from a superb cross by Hannah Nebbitt out on the left. The ball fell kindly for Makewell who got enough contact with the ball to poke it across the line and give Boro the advantage they deserved. Stevenage switched things around at half time, introducing Susan Uwaifo and Shianne Swarres, the latter of whom was returning from a two-month layoff. Uwaifo thought she had scored the second goal of the game when she was fouled on the edge of the box, only to regain her footing and slide the ball home. The referee however, had other ideas and had already blown his whistle, leaving Becky Shephard to test Fullbrook from the resulting free kick. She did, but the goalkeeper kept it out. Photo: Edward Payne Just before the hour, Millen received the ball on the right and lofted a superb effort over Fullbrook’s head, but also the bar. It took fourteen minutes for Millen to perfect it. A marauding run by Emily Schofield put Boro in a strong attacking position. Her ball to Uwaifo was perfect, who in turn held the ball well before sending Millen free on the right. She entered the box and repeated her earlier trick, only this time, the net bulged. The remaining minutes saw Makewell return to the pitch and come close to extending the lead further. Swarres saw an audacious lob in the top corner agonisingly kept out as Fullbrook pushed it against the post and cleared. The crowd even saw the ball surf the crossbar, but there was no third goal. Uwaifo did find herself booked, as did Boro manager Fadi Mazloum, for reasons best known to the referee. It leaves Borough with two massive home league ties before Christmas. Next week, they face fellow title chasers Needham Market, before an even bigger test in Luton Town. Stevenage: O’Brien, Webster (c), Neal, Farmer, Nebbitt, Price, Southby, Shephard, Millen, Makewell, Bellinger Subs: Swarres, Greenwood, Bodily, Uwaifo, Schofield. Goals: Makewell, Millen Yellow Card: Uwaifo

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Becky Spencer signs two year deal Back Becky Spencer pens new deal Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Becky Spencer signs two year deal Tottenham Hotspur 22 May 2022 Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Becky Spencer has signed a new deal that will see her remain with the North London club until 2024. The 31-year-old has been a regular starter between the sticks for Spurs having made over 50 appearances across the last three seasons. On her new contract, Spencer said, “the direction the Club is going in, the staff, players, and fans made the decision really easy for me. I feel comfortable here, it’s like a home. Where we are now is incredible and I can’t wait to see what is to come.” News

