Arsenal turned London red after a dominant display over their North London rivals Back Match Report WSL: Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal Arsenal turned London red after a dominant display over their North London rivals Arsenal FC 27 March 2023 By Paul Donegan Arsenal convincingly beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 in the north London derby on Saturday afternoon. Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord scored in the first half for the Gunners before Bethany England got a goal back for Spurs. Foord scored again, then Kim Little and Frida Leonhardsen Maanum added further goals for Arsenal after the break. Interim head coach Vicky Jepson made one change for Tottenham from their last match which was a 1-0 win over Leicester ten days ago. Clin Bizet came into the starting eleven in place of Nikola Karczewska. Kerys Harrop made her 177th appearance in the Women’s Super League, equalling Gilly Flaherty’s record. Tottenham lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Drew Spence occasionally dropping back into midfield. Arsenal made three changes from their 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. Sabrina D’Angelo, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Victoria Pelova replaced Manuela Zinsberger, Rafaelle and Laura Wienroither in the eleven that started. Jonas Eidevall lined the Gunners up in their normal 4-3-3 formation with Pelova playing in one of the wide attacking positions. It was a sunny but breezy afternoon at Brisbane Road. The playing surface didn’t look great with lots of sand on it in places. Eidevall said afterwards the pitch is “not the Allianz Arena” and it will be a better grass pitch at the Emirates on Wednesday. The Gunners had a good travelling support who were making a lot of noise. It only took Arsenal five minutes to take the lead when Stina Blackstenius fired the ball past Tinja Riikka Korpela. Spurs first chance came in the 11th minute but Spence sent her shot wide after Bizet and England had been involved in the build-up. It was visitors creating more opportunities though. Pelova was unable to get onto Maanum’s cross in the 20th minute. A couple of minutes later, Maanum’s deflected cross was saved by Korpela. Amy Turner then put a dangerous cross behind for a corner. Arsenal did double their advantage in the 29th minute. Caitlin Foord was given space to run forward then shot into the bottom corner of the net from just outside the 18-yard box. The Gunners immediately had a chance to make it 3-0 but Pelova saw her shot saved by Korpela when through one-on-one with her. England then Rosella Ayane couldn’t get shots away before ball cleared in 37th minute for Spurs. A minute later, they were awarded a penalty after Katie McCabe had handled the ball. England put the spot kick low into the net to score her sixth goal since joining the club in January. After the match, Jepson described England “as a born leader” and never gives up until the end of the game regardless of the scoreline. The home side had the last opportunity of the first half but Bizet put an effort from 25-yards over. Arsenal made a good start to the second half with Blacktenius, Maanum and Wubben-Moy all having half chances in the first ten minutes of it. Kim Little sent a low shot at goal from 20-yards that was saved in the 59th minute. McCabe was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area by Turner and the Gunners were given a spot kick by referee Louise Saunders. Vicky Jepson wouldn’t comment after the match on whether “it was or wasn’t” a penalty in case she got in trouble. Kim Little smashed the ball high into the net from 12-yards to make it 3-1 in the 66th minute. Four minutes later, Foord scored her second of the game to make it 4-1 with a shot from 6-yards that went in off the post. Foord saw a shot right go across goal as she looked for her hat-trick in the 75th minute. A superb goal made it 5-1 to the Gunners a minute later. Maanum won possession off Spence in midfield, advanced and sent a dipping shot over Korpela into the net from outside the area. Gio saw an effort that hit top of crossbar as the visitors looked to extend their lead further. Jodie Taylor came on to make her second debut for Arsenal in the 82nd minute. Gio then went off injured so the away side had to play last few minutes with ten players as had used all their substitutes. The home sides interim boss Jepson said after that Arsenal going 3-1 up was the “nail in the coffin and they built momentum” . She felt they didn’t ride the storm as well as they would have liked to. In the first half she felt they showed “character, grit, created opportunities, got ourselves back in the game and I am pleased with that”. Jepson was disappointed with the second half and felt sorry for the fans as a north London derby “should never be that scorline”. Eidevall felt his sides second half performance was “very dominant” and very pleased with that. He feels the attacking patterns are looking sharper. The Arsenal head coach said Pelova was “very important today” in the way that she plays. He praised D’Angelo and Wubben-Moy who had come into the side for this match and the strengths they have. Eidevall also felt it was one of Blackstenius’ best games for the club. He was also happy with four different goalscorers and the momentum the side has at the moment. Arsenal’s big win sees them move up to third position in the WSL (after Saturday’s matches), three points behind leaders Manchester United. Tottenham remain in ninth place. Spurs next game is away to Everton on Sunday 2nd April. Arsenal have their second leg against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday at the Emirates before returning to league action next Sunday when they are at home to Manchester City. Line ups Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Korpela, Neville (c), Turner, Bartrip, Harrop, Bizet (Ubogagu 79’), Summanen (Graham 67’), James, Ayane, England, Spence (Cho 88’) Unused substitutes: Spencer, Karczewska, Ale Goal – England (pen) 39’ Booked - James Arsenal (4-3-3): D’Angelo, Maritz (Wienroither 67’), Williamson, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Walti (Rafaelle 67’), Little (c), Maanum (Kuhl 82’), Pelova, Blackstenius (Taylor 82’), Foord (Gio 77’) Unused substitutes: Zinsberger, Marckese, Beattie, Hurtig Goals – Blackstenius 5’, Foord 29’,70’, Little (pen) 66’, Maanum 76’ Referee – Louise Saunders

West Ham United #HerGameToo ambassador Charlotte Eve reflects on raising awareness of women in sport since the Euro's #HerGameToo changing attitudes in schools says ambassador Charlotte Eve Sunday, 19 March 2023 By Finley Chung West Ham United #HerGameToo ambassador Charlotte Eve reflects on raising awareness of women in sport since the Euro's Girls on the Ball For a campaign not even set up two years ago, #HerGameToo really has taken the world of sport in the UK by storm. This has been spurred on further by the Lionesses historic Euros triumph, and #HGT inevitably becoming a firm fixture on the radar of football fans up and down the country. The Lionesses aforementioned triumph has spearheaded a brilliant initiative in England with the Government pledging equal access to PE Sports in schools, as a result of campaigning by Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben Moy. HGT’s Charlotte Eve, the advocate for her beloved West Ham United, applauded the new deal and the Lionesses triumph. “I think the Lionesses win was just massive taking it to a whole new level and gaining some respect around the sport. I think there is already a shift in attitudes towards it”. Charlotte then called on how she has noticed that personally within her family too. “My Mum works in a school, she even says to me how she can see that shift, at such a young primary school level, it’s just viewed as ‘football’, it’s raising awareness. I say awareness rather than educate, because of what our campaign does, it raises awareness rather than educates”. Recently, Manchester United’s Ella Toone has came out and commented on the need to find different and alternative ways around being connected to fans, among many of the changes with the WSL this season, with the inclusion of ‘away ends’. The United midfiedler said , "I think it’s important that we maintain that close relationship with fans to make them feel engaged, seen and involved. It’s great we are seeing more attendances and stuff like designated away ends are long, long overdue for me. We do have to find a way to keep the fans coming as we need their attendance and their support to keep the game growing”. Touching on #HerGameToo as a whole and getting involved, Charlotte said, “I never really heard much about it at the start. I’d seen bits here and there and thought it sounded like a brilliant campaign. I teamed up my writing with The West Ham Way, to fill out the application you needed to to become a HGT ambassador. I then had an interview with one of the girls from the lead team, and that’s how I got involved”. As #HerGameToo branches out further into both women’s football and sport in general, we can be sure that the campaign is only just getting started in helping and empowering Women in Sport. *Edited by Charlotte Stacey

