Arsenal ascertained they are not to be messed with after a 5-0 victory over fellow title contenders Manchester City. Back Match Report Arsenal v Manchester City Arsenal ascertained they are not to be messed with after a 5-0 victory over fellow title contenders Manchester City. Girls on the Ball 28 September 2021 By Charlotte Stacey Vivianne Miedema opened the account for Arsenal within ten minutes after a Manchester City mishap presented the gunners with an open goal. Beth Mead pounced on Alanna Kennedy’s soft back pass to Karima Taieb and after collecting the loose ball, teed up Miedema who made no mistake calmly putting one past City’s scrambled defence. Arsenal’s second goal came after a break in play for treatment to Lauren Hemp after she took a ball to the face. Lia Wälti slotted the drop ball forward, Miedema collected and immediately flicked it on to Kim Little. The captain turned, dribbled and fired in quick succession sinking the shot past Taieb, who did manage to get a hand to it. Towards the end of the first half City organised themselves a threatening moment or two. The example of Hemp, who was able to cut in and dance her way through several Arsenal players before being caught out by Maunela Zinsberger at the touchline, served as a cool reminder of City’s attacking firepower. The second half resumed similarly to the first, City retained high levels of possession, yet Arsenal’s work off the ball meant the Manchester blues were kept at bay. City substitute Filipa Angeldal was able to test the waters with a powerful right-footed shot just before the hour mark. The Swede released the ball after finding space just outside the area, yet her effort was collected fairly comfortably by Zinsberger. Moments later Katie McCabe notched her name on the scoresheet. The Republic of Ireland captain picked up a lofty ball from the back, carried it through the middle and outfoxed centre back Alanna Kennedy and stand-in right back Georgia Stanway before releasing her shot. One of City’s greatest chances of the evening came with just over fifteen minutes to go when Ellen White’s lobbed effort tipped over the bar. Midfielder Vicky Losada retrieved the ball outside of the 18-yard box and dinked it over the head of Jen Beattie. This was picked up by White who successfully chipped the keeper but was denied by the crossbar. With just over ten minutes to go, Arsenal then won a penalty after Alex Greenwood challenged a goal bound Little. The captain stepped up, and as expected, took Arsenal’s tally to four. The gunners signed off their impressive evening with a fifth and final goal from Leah Williamson. Substitute Lotte Wubben-Moy whipped in a cross, after collecting the second ball from a corner, which Williamson met and headed with great precision. Whilst Arsenal were perhaps favoured to win this fixture, it was wholly unexpected for them to do so by such a large margin. So, what went wrong for Manchester City, and what went well for Arsenal? Within the opening seconds of the match one of Arsenal’s key plays was performed; long balls. Typically, Manchester City play with a high backline. This is to force opponents to play within their own half, thus allowing City to press up field as a possession-based unit. Whilst this usually serves City well, the pairing of a makeshift defence with the long passing ability of Arsenal’s centre halves made for a messy day at the office. Consistently, long and switched balls crossed the length of the pitch and were collected by Arsenal’s forward players, who by dropping in behind, immediately stretched City’s already trailing defenders. Very quickly Arsenal established that this play would serve them well and it was an instrumental factor in the large score line. Defensively, Manchester City were sloppy, yet contributing factors must be considered fairly. City were without Lucy Bronze, Steph Houghton and Esme Morgan, who are all out due to injury. Georgia Stanway filled in at right-back and Alanna Kennedy filled the right sided centre back role. Although both Stanway and Kennedy have filled these roles before, neither are naturally positioned here. This was particularly noticeable with Stanway, whose attacking nature meant she drifted high up the pitch. This would usually not be too much of a problem for City, as Lucy Bronze, their typical right back, plays much of her game through and beyond the middle third. During these times, Steph Houghton would come further across to patrol the open area and defensive midfielder, Keira Walsh, would drop deeper to cover Houghton. Yet, this is where City really found themselves in a sticky situation, not only were they missing Houghton, they were also desperately missing Walsh. Midfielder, Laura Coombs was tasked with filling Walsh’s role in anchoring the midfield, yet she was unable to cope with Arsenal’s quick and direct transitions. Coombs, who had a notable season last year, is arguably used best as a