Recap the first action of the Conti Cup across Groups A-E Conti Cup Round-Up Sunday, 15 October 2023 By Paul Donegan Recap the first action of the Conti Cup across Groups A-E Adam Mitten The 2023/24 Conti Cup (FA Women’s League Cup) got underway on Wednesday evening with 10 group stage matches. There was plenty of drama with 36 goals scored, comebacks, late winners/equalisers and three penalty shoot-outs. Here is a round-up of what happened. In Group A, Durham’s Saoirse Noonan scored the opening goal of the 2023/24 Conti Cup when she found the net in the 2nd minute of the Wildcats match against fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers. Helen Seed equalised for Rovers before Mille Chandarana put them ahead in the 29th minute. Noonan scored her second goal of the match, this time from the penalty spot, in the 72nd minute to equalise for Durham. The Wildcats were awarded another penalty which Eleanor Ryan-Doyle converted in the 91st minute to secure a late 3-2 win for them. The other Group A match was also an all Championship affair when Sheffield United took on Sunderland. Ellie May gave the Blades the lead in the 7th minute before Emily Scarr equalised for the Lasses on the half-hour mark from the penalty spot. Tara Bourne put United back ahead three minutes later, but it was level at half-time when Mollie Rouse scored Sunderland’s second equaliser in first half stoppage time. The Black Cats made it 3-2 in the 67th minute when Mary Corbyn found the net, and this turned out to be the winner as Mel Reay’s side continued their undefeated start to the season. All the sides in Group B play in the Women’s Super League. The early top two in the league and the only ones with a 100% record so far, Leicester City and Liverpool, took on each other at the Pirelli Stadium. Aimee Palmer gave Leicester the lead in the 35th minute before Natasha Flint equalised for the visitors three minutes into first half stoppage time. Hannah Cain put the Foxes back ahead in the 50th minute and this was the way it remained as Willie Kirk’s side won 2-1. Everton played Manchester City in the other Group B game. Jess Park opened the scoring for City in the 21st minute before Bunny Shaw got their second three minutes into the second half. Toni Duggan scored a consolation goal for the Toffees four minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match, but it was Man City who took the three points with a 2-1 win. Group C features four sides who all play in the Championship, guaranteeing at least one of them a place in the quarter-finals. At Princes Park, London City Lionesses were up against Watford. Annie Rossiter put the Hornets ahead in the 16th minute before Lois Joel equalised five minutes later for the home side. Grace Neville gave the Lionesses the lead four minutes into the second half but Coral-Jade Haines scored a late equaliser for Watford as it finished 2-2. The Golden Girls won the penalty shoot-out to determine who gets an extra point 7-6 with Paige Satchell’s miss for London City Lionesses being decisive. In the other Group C match, there was late drama at The Dripping Pan when Lewes took on Crystal Palace. The Eagles were awarded a penalty which Elise Hughes converted in the 64th minute. Kate Oakley (Lewes’ social media thinks) equalised for the Rooks five minutes into second half stoppage time to take the match to a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw. Lewes’ goalkeeper Emily Moore turned out to be the hero in the shoot-out making a hat-trick of saves as they won it 2-0 and picked up the extra point. The current bottom side in the WSL, Bristol City, played the one top of the Championship at the moment, Southampton, in Group D. Rachel Furness gave the Robins into the lead in the 34th minute before Lexi Lloyd-Smith equalised for the Saints in the 50th minute. There were no further goals as it finished 1-1. In the shoot-out, City’s Brook Aspin missed the decisive spot kick which meant Southampton won 4-3 and got the extra point. I was at Brisbane Road to watch Tottenham Hotspur play Reading in the other Group D match. WSL side Spurs overcame their Championship opponents with ease as they won 6-0. Zhang Linyan and Kit Graham scored goals in the first half for the home side and Asmita Ale, Ria Percival, Jessica Naz and Martha Thomas added further goals after the break. In Group E, Brighton & Hove Albion travelled to St Andrews to play Championship side Birmingham City. It was the WSL side who won this one 3-0 with the Seagulls goals coming from Charlie Rule, Katie Robinson and Elisabeth Terland. There was another WSL vs Championship clash in the other Group E match as West Ham United took on Charlton Athletic. The Addicks took the lead in the 20th minute when Carla Humphrey found the net. The Hammers came back in the second half though with Emma Harriers getting the equaliser just before the hour mark then Izzy Atkinson put them ahead in the 78th minute. No more goals followed as West Ham won 2-1.

Kelly Chambers looks forward to Reading's upcoming WSL season Back “I wanted to create a challenging environment” says Reading boss Kelly Chambers Kelly Chambers looks forward to Reading's upcoming WSL season Reading FC 29 August 2022 By Finley Chung Reading boss, Kelly Chambers spoke glowingly of her new signings and the ‘challenging environment’ that she wanted to create as the Royals are now only just over a week away from getting their 2022/23 WSL season underway. Looking to build on an eighth place finish last season it was vital the club strengthened in the market. Chambers has certainly made good here and brought in six new faces. American defender, Brooke Hendrix was first through the door back in July, along with fellow defender, Becky Jane. Goalkeeper, Jacqueline Burns, midfielders, Lauren Wade and Diane Caldwell and forward Charlie Wellings have all since joined. Chambers chuckled and mustered “I’m done” , with regard to any more potential signings for her side. “I haven’t had a big turnover of players this season," said the Royals manager referring to the clubs single outgoing, Chloe Peplow, going on loan to Women’s Championship side Crystal Palace. “They’ve really fit into the group like they’ve all been here for a while if I’m honest”, beamed Chambers who is now heading into her seventh year of management with the Berkshire outfit after being appointed back in 2015. Chambers is under no illusion the size of the challenge that Reading face this season with the signings and the budgets all across the WSL growing ever larger. “First and foremost, we want to stay in this league, we are the only Championship club in the league and we know it’s going to be a challenge year on year competing with the budgets other sides have got, but we also want to finish higher than we placed last year”. Reading kick off their season against newly promoted Liverpool on September 11th at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and the anticipated crowd is set to be a record for the team. “Off the back of the Euros, everyone is so excited to have the season to start. The work that’s been put in behind the scenes to make it a record attendance has been phenomenal and we are so excited to open the season at home and step out in-front of our fans.” The success of the Lionesses at the European Championships this year is certainly being felt across the game with Chambers adding, “we want it to grow, we want these pressure that comes with it, we’re going to see a jump now off the back of the Euro’s but for us, it’s the enjoyment of people coming to watch the team in person and it’s up to us to keep the crowds coming.” Fran Kirby celebrating a goal for Reading An integral member of the national side is former Reading star Fran Kirby, who, after signing for the club at the age of seven played 42 times across three years. Kirby is at the forefront of the Reading Player Pathway, which for both the Men’s and Women’s sides, has a history of producing talented footballers. Chambers revealed she text Kirby the words ‘dreams do come true’ after Kirby's selection for, and subsequent performance in, the Euro’s. A dream of both Kirby's and her late mother. The player pathway has brought several talented players into the first team set up, such as Tia Primmer, Emma Harries and Bethan Roberts in recent years, with fellow academy graduate and goalkeeper, Grace Moloney clocking up over 200 appearances for the club. The Royals will be making use of the player pathway again this season with Chambers confirming that Maddie Perry and Freya Tuson-Meadows will be part of the first team squad for the forthcoming season. It’s clear to see that both manager and club are aligned in their vision, with Chambers signing off “now I’ve got the squad to have challenges, first and foremost we want to build on last season and see how far we can go”. News