Her Football Hub and Sterling Management founder Drew Diamond talks us through his beginnings in women's football, his work within the game and his aspirations for the future. Back Hand over the mic: Drew Diamond Her Football Hub and Sterling Management founder Drew Diamond talks us through his beginnings in women's football, his work within the game and his aspirations for the future. Photographs courtesy of Drew Diamond 2 January 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Sitting down together to chat all things football, Drew Diamond, founder of platform Her Football Hub and agency Sterling Management, immediately confirms suspicions of a long-standing affiliation with the women’s game. “It’s always been in my household,” he begins, “I lived with my Nan for a long time in my later teens who had always gone on about women’s football.” Almost ahead of her time, Drew’s beloved Nan ingrained women’s sport as routine, a movement that is thankfully now becoming much more familiar. However, Drew admits that although he was accustomed to it, women’s sport was not his favoured interest. “She supported Liverpool, that’s where I’m from, and she’d always go on about Liverpool Women so I know all of those iconic names. She’d always go on about Doncaster Belles as well. She loved women’s teams that didn’t have big men’s counterparts, she always had a soft spot for them.” “But I never really loved women’s sport back then, it was always just a normal part of my life.” Skipping forward a few years, Drew recalls his time working as a writer covering Liverpool FC where the humble beginnings of Her Football Hub began to surface. “Eventually I got into writing. Writing about football and sport and I ended up working in a team that wrote solely about Liverpool Football Club, just the men’s side. That was where I first met the other Hub founders, Georgia Goulding and Taylor Kujawa” After some early interactions over a couple of years, Drew remembers that it was Georgia who broached the idea of branching out to also cover the then struggling women’s side. The outlet that the duo worked for agreed to this proposition and Georgia opened the opportunity to colleagues. A small group expressed interest and subsequently content started to be created in support of Liverpool Women. “We were that outlets women’s department for around about a year. Then leading up to the World Cup in 2019, myself and Georgia by this point were best mates, she said to me, ‘it’s quite limiting. Each season we’ve rinsed every little bit we can out of Liverpool Women, how can we do more?’” Photographs courtesy of Drew Diamond Seed planted; the pair welcomed a surprise third party to the team before taking the plunge. Leaving their full-time employment to found Her Football Hub. “It was Taylor, who neither of us had spoken to at great length, [he] joined us and showed real enthusiasm about leaving with us and creating something where we could cover everything. And it turns out Taylor is an absolute master website designer, so that worked!” “We decided to enjoy the World Cup as fans and after that we’ll go into it, and [thought] we’ll make sure that the quality of work is good enough that people know we haven’t jumped on the bandwagon.” “It was nerve wracking going from an outlet with 150,000 followers to something that we’d created that only our parents and friends followed.” Drew jokes about the screenshots he still has saved to his phone when the platform, which now has over 9000 followers, had only 20 followers to its name. But he is careful not to get caught up in the numbers or the fanfare that sometimes erupts when a post gains attention. It’s all about the community for Drew and his fellow founders, a group that exude genuine desire to maintain the very principles and inclusivity that made them fall in love with women’s football in the first place. “We want Her Football Hub to be a safe space. It’s why our staff page on the website has the teams’ pronouns on there, so everyone who visits the site will know we are aware of the relevance of things like that. In the past we’ve refused investment and support from betting and gambling companies to avoid triggering anyone, it needs to remain as ethical and as safe a space as possible.” Recollecting the early days of Her Football Hub once more, Drew explains the introduction of volunteers to widen its outreach. “At that point we needed volunteers, so we reached out and we got some really interesting people.” “Tom King joined as a photographer, he started trawling the country and taking other writers to games. He was a massive part at the start. Megan Hughes, who is still with us, was playing for Leeds at the time and we did an article on the league they were in. She was so thankful and asked if she could do more, so she joined.” “One of our close friends, Audrey Corminboeuf, she joined us, and we had this real strong team of people that cared about the project.” In fact, Drew recalls it was Audrey’s input that landed Her Football Hub it’s first major break. “Audrey, she used to play for Monaco and one of the contacts she’d made from that was Fabinho and his wife, Rebeca Tavares. So [she] said, ‘not many people know this but his wife used to play, can I interview her and see what content comes out of it?’ We said, absolutely yes, and she came up with the interview. It was a really good piece about how she’s living her dreams through her husband and how nice it was for her to invest in football again via someone else at a higher level.” “Every national newspaper picked it up – The Mirror, The Telegraph, Liverpool Echo, all the regionals, some outlets in Brazil, in France, and suddenly our website went mad. We logged on to see our statistics and this had hit 45,000 views. Now every time Fabinho scores that article gets about 2000 extra views. People must google and then things come up and it must make people inquisitive, ‘who is his wife?’, and then they realise it’s not just his wife, it’s more than that.” “That’s the thing about women’s sport. Until recently every person in it was sort of overshadowed by someone else. That is why we started, we wanted to help these women and players become their own personalities, become their own stories. Not the next Messi or anything like that. We want them to be Marta or Formiga, whoever they are.” At its core, Her Football Hub is a place to share the untold stories of these footballers, to fill the gaps and allow players to scribe their own narratives. Drew uses Georgia’s interview with Southampton defender Laura Rafferty as an example, specifically noting Rafferty’s candour to the ebbs and flows of the game and the impact this can have in broader life circumstances. “We wanted to add to, because we can’t do it all ourselves, but we needed to add to the culture [of women having their own spotlight], and I think we’ve started to achieve that.” Certainly, one would argue, Her Football Hub is well on its way to achieving that and more. As well as the UK, the platform now provides regular coverage of leagues and clubs in Poland, India, Kenya, Spain and Germany amongst others, exploits Drew insists “wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers.” Photographs courtesy of Drew Diamond Following from the continued success of Her Football Hub and his growing input into women’s football, Drew has branched out into talent management alongside fellow enthusiast Ajani Pile-Gray. Laughing as he mimics his Mum’s words “you should be an agent”, Drew goes on to recount the many times he reminded her that “most players already have agents and you need to know what you’re doing…it’s not as easy as, ‘I’ll just be your agent.’” However, after meeting through Ajani’s project, ‘Throw in the Kitchen Sink’ - a women’s football documentary