box-to-box midfielder. Her ability to track and forth within the middle third to reinforce a defensive phase or to bolster an attack is incredibly valuable when she is able to do just that. To play Coombs as a defensive midfielder ahead of an improvised backline was always a risk. It is role Coombs is unaccustomed to and one that requires a degree of perception and force to stave off central passages of play, which Coombs, unfortunately, did not quite manage to pull off. This tame marking meant that Kim Little was essentially able to play as a fourth forward. With over half of City’s defensive structure being made up of players that are somewhat unfamiliar to the requirements of their given roles, it throws up pertinent questions. Should players always be held to their expected standards even when playing out of position? Are there cases in which they simply cannot be? Yet further to this, and in this particular case, why was City’s typical approach not adapted to discipline and deepen the defensive line? Arsenal are noted for their intensity in their attack, so to stick to a high back four, a back four that was rendered vulnerable within seconds, is curious. There is no shame in throwing the kitchen sink into defend when needs must. At times City were noticeably disjointed. Passes were misjudged, runs were mistimed and players did not appear to be on the same wavelength. This made things much easier for Arsenal and worked into the hands of their gameplan. Although, for the most part, Arsenal were very relaxed in allowing City a fair whack of possession, they were able to force turnovers that allowed them to transition and counter quickly. Jonas Eidevall’s approach to this game was simple and direct. Lift the ball over the top, pick up second balls, force turnovers and press with pace and intent. It was not entirely doom and gloom for City however. The midfield duo or Caroline Weir and Vicky Losada played clever one-two’s and churned through balls out wide in attempts to surge play towards Arsenal’s area. Lauren Hemp, as usual, was exceptionally dangerous down the wing putting fullback Nöelle Martiz to work. Martiz, it must be said, dealt with Hemp well. It will remain to be seen as to whether Gareth Taylor will be able to wrench his side out of this hole with such limited options. Perhaps a deeper, more defensively minded approach may favour City for a period. And for Jonas Eidevall? Well, more of the same. __ Full Time: Arsenal 5 – 0 Manchester City Arsenal: Zinsberger (GK), Maritz, Williamson, Beattie (84’), Catley, Wälti (84’), Maanum, Little (C), Mead (84’), McCabe (63’), Miedema (77’) Substitutes: Williams (GK), Wubben-Moy (84’), Patten, Schnaderbeck, Nobbs, Heath (84’), Parris (63’), Iwabuchi (84’), Foord (77’) Goals: Vivianne Miedema (10’), Kim Little (22’ 78’ (p)), Katie McCabe (60’), Leah Williamson (90+3’) Manchester City: Taieb (GK), Stanway, Kennedy, Greenwood, Stokes, Coombs (54’), Losada (76’), Weir, Beckie (68’), Hemp (68’), White (C) Substitutes: Keating (GK), Park (68’), Angeldal (54’), Shaw (68’), Scott (76')

LCL and Saints draw level in a tough 1-1 tie Back Match Report WC: London City Lionesses v Southampton LCL and Saints draw level in a tough 1-1 tie Edward Payne 5 December 2022 By Paul Donegan London City Lionesses and Southampton drew 1-1 at Princes Park on Sunday. Going into the match, the hosts were top of the Women’s Championship and the Saints were third. The visitors have made a great start to their first season in the second tier but they went behind during the second half. Paige Peake equalised for Southampton from the penalty spot in the final minute of the match. London City Lionesses had the first chance of the match when Lilly Agg’s header from a corner bounced close to goal in the 5th minute. Four minutes later, Karin Muya, Atlanta Primus and Agg all had efforts saved or blocked before there was a shot wide from Amy Rodgers. The visitors first opportunities came from Katie Wilkinson whose effort for from out wide went into the goalkeepers hands in the 10th minute, then three minutes later she got a touch onto a cross which was saved. Primus shot from 25 yards for the home side went wide in the 20th minute. Southampton’s defence was playing well with captain Rosanna Parnell making some good interceptions to stop attacks, and in the 27th minute they stopped Muya getting a shot at goal. Jamie-Lee Napier’s low shot was saved low down by Kayla Rendell in the 29th minute. A minute later, at the other end, Ella Morris was played through but Shae Yanez made herself big to block the effort. London City Lionesses had the remaining chances before the break with Rodgers having a shot blocked by a defender in the 31st minute. Rendell saved an effort from Primus three minutes later. In the final minute of the half, Primus couldn’t get clean contact on a cross before Rodgers shot over. The home side had the first opportunity of the second half in