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Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Photographer Ryan Asman Crystal Palace held tight in the first half before Chelsea unleashed a crushing wrath. The visitors left Selhurst Park with seven goals tallied up, adding to Palace's hard start to their inaugural WSL season.

Ella Toone Position Centre Attacking Mid/False 9 D.O.B 02/09/1999 Club Manchester Untied Lynne Cameron

Ground Guide Manchester City By Paul Donegan This guide is based on the match against Chelsea in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final on 31st October 2021 which I went and watched. Normal warning that things might be different if you decide to make a visit to the Academy Stadium. Address Manchester, M11 4TQ Location and Ground History The stadium is in the east side of Manchester, across the road/footbridge from the Etihad Stadium. It opened in December 2014 as part of the Eithad training campus. Along with the women’s first team, it also hosts men’s under 23s and youth matches. The women’s side have played there since 2015. This will be one of the venues for the Women’s Euros in 2022 hosting 3 group games (Belgium v Iceland, Italy v Iceland and Italy v Belgium). Getting There Manchester is well served by trains and coaches from around the country and buses from the surrounding areas. There is also Manchester Airport to the south of the city. I got the Metrolink from Piccadilly station towards Ashton Under Lyne and this took about 10 minutes (if going from the city centre then add a few minutes onto this). The closest stop is Velopark which is over the road from the stadium. If you want to see the Etihad Stadium or visit the City Store, the Etihad Campus stop is closer to these and around a 10 minute walk from the stadium. There are a number of buses that stop outside the ground (Velopark Metrolink stops). The ground is about a 40 minute walk from the city centre. Car parking is available in the blue car parks which are past the Etihad Stadium and about a 15 minute walk. There are some accessible car parking spaces onsite at the stadium. Tickets I bought tickets online which cost me £10 for this match. On the confirmation email, there are links to click to download the ticket to Apple Wallet or G Pay on your mobile which you need to do if buying tickets online. At the turnstiles, you scan the ticket on your mobile to gain entry. There is a supporter services and tickets kiosk outside the Academy Stadium on matchdays (on the west side, under the footbridge) where you can buy (paper) tickets if available and these are the same price as online and it is card payment only. Buy Tickets https://www.mancity.com/tickets/womens The Stadium There are 4 separate covered stands at the Academy Stadium with gaps in each corner of the ground. The stadium has a capacity of 7,000 with 5,000 seats. The two side stands (east and west) are seated with a nice mixture of sky and dark blue seats. The West Stand has the tunnel in the middle and dugouts and TV camera position (stand not opened for this or most matches). Supporters sit in the East Stand which also has the directors box, press and hospitality facilities. The roof hangs fairly high above the seats so you might still get wet if it rains and the wind is blowing (as happened to me). The two ends are terraces but neither were open and covered with banners. In the north west corner, there is a scoreboard. There are toilets at either end of the East Stand. There are turnstiles in the 4 corners and for this match the ones in the north east and south east corners were open. They opened about an hour before kick off and there was a bag search then a body search with one of those devices where they don’t actually touch you. Outside of the ground, behind the south end, there is a moral painted on the wall which looks pretty cool. Food and Drink There are food kiosks (contactless payment only) at either end of the East Stand near the turnstiles. Something a bit different to eat at a football match with toasted English muffin with Cumberland or quorn sausage with Moroccan veg stew was available along with meat or chickpea pies. Also, there were muffins and bakes for £2 and crisps and chocolate bars for £1.20. For drinks, there were cartons of juice and water along with hot drinks. There is a big Asda over the road from the ground if you want something different from what is available at the ground plus many places to eat and drink in Manchester. Merchandise In the north east corner near the turnstile, there was some merchandise available including shirts, t-shirts, scarfs and bobble hats (of course more is available in the main shop near the Etihad). Also in that corner of the ground was a stall where you could buy programmes which again was contactless payment only. There is a fanzone inside the west stand before the match with games and such. In normal times after the match, there is autograph alley but as announced at the end of the match, this isn’t happening at the moment due to Covid.