highlighting ongoing issues surrounding the game, Drew’s Mum’s words came to fruition. “He came and interviewed me and from then on our professional relationship and friendship really started to grow.” Sterling Management was founded by Drew and Ajani last year and has already secured moves for Women’s Championship and Women’s Super League players, including Amber Stobbs from Crystal Palace to Watford, and Jade Pennock from Sheffield United to Birmingham City. Drew cites the connections he made through Her Football Hub as a starting point for this venture. “We made some content for Jade after realising [she followed HFH] and then put a few pieces out. She got in touch with the Hub.” And she just so happened to need an agent. “I cried when Jade scored [her first goal for Birmingham]”, Drew admits, “I had about 50 texts from people all saying JADE in capital letters. It happened to be on Sky Sports and I was like, ‘ah it’s happening!’” “It was a really good moment, actually brought a tear to my eye. I wasn’t sobbing, but it was a very intense feeling of pride because I know how much she has grinded in the Championship scoring a goal a game, goal a game, and had not had that big move.” “To see it all pay off, and her face when she was celebrating, honestly my eyes were watery!” After spending time with Drew, this reaction is not wholly surprising. This is a man who cares as deeply for his friends and colleagues, as he does for the sport itself. A man who makes a point of getting to know, not just those immediately around him, but those much further afield across the women’s football community. A man whose presence makes the game inherently richer. Drew speaks with enthusiasm and clear value for each individual he mentions. Through the stories he tells of friends, every moment exuding a compelling compassion, it becomes all the more obvious that the consideration of others is high on his list of priorities. This affection becomes noticeably apparent as his face lights up when circling back to Georgia. “I’m so proud of her. She is now one of the most respected women’s journalists within women’s sport. She’s been working for that for years. It genuinely makes me really happy.” Reminding Drew of his own accomplishments, he acknowledges his fortune in being offered opportunities. As he reflects on his growth since Her Football Hub was launched, Drew picks the 2020 FA Cup Final as a personal highlight. “There was only about 50 people there, and there was the light show, and I thought to my Nan again. She’d probably be proud of me right now. How much she loved women’s football, and obviously now I’m working in that base, and here I am at Wembley where only accredited media are allowed. It kind of invoked all emotions in me. It was an overwhelming privilege to be in that situation.” Drew goes on to commend those who have offered their time to cover the game in years previous to have gotten the game to a point where FA Cups Final’s are played at Wembley Stadium. He specifically names Tim Stillman, Girls on the Ball and Jen O’Neill as people he has looked to. “They’re the people that have inspired us.” Although Drew aspires to follow in footsteps, and to lay some of his own, he insists that the Hub is in no rush to turn fully professional. For now, focus remains on maintaining a respectful and inclusive stance within the industry, and providing a space for their writers and volunteers to grow. Yet as he looks forward, Drew plants a sentiment that stirs a sense of forthcoming jubilation. “It’s going to be really cool in about 50 years, when we’re a lot older, to look back, because the game’s going to be so different. There’s going to be people like myself, and you, and those that have been doing it way before us, and we’re just going to be able to feel like we all did something. It’s going to be a real special feeling when we get that nostalgia. I can’t wait for that moment.” Drew, neither can we. Her Football Hub https://herfootballhub.com/ Drew Diamond, Her Football Hub, Sterling Management

Brentford seal the deal with a 4-2 victory in momentous occasion at the Gtech Community Stadium in front of 5000 strong crowd Back Match Report Brentford v Watford Development Brentford seal the deal with a 4-2 victory in momentous occasion at the Gtech Community Stadium in front of 5000 strong crowd Brentford Women Twitter 14 November 2022 By Finley Chung In front of a world record 5,116 people at the Gtech Community Stadium, four second half goals from Brentford saw the hosts come back to defeat Watford Ladies Development on a memorable afternoon. Lilly Hall had given the visitors the lead in the first half, but Sophie Troth, Kirsty Matthews, Chloe Logie and Eleonora Cotterall struck in the second half to seal a sterling win for Karleigh Osborne’s team. Brentford manager, Karleigh Osborne made just one change for the fixture with Jodie Reid taking the place of club captain Mollie Holmes, who was sidelined with injury. Watford Head Coach, Jordan Williams kept the same side from the visitors last game. Brentford came into this game unbeaten at home, whilst sitting second in the league. In his programme notes, Osborne said “We are delighted to have this opportunity to showcase ourselves at a Premier League setting”. Nikki Saunders was looking threatening early on for the Bees down the left and the first chance of the game fell Brentford’s way 12 minutes in, after some superb work by Kirsty Matthews down the right, she played the ball into top scorer Chloe Logie, whose prodded effort rebounded back off the post and away to safety. That miss was to prove costly for the Bees as Watford broke down the other end and after Lilly Hardrava had saved well from Natalie Cloy, it was Lilly Hall who was first on hand to stab the rebound home and give Watford Development the lead 14 minutes in. Brentford then looked to respond instantly with Matthews again causing havoc down the right, cutting in and firing a low left footed effort which Tia Ginn was eventually able to palm to safety. With half an hour gone, Brentford were presented with their best chance of the half with Kirsty Matthews running onto a delightful through ball from Chloe Webb. Matthews was unable to stab her effort past Ginn in the Watford goal who preserved the visitors lead. The pressure kept on coming from the hosts with Chloe Logie once again wondering how she hadn’t poked home her 12th league goal of the campaign. Racing onto another through ball, this time from Nikki Saunders, the B Team graduate lifted her effort over the onrushing Ginn but the ball bobbled agonisingly wide. Nikki Saunders was then next to go close, but yet again, Ginn was out well to deny an equaliser. Watfords resistance, in the first half at least, wasn’t to be broken as they went into the break, 1-0 ahead. Half Time - Brentford 0-1 Watford Development The visitors got the second half started with a lead to protect. Nikki Saunders was looking to link up with the ever dangerous Logie, but the formers through ball was just too far for Logie to latch on to. Watford’s resistance was finally broken just four minutes into the second half when Brentford won a corner and Jodie Reid flighted the ball in. Sophie Troth directed this towards the goal and after a deflection which evaded Ginn and brought the hosts level at 1-1. The turnaround was almost complete just two minutes after the equaliser with Kirsty Matthews seeing her low effort beat Ginn, but her shot was hit the upright and bounced wide of the goal. Karleigh Osborne then made his first role of the dice, throwing on Demi Edwards in place of Reid, who set up the equaliser. As the clock ticked over the hour mark, the Brentford turnaround was complete, The excellent Kirsty Matthews raced onto a terrific through ball from substitute Demi Edwards leaving Ginn in the Watford goal no chance with the finish and to put Brentford 2-1 up. Lilly Hadrava in the Brentford goal had to be alert to keep out Watford goalscorer Hall with a good near post save but minutes later the Bees had secured a two goal cushion. A free kick out on the right hand side was floated in by Matthews, and there was Chloe Logie to finally get her name on the scoresheet with her 12th league goal of the season and give the hosts a some wiggle room. Brentford did have a chance to add a fourth as Logie took the ball past Ginn, but Demi Edwards couldn’t cap off the victory with a fourth, seeing her effort cleared off the line. Watford did make injury time nervy for the hosts, winning a penalty after a poor challenge by Hadrava, and thsi was converted by Safiya Dean to make it 3-2. Brentford, however, acertained the points in added time when substitute, Eleonora Cotterall latched onto the ball and rifled it from 20-yards out to put a fourth past Ginn. Full Time - Brentford 4-2 Watford Development Brentford: 1. Lilly Hardrava (Gk) 2. Nadia Peters 3. Regan Graver 5. Afiya Johnson 9. Chloe Logie 10. Sophie Troth 11. Chloe Webb 12. Nikki Saunders 15. Kirsty Matthews 16. Jodie Reid 18. Laura Miller Subs: 4. Madeline Heavingham-Ford 17.Orla McComb 13. Alexandra Nord 20. Demi Edwards 22. Eleonora Cotterell. Watford Development: 1. Tia Ginn (GK) 4. Reese Ayres 5. Maine Dakin 2. Mia Bristol 3. Shayni Marriner 6. Iva Hrisimova 8. Harley Carr 14. Natalie Cloy 11. Lilly Hall 10. Sophie Amanor 7. Rebecca Lovelace Subs: 13. Sakina Dhirani 17. Erin Shacklock 19. Maddi Armstrong 15. Cristal Anderson 22. Saifya Deam