the 47th minute when Muya’s header pushed away by Rendell. Rendell made another save two minutes later when she kept out Primus’ low shot. London City Lionesses had another chance a couple of minutes later but Muya saw her header hit a defender and go behind. The Lionesses next chance came in the 61st minute when Rodgers shot from 20 yards was caught by Rendell. Beth Lumsden had the visitors first chance of the second half in the 68th minute but she shot wide. London City Lionesses took the lead in the 72nd minute when Ewens, who had just come on as a substitute, got onto a free kick and sent an effort towards goal with the final touch maybe coming off Southampton’s Alice Griffiths. Southampton went looking for an equaliser, and in the 85th minute, Lucia Kendall’s shot was deflected behind. Southampton were awarded a penalty late in the match after Yanez was adjudged to have brought down Pusey in the area. Peake stepped up and sent the spot kick into the corner of the net. Deep into the eight minutes of stoppage time, the home side had the final chance of the match when the ball was headed across goal from a free kick but Muya just couldn’t get enough on it at the far post and the ball went wide. This point and other results mean that London City Lionesses remain of the league. Southampton drop a place to fourth but it is very close though with two points separating the top four at the moment. The Championship now has a break until January but both sides have FA and Conti Cup matches before Christmas. Line ups London City Lionesses (3-4-3): Yanez, Bennett (c), Girasoli, Nolan, Neville (Joel 66’), Rodgers, Agg (Hopcroft 66’), Fitzgerald, Muya, Primus, Napier (Ewens 71’) Unused substitutes: Cull, Pedersen, Shepherd, Heuchan, Kitching Goal – Ewens 72’ Booked – Nolan 89’ Southampton (4-4-2): Rendell, Mott, Peake, Parnell (c), Collett, Morris, Rutherford, Griffiths (Wynne 79’), Lumsden, Kendall, Wilkinson (Pusey 67’) Unused substitutes: Harris, Williams Goal – Peake 90’ (pen) Booked – Pusey 76’, Wynne 90’+6 Referee – Steven Hughes

Thoughts on: Bethany England Thoughts on: Bethany England England Back 12 September 2020 By Charlotte Stacey England for England Mia Eriksson With a number of goals that saw her ending up as one of the top scorers, being named player of the 2019-2020 season, as well as a senior international debut, Chelsea and England forward Beth England has certainly had a year to remember. Beth England is absolutely flying right now. Yet, with her current fine form, it is somewhat surprising that just a year ago, England was relatively unknown in the international camp. But a sharp focus, paired with a concrete perseverance, has seen her inspiring drive lead to an outstanding season with Chelsea; she is now, quite rightly, firmly on the map. Having a keen attacking mindset and an eye for an opening, England has everything you want to see in a top striker. England demonstrates a superb control of the ball, a first touch that is first rate, and a finish to envy. Whether it is her head or her feet, England is able to hit the back of the net from a whole host of circumstances, meaning she is problematic for the most proficient of keepers. Where she is predominantly a right footed player, England's finish is just as cool with her left, making her a threat from all sides. England is quite simply a headache of a player for a defensive line. Never one to settle, England is not a player that expects the ball to land at her feet. She has a tendency to make the most menacing of runs, often wreaking havoc for her opposition. Swiftly moving around the pitch and successfully finding space that others tend to miss, England is as much a part of build up play as she is in the finish. Lee Smith England is positively a team player. Remaining disciplined under pressure, England refrains from trying to do too much on the ball, and it is because of this that she does not often squander chances. Her practical approach sees her play with a maturity in goal scoring opportunities. Neither does England monopolise. Her game is always for the good of the team, and she builds strong partnerships from both the middle, and up front, creating chances for both herself and others. England's success is a prime example of not giving up when one's endeavours are perhaps being overlooked. Keep plugging away and eventually you will get there. In respect of both individual matches, and indeed her career as a whole, what is clear is that England will not stop until she gets what she came for. And thank goodness for that. With her call up for the SheBelieves Cup, and her accolades with Chelsea, it is fitting that England's talent is finally being, not only recognised, but celebrated. Looking forward, considering her stunning domestic form, England's continued presence in the international squad certainly looks likely. Rest assured, with England on the pitch, football might just be on its way home.