Content creator James Lewis is educating audiences with his bitesize women’s football videos and easy listening commentary. James talks us through his work, his inspirations and his goals for the future. Back Hand over the mic: James Lewis Content creator James Lewis is educating audiences with his bitesize women’s football videos and easy listening commentary. James talks us through his work, his inspirations and his goals for the future. Photographs courtesy of James Lewis 8 August 2021 By Charlotte Stacey Video editor and Arsenal fan James Lewis is putting his knowledge and skills together to develop his own unique contribution to women’s football. As we sat down together to start the ball rolling, our very first question asked how James became interested in women’s football and his answer was nothing if not honest. “Arsenal were depressing me, the men. It’s 2019 and I was just really tired of men’s football and I was thinking I just need an escape; I need something to do.” “Then France happened, the women’s World Cup. To be honest, I saw Jamaica and I was like, ‘what?!’ because the men can’t qualify for anything when it comes to football. Then I saw the fans and when Jamaica played everyone was respecting how small they were and I just thought this is really nice.” Photographs courtesy of James Lewis Suitably, yet refreshingly, surprised to see Jamaica in the finals of a major tournament, James saw the opportunity to broaden his horizons and ended up falling for women’s football hook, line and sinker. “I just thought it was really fun. The Lionesses looked good, France looked really good and I realised how interesting women’s football was.” However, as was the recurring problem with women’s football, and indeed women’s sport in general, coverage proved difficult to find at first. “I didn’t really know where anything was, so I just tried to keep an eye out of things. But the season that’s just passed, that’s when I got really into it. I was on the FA Player like a demon. Constantly [thinking], what’s happening, what’s happening?!” “So, from there I got properly into it. I support Arsenal, but obviously it was not their best season.” When contemplating Arsenal’s latest season, James jokingly quips that he may be a “bad luck charm”. Yet with his expanding base of knowledge and his ongoing contribution, he must view himself as anything but. Delving deeper into this new education, James touches upon the influence of social media. He notes the usefulness of social media platforms in further learning about the Women’s Super League, the Women’s Championship and beyond. “I kept on learning, kept on watching and on Twitter you can learn a lot about different players and clubs.” Photographs courtesy of James Lewis Through Twitter James met a number of women’s football advocates when advertising “Throw in the Kitchen Sink”, a five-part documentary with 3Lance Media. Once filming had concluded, James stayed in touch with several interviewees whom he now considers as close friends. “Friends like Nancy [Baker] and Drew [Diamond] are women’s football crazy so I am able to just badger them with questions!” It was through these connections, as well as his own intuition, that James gathered enough familiarity of the game to begin marking his own stamp online. Citing Manchester City’s rising stars Ruby Mace and Lauren Hemp as two of his early inspirations, James paired his love of the game with his editing skills to put together quickfire videos promoting the youngsters. “Then I started to talk about it, started to make highlight videos of players that I liked and that was really fun.” The visual impact of the content, enhanced wholly by James’ easy articulacy, meant that these initial videos were certified successes. Taking this into account, James identified a niche in the market and began to commit more time to creating videos for newcomers to women’s football. “I just thought, why don’t I make a channel where I can do videos for people like me who don’t really know that much. Thirty second videos, just quick videos about signings and players that can help people get into the game.” “I know women’s football’s amazing, but there’s a lot of ignorant people, and a lot of people that just don’t know.” Looking forward, James has set his sights high and has challenged himself to provide coverage of every Women’s Super League fixture of the coming season. But on a more personal note, James simply wishes to immerse himself fully into the ever-evolving sphere of women’s football. “My hope is to surround myself with people from Her Football Hub, Since 71, On Her Side, all these amazing places, and then to put out content and just to continue learning about the women’s game.” Check out James' YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JayExtended/featured James Lewis, Womens Football, Women's Super League, Arsenal Women, extendedclips

Aston Villa midfielder Remi Allen suffers ACL injury at the end of the season Back Remi Allen picks up injury Aston Villa midfielder Remi Allen suffers ACL injury at the end of the season The FA 22 May 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Aston Villa’s Remi Allen has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and misses the remainder of the season. The 31-year-old midfielder is due to undergo surgery in the coming weeks. Allen, who joined from Leicester City last summer, has scored five goals in 22 games in her first campaign with Villa. News