Grassroots football charity Bloomsbury football are offering free places for all girls on their summer camps. Bloomsbury football turning historic moment into a legacy Thursday, 4 August 2022 Bloomsbury Football Grassroots football charity Bloomsbury football are offering free places for all girls on their summer camps. Girls on the Ball On Sunday 31st July 2022, the Lionesses made history by taking home the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022. This is a huge win not just for the team but for women’s football in general. The FA has committed to ensuring that this summer of football has a long-lasting impact on the girls’ and women’s game. The award-winning grassroots football charity, Bloomsbury Football, will turn this moment into a legacy by offering free places to all girls on their summer camps. Bloomsbury Football was launched in 2018, and now works with over 5,000 young people in London per week. Its mission is based on the belief in the life-changing power of football. Their high-quality football sessions with qualified coaches are accessible to all, regardless of ability to pay or play, and are proven to boost mental and physical health, build stronger communities and teach life skills. “Bloomsbury exists to change the game for young people in London, removing traditional barriers to participation. This is such an exciting time for the women’s game, and I am so proud that we are leading the way in turning this historic moment into a legacy. Having all girls play for free this summer means that we are getting more girls involved and showing them that their place is on the pitch” - Charlie Hyman, Founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football. Bloomsbury Football are committed to getting more girls on the pitch, and have mixed football sessions along with girls’ teams on both their Foundation (open access) and Academy (elite players) programmes. Alongside this comprehensive football offering, Bloomsbury Football have partnered with sustainable period care company, Freda, to offer free period care products to all players who need them, and are running period workshops for players, coaches and parents with triple Olympian athlete, Hannah Miley MBE. This year and beyond, Bloomsbury Football will track the progress of the girls on their teams and be there for all the girls taking their first steps onto the pitch. To hear more about Bloomsbury Football’s girls, please see Ava’s story here and read this Guardian article featuring our Academy Manager, Josh Arnold. “Bloomsbury Football is like a second family to me. The coaches make me feel like I can do anything, and I have learned so many new skills. Playing on a team with girls from so many backgrounds has made me more confident, and I have levelled up my skills on and off the pitch” - Bloomsbury player on girls’ team. If you are interested in featuring Bloomsbury Football or would like to visit a holiday camp or training session, please contact Bloomsbury’s Marketing Manager, Isabelle, at i.chauzy@bloomsburyfootball.com .

Birmingham City pull of momentous win over league leaders Arsenal Back Match Report WSL: Birmingham City 2-0 Arsenal Birmingham City pull of momentous win over league leaders Arsenal via Sky Sports 9 January 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Birmingham City named almost a full squad for their opening home match of 2022, missing goalkeeper Marie Hourihan. Emily Ramsey took stock between the sticks for this game. Arsenal were without Lydia Williams, Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord who will be participating in the Asian Cup, as well as Nikita Parris who was not named in the matchday squad. Leah Williamson was absent through injury. Arsenal’s typical high line got them into trouble very early on, as the home side, rather unexpectedly, put themselves ahead just three minutes in through an effort from 20-year-old Libby Smith. After tussling the ball from Vivianne Miedema, from her own half Lucy Quinn slipped a through ball between the highly placed duo of Simone Boye and Jen Beattie. Gathered by Smith, the youngster drove forward to take on Manuela Zinsberger and calmly took her shot, beating Austria’s number one. Possibly even more surprising was Arsenal’s lack of response, which ultimately allowed Birmingham the opportunity to score a second just before the half time whistle. Once again stemmed from the midfield, Veatriki Sarri darted forward in possession before passing it out the right to Jamie Finn. Finn put in a decent delivery which bounced off of Smith to fall the feet of Sarri, who had continued her run through the middle. Sarri cleverly opened up her body to decoy Zinsberger and sank her effort in the top left corner. Two nil up, and certainly the most comfortable of the two sides, Birmingham still had an arduous task ahead of them to maintain such presence. Arsenal have the capability to turn a game on its head and once the floodgates open, they are difficult to close. But the Gunners did no such thing. Almost entirely uncharacteristically, Arsenal created next to nothing in the second half. Poor free-kicks from Katie McCabe and Beth Mead and a booking for dissent for Miedema just about sums up the Gunners’ afternoon. This is all credit to Birmingham. What the Bluenoses did exceptionally well was to stifle any sort of accurate positive play. Consistently, as Arsenal gathered possession in the middle third, the Bluenoses immediately cut off forward passages of play through tight and compact marking, thus forcing wayward passes and hot-pot shots from the Gunners. In fact, Birmingham did this so well in the first half that Arsenal only registered one shot on target. Particularly the efforts of Jade Pennock and Sarri made the workings of Arsenal’s midfield extremely difficult. Their relentless pressure meant the likes of Jordan Nobbs, Mana Iwabuchi and Frida Maanum simply could not find any space or rhythm. The same can be said for centre back Louise Quinn who was the first to any ball that infiltrated her box. Birmingham also excelled in possession. Although Arsenal saw more of the ball, Birmingham showed far more quality and ambition here. An example of this could easily be seen in the second half when Birmingham countered after Kim Little’s shot was blocked by Gemma Lawley. Unpanicked, Birmingham gained hold of the ball and drove forward directly, making good use of the transition whilst Arsenal were out of shape. In doing this, the Bluenoses forced a 3v3 situation with Arsenal’s trio having to backpedal in order to offer any sort of defence. Although this play did not result in a goal, it clearly shows the divide between a determined Birmingham and a sluggish Arsenal. The Gunners really did not generate anything in terms of creation. They made little use of their wings and their lack of width played into Birmingham’s hands allowing them to pack out central areas. When Arsenal did stretch play horizontally, the deliveries they mustered were lacklustre with little direction. Similarly, at times when they managed to find any joy around Birmingham’s area, play often remained negative and Arsenal either passed it back or ran it into opponents, a far cry from the quick firing, positively driven style of play Jonas Eidevall has set out to impose. Undoubtably a deserved win for Birmingham and one that should gift them confidence in this second half of the season. For Arsenal, a stark wake-up call to remind them they cannot sleepwalk through any game. Quite the match for all, one that has shaken up both ends of the table.

