Chelsea remain unbeaten at Kingsmeadow as Sam Kerr's lone goal sends them to the top of the table Back Match Report WSL: Chelsea v Manchester United Chelsea remain unbeaten at Kingsmeadow as Sam Kerr's lone goal sends them to the top of the table Harriet Lander 12 March 2023 By Finley Chung Manchester United’s wretched record against Chelsea continued as The Blues came out victorious in this crucial clash at the top of the WSL. Sam Kerr’s first half goal, her 22nd of an incredible season was enough to separate the sides, with Chelsea undefeated in their nine matches against United, and two points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand on the Red Devils. Thus huge title clash brought about a plethora of changes for Chelsea from their last league outing, a 3-1 win over Brighton on Wednesday night. Ann Katrin-Berger, Niamh Charles, Lauren James, Eve Perisset and Sophie Ingle all returned to the starting eleven. The visitors, Manchester United by contrast, made one change from their last outing, the FA Cup win at Lewes last weekend, with Nikita Parris coming in for Martha Thomas. United got the game underway at a packed, 3,277 strong crowd atnKingsmeadow with the sun starting to rear its head through the clouds in South West London. The game had the feel of a big one, with United’s vocal away support and the Chelsea fans making plenty of noise in the early stages. Ella Toone had the first run of the game down the right channel, but her fellow Lioness, Mille Bright won the race and cleared the ball to safety. Lauren James, against her old side was the first Chelsea player to have a real go at her marker, but United’s left back, Millie Turner matched the actions of her namesake at the other end, tracking her runner superbly and winning possession back. Chelsea settled into the game and had the first chance on nine minutes, a long ball forward found its way through to Sam Kerr who was looking to add to her 21 goals already this season, took her low right footed effort early which was well held by Mary Earps in the United goal. The Australian was then in on goal again barely two minutes later, excellent work from Niamh Charles to dispossess Nikita Parris, then finding Jessie Fleming in the middle of the park, who threaded a delightful ball through to Kerr, but her effort was once again kept out by an alert Mary Earps. At the midway point of the first half, Kerr and Chelsea did get their breakthrough with the Australian’s 22nd goal of the season and it was a goal of really. She touched down a stunning long ball from Lauren James, beautifully before delightfully clipping the ball over the advancing Earps and into the far corner. On half hour, the United players really felt they should’ve had a spot kick when Nikita Parris got in behind Kadeisha Buchanan and went down but the referee Cheryl Foster was unmoved by the appeals by those in United red. Alessia Russo then had their first shot at goal as she turned brilliantly in the box and unleashed a fierce effort towards goal but Ann-Katrin Berger held it well in the Chelsea goal. In the build up to that chance, Chelsea’s Melanie Leupolz was shown a yellow card by the referee after a string of fouls that had mounted up. United gained another free kick when Leah Galton was brought down by Eve Perisset. The in-swinging cross went deep towards the far post, Mille Turner climbed but couldn’t get any real contact or direction on her header to trouble Katrin Berger. Katie Zelem then looped a shot high and wide over The Blues goal, in the last action of the half, with a big second 45 ahead for both sides in South West London. HT - Chelsea 1-0 Man United Chelsea got the second half underway with a lead to defend in this crucial encounter in the WSL title race. United came out of the blocks quicker though with Hayled Ladd and Zelem starting to dictate and pick up little pockets in the middle for the Red Devils. Chelsea were always dangerous though and broke away on 51 minutes, Kerr once again getting in down the channels after a long ball, but her right footed curling effort drifted wide of Mary Earps left hand post. Chelsea burst forward again, with Millie Bright striding forward, faking to shoot and playing the ball inside before the ball eventually found its way to Lauren James, but she scuffed her effort from the edge of the box. United started to build up a head of steam as we approached the hour mark, with some neat interplay seeing the ball land at the feet of Alessia Russo but her effort was blocked by Bright. Emma Hayes was the first manager to shuffle her pack, bringing off Lauren James for one of Wednesday’s goal-scorers, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. As the game ticked into the final half hour, United had another good chance, as Leah Galton found herself in some space in the area, but didn’t connect with her shot at all and it sailed wide. Chelsea were next to stride forward as the game opened up, with Kerr darting in from the left channel, junking her way past defenders