It was a welcome return for Laura Wienroither at Meadow Park as the Gunners beat Bristol City 5-0 Back Match Report Debuts and returns: Arsenal are victorious over Bristol City It was a welcome return for Laura Wienroither at Meadow Park as the Gunners beat Bristol City 5-0 Arsenal Women 15 April 2024 By Paul Donegan Arsenal were convincing 5-0 winners over struggling Bristol City on Sunday evening at Meadow Park in the Women’s Super League. Beth Mead and Alessia Russo scored two each whilst Ella Powell put the ball into her own net for the Gunners other goal. The visitors played with a back five, and one of these, Amy Rodgers, made a good tackle to stop an early Arsenal attack. Arsenal did take the lead in the 7th minute when Caitlin Foord cut in from the left and saw her effort hit the post but Mead was there to put the rebound into the net. Brooke Aspin blocked a Steph Catley effort behind for a corner in the 11th minute. From the resulting corner, the ball found Victoria Pelova on the edge of the area, she took a touch and sent a shot crashing off the crossbar. Lotte Wubben-Moy intercepted a through ball from Ffion Morgan before it could reach its target in the 18th minute as the Robins looked to attack. Stina Blacksteinus was denied by a good save from Fran Bentley when she shot at goal a minute later. Russo saw a shot saved shortly after, then Blackstenius was just unable to get her foot on a low cross as the home side looked to add a second. In the 25th minute, Arsenal captain Kim Little, who had a fantastic game, sent a thunderous shot from just outside the area narrowly over. A few minutes later, Russo’s shot from 20-yards was easily claimed by Bentley. Some nice build up from Arsenal finished with Pelova shooting wide on the half hour mark. Mead made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when after her initial shot had been blocked on the line, she fired in the rebound from close range. Two minutes later, it was 3-0 when Catley’s cross from the left side deflected off Powell and looped over the goalkeeper into the back of her own net. Bristol City’s Morgan saw an effort go well over in the 37th minute with what was their first attempt at goal of the match. City’s defence was having difficulty clearing the ball at times as Arsenal put pressure on. Sarah Stratigakas saw a header go just wide via a deflection, then Wubben-Moy was again there to stop a cross from the visitors as the end of the first half approached. Emily Fox had the Gunners first shot of the second half in the 51st minute but this was easily gathered by Bentley, then Mead shot over. At the other end, Catley made an important tackle as Emily Syme was threatening the Gunners goal before Sabrina D’Angelo kept out Amalie Thestrup’s effort. In the 59th minute, Russo scored Arsenal’s fourth with a shot from the edge of the area that was too powerful for Bentley to keep out. Both Mead and Little forced the visitors goalkeeper to make saves as the Gunners looked to extend their lead further. In the 68th minute, Bentley made a brilliant save when she tipped over Fox’s effort from the edge of the area. Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer Rachel Furness came on as a substitute for Bristol City after a spell out injured. There was a scramble in the Arsenal penalty area following a Robins corner before the ball was cleared. Second half substitute, Katie McCabe, passed to Russo who shot into the back of the net from just inside the area to score her second of the night and Arsenal’s fifth in the 73rd minute. Russo was looking to score a hat-trick but her powerful shot in the 77th minute was blocked by the foot of Aspin. Russo then dinked the ball wide four minutes later as she went close again to scoring her third. Laura Wienroither came on in the 81st minute to a great reception for her first appearance since rupturing her ACL last May. 17-year-old Katie Reid came on a bit later to make her senior Arsenal debut. The Gunners had the final chance of the match when Blackstenius was denied by Bentley, whose saves had helped keep the score down. Arsenal remain in third position in the WSL, six points off top spot but nine points clear of fourth with four games left so looking good to qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League next season. Bristol City stay bottom, seven points from safety with the same amount of games left and not having won in 13 league games. Line-ups Arsenal (4-2-3-1): D’Angelo, Fox (Wienroither 81’), Williamson (Reid 87’), Wubben-Moy, Catley, Pelova, Little (c), Mead (McCabe 63’), Russo, Foord (Lacasse 63’), Blackstenius Unused substitutes: Zinsberger, Goldie, Lia, Goals – Mead 7’, 32’, Powell (o.g.) 34’, Russo 59’, 73’ Bristol City (5-4-1) : Bentley, Powell (Bull 69’), Rodgers, Aspin, Connolly (c), Napier, Morgan, Syme (Furness 69’), Stratigakis (Layzell 69’), Thestrup, Evans (Ward 79’) Unused substitutes: Yanez, Struck, Clark, Jones, Slocombe Referee – Lisa Benn Attendance – 3,565