Manchester City book their place at Wembley with a convincing 3-1 victory over the Hammers Back Match Report FA Cup Semi-Final: West Ham v Manchester City Manchester City book their place at Wembley with a convincing 3-1 victory over the Hammers Getty Images 17 April 2022 By Paul Donegan Manchester City reached their fourth FA Cup Final in the last six seasons as Gareth Taylor’s side won 4-1 against West Ham on a sunny and pleasant afternoon in Dagenham. In what was a repeat of the 2019 final, City’s goals came from Ellen White, Chloe Kelly and a brace from Lauren Hemp whilst Lisa Evans got West Ham’s goal. West Ham started well but it was City who had the first chance when White just couldn’t get enough of her head on a cross from Kelly in the 6th minute. White had another chance a minute later which she put over from 6 yards out. West Ham’s best early opportunity came in the 13th minute when Dagny Brynjarsdottir saw her effort blocked by the legs of Manchester City’s goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck. At the other end three minutes later, Caroline Weir saw her low shot deflected wide. City did take the lead in the 22nd minute when Keira Walsh’s thunderous shot from distance hit the bar and bounced down with White diving in to head in the rebound. Five minutes later, City had the ball in the net again when White headed in but the ball was judged to have gone out of play before Lucy Bronze crossed. Lauren Hemp then sent a shot over from an angle. City were really pushing for a second now with West Ham captain, Gilly Flaherty, making a great tackle to stop White before she could get a shot at goal. It was 2-0 in the 37th minute when Flaherty’s pass across her own penalty area found Kelly who finished with a low shot for her first goal since returning from an ACL injury that kept her out for eleven months. West Ham got a goal back before half time when Adriana Leon’s nice through ball found Evans who went around Roebuck and finished low into the net in the 42nd minute. There were no further chances before the break with City going in leading 2-1. White had the ball in the net for the third time in the 52 nd minute but this time it was ruled out for offside. The next chance came in the 63rd minute for West Ham when Tameka Yallop shot just wide after some nice build up. Hemp made it 3-1 to City in the 66th minute when she beat a couple of West Ham players and finished with a shot that went in off the far post. Four minutes later, Bronze shot over for City and in the 77th minute, West Ham’s Katerina Svitoka saw her effort pushed away by Roebuck. A minute later, City’s Khadija Shaw was unable to control a pass as both sides went looking for goals. City went close to scoring a fourth in the 86 th minute when Mackenzie Arnold tipped Filippa Angeldahl’s powerful shot onto the crossbar. From the resulting corner, Alex Greenwood’s acrobatic overhead kick was saved by Arnold. Arnold made another good save in the 89th minute when she palmed away Georgia Stanway’s effort low down. Hemp scored her second and City’s fourth in injury time with a low finish into the corner of the net from inside the area after Stanway had broken forward. West Ham still had a chance to get a goal back but Leon shot over. Not long after that the final whistle was blown to confirm that it will be Manchester City who be playing at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 15th May in the final. Teams West Ham United: Arnold, Parker, Flaherty, Fisk, Longhurst, Svitkova, Brynjarsdottir, Hasegawa (Walker 78’), Yallop (Snerle 70’), Evans, Leon Unused substitutes: Moore, Wyne, Cissoko, Stringer, Houssein, Filis, Joel Goal – Evans 42’ Manchester City: Roebuck, Bronze, Kennedy, Greenwood, Stokes, Walsh, Coombs (Angeldahl 80’), Weir (Stanway 72’), Kelly (Raso 62’), Hemp, White (Shaw 72’) Unused Substitutes: Keating, Taieb, Mace Goals – White 22’, Kelly 37’, Hemp 66’, 90’+1 Booked – Kelly Referee – Abigail Byrne