before seeing her right footed effort deflected away by Turner for a corner which came to nothing. Marc Skinner had a double roll of the dice with 19 minutes to go, with Ella Toone and Leah Galton being replaced by Rachel Williams and Martha Thomas in an attempt to haul United back into this. Jessie Fleming was then replaced by Magdalena Eriksson for Emma Hayes’ side. With twelve minutes to go, a clumsy challenge by Perisset, barging into Rachel Willams brought United a free kick in a very promising position, but Katie Zelem’s effort lacked power and placement to trouble Katrin Berger. Chelsea really should’ve been out of sight with the very next attack, Rytting Kaneryd’s cross was misplaced by the United defence with the ball falling to Leupolz but her effort fizzed over the bar when everyone inside the stadium expected to see the net bulge. Niamh Charles then clipped a right footed effort in towards goal but it was easily held by Earps in the United goal as Chelsea looked to sew up the points. Ticking ever closer to added time, it started to get frantic for United, with Ona Battle’s deep, deep cross an easy collection for Berger when she had bodies in the middle, Sam Kerr then lost her footing at the vital moment fro the hosts in another venture forward just as Hayley Ladd and Nilkita Parris were replaced by Aofie Mannion and Lucia Garcia for United and four added minutes were put up by the fourth official. Emma Hayes then brought off Niamh Charles, who had a really strong performance down the Chelsea left as she was replaced by Maren Mielde. United then worked a quick free kick really well just inside the Chelsea half, clipping the ball into the middle, but synonymous of their day, lacked the cutting edge as it eluded everyone in Red and went out for a goal kick. Chelsea stood firm and held on to claim a priceless three points in the title race, seeing them move two points clear of second placed United, with a game in hand o what felt like a pivotal afternoon in the WSL. FT - Chelsea 1-0 Man United Goals - Chelsea - Kerr 22’ Attendace - 3,277

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

Aston Villa v Bristol City Photographer Ryan Asman Bristol City took a big point for the road as they drew 2-2 with Aston Villa. The Villans took the lead twice throughout the match and largely had the run of play, yet some big saves from Shae Yanez meant they only managed to net two of their numerous chances. Jordan Nobbs opened the scoring for Villa with a screamer of a strike before Amalie Thestrup equalised a couple of minutes later. The second half saw Adriana Leon hit the back of the net on the hour mark but the Villans couldn't do enough to keep the Robins at bay and Carrie Jones leveled it again in the 75th minute. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the Bristol City supporter who collapsed at the match and later sadly passed away.

Super subs Rachel Williams’ 87th-minute winner takes the Red Devils to the top of the WSL. Back Match Report WSL: Reading v Manchester United Super subs Rachel Williams’ 87th-minute winner takes the Red Devils to the top of the WSL. Ryan Asman 23 January 2023 By Rosa Maitland With many games in the WSL being postponed, the result now sees United move up to first, level on points with Chelsea, but with a superior goal difference. Reading remain tenth, four points above bottom-placed Leicester. United boss, Marc Skinner, named an unchanged side to the one that comfortably beat Liverpool 6-0 last weekend. Reading boss, Kelly Chambers named her 150th Reading line-up, making four changes to her team’s 3-2 loss last weekend. Defender Diane Caldwell came into the side to face her old team with Lily Woodham and Rachel Rowe also returning. In front of a record crowd, at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, it was the visitors who dominated early on. Lucia Garcia picked up the ball and drove down the right-hand-side before picking out Katie Zelem, on the edge of the box, who saw her effort comfortably saved by Jackie Burns. After soaking up a large amount of pressure from the visitors early on, Reading began to settle and show their attacking ability. Reading’s first chance came from a cleaver improvised flick on by Sanne Troelsgaard which found Emma Harries, whose rushed effort was gathered by Mary Earps. The home side had another chance a moment later when Justine Vanhaevermaet tried an audacious effort from the halfway line which left Earps backpedalling before watching the ball land on the roof of the net. Despite some Reading chances, United continued to show their ability all over the pitch and dominated most of the possession but Reading’s defence stood compact and organised. The visitors had a golden chance to break the deadlock moments before halftime, as they were given a penalty when Caldwell brought down Alessia Russo in the box. Zelem saw her shot saved by keeper Burns who got down low to make a great save. Half-time: Reading 0-0 Manchester United After a frustrating first half for