They Don't Teach This by Eni Aluko They Don't Teach This They Don't Teach This by Eni Aluko Eni Aluko: 102 appearances for England women's national football team. First female pundit on Match of the Day. UN Women UK ambassador. Guardian columnist. First class honors law degree. Now an inspirational author. They Don't Teach This steps beyond the realms of memoir to explore themes of dual nationality and identity, race and institutional prejudice, success, failure and faith. It is an inspiring manifesto to change the way readers and the future generation choose to view the challenges that come in their life applying life lessons with raw truths of Eni's own personal experience. Available to buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/They-Dont-Teach-Eniola-Aluko/dp/1529112850/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_2_4/257-3022985-0041206?pd_rd_w=YxKRu&content-id=amzn1.sym.b3680bff-f077-48e1-82e2-187909445cc9&pf_rd_p=b3680bff-f077-48e1-82e2-187909445cc9&pf_rd_r=MB06SSD6DNMKTJMZJGMW&pd_rd_wg=3q2mA&pd_rd_r=60e070ce-d748-43c8-92b0-b4383011aef4&pd_rd_i=1529112850&psc=1

Arsenal's number 3 signs personal new deal with childhood club Back Lotte Wubben-Moy – a true Gooner Arsenal's number 3 signs personal new deal with childhood club Arsenal FC 7 May 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Arsenal centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy has signed a new contract with the club for an undisclosed term. The 23-year-old returned to North London in September 2020 after a spell playing in college football in the States and has since made 61 appearances and scored five goals for the Gunners. Adding her own personal touch, Wubben-Moy’s new contract also has a clause pertaining to the players commitment to working closely with Arsenal in the Community. Wubben-Moy commented, “it’s a commitment to the club and it’s a commitment to Arsenal, the community that it’s active in and to my life as a whole, because that’s what Arsenal is – it’s my life.” News

England vs The Netherlands Photographer Adam Mitten The Lionesses made a huge comeback at Wembley Stadium as they beat the Netherlands 3-2 in the UEFA Nations League.