Chelsea v Everton Photographer Ryan Asman There was not a dull moment at Kingsmeadow as the evening saw two penalties for Chelsea and a red card for visiting manager Brian Sorensen. Two goals from Guro Reiten and a third from captain Erin Cuthbert mean Chelsea remain at the top of the table. Chelsea 3-0 Everton

Team Information: Aston Villa Aston Villa Website https://www.avfc.co.uk/teams/womens/ Manager Carla Ward - ENG Captain Marisa Ewers - Remi Allen Squad Player Position Number Nationality DOB Hannah Hampton GK 1 ENG 16/11/2000 Sian Rogers GK 23 ENG 28/06/1998 Sarah Mayling DF 2 ENG 20/03/1997 Meaghan Sargeant DF 3 ENG 16/03/1994 Elisha N'Dow DF 5 ENG 13/10/1996 Anita Asanti DF 6 ENG 27/04/1985 Natalie Haigh DF 15 ENG 08/02/11993 Olivia McLoughlin DF 16 ENG 15/10/2004 Freya Gregory DF 18 ENG 12/01/2003 Maz Pacheco DF 33 ENG 25/08/1998 Remi Allen MF 4 ENG 15/10/1990 Chloe Arthur MF 8 SCO 21/01/1995 Ramona Petzelberger MF 10 GER 13/11/1992 Emily Syme MF 14 ENG 23/07/2000 Marisa Ewers MF 21 GER 24/02/1989 Ruesha Littlejohn MF 31 IRL 03/07/1990 Alisha Lehmann FW 7 SUI 21/01/1999 Emily Gielnik FW 9 AUS 13/05/1992 Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah FW 11 ENG 08/09/1995 Jodie Hutton FW 12 ENG 11/02/2001 Sophie Haywood FW 17 ENG 10/01/1996 Shania Hayles FW 22 JAM 22/12/1999 Ground Banks's Stadium, Walsall WS1 4SA Aston Villa Shania Hayles Photographer: Girls on the Ball Aston Villa Celebrate Photographer: Girls on the Ball Aston Villa 1/4

Back Caroline Weir Club Manchester City Position Midfielder D.O.B 20/06/1995 Bio Manchester City midfielder Weir has a wand of a left foot, there is simply no other way to describe it. Another player to bolster the left side, Weir is creative with her positioning and in her passing demonstrated by her ability to regularly assist toward scoring opportunities. However, Weir herself is no stranger to hitting the back of the net. Whether it is from a long-range set piece or a live attack, Weir is able to hit the target with the sauciest of strikes. via Caroline Weir Twitter C5

Number 29 is sticking around Back Ashleigh Neville signs on the dotted line Number 29 is sticking around Tottenham Hotspur 7 May 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Tottenham Hotspur fullback Ashleigh Neville has signed a three-year contract that will see her remain with the club until 2025. Neville has made a total of 102 appearances for the Lilywhites and has been a key player in their rise to the top half of the table this season, registering two goals and two assists, as well as being names February’s Player of the Month. On her extension, Neville commented, “I’m super happy here – the girls, the coaching staff, the way we play, how far we’ve come in the last five years - the journey we’re on is something I want to be part of.” News