Steph Houghton Position Centre Back D.O.B 23/04/1988 Club Manchester City Naomi Baker

Check out our full guide to the Lionesses Euro's 2025 campaign Lionesses: Euro 2025 Guide Back Check out our full guide to the Lionesses Euro's 2025 campaign via Sky Sports News Saturday, 5 July 2025 By Paul Donegan England will be looking to defend their European title at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland! The build-up for the holders hasn’t been smooth with key players being injured, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby retiring from international football whilst Millie Bright made herself unavailable for selection for the squad, and there have been inconsistent results on the pitch! The Lionesses are in a tough group alongside France, Netherlands and Wales and will need to play at their best to get through to the knockout stages. Here is our guide and preview for England at Euro 2025. History in Euros England go into the Euros as current champions having beaten Germany 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in 2022 thanks to Chloe Kelly’s extra time winning goal. The Lionesses have also been runners-up twice in 1984 and 2009 and reached the semi-finals in 1995 and 2017. How they qualified The Lionesses qualified automatically for the finals after finishing as runners-up in their group behind France, who they also play in the group stage in Switzerland. Also in the group were Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. England won 3, drew 2 and lost 1 whilst qualifying. England 1 – 1 Sweden (Russo) Republic of Ireland 0 – 2 England (James, Greenwood) England 1 – 2 France (Mead) France 1 – 2 England (Stanway, Russo) England 2 – 1 Republic of Ireland (Russo, Stanway) Sweden 0 – 0 England Squad Head coach – Sarina Wiegman 1 – Hannah Hampton – Chelsea – Goalkeeper (16 caps) 2 – Lucy Bronze – Chelsea – Defender (139 caps, 19 goals) 3 – Niamh Charles – Chelsea – Defender (24 caps) 4 – Keira Walsh – Chelsea – Midfielder (87 caps, 1 goal) 5 – Alex Greenwood – Manchester City – Defender (99 caps, 7 goals) 6 – Leah Willamson – Arsenal – Defender (58 caps, 5 goals) 7 – Lauren James – Chelsea – Forward (28 caps, 7 goals) 8 – Georgia Stanway – Bayern Munich – Midfielder (78 caps, 22 goals) 9 – Beth Mead – Arsenal – Forward (68 caps, 36 goals) 10 – Ella Toone – Manchester United – Midfielder (59 caps, 21 goals) 11 – Lauren Hemp – Manchester City – Forward (64 caps, 18 goals) 12 – Maya Le Tissier – Manchester United – Defender (8 caps) 13 – Anna Moorhouse –Orlando Pride – Goalkeeper (0 caps) 14 – Grace Clinton – Manchester United – Midfielder (11 caps, 3 goals) 15 – Esme Morgan – Washington Spirit – Defender (14 caps) 16 – Jess Carter – Gotham FC – Defender (45 caps, 2 goals) 17 – Michelle Agyemang – Arsenal – Forward (1 cap, 1 goal) 18 – Chloe Kelly – Arsenal – Forward (53 caps, 8 goals) 19 – Aggie Beever-Jones – Chelsea – Forward (8 caps, 5 goals) 20 – Jess Park – Manchester City – Midfielder (19 caps, 3 goals) 21 – Khiara Keating – Manchester City – Goalkeeper (0 caps) 22 – Lotte Wubben-Moy – Arsenal – Defender (13 caps, 1 goal) 23 – Alessia Russo – Arsenal – Forward (51 caps, 23 goals) Head coach Sarina Wiegman will be looking to make it three Euros titles in a row after winning in 2017 with the Netherlands and in 2022 with England. Wiegman’s squad includes six players who won the English domestic treble with Chelsea and five of Arsenal’s UEFA Women’s Champions League winners. With Earps retirement, Hannah Hampton is now clear number one in goal. Anna Moorhouse and Khiara Keating are the two other goalkeepers in the squad but both haven’t made an international appearance yet. In defence, Lucy Bronze looks to certain start at right-back with captain Leah Williamson and Alex Greenwood in the centre. The left-back position looks to be between Jess Carter, who impressed in the friendly against Jamaica, and Niamh Charles. The other defenders in the squad are Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan and Lotte Wubben-Moy. There is a bit of versatility in which positions across the back some of these players can play. Keira Walsh looked likely to start in the defensive midfield role with Georgia Stanway in front of her. Ella Toone started in the number 10 role against Jamaica and scored twice whilst Lauren James, who is coming back from injury and whose minutes could be managed, could also play there or in the wide attacking positions. Alternatives in the midfield roles are Grace Clinton and Jess Park. Others that will be competing for starting spots in the wide attacking positions as well as James are Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp. Alessia Russo looks like she has cemented her position up front with Aggie Beever-Jones and Michelle Agyemang, who is a bit of a wildcard in the squad after scoring 41 seconds into her senior debut against Belgium, as alternatives in that role. Form England go into the Euros in mixed form. In 2025, they have beaten world champions Spain 1-0 at Wembley Stadium but also lost 3-2 away to Belgium. In their final warm-up game, the Lionesses beat Jamaica 7-0 with Ella Toone scoring twice and Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead also found the net. Results in 2025 Portugal 1 – 1 England (Russo) England 1 – 0 Spain (Park) England 5 – 0 Belgium (Bronze, Bright, Beever-Jones, Park, Walsh) Belgium 3 – 2 England (Mead, Agyemang) England 6 – 0 Portugal (Beever-Jones (3), Bronze, Mead, Kelly) Spain 2 – 1 England (Russo) England 7 - 0 Jamaica (Toone (2), Bronze, Stanway, Russo, Beever-Jones, Mead) Group Opponents England go into the Euros 5th in the world ranking. Their first opponents in the group are France. They are currently ranked 10th in the world. Their best performance at the Euros was reaching the semi-finals in 2022. France go into the tournament in really good form having won 8 out of 8 matches in 2025. In their two warm-up games, they beat Belgium 5-0 and Brazil 3-2. The Netherlands are the Lionesses second opponents. They are 11th in the world rankings at the moment. They won the Euros in 2017 on home soil with Wiegman in charge of them. They beat Finland 2-1 in their warm-up match but their form, like England, has been a little inconsistent this year. Wales will be making their first appearance in the Euros. They are the lowest ranked side in the tournament currently being 30th in the world. They didn’t have any warm-up friendlies with their last matches being defeats to Denmark and Italy a month ago. They have drawn twice with Sweden (ranked 6th in the world) this year though. Group games Saturday 5th July France v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich (8pm BST) - Live on ITV1 Wednesday 9th July England v Netherlands - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich (5pm BST) - Live on BBC One Sunday 13th July England v Wales - Arena St. Gallen, St. Gallen (8pm BST) - Live on ITV1 Where to watch and listen All Euro 2025 games will be shown live on the BBC and ITV in the UK. Check TV guides to see what is on where. BBC Radio will be coving lots of the games during the tournament as will talkSport if you want to listen to the matches (check their schedules).