Charlton Athletic suffer first loss of the season in 2-0 defeat Back Match Report Charlton suffer defeat at the hands of London City Charlton Athletic suffer first loss of the season in 2-0 defeat CAFC Women 16 October 2024 By Paul Donegan London City Lionesses inflicted Charlton Athletic’s first Women’s Championship defeat of the season with a 2-0 win on Sunday at Hayes Lane. Isobel Goodwin and Sofia Jakobsson scored the goals for the Pride against their London rivals as they moved up to second spot in the league, level on points with the Addicks and top of the table Birmingham City. Beth Roe hit the crossbar with a curling shot in the first 30 seconds for the Addicks then Melisa Filis’ low shot a couple of minutes later was easily claimed by Emily Orman. London City’s first opportunity came in the 7th minute when Goodwin headed over a corner. Filis forced Orman into making a save in the 10th minute before the hosts broke quickly but the attack finished with Sophie Whitehouse catching a cross. Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah then headed over a corner for the Pride. Goodwin couldn’t control the ball in front of goal before Boye-Hlorkah fired over as the home side had the next chances in the 16th minute. Goodwin then saw her shot deflected into the keepers hands. Karin Muya’s low shot went across goal and wide as the visitors had the next opportunity in the 19th minute. Jakobsson saw an effort blocked for London City following a corner as the chances kept on coming. Filis shot from just outside the area went wide for the Addicks in the 26th minute. At the other end, Boye-Hlorkah was unable to get on the end of Kosovare Asllani’s cross. Two minutes later, Jodie Hutton got forward on the left-hand side and sent a dipping effort narrowly over for the away side. A succession of corners from the hosts in the 36th minute caused Charlton problems with the ball eventually going over off the crossbar for a goal kick. Whitehouse made a tremendous save in first half stoppage time to tip over Asllani’s 25-yard effort as the hosts went close to going ahead before the break. Asllani had the first chance of the second half in the first minute of it but fired over for the Pride before Hutton missed the target for the Addicks in the 50th minute. London City Lionesses took the lead in this London derby in the 54th minute when Jakobsson won the ball in Charlton’s penalty area and her cross was headed into the net by Goodwin from 6-yards. Three minutes later, Hutton shot over for the visitors from outside the area whilst Asllani did the same at the other end in the 59th minute. Emma Mukandi made a great tackle in the area to stop Muya getting a shot away as the Addicks looked for an equaliser. Orman then denied Atlanta Primus from close range. Whitehouse got down to save Boye-Hlorkah 25-yard shot in the 65th minute. Goodwin then volleyed over from the edge of the area at the midpoint of the second half for the home side. In the 73rd minute, London City doubled their lead when they attacked quickly and Asllani’s lovely through ball found Jakobsson who finished past Whitehouse. Two minutes later, Roe’s dipping effort from the right-hand side had to be pushed over by Orman. Princess Ademiluyi put the Addicks next opportunity well over then Filis saw her free kick saved in the 89th minute. Katie Bradley had a long-range shot saved for the visitors in the first minute of stoppage time before the hosts broke quickly again but this time the attack came to nothing. The win sees London City continue their unbeaten home start to the season whilst the defeat sees Charlton lose away from home for the first time in 539 days in the league. Line ups London City Lionesses (4-2-3-1): Orman, Wilde (Neville 77’), Goldie, Henson, Mukandi, Meyong, Brougham, Jakobsson (Fitzgerald 77’), Asllani (c) (Mengyu 90’+3), Boye-Hlorkah (Imuran 84’), Goodwin Unused substitutes: Moloney, Scofield, Marashi, Brown Goals – Goodwin 54’, Jakobsson 73’ Booked – Jakobsson, Asllani, Fitzgerald Charlton Athletic (3-4-3): Whitehouse, Skeels (c), N’Dow, Newsham, Roe (O’Rourke 81’), Bashford (Ademiluyi 68’), Primus (Bradley 81’), Hutton, Muya, Barton (Humphrey 84’), Filis Unused substitutes: Gray, Pearse, Siber Booked – Hutton, Muya Referee – Lauren Whiteman Attendance – 1,239