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

England’s return to the Stadium of Light ends in victory as the Lionesses remain unbeaten in their World Cup Qualifying games. Back Match Report WWC Qualifying Game: Lionesses 1-0 Austria England’s return to the Stadium of Light ends in victory as the Lionesses remain unbeaten in their World Cup Qualifying games. via Lionesses Twitter 28 November 2021 By Charlotte Stacey It was a special occasion for forward Ellen White, who earned her 100th cap against Austria, the team she made her debut against in 2010. White was to be England’s sole goalscorer on what was a bitterly cold and treacherous afternoon in Sunderland. Prior to the match, England manager, Sarina Wiegman, had already identified Austria as the Lionesses most difficult opponents of the qualifying group, and given the concluding scoreline and the overall performances from both sides, she was wise to do so. England opted for a 4-3-3 formation, reverting back from their previous fixture against Latvia, in which they lined-up with an attackingly emphasised back three. Demi Stokes and Rachel Daly returned to the starting line-up, replacing Beth England and, a now injured, Leah Williamson. Millie Bright took on captain duties in the absence of Williamson and usual skipper, Steph Houghton. The opening moments warned England of a more testing fixture than those of late when Austria pressed almost immediately, earning themselves a corner within the first minute. However, England were not to fall victim and roused a positively dominant first half. A triangle formed of Rachel Daly, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead down the right-hand side caused problems for Austria as the three worked in conjunction to feed balls through on goal. This was further bolstered by the deliveries of Bright and Keira Walsh who kickstarted attacks from deeper positions. It was this link-up that provided England’s first clear cut chance of the match, after several looming threats had failed to hit the mark. Bright slotted a well-placed ball to a front-footed Kirby who collected and released to an in-turn running Mead. Mead squared it across the box to White, who had just crept offside. Seven minutes later, a similar play was made as Bright supplied Kirby in the central channel. Kirby pitched forward and teed up a beautiful through ball to meet White’s run. This time White was not able to connect. Centre-back Bright got herself into a prime position and unleashed a lethal long range shot just minutes later. Austria goalkeeper, Manuela Zinsberger looked comfortable to let Bright’s shot fly just wide, however it was not a bad effort at all from the stand-in skipper. The deadlock was eventually broken 40 minutes in after Lauren Hemp’s delivery from the left pinballed around in the box before finding the back of the net. Mead overran the placement of Hemp’s ball, but Kirby was there to retrieve and keep the attack alive. Kirby struck the ball well but her effort was blocked bravely by the head of an opponent. Kirby was able to dink the second ball over to White at the far post, who managed to get stretch just enough to force the ball past Zinsberger. England could have then had a second just before the break when Walsh’s central ball met a well-positioned Kirby. Kirby got the shot away cleanly enough, but Zinsberger pulled off a might fingertip save to deny the Chelsea star. Austria began the second half as they had the first, strongly. The visitors provided goalkeeper Mary Earps with her first action of the game when Barbara Dunst took a punt from range. Two minutes later, Earps was up again as Austria came thundering on the counter in a 3v2 against Daly and Bright. Maria Plattner hit her shot as she inched past Daly, Earps reacted quickly and got a big hand on the strike. With gaps beginning to open up and Austria beginning to exploit space, England were fortunate on this occasion. Just before the hour mark, England had a rightful penalty shout when Mead was quite blatantly pulled down in the area. The referee denied England protests, and the visitors, as the host were minutes before, were fortunate. Austria keeper, Zinsberger, who like her defensive compatriots in front, took another important action at 65 minutes when she tipped out clubmate Mead’s powerful shot from the right. England’s next and final chance of the game came from Daly with just five minutes to go. The provisional fullback collected the ball a few yards outside of the box and saw the space open in front of her. Daly shifted her herself to get