United, they started the second half with clear attacking intent, but equal were Reading to the challenge, who defended well and continued to frustrate the visitors. United were clearly trying to attack down the wings and a nice bit of play by Nikita Parris and Garcia nearly resulted in a tap-in for Russo, who arrived late into the box. United were creating chances but were missing the final product and ultimately had nothing to show for it. Emma Mukandi's last-ditch block prevented Ella Toone from scoring her fourth league goal of the season after a dummy from teammate Russo. Both managers turned to the bench for inspiration as Tia Primmer replaced Troelsgaard for the home side and Martha Thomas replaced Nikita Parris for the visitors. Earps was made to work for her record-breaking 50th WSL clean sheet. Woodham delivered in a great freekick which was met by the head of Vanhaevermaet who rose highest, but the England international did well to react quickly and put it behind for a corner. As United pushed for the breakthrough Skinner replaced Garcia with Rachel Williams Williams made an instant impact, with three minutes to go, she picked up the ball and cleverly rode the challenges of Reading defenders before smashing the ball into the roof of the net to send United top of the WSL. Full-time: Reading 0-1 Manchester United Line-Ups Reading: Burns, Mukandi (C), Evans, Wellings (Bryson 90’), Eikeland, Harries (Dowie 90’), Caldwell, Rowe (Wade 85’), Vanhaevermaet, Woodham, Troelsgaard (64’) Unused Subs: Moloney, Poulter, Jane Manchester United: Earps, Batlle, Blundell, Toone, Zelem (C), Ladd, Le Tissier, Garcia (Williams 83’), Turner, Parris (Thomas 64’), Russo Unused Subs: Baggaley, Mannion, Thorisdottir, Tounkara, Boe Risa, Leon Goal: Williams (87’) Attendance – 5,108

Reaching 200 appearances for Pride Park, Tash Allderidge is as passionate today as the day she made her debut Tash Allderidge: Pride Park's experienced icon Monday, 4 March 2024 By Ben Gilby Reaching 200 appearances for Pride Park, Tash Allderidge is as passionate today as the day she made her debut Shaun Hardwick Pride Park are a female only club with a major footprint in community football. The first team are currently in second place of the tier seven Derbyshire Ladies League Division One, and run a large number of teams for girls. Someone who has been part of the journey from the very first season 18 years ago is Tash Allderidge who made her 200th appearance for the club at the start of February. In her period at ‘The Pride’, Allderidge has scored 79 goals since making her senior debut against Belper Town nine years ago. The club icon joined the club during their first season at the age of 10, and takes up the story of her journey with the Derby based outfit. Photo: Shaun Hardwick “I joined Pride Park in December 2006. Since then, the club has evolved and is now exclusively for women and girls, with eight teams currently, and recreational football for women as well as Wildcats for girls. Originally, our teams played and trained at various sites across the city and on different days, but since 2018 we have all trained on the same night at the same venue, where our first team and u18s play their matches, which has brought a feeling of togetherness to the club. “I had trained at a local football group for quite a few years as the only girl. Coming to Pride Park, it was really nice to join a proper team and play football with a really friendly group of girls. The club has always had the philosophy of fairness and playing for enjoyment and I feel like I’ve seen that through all my years at the club.” Whilst women’s football has never had as much exposure and finance at the highest levels, tier seven is somewhat different. Allderidge outlined what life is like in that respect at Pride Park. “Our players pay to play - although the club try to make it as affordable as possible to keep it accessible but subscriptions only cover the essentials and costs, particularly for venue hire, keep rising. Ultimately, we have to be self-financing although we’ve been quite fortunate as a club with grants and as a team the support of our sponsors is invaluable. We do quite a bit of fund-raising as a team to help fund additional items, such as off field kit, filming matches, supplementary training sessions etc.” Allderidge describes herself as a player who “brings a lot of energy to the team, playing as a box to box midfielder doing a lot of running, and am always getting stuck in with winning headers in the middle of the park. This season, a particular strength of mine has been my set pieces, after scoring some important goals from free kicks and a number of assists from my corner kicks.” Playing for the same club for 18 seasons is some achievement, particularly being part of that club’s entire history. Allderidge outlined that the main reason for keeping her in the light and dark blue of Pride Park. “I’ve always enjoyed playing for Pride Park because of the friendly team environment, whilst also being really