Another confident win for Chelsea as they cruise eight goals past the Foxes Back Match Report WSL: Leicester City v Chelsea Another confident win for Chelsea as they cruise eight goals past the Foxes Leicester City Women 5 December 2022 By Paul Donegan Chelsea convincingly beat bottom of the table Leicester City 8-0 at a cold and occasional rainy King Power Stadium to return to the top of the Women’s Super League after being displaced earlier in the day. Guro Reiten and Jessie Fleming scored two goals each, and the other scorers were Fran Kirby, Niamh Charles, Sam Kerr and Bethany England. Emma Hayes’ 300th game as manager of Chelsea got off to a good start as they took the lead in the 4th minute when Kirby set up Reiten to score. Kirby had a chance to extend the visitors lead but her low shot was saved by a diving Demi Lambourne in the 10th minute. The away side did make it 2-0 in the 13th minute when Reiten passed back to Fleming who finished from 6-yards. Chelsea had another opportunity two minutes later, but Kerr went too wide after going past the goalkeeper. Kirby passed to Kerr in the 17th minute, but her shot went just wide. There next chance came in the 32nd minute but Lambourne got to the ball before Kirby after some nice build up play. Two minutes after that the Blues broke forward, Kirby passed to Kerr but her shot hit the outside of the post. Chelsea scored a flurry of goals just before half time. In the 39th minute, Kirby made it 3-0 with an outside of the boot finish. Two minutes later, Niamh Charles headed in a corner to made it 4-0. In the final minute of the half, a nice move was finished by Sam Kerr to make it 5-0. Reiten assisted all three of these goals to bring it up to four assists and a goal for the Norwegian during the first half. Leicester had their first shot at goal of the match in 48th minute from half time substitute Natasha Flint. Chelsea made it 6-0 in the 50th minute. A cross was cleared only as far as Fleming who scored her second goal of the day when her shot found the back of the net. The home side were creating a few more chances in the early stages of the second half with Aileen Whelan’s shot from the edge area forcing Ann-Katrin Berger to dive to make a save in the 55th minute. Berger was forced to make a better save five minutes later when she tipped over Flint’s shot. A couple of minutes after that, there was a scramble in the Chelsea penalty area which ended when the ball was blasted over by Molly Pike as Leicester looked for a consultation goal. Reiten came close to adding to her total of goals and assists but her shot went into the side netting in the 66th minute. Second half substitute Jelena Cankovic then shot wide for the Blues in the 72nd minute. Two second half substitutes combined in the 75th minute as Chelsea scored their seventh goal when England headed in an Alsu Abdullina cross. It was 8-0 in the 82nd minute when Kirby finished from close range to score her second goal of the game. The visitors had two late chances as they looked to match last season’s 9-0 win at the King Power but a header from a corner was saved in the 87 minute, then Lambourne stopped an effort from England in injury time. Chelsea remain three points clear of Manchester United and Arsenal after the weekend’s matches, though they have played a game more than those two. Willie Kirk’s Leicester are still pointless and are now seven points adrift at the bottom of the WSL. Leicester’s next match is on Thursday when they are away to Sunderland in the Conti Cup. Their next league game is on Sunday when they travel to Liverpool. Chelsea are in UEFA Women’s Champions League action on Thursday evening when they travel to play Real Madrid before they return to Kingsmeadow to play Reading next Sunday evening in the WSL. Line ups Leicester City (4-3-3): Lambourne, Simon (Bott 46’), Howard, Brougham, Purfield (Vance 78’), Whelan (c), Tierney (Smith 83’), Pike, Goodwin (Cain 76’), C. Jones, Baker (Flint 46’) Unused substitutes: Levell, E. Jones, Robinson, Scofield Booked – Tierney 36’ Chelsea (4-3-3): Berger, Perisset (Carter 74’), Bright, Eriksson (c) (Nouwen 74’), Charles, Ingle, Fleming (Cankovic 63’), Kirby, Rytting Kaneryd, Kerr (England 63’), Reiten (Abdullina 74’) Unused substitutes: Musovic, James, Svitkova, Cuthbert Goals – Reiten 4’, Fleming 13’ 50’, Kirby 39’ 82’, Charles 41’, Kerr 45’, England 75’ Referee – Amy Fearn

Lionesses: Gamechangers by Abdullah Abdullah Lionesses: Gamechangers Lionesses: Gamechangers by Abdullah Abdullah England's emphatic victory at the 2022 women's Euros has been called a watershed moment both for the team and for women's football. But can this talented side prove their mettle on the biggest stage of all and achieve World Cup glory in 2023? Tactical writer Abdullah Abdullah once again lifts the lid on a women's footballing institution, this time through an international lens - deconstructing match tactics, analysing player performances and assessing the key improvements made in Sarina Wiegman's time in charge. Abdullah explores the standout tactical profiles from the current generation, including Fran Kirby and Lucy Bronze as well as the future crop, like Leah Williamson and wunderkind Lauren Hemp. This book dives into the specifics of how this iteration of the Lionesses can perform at the 2023 Women's World Cup. Will this be the moment they shed their status as perennial challengers and prove they are the best team in the world? Available to buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BXFKKVQ1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0