enough weight behind her shot and sent in a strong ground sweeping strike. Once again, Zinsberger managed to force the effort wide. In relation to England’s previous performances, this was not the most engaging. However, it will serve as the most critical in relation to picking out areas to adjust and improve upon. England succeeded in feeding the channels of the pitch and in being positive in possession. They fell short was in connecting with those final balls, overplaying the attack at times, and in allowing space to be exploited at the back. Sarina Wiegman was pleased with her side’s performance in her post-match talk, noting the performances of Ellen White, Fran Kirby, Beth Mead and Mary Earps in particular. Wiegman expressed that she would have liked to have seen her team play “tighter on the ball” and that they will need to improve upon their opening minutes of play going forward. The Lionesses will face Latvia on Tuesday at 7:30pm at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium. ----- England: Earps (GK), Daly, Bright (C), Greenwood, Stokes (90+1’), Walsh, Toone (62’), Kirby, Mead, White, Hemp Substitutes: MacIver (GK), Hampton (GK), Charles, Carter (90+1’), Wubben-Moy, Stanway (62’), Nobbs, Zelem, Scott, England, Parris, Russo Goals: White (40’) Austria: Zinsberger (GK),Naschenweng (60’), Plattner (89’), Wenninger (C), Dunst, Zadrazil, Weinrother, Kirchberger, Billa (86’), Puntigam, Hansaw Substitutes: El Sharif, Pal, Horvat, Fuchs, Schiechtl, Triendl, Georgieva, Höbinger (89’), Eder, Wienerroither (60’), Schasching, Enzinger (86’)

Ultimate football Heroes: Marta by Charlotte Browne Ultimate football Heroes: Marta Ultimate football Heroes: Marta by Charlotte Browne Marta is the best footballer in the history of the women's game. The Brazilian has jaw-dropping flair and skill. She has scored more World Cup goals than any other player, and has won FIFA World Player of the Year six times. But pure talent alone was never enough - this book tells the story of how Marta chased her dreams with determination and a never-give-up attitude, to earn the right to be called the best player ever. Available to buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1789461073/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?psc=1&pd_rd_i=1789461073&pd_rd_w=QNF21&content-id=amzn1.sym.84ea1bf1-65a8-4363-b8f5-f0df58cbb686&pf_rd_p=84ea1bf1-65a8-4363-b8f5-f0df58cbb686&pf_rd_r=AR2B6BQWDKKPBKKTPBRF&pd_rd_wg=ekqCW&pd_rd_r=8b2a7da8-ba71-499e-ad48-f0d01242da82&s=books&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw

The Foxes couldn't do enough to stop the Gunners picking up another win in N7 Back Match Report Arsenal add another three to their tally at the Emirates The Foxes couldn't do enough to stop the Gunners picking up another win in N7 LCFC Women 22 April 2024 By Finley Chung A Beth Mead brace, her second in two games and Alessia Russo’s thirteenth of the season was enough to see Arsenal past a resilient and stubborn Leicester City side in their final Emirates Stadium game of the season. Jonas Eidevall made 2 changes to his side from the 5-0 win over Bristol City, with Manuela Zinsbeger returning in goal and Katie McCabe back in the starting eleven. Vivianne Miedema returned to the bench, alongside Frida Maanum, for the first time since her collapse during the Conti Cup Final three weeks ago. Leicester and Jennifer Foster only made one change from last weeks heartbreaking loss to Tottenham, with Julie Thibaud taking the place of Josie Green in the starting eleven. The Gunners got us underway in the chilly North London air, kicking towards the clock end in the first half. The visitors didn’t et the occasion phase them and arguably were the better side in the opening ten minutes, winning an early corner but Zinsberger was out to claim the ball well. From the resulting corner, Arsenal launched a rapid counter, but Beth Mead was unable to sort her footing out and Janice Cayman was able to get back and challenge well as Mead looked to cut back inside onto her left. The Gunners were starting to purr and ponce again broke, this time down the left with Caitlin Foord cutting the ball back to Beth Mead on the edge, but the effort was well blocked over for a corner which came to nothing. Deanne Rose provided a constant threat for the visitors, but it was Yuka Momiki who had the first action of the game going forward, taking aim and ripping a left footed effort towards Zinsberger’s top corner, but the Austrian was superbly tipped it behind after seeing the effort all the way. THe first Arsenal effort on target was also