All you need to know about each team in the second division Women's Championship Returns Sunday, 8 September 2024 By Paul Donegan All you need to know about each team in the second division Charlotte Stacey The 2024/25 Women’s Championship season gets underway on today! It has a lot to live up to after last season’s close title race when five sides were still in with a chance of winning it going into the final weeks. Crystal Palace finished as champions and promotion to the Women’s Super League whilst Lewes and Watford were relegated into the FA Women’s National League. After one season in the WSL, Bristol City dropped back down to the Championship with Newcastle United and Portsmouth coming up into the second tier for the first time after winning the National League Premier Divisions. Reading announced their resignation from the league at the end of June meaning there will only be 11 sides in the Championship this season with one promotion and one relegation place. Here is information about all 11 sides in the league including where they play, links for tickets, social media accounts, and all the comings and goings during the summer (correct as of 7pm BST Friday 6th September 2024). Birmingham City Ground – St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, B9 4RL Tickets – Event Tickets List - Online ticket office ( eticketing.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @BCFCWomen Instagram/Threads - bcfcwomen Manager – Amy Merricks Last season – 5th Women’s Championship Players joined – Ava Baker (Leicester City), Rebecca McKenna (Charlton Athletic), Tegan McGowan (Charlton Athletic), Simone Magill (Aston Villa), Ashanti Akpan (Chelsea – loan) Players left – Jade Moore (Tampa Bay), Claudia Walker (Burnley), Abi Cowie (Leafield Athletic), Georgia Ferguson (Nottingham Forest), Lucy Jones (Derby County), Abbi Jenner (Wolverhampton Wanderers – loan), Katie Dungate (Nottingham Forest – loan), Layla Banaras (Wolverhampton Wanderers -dual registration) Since being relegated from the WSL in 2022, Birmingham have finished 2nd and 5th in their two seasons in the Championship and will be looking to challenge at the top end of the table again. Amy Merricks was appointed head coach in April and amongst her summer signings are Rebecca McKenna and Tegan McGowan from last season’s runners-up Charlton and Northern Ireland international forward Simone Magill. Blackburn Rovers Ground – Ewood Park, BB2 4JF Tickets – Event Tickets List - eTickets ( eticketing.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @RoversWFC Instagram/Threads - roverswfc Manager – Simon Parker Last season – 6th Women’s Championship Players joined – Jemima Dahou (Manchester City), Ellie Noble (Crystal Palace), Hannah Luke (Creighton University), Maria Edwards (SGS Essen), Ellie Hack (Lewes), Eve Clarkson (Lewes), Grace Riglar (Lewes), Poppy Soper (Charlton Athletic), Rachel Dugdale (Reading) Players left – Evie Smith (Liverpool Feds), Danielle Maxwell (Cliftonville), Nicola Worthington (Chorley), Shanell Salgado, Helen Seed (Burnley), Milly Robertson, Lauren Thomas, Faith Nokuthula, Megan Hornby (Portsmouth), Lucy Shepherd (Dallas Trinity), Hannah Coan (Portsmouth), Emma Doyle (Burnley), Millie Chandarana (Nottingham Forest), Katie Bradley (Charlton Athletic), Jade Richards (Burnley) Blackburn had an impressive season last time around when all sorts of club records were broken including their best league finish, highest number of points and most goals scored in the Championship. Simon Parker’s side has seen a big turnover in players over the summer with 15 leaving and nine joining. Rovers will be playing all their league games at Ewood Park after some good attendances last season. Bristol City Ground – Ashton Gate Stadium, BS3 2EJ Tickets - Buy Tickets: Bristol Sport Ticketing ( bristol-sport.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @bristolcitywfc Instagram/Threads - bristolcitywomensfc Manager – Loren Dykes (Interim Head Coach) Last season – 12th Women’s Super League (relegated) Players joined – Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Southampton), Harley Bennett (Watford), Jacqui Burns (Reading), Greta Humphries (Chelsea – loan), Libby Bance (Brighton & Hove Albion – loan), Maddy Earl (Arsenal – dual registration) Players left – Rachel Furness (Newcastle United), Sarah Stratigakis (AS Saint-Etienne), Maddi Wilde (London City Lionesses), Lisa Evans (Glasgow City), Shania Hayles (Newcastle United), Liv Clark (FC Twente), Shae Yanez (Crystal Palace), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Satara Murray (Sheffield United), Naomi Layzell (Manchester City), Carrie Jones (IFK Norrkoping) After winning the 2022/23 Championship, Bristol City had a disappointing season in the WSL, managing to win only one game and failing to pick up any points at home. Lauren Smith resigned as manager in late August with Loren Dykes now in interim charge until a new permanent manager is appointed. 11 players have left the Robins over the summer with only six coming in so far. Charlton Athletic Ground – The Valley, SE7 8BL Tickets – Buy Tickets: Charlton Athletic Ticketing ( cafc.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @CAFCWomen Instagram - cafcwomen Manager – Karen Hills Last season – 2nd Women’s Championship Players joined – Katie Bradley (Blackburn Rovers), Gracie Pearse (Tottenham Hotspur), Mel Filis (West Ham United), Jodie Hutton (Sheffield United), Charlotte Newsham (Sheffield United), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes), Ellie Brazil (Tottenham Hotspur), Princess Ademiluyi (West Ham United – loan) Players left – Angela Addison (Ipswich Town), Freda Ayisi (Hashtag United), Heidi Logan (Burnley), Kate Longhurst (Nottingham Forest), Sian Rogers (Sheffield United), Ella Rutherford (Ipswich Town), Poppy Soper (Blackburn Rovers), Rebecca McKenna (Birmingham City), Tegan McGowan (Birmingham City), Melissa Johnson (Nottingham Forest) The Addicks have made steady progress over the last couple of years and Karen Hills side missed out on the title by one-point last season. They may have lost a few players over the summer but the likes of Sophie Whitehouse and Ellie Brazil have joined Charlton. They will be playing all their home league games at The Valley this term, where their home form will have to improve a bit if they hope to go one better and win the Championship. Durham Ground – Maiden Castle Sports Park, DH1 3SE Tickets – TicketCo - Events Durham Women FC Social Media – X (Twitter) - @DurhamWFC Instagram/Threads - durhamwfc Manager – Lee Sanders Last season – 9th Women’s Championship Players joined – Abbi Grant (Panathinaikos), Hannah Blake (Adelaide United), Carly Johns (Watford), Kalia Novak (UCLA) Players left – Amy Andrews (Newcastle United), Ellie Christon (AP Orlen Gdansk), Naoisha McAloon (Burnley), Saoirse Noonan (Celtic) As an independent club, Durham maybe don’t have the same resources as some but manage to keep themselves safe in the Championship each season. Many long serving players have resigned for another season with the Wildcats including Sarah Wilson and Beth Hepple. New Zealand international Hannah Blake and former Watford striker Carly Johns, who scored eight goals in the league last season, are amongst those joining. London City Lionesses Ground – Hayes Lane, BR2 9EF Tickets – Event Tickets List - eTickets ( eticketing.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @LC_Lionesses Instagram/Threads - londoncitylionesses Manager – Jocelyn Precheur Last season – 8th Women’s Championship Players joined – Kosovare Asllani (AC Milan), Amelia Ajao (Chelsea), Maddi Wilde (Bristol City), Gesa Marashi (Arsenal), Charlene Meyong (Stade de Reims), Miljana Ivanovic (LSK Kvinner), Shen Mengyu (Celtic), Julia Roddar (Hammarby IF), Emily Orman (Chelsea), Isobel Goodwin (Sheffield United), Teyah Goldie (Arsenal – loan), Cerys Brown (Chelsea – loan) Players left – Paige Culver (retired), Tinaya Alexander, Jade Bailey, Leanne Cowan (Sheffield United), Nicole Douglas, Izzy Groves, Lois Joel (Newcastle United), Sonia O’Neill, Paige Satchell, Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United) At a press conference at the end of June, owner Michele Kang announced that Jocelyn Precheur will be the Prides new manager, the signing of Swedish international Kosovare Asllani and a move to play at Bromley FC’s Hayes Lane ground. The signings of further internationals, Isobel Goodwin from Sheffield United on the eve of the season and some youngsters from WSL sides should see London City looking to challenge for the title this season. Newcastle United Ground – Kingston Park Stadium, NE13 8AF (Clubs main ground – St James’ Park, NE1 4ST) Tickets – Buy Tickets: Newcastle United Ticketing Social Media – X (Twitter) - @NUFCWomen Instagram – newcastleunitedwomen Manager – Rebecca Langley Last season – 1st FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division (promoted) Players joined – Shania Hayles (Bristol City), Amy Andrews (Durham), Deanna Cooper (Reading), Claudia Moan (Sunderland), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Rachel Furness (Bristol City), Sophie Haywood (Sheffield United), Lois Joel (London City Lionesses), Isabella Sibley (Crystal Palace – loan) Players left – Paige Bailey-Gayle (SC Sand), Naomi Bedeau (Nottingham Forest), Grace Boyes (Middlesbrough), Tyler Dodds, Bridget Galloway (Nottingham Forest), Cara Milne-Redhead (retired), Erin Nelson (Stoke City), Keira Skelton (Middlesbrough), Anna Soulsby (Durham Cestria), Sharna Wilkinson (Middlesbrough), Lilie Wood (Mid-Ulster), Nicki Gears (Durham Cestria), Daisy Burt (Derby County – loan) Following promotion from the FA Women’s National League, Newcastle have been busy in the transfer market including signing 2022 Euro’s winner with the Lionesses, Demi Stokes. Others joining have experience of playing in, and winning, the Championship such as Shania Hayles, Isabella Sibley and Claudia Moan. After two successive promotions, the Magpies will be looking to challenge to make it three in a row. Portsmouth Ground – Westleigh Park, PO9 5TH (Clubs main ground – Fratton Park, PO4 8RA) Tickets – Event Tickets List | Portsmouth Football Club - eTickets ( eticketing.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @PompeyWomen Instagram - pompeywomen Manager – Jay Sadler Last season – 1st FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division (promoted) Players joined – Sophie Barker (Sheffield United), Hannah Coan (Blackburn Rovers), Megan Hornby (Blackburn Rovers), Erin McLaughlin (Peamount United), Annie Hutchings (Manchester City), Eve Annets (Manchester City – loan) Players left – Kelci Bowers (AFC Bournemouth), Leeta Rutherford (AFC Wimbledon), Evie Gane (Fulham), Tierney Scott (Worthing), Dani Lane (Worthing), Jess Smith, Mia Adaway (Lewes), Ella Wild, Ali Hall (AFC Bournemouth), Mia Smith (Cheltenham Town) Portsmouth have signed a few players with Championship experience for their first season at this level such as Sophie Barker, Hannah Coan and Megan Hornby. Many of last season’s FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division winners have also resigned after Pompey turned professional during the summer. Jay Sadler’s side will now be looking to impress in the second tier. Sheffield United Ground – Bramall Lane, S2 4SU Tickets – Buy Tickets: Sheffield United Ticketing ( sufc.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @sufc_women Instagram/Threads – sufc_women Manager – Ash Thompson Last season – 7th Women’s Championship Players joined – Sian Rogers (Charlton Athletic), Monique Robinson (Leicester City), Abbie Lafayette (Watford), Maria Farrugia (Lewes), Satara Murray (Bristol City), Leanne Cowan (London City Lionesses), Annie Wilding (Everton), Ellen Molloy (Wexford) Players left – Rebecca Rayner (Brighton & Hove Albion), Sophie Barker (Portsmouth), Tara Bourne (Southampton), Fran Stenson (Southampton), Charlotte Newsham (Charlton Athletic), Jodie Hutton (Charlton Athletic), Rachel Brown (Southampton), Ashley Hodson (retired), Sophie Haywood (Newcastle United), Charley Docherty (Burnley), Chene Muir (Derby County), Alanta Brown (Rugby Borough), Ellie May (West Bromwich Albion), Tamara Wilcock (Stoke City), Isobel Goodwin (London City Lionesses) Ash Thompson moved up to become Sheffield United’s first team head coach in July following a spell in charge of their under 21 side. Another club with a high turnover of players during the summer but amongst their signings are Sian Rogers in goal and Malta international Maria Farrugia. The Blades have lost Isobel Goodwin, who was second highest scorer in the Championship last season, to London City Lionesses. Southampton Ground – St Mary’s Stadium, SO14 5FP Tickets – Women | Southampton FC Official Site Social Media – X (Twitter) - @SaintsFCWomen (matchday)/@SouthamptonFC Instagram - saintsfcwomen Manager – Remi Allen Last season – 4th Women’s Championship Players joined – Rachel Rowe (Rangers), Tara Bourne (Sheffield United), Fran Stenson (Sheffield United), Rachel Brown (Sheffield United), Aimee Palmer (Leicester City), Freya Gregory (Aston Villa – loan) Players left – Rosie Parnell (retired), Laura Rafferty (Rangers), Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Bristol City), Megan Wynne (Perth Glory), Beth Howard (Oxford United), Katie Wilkinson (Rangers), Ella Morris (Tottenham Hotspur), Sophia Pharoah, Emily Kraft (Aberdeen – loan) The Saints second season in the Championship saw them achieve their highest ever league finish before Marianne Spacey-Cale announced she was moving to a more senior role at the club. Remi Allen, who impressed during a short spell in charge of London City Lionesses last season, has been appointed as their new head coach as they look to continue their upward trajectory. Sunderland Ground – Eppleton Colliery Football Ground, DH5 9NA (Clubs main ground – Stadium of Light, SR5 1SU) Tickets – Event Tickets List - eTickets ( eticketing.co.uk ) Social Media – X (Twitter) - @SAFCWomen Instagram/Threads - safcwomen Manager – Mel Reay Last season – 3rd Women’s Championship Players joined – Demi Lambourne (Leicester City), Eleanor Dale (Everton), Keira Flannery (West Ham United – loan), Jessie Stapleton (West Ham United – loan) Players left – Grace McCatty (retired), Liz Ejupi, Faye Mullen (retired), Mollie Rouse (Spokane Zephyr), Claudia Moan (Newcastle United) Sunderland had an amazing 2023/24 season as they challenged for the title until the second last game and eventually finished in 3rd place. They have lost last season’s Championship Player of the Season Claudia Moan over the summer but have brought in Demi Lambourne, who was with champions Crystal Palace last season, into replace her in goal. Will be interesting to see if Mel Reay’s side can do as well again. Fixtures These are the first fixtures of the season which are due to be played today, Sunday (8th September). Durham v Sheffield United - 12:00 - Maiden Castle Sports Park Southampton v Bristol City - 14:00 - St. Mary’s Stadium London City Lionesses v Newcastle United - 14:00 - Hayes Lane (live on YouTube) Charlton Athletic v Portsmouth - 14:00 - The Valley Birmingham City v Sunderland - 14:00 - St. Andrews @ Knighthead Park Click on the link to see all the fixtures in the Women’s Championship this season - Scores & Fixtures | Barclays Women's Super League & Championship ( thefa.com )