competitive in the league. When playing for Pride Park Girls U18s, I did also play for Burton Albion Ladies for a season, helping them gain promotion to the Regional League. I did have the opportunity to continue playing for Burton Albion at the higher level, however I made the decision to continue playing for the enjoyment and stay with Pride Park as we began a senior team.” Photo: Shaun Hardwick Pride Park are currently having a superb season, with promotion to regional level football in tier six a distinct possibility. The club icon believes that unity and belief have been the main reasons for this success so far. “We’ve had some really good team performances this season, and it’s been pleasing to see how all the players have been playing for each other. We need to make sure that we keep consistent with our performances, particularly because we have some really important matches coming up against teams around us in the league. We can’t afford to drop many points the rest of this season and these are the games which will ultimately determine whether we can finish top this year. “In previous years, we’ve always had quite a slow start to the season and been disappointed with our performance and results at that early stage of the campaign. However, it was really pleasing that this season, we managed to break that cycle and hit the ground running with some good performances in a few particularly hard fixtures, which had put us in a strong position for the rest of the season.” The strong team ethic that exists in the team has been a major component in their league success this season – successes that have achieved despite a crippling injury list. “The most challenging part of this season has to be the number of injuries we’ve had. At times, we’ve been low on numbers for matches due to a large number of injuries in the squad - some of which have been quite severe and put players out for the remainder of the season. We’ve been fortunate to be able to recruit some more players throughout the season, to fill in gaps due to injuries, but it’s definitely been a big challenge this year.” Photo: Shaun Hardwick In terms of some of Pride Park’s closest challengers for potential promotion this season, Allderidge recognises the overall strength of the Derbyshire Ladies League’s top tier. “The league has been competitive again this season, especially towards the top of the table where it’s close on points between a number of teams. Wirksworth (the reigning league champions) have impressed again this season with one of the best defences in the league. They have made it hard for teams to break them down and score against them, proven by the small number of goals they’ve conceded so far this season.” With the season approaching its home straight, the Pride Park player outlined her aims for the weeks ahead. “Personally, I would love to add to my goal and assist tally throughout the rest of the games this season. We are currently still in two cup competitions so it would be great to make a cup final this year. However, as a team, our main priority would be pushing to win the league, and possibly promotion, so we need to ensure we’re being consistent in our performances for the rest of the season.”

Celebrating professional women's football in England. All you need to know about the top divisions of women's football. On Her Side provides information, news, articles and player profiles. 1/2 Our Associates The sites below have got you covered from Grassroots to the global scene. Make sure you check them out! Championing Women’s Football at all levels, from International to Grassroots. Created by fans, for fans. An independent news source that exists to capture women’s soccer in an authentic voice. Monthly magazine providing a new voice for women's football, from grassroots to the Lionesses. An independent news source that exists to capture women’s soccer in an authentic voice. Podcast (plus more!) sharing stories and news from across the globe.

Women's football supporter Finley Chung talks us through his experience of the Lionesses' historic Euro's campaign ‘It’s just the beginning’: How the Lionesses Captivated a Nation Friday, 5 August 2022 By Finley Chung Women's football supporter Finley Chung talks us through his experience of the Lionesses' historic Euro's campaign Girls on the Ball On Sunday 31st July 2022, 54 years of English football hurt was no more. Chloe Kelly stabbed home from close range in extra time to seal a historic win for the Lionesses and an even more historic moment for English football. Euro’s fever had certainly captivated the nation since the tournament’s beginning on the 6th July 2022. Whether it was through Beth Meads goalscoring exploits, Mary Earps pulling out unreal saves or Keira Walsh dictating play, the demand to see the Lionesses came from all corners of the country. Each game virtually a sell-out, players becoming household names, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo being serenaded any time anyone put on ‘Rockin All Over