from range, with a free kick being arrowed goal wards by Katie McCabe, but it was straight at Leicester stopper, Lize Kop. With a flick of a switch just shy of the half hour mark, Arsenal took the lead, with Foord receiving the ball from Victoria Pelova and the former threading a fantastic through ball to Beth Mead who as able to stride onto the perfectly weighted pass and lift the finish past Kop in the Leicester goal, for her third in two games and her seventh of the season. Austrian Zinsberger was called into action again to superbly deny Leicester, with Deanne Rose laying the ball off to Saori Takara, who’s looping curled effort was fantastically clawed away by the Arsenal stopper in the last meaningful action of the first half. HT - Arsenal 1-0 Leicester Leicester got us underway in the second half, with Caitlin Foord looking ro add to her assist in the first half for Arsenal, with her low driven shot well held by Kop. Katie McCabe was next to aim for the target, sending her dipping, left footed volley over the bar from the edge of the area. Arsenal really should’ve doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half after a rampaging run down the right from Emily Fox saw the American deliver a brilliant low ball in, but Foord could only turn the effort into the arms of Kop in the Leicester goal. Another quick and incise Gunners move saw Alessia Russo find Emily Fox, who’s initial touch forced her a little wider than she would’ve wanted, but Kop still had to be down well to save her low, powerful effort. Fox once again displayed her attacking intent, cutting in from the right hand side before her curling left footed effort needed to be pushed behind by Kop as the Gunners tried to ramp the pressure up. To the delight of the watching Emirates faithful, Frida Maanum then made her comeback, replacing Stina Blackstenius and being involved for the first time since her collapse at Molinuex three weeks ago. Arsenal did get their second with just over fifteen minutes to go, Steph Catley won the ball back high and slid it sideways to Russo, who made no mistake sliding the ball past Lize Kop for her thirteenth goal in Arsenal colours. A third followed not so long afterwards, with a teasing ball in from Maanum, finding Russo who’s header was superbly kept out by Kop, before it scrappily fell to Mead who was gratefully on hand to tap home her second goal of the game. Deanne Rose, Lenna Petermann and CJ Bott were then replaced by Shannon O’Brien, Aileen Wheelan and Asmita Ale for Leicster City in the final ten minutes, with Arsenal also making two further changes, Cloe Lacasse replacing Caitlin Foord and Alesia Russo being withdrawn in place of the returning Vivianne Miedema. Arsenal were soo lose to a fourth, with Maanum so so close to capping a fairytale return, somehow turning the ball wide rather than in from a few yards out, As seven minutes aded time were signalled by the fourth official, Zinsberger did well again to claw away a Shannon O’Brien effort. The full time whistle blew as Arsenal secured a ninth straight home league win, thanks to goals from Russo and a Beth Mead brace. FT - Arsenal 3-0 Leicester

Crystal Palace top the table after comfortable victory over Coventry United Back Match Report WC: Crystal Palace v Coventry United Crystal Palace top the table after comfortable victory over Coventry United Crystal Palace Women 29 August 2022 By Paul Donegan Crystal Palace made it two wins out of two in the Championship on Saturday evening at Hayes Lane with a 3-0 victory over Coventry United. Molly Sharpe opened the scoring just before half time and Annabel Blanchard and Elise Hughes added further goals in the second half. This result means Coventry are still looking for their first points of the season. Dean Davenport made two changes to Palace’s starting 11 from their 1-0 win over London City Lionesses last weekend, with Molly Sharpe and Kirsten Reilly coming in for Elise Hughes and Chloe Peplow. Lee Burch also made two changes for Coventry United from their opening weekend defeat to Bristol City with Jodie Bartle and Fran Orthodoxou replacing Freya Thomas and Arabella Suttie. The home side started well and an early scramble in the Coventry penalty area was eventually put behind, Blanchard then shot wide in the 6th minute. Palace were playing some really nice football with Annabel Johnson’s through ball finding Sharpe but a foul was given in the end, Coral Haines also found Blanchard in space but the offside flag went up. Coventry United’s first chance came in the 17th minute when they intercepted the