Crystal Palace are crowned Champions of the Women's Championship in front of record home crowd Back Match Report Selhurst Park rocking as Crystal Palace win the Women’s Championship Crystal Palace are crowned Champions of the Women's Championship in front of record home crowd Ryan Asman 28 April 2024 By Charlotte Stacey Heading into the game Lauren Kaminski’s side all but had their hands on the trophy, sitting at the top of the table, three points ahead and a goal difference of 22 over title chaser Charlton Athletic. Unless the Addicks could pull off an outrageous scoreline at the Valley, Palace would be crowned Champions and earn promotion to the Women’s Super League. After a slight delay to kick of due to a few unruly balloons Annabel Blanchard got things underway. Palace had the brighter start to the half and this largely continued throughout the match. The home side made excellent use of their wingers, optimising the pace Araya Dennis and Isibeal Atkinson (backed by fullbacks Ria Percival and Fliss Gibbons) to attack the wide areas. Palace also switched the ball from side to side with Annabel Blanchard and Shanade Hopcroft acting as pivots to quickly move the ball cross field and pull Sunderland from side to side. This tactic from Palace allowed their stronger runners, Dennis, Atkinson, Molly Sharpe and later Shauna Guyatt to flood the central space that was left by disrupted Sunderland’s back four. For Sunderland, this high press from the Eagles meant that they were pinned in their own half in certain phases. As the visitors found passing lanes somewhat restricted, their primary option to apply pressure the hosts were to apply pace in transition and look for balls over the top. Sunderland did exactly this in 43rd minute which earned them the best chance of the first half. The ball was overturned in the final third where Palace had committed high numbers. Sunderland applied a counter attack in which Scarr was able to win the footrace against Gibbons and deliver a decent cross into the box. Ellen Jones met the ball and struck it on target but her strike lacked the conviction needed to beat Demi Lambourne. The visitors applied more pressure during the second half and used the strength of Natasha Fenton and Jenna Deer to execute individual duels in the midfield. This meant Palace were forced to play a narrower game, and in defensive phases, invert an auxiliary player from either side to support holding midfielder Lexi Potter. This made for a much more even half with both sides creating enough chances to convert, but neither managing to hit the back of the net. This was seen in examples when Gibbons’ shot was dragged wide in the 49th minute and when the visitors hit the crossbar in the 61st minute. As the fourth official held up a minimum of ten minutes additional time the 6796 strong crowd kicked their rousing support up a notch and Palace ended the match with a clear cut chance for Sharpe and as the side in control. Despite the goalless draw, Selhurst Park was electric. On home turf and in front of a record crowd, the Eagles are going up. Line Ups Crystal Palace: Lambourne (GK), Percival, Everett (C), Nolan, Gibbons (88’), Potter (90+8’), Hopcroft (90+8’), Blanchard, Dennis (90+8’), Atkinson (58’), Sharpe Substitutes: Negri (GK), Johnson, Doran, Reilly (88’), Filbey (90+8’), Arthur (90+8’), Guyatt (58’), Larkin, Watson (90+8’) Sunderland: Moan (GK), Brown, Goddard, Westrup (C), Griffiths, Fenton, Dear, McInnes (74’), Watson (74’), Jones (74’), Scarr Substitutes: Borthwick, Kitching (74’), Rouse, Ede, McCatty (90+8’), Ejupi (74’), McAteer (74’), Beer Yellow: Jones, Deer, Griffiths

A 1-1 draw keeps Manchester United in third place as Man City move in to battle it out for the third Champions League spot. Back Match Report WSL: West Ham v Manchester United A 1-1 draw keeps Manchester United in third place as Man City move in to battle it out for the third Champions League spot. Paul Donegan 18 March 2022 By Paul Donegan On a cold, wet and breezy Wednesday evening at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, West Ham played Manchester United in the WSL. Manchester United had the first chance in the 3rd minute when a low cross was put wide by Ella Toone. Man United’s Diane Caldwell was shown the first yellow card of the game in the 7th minute after committing a foul. West Ham’s first attempt came a minute later when Tameka Yallop had an effort saved by Mary Earps. In the 16th minute, Man United saw a corner scrambled away before having a shot go wide. Two minutes later, Leah Galton dispossessed Hawa Cissoko then passed to Alessia Russo but Cissoko got back to make a tackle before Russo could have a shot. West Ham’s Yallop was just unable to get onto Yui Hasegawa’s pass in the 25th minute. It was Manchester United though who continued to create more of the chances and the next came two minutes later when Martha Thomas was just unable to get her head on a cross, and a minute after that she saw a header saved by Mackenzie Arnold. A Katie Zelem corner caused problems in the 38th minute and Toone then saw a low shot from outside the area pushed away by Arnold. Three minutes before half time, Thomas saw her long range lob hit the crossbar via Arnold’s hand with the West Ham goalkeeper getting to the loose ball first. The last chance of the first half fell to Jackie Groenen who saw her effort from outside the area saved. The final action of the first half was a yellow card being shown to West Ham’s Gilly Flaherty for a foul. Manchester United had more of the first half opportunities but it was scoreless at the break. It was Man United who started the second half on top too with Russo seeing a shot pushed away by Arnold in the 46th minute. A Zelem corner was pushed away before Toone’s shot from halfway inside the half went wide. Russo was then unable to get onto Galton’s cross. In the 54th minute, Manchester United did take the lead when Ella Toone scored from close range with an acrobatic finish. West Ham started to create chances after going behind with Kate Longhurst seeing her cross put over by Yallop in the 59th minute and Katerina Svitoka saw a long range shot go wide a minute later. A cross from Man United’s Galton went right across goal but no one was able to get on the end of it. Yallop saw another effort saved for West Ham in the 65th minute as West Ham continued to look for an equaliser. At the other end, Kate Longhurst got a cross just before Galton in the 73rd minute. Flaherty saw her header from a free kick claimed by Earps in the 84th minute before Manchester United’s Toone was booked five minutes later for kicking the ball away. West Ham’s Svitoka headed wide Longhurst’s cross just before the game went into 5 minutes of injury time. West Ham won a corner during this from which Grace Fisk’s headed hit the post and went in for a dramatic late equaliser. There was still time for a succession of dangerous Zelem corners but there were no more goals as it finished 1-1. Not for the first time this season Manchester United have let in a late goal after leading to draw a match. Also, not the first time West Ham have scored a late equaliser. The result leaves Man United third in the league but Manchester City are now only 3 points behind with a game in hand as the fight for final Champions League spot really hots up. Teams West Ham United: Arnold, Fisk, Flaherty, Cissoko, Longhurst, Hasegawa, Brynjarsdottir, Stringer (Evans 69’), Svitkova, Yallop, Leon (Parker 90’+4) Unused substitutes: Wyne, Snerle, Walker, Filis, Leat, Joel, Houssein Goal – Fisk 90’+3 Booked – Flaherty Manchester United: Earps, Batlle, Caldwell, Zelem, Blundell, Groenen, Risa (Moore 68’), Toone, Galton, Thomas (Hanson 90’+4), Russo (Fuso 74’) Unused substitutes: Harris, Baggaley Goal – Toone 54’ Booked – Caldwell, Toone Referee – Daniel Lamport Attendance – 1,425

Nottingham Forest vs Watford Photographer Edward Payne Watford earn promotion into the Championship with a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the FAWNL play-off. Our photographer Edward Payne was on hand to capture the bittersweet moments of the game.