the World’ in any pub or club. From my personal point of view, I had been a fan of the Women’s game for a while. Being a Spurs fan and season ticket holder for the men’s side, I often took interest into what the women’s team were doing, especially following our promotion to the WSL back in 2019. On the international front, I only attended my first ever Lionesses game in 2021, a 5-0 win over Northern Ireland at Wembley in a World Cup Qualifier. Walking away from Wembley that night, not only was I dazzled by Beth Mead’s brilliance from her fourteen minute hat-trick, but I had a new found soft spot and connection for the Lionesses. Fast forward to July 2021, ‘Meado’ had just scored (shock) the winner in the opening game to Austria at Old Trafford and I thought to myself, ‘I wonder how far this team can go?’ The group games rolled by and 3 wins later, we were handed a tough test. Spain were our opponents in the Quarter Finals. I sat down to watch that game at home, thinking about how even if you travelled back one year and told me I would be this captivated, this hopeful and this invested in the Lionesses, well I’d have laughed you back into the pub you’d probably just stumbled out of! Fans celebrate Georgia Stanway's extra time goal Photo: Girls on the Ball As we all know, Georgia Stanway’s rocket was the difference in extra-time and aside from waking the neighbours children, that goal encapsulated everything about this team. Fight, passion, desire and a sprinkle of magic. We saw off Sweden in the semi’s, with I’m sure hundreds of people attempting and watching Russo’s delicious back heel the day after! I for one am still amazed how she had the nerve to do that in a European semi-final, it’s probably why she’s the professional footballer and I’m sat in my room writing this! That was it, England were in a major final, against Germany at Wembley. There was something rather poetic about it! I managed to bag myself tickets in the extra sale on the UEFA portal on the Wednesday before the final which put me on cloud 9, if only I knew how worth it all the queuing on the portal would actually be! Final day came around, I dusted off my England shirt and headed off to Wembley. After getting off at Wembley Park and getting a glimpse of Wembley Way, there was a special feeling in the air. No flares, no open use of drugs, not too much of a heavy police presence, all of which happened the last time an England side made a European final. This time you felt safe, kids getting face painted, programme sellers enjoying cheerful banter with fans, English and German supporters mixing, chatting, TV cameras getting photos of people, the whole walk up just felt so smooth. No sooner was I in the ground, Becky Hill opened the pre-game show with a brilliant performance and then the teams came out. Raucous cheering, the Wembley band blowing their trumpets and banging their drums, the Lionesses were in the final and the majority of the 87,000 crowd inside Wembley would back them all the way. In the first half, both Germany and England battled and defended well. Mary Earps and Millie Bright somehow denied Germany in a goalmouth scramble while Ellen White prodded over from close range at the other end, 0-0 at half time. Ella Toone celebrates her goal in the Euro's final Photo: Girls on the Ball Second half substitute Ella Toone was introduced and soon showed why, Kiera Walsh delivered a superb ball over the defence for Toone to lift deftly over the advancing keeper and put England ahead. Cue, bedlam!! ‘It’s coming home’ was being belted out of the Wembley stands and admits all the joy, bang. A German sucker punch. An equaliser to take it to extra-time. England v Germany in extra time of a major tournament, many of us had seen this film before, but these Lionesses clearly ripped up the script. In the second half of the extra period, Chloe Kelly won a corner then geed’ up the crowd, got herself into the box and made history. She stabbed the ball home at the second time of asking to send Wembley into raptures and create a moment of English football history. England beat Germany in the Euro's 2022 Photo: Girls on the Ball I went mad, as well as everyone else and after superbly seeing the game out, the party could really start. England had not only beaten Germany, but the Lionesses had secured their first ever major trophy and ended 54 years of hurt in the Sunday sunshine in a moment nobody under the Wembley arch will ever forget. Writing this in the days after, it’s all I can still think about, it still feels so surreal to have even been there for the final! One thing it does do, is catapult Women’s football in England to the forefront of everyone’s mind, every news outlet and so much more. Couple that with the excellent work campaigns like HerGameToo are doing and selling out a friendly against the US Women’s National Team inside 24 hours, I along with many others have a new found love and obsession with Women’s football, and it’s all thanks to these wonderful, inspirational, Lionesses.

Bunny Shaw earned Manchester City all three points in their visit to Kingsmeadow Back Match Report One A-Shaw-ed City performance in London Bunny Shaw earned Manchester City all three points in their visit to Kingsmeadow MCWFCXtra 18 February 2024 By Paul Donegan Manchester City won the clash of the top two in the Women’s Super League 1-0 thanks to Khadija Shaw’s first half goal. The win sees City move level on points and goal difference with Chelsea, only behind on goals scored, and end the Blues 22 game winning and 33 game unbeaten run at home in the WSL. On a mild evening at a sold out Kingsmeadow, Erin Cuthbert had the first opportunity of the night for the hosts in the 5th minute but her shot was blocked by Alex Greenwood. A minute later, Khiara Keating easily claimed a Nathalie Bjorn header following a corner for the home side. Manchester City scored with their first chance in the 14th minute when Cuthbert was dispossessed in midfield by Jess Park and she played in Shaw who finished into the corner of the net. A few minutes later, Shaw had another attempt but this time her shot drifted wide of goal for the Cityzens. In the 20th minute, Shaw had another shot but this one was saved by Hannah Hampton. From the resulting corner, Laia Aleixandri headed at goal but the Chelsea goalkeeper caught the ball. A whipped in cross from the hosts was headed behind by Greenwood. Guro Reiten saw an effort saved from the corner. A Lauren Hemp dinked ball forward was gathered by Hampton just before Shaw could get to the ball on the half-hour mark. At the other end, Chelsea appealed for a penalty after Mayra Ramirez went down after it looked like she had been caught by Greenwood but referee Abigail Byrne decided against giving a spot kick. Fran Kirby saw her shot tipped wide after some nice build up play from the Blues in the 34th minute. Cuthbert sent a shot from 30-yards over as the match approached half-time. Niamh Charles got back to block an effort from Chloe Kelly after a break from the Cityzens in first half stoppage time. Reiten was just unable to get her head onto Lauren James’ cross in the 47th minute when the Blues had the first chance of the second half. Ramirez was too strong for the City defence but her cross was put behind for a corner. Shaw couldn’t get on the end of Leila Ouahabi’s cross when the visitors had their first opportunity after the break shortly after. Laura Coombs had the Cityzens next effort at goal but this was saved by Hampton. Keating got to the ball just before Kirby almost immediately at the other end. Kelly’s inswinging cross in the 69th minute was headed over by Aleixandri as City looked to double their lead. Park, who had been superb, run through centre of midfield eventually finishing with Kerstin Casparij firing over. After another powerful Park run forward, Hampton kept out Kelly’s shot in the 73rd minute. Second half substitute Aggie Beever-Jones put a shot over for the home side as she made her way forward. Chelsea went close to getting an equaliser in the 77th minute but Cuthbert’s shot rocketed just wide of the post. Into the final 10 minutes, and Cuthbert made a fantastic tackle on Shaw leading to an attack from the Blues which resulted in a corner. Charles’ cross reached Nusken but she couldn’t get enough on her shot and it was easily saved by Keating. A Ramirez header from a corner was claimed by the City goalkeeper. Hemp, on what was her 150th appearance for the away side, fired an effort wide as nine minutes of stoppage time were announced. Keating made a brilliant double save to stop a Cankovic shot then Nusken’s follow up in the fifth minute of additional time. Chelsea had a few half chances before Ramirez was unable to get onto a long cross forward and the visitors keeper gathered the ball. Gareth Taylor’s side and fans celebrated when the final whistle was blown as they carried on their winning run and blew the title race wide open. When speaking to the media after the match, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes thought her side had “started the game really well then conceded a poor goal and that affected us a little bit, the way we pass the ball, and we weren’t very dynamic with movement in the first half.” Hayes thought they should have had a penalty. She continued by saying she thought they dominated the second half but they lacked the quality near goal. Hayes felt they limited City chances but the “disappointing thing for us was our final third play”. Taylor said he was “really pleased and is a big step for us” but he didn’t like the second half as he thinks they “can retain possession more or kill them off a bit more as they had some good counterattacking opportunities”. He felt they defended “incredibly well” . He added they are excited about the challenge with 8 games to go and “it is a big step, three points but we move on to the next.” Line ups Chelsea (4-4-2): Hampton, Lawrence (Nusken 72’), Carter, Bjorn, Charles, Kirby (Rytting Kaneryd 63’), Leupolz (Cankovic 79’), Cuthbert (c), Reiten (Beever-Jones 63’), James, Ramirez Unused substitutes: Musovic, Ingle, Perisset, Mjelde, Buchanan Booked – Cuthbert, James Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Keating, Casparij, Aleixandri (Kennedy 90’), Greenwood (c), Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Coombs (Stokes 90’+4), Kelly (Angeldahl 79’), Park (Fowler 90’), Hemp, Shaw Unused substitutes: MacIver, Morgan, Blindkilde Brown, Mace Goal – Shaw 14’ Booked - Kelly Referee – Abigail Byrne