ball and Katy Morris shot wide from long range. This led to a spell with chances at both ends with Palace having the next one when Anna Filbey shot wide in the 20th minute. A minute later at the other end, Simran Jhamat sent a shot wide as both sides went looking for the opening goal. Palace did have the ball in the net in the 23rd minute but Blanchard was deemed to be offside. Five minutes later, Coventry United came close to going ahead when Morris sent a cross in that deflected off Palace defender Johnson and thankfully for her straight into the hands of Fran Kitching. A dangerous low cross from Palace was put behind in the 30th minute, and from the resulting corner Haines shot wide. Coventry United were playing six across the back at times and were proving difficult to break down. Palace saw Blanchard’s free kick on the edge of the area hit the wall and Haines effort from the rebound was blocked. Isabella Sibley ran through for Palace in the 35th minute but the Coventry defence stopped this before she got a shot at goal. Blanchard shot just wide three minutes later but the offside flag was up again anyway. In the 41st minute, Coventry had another chance when Morris found Meesha Dudley Jones but her shot was saved. Crystal Palace took the lead in the final minute of the first half with a nice goal. Filbey’s lovely through ball found Sharpe in the area who put the ball into the net with her left foot. At the start of the second half, Coventry put in a dangerous cross that was claimed by Kitching. Blanchard put a low cross in for Palace in the 55th minute that was cleared. Five minutes later, Filbey saw her shot from outside the area deflected wide. Orthodoxou put an effort from about 40 yards wide for Coventry in the 64th minute. Palace made it 2-0 in the 65th minute with another nice goal. This time, Elise Hughes provided the through ball which found Blanchard who controlled and finished with a curling shot into the corner of the net for her first goal for the club. Two minutes later, Aimee Everett put an effort over from a corner as Palace looked for more goals. Blanchard had another shot from outside the area saved in the 75th minute. Coventry were still creating some chances with Jhamat shooting into the side netting, and Merrick Will’s long range shot was easily claimed by Kitching. Palace had further chances in the final five minutes of the match with Filbey sending a free kick straight into the hands of Jodie Whiteman, and Blanchard sending in a low cross that was also claimed by the Coventry goalkeeper. Four minutes of additional time were signalled and during those Palace scored their third. Blanchard’s low shot was well saved by Whiteman but the rebound fell to Hughes who finished from six yards out for which was also her first goal for The Eagles. The Palace players celebrated in front of their fans at the end of the match after a good performance that sees them go top of the league, though still very early days. Their next match after the international break is away to undefeated Birmingham City on the 11th September. Coventry United will go looking for their first points when they take on Charlton Athletic at home on the same day. Line ups Crystal Palace: Kitching, Johnson, Everett, Filbey, Reilly (Noble 79’), Arthur (Olding 79’), Doran (Barton 79’), Blanchard, Haines (Guyatt 69’), Sibley, Sharpe (Hughes 46’) Unused substitutes: Negri, Waldie Goals: Sharpe 45’, Blanchard 65’, Hughes 90’+ Coventry United: Whiteman, Mann (Rabjohn 74’), Bartle, Gane, Hoare, Alexander, Morris, Orthodoxou (Wiseman 67’), Jhamat (Milne-Redhead 85’), Will, Dudley-Jones (Davies 67’) Unused substitutes: Smith, Thomas Referee – Ella Broad

How (Not) To Be Strong by Alex Scott How (Not) To Be Strong How (Not) To Be Strong by Alex Scott An inspirational memoir of finding strength and resilience from the former Arsenal captain and England Lioness. From the football cages of East London to broadcasting to millions, the engine powering Alex Scott's remarkable journey has always been her resilience. But thanks to a 'push-through mentality' the world has only ever seen the 'strong' side of Alex Scott. Now the former Lioness is ready to lower the shield. In How (Not) to Be Strong, Alex shares the inspiring lessons that have shaped her, from finally confronting the legacy of a tumultuous childhood to the tarnished truth behind the gleaming football trophies. With raw honesty, Alex shows how she's tackled life's challenges and that sometimes the strongest thing you can do is show your most vulnerable side to the world. Available to buy: