A tale of two halves see things end all square in a 2-2 spectacular at the Madejski Stadium Back Match Report WSL: Reading v Brighton and Hove Albion A tale of two halves see things end all square in a 2-2 spectacular at the Madejski Stadium 27 March 2023 By Finley Chung A brace apiece was the order of the day in Berkshire as Reading and Brighton played out a pulsating 2-2 draw. Veatriki Sarri had scored twice inside 13 minutes to put Albion in cruise control, but a second half brace off the bench for Emma Harries earned Reading a share of the spoils in this bottom of the table WSL clash. Reading boss Kelly Chambers made only one change to the side that was defeated by Chelsea last time out, with Gemma Evans replacing Brooke Hendrix at the back. Brighton changed their goalkeeper for this one, with Australian Lydia Williams coming into the side to replace Megan Walsh. Emma Kullberg also replaced Elisabeth Terland as Brighton looked to have set up in a 5-4-1 system. The hosts got this game underway and you could sense the tension from early on in RG12. Reading worked the first opportunity of the game as Faye Bryson saw a headed chance blocked whilst Amalie Eikeland header over from a corner. It was the visitors however on their first foray forward ho broke the deadlock on this crucial afternoon on 7 minutes. A deep cross from the left channel by Poppy Pattinson was headed down by Katie Robinson to Veatriki Sarri who swivelled and smashed home a first time left footed effort into the corner past the helpless Grace Moloney in the Reading goal to draw first blood for the visitors. Barely six minutes later, the Seagulls had a second, the ball was worked back out to the left corner with yet another deep ball which the hosts didn’t deal with and Sarri reacted quickest again to prod the ball home and doubled the visitors lead. Albion so nearly had a third after neat work down the right by Katie Robinson and Emma Kullberg resulting in the latter cutting inside onto her left foot but her effort whistled wide of the post. Reading then finally upped the ante a little and had their first two strikes at goal which forced the Seagulls stopper, Lydia Williams into action. Firstly, Faye Bryson combined well with Eikeland and Charlie Wellings to send a ferocious half volley towards goal which Williams superbly saved, with the stopper then up again very quickly to deny Reading from the resulting corner. The visitors then sped away again on the counter and could’ve been out of sight and it was Sarri at the heart of it again, but her right footed effort was well saved by Grace Moloney in the Reading goal with Lee Guem-Min’s follow up being blocked en route to goal. Albion were the forced into a change just before the half hour, with Guro Bergsvand being withdrawn and replaced by Danielle Carter. Reading were finishing the first half strongly in an attempt to claw one back but the visitors were displaying some dogged defending to keep the hosts out as a series of corners in quick succession didn’t come off for the hosts. The substitute, Danielle Carter was the latest in Albion orange to try her luck fir their third goal but her effort was blocked well in the box. Eikeland then rather summed up the story of Reading’s half, trying an audacious chip over Williams in the Bruighton goal due to a lack of support, which ended up dropping well wide in the last action of an entertaining half. Half Time - Reading 0-2 Brighton and Hove Albion The second half got underway and whatever Kelly Chambers said too her players at half time worked, because one minute and 15 seconds into the second half, the Royals got back into it. Emma Harries who was brought on for Gemma Evans before the second half started raced clear onto an Emma Mukandi through ball to slot home with her first touch and get the Royal’s right back into proceedings. Brighton then broke swiftly once again with a two on two, Danielle Carter was then found free in the middle by Katie Robinson, but her low effort was held by Grace Moloney who once again thwarted Albion’s charge for a third goal. Reading then spurred a golden chance to pull themselves level as the electric start to the half continued. A free kick was floated in from the left by Rachel Rowe which landed on the head of Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen, who couldn’t have been more than five or six yards out, but her header went straight at Williams when if either side of the goalkeeper, the game would’ve had it’s fourth goal. Just before the hour mark, Brighton someway, somehow didn’t manage to get a third and surely thought things were conspiring against them, Katie Robinson’s effort was brilliantly kept out by Moloney who then somehow denied Sarri on the follow up after the attacker slipped over at the worst possible moment. The double whammy for Albion delivered on the counter from that very incident, Lilly Woodham got herself down the left hand side, spun away from her marker and stood the ball up to the back stick and there was substitute Emma Harries yet again who planted her header into the corner to level the game up at 2-2 and leave Brighton rueing the chances they had missed. The scorer of Brighton’s double, Veatriki Sarri was then replaced by Libby Bance as we entered the final 20 minutes in Berkshire. With 17 minutes to go, Kate Robinson perhaps missed a chance which could be pivotal come the end of the season. She raced onto a through ball, rounded Grace Moloney who sped off her line and misjudged the bounce, took a took and set herself before seeing her effort smash the outside off the post with the goal gaping infront of her, the biggest of the chances Albion hadn’t taken in the game, and what a pivotal moment that could be come season’s end, This pulsating encounter ticked into the final ten minutes with both sides looking to net a crucial winner in their fight’s against the drop. The seagulls had another huge, huge chance to win it late on, as a long ball forward was headed on by Lee Geum-Min into the path of Julia Zigiotti Olme but her effort was blasted over the bar when she really should’ve hit the target. Neither side could find a winner in stoppage time, and with Leicester’s loss at Aston Villa today sees Reading remain four points clear of the drop in 10th place, with Brighton one below in 11th, but with two games in hand on both Leicester and Reading having only played 14 WSL games this season. Full Time - Reading 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion Goals: Reading - Harries 46’, 60