Arsenal clinch a convincing 3-0 win over Brighton and progress to the FA Cup final to take on Chelsea. Back Match Report FA Cup Semi-Final: Arsenal v Brighton Arsenal clinch a convincing 3-0 win over Brighton and progress to the FA Cup final to take on Chelsea. Girls on the Ball 5 November 2021 By Charlotte Stacey As has become their adopted style under Jonas Eidevall, Arsenal kicked off the semi-final with high intensity and high press, immediately punching home positional fluidity and thrusting balls cross field to catch the visitors off guard. Yet, a resolutely defensive Brighton held firm in the first half denying the hosts at every turn. Relentless attempts from the Gunners front line, made up of Beth Mead, Nikita Parris and Caitlin Foord, successively threatened to break the deadlock. Foord’s chance at the 20-minute mark in particular, proved frustrating for Arsenal as an open goal was missed after the ball ricocheted from beneath Brighton defender and captain Victoria Williams’ feet. The next near-miss, and possibly Arsenal’s best chance of the first half, came 37 minutes in as Parris managed to get a head to Mead’s rebounded shot. Goalkeeper Megan Walsh managed to force Mead’s strike back into the box only for it fall to Parris. Parris nodded a strong ball toward goal that was subsequently cleared off the line by Williams. It was noted in the first half that the Seagull’s slipped into a 4-5-1 formation in an effort to resist Arsenal’s press whilst retaining a forward option to play to in transition. This system proved effective against Arsenal’s 4-3-3 and allowed Brighton moments on the break. Centre forward Danielle Carter took an encouraging run early on, racing toward goal before being cut out by Jen Beattie. After Williams’ goal-line clearance, Brighton seized the opportunity to counter the now out of shape Arsenal. Once again, it was Carter driving the attack as the Seagulls flooded forward. The striker was able to navigate space in the box to clip in a shot, yet Arsenal were able to avert the danger. The Gunners drove one last hurrah before the half time whistle when Mead and Foord rushed on to a long ball. Both used their pace to steam past Brighton’s back line, yet a watchful Walsh opted to meet them head on and collected her ball without hesitation. The opening goal came just four minutes into the second half after a slight tactical amendment to the Arsenal. The Gunners 4-3-3 remained; however, one midfielder pushed slightly higher, occupying the breadth of space behind the front three. Captain Kim Little filled this role of central nucleus, pivoting quick one-two-balls with the forward line. Stand-in left-back Katie McCabe acted as the third point in a triangle alongside Mead and Little, and the three worked in tandem to create the first goal. At 49 minutes, the opener was manifested from McCabe’s fine touch. McCabe passed to Mead who, with a shift of direction, cut around Megan Connolly and dinked it across to Little. As ever, the captain made no mistake and tipped the ball over the head of Walsh, putting the hosts one ahead. At 54 minutes Arsenal scored their second goal in a similar fashion to the first. Little passed the ball to Mead in their own half and the winger progressed forward 15 yards without much resistance. Mead squared it to Jordan Nobbs and continued her run. Nobbs threaded the ball back to Mead, who was now drifting inward, unmarked, on the edge of the box. Mead eyed up the angle before releasing the shot on her right foot, sending the ball into the bottom right corner. Firmly in the driving seat now, the Gunners third goal came with just under ten minutes to go when defender Leah Williamson sent in a signature bullet header from a corner to seal the deal. A valiant game was played by the Seagulls and definite moments of threat came from counters in both halves and some promising goalkeeping was displayed, yet Arsenal’s intense pressure ultimately proved too much to handle. Arsenal will face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5th December. ___ Arsenal: Manuela Zinsberger, Noelle Maritz (82’), Leah Williamson (90+1’), Jen Beattie (82’), Katie McCabe, Lia Wälti (64’), Kim Little (c), Jordan Nobbs, Nikita Parris, Caitlin Foord (64’), Beth Mead Substitutes: Lydia Williams (GK), Hermione Cull (GK), Teyah Goldie (90+1’), Anna Patten (82’), Simone Boye (82’), Mana Iwabuchi (64’), Frida Maanum (64’), Halle Houssein, Alex Hennessy Goals: Kim Little (49’), Beth Mead (54’), Leah Williamson (76’) Brighton and Hove Albion: Megan Walsh, Fliss Gibbons, Victoria Williams (62’) (c), Danique Kerkdijk, Maya Le Tissier, Aileen Whelan, Megan Connolly, Inessa Kaagman (78’), Kayleigh Green (50’), Danielle Carter, Emily Simpkins (50’) Substitutes: Frankie Angel (GK), Emma Koivisto (50’), Lee Geum-min (50’), Rinsola Babajide, Libby Bance, Ellie Brazil (62’), Katie Robinson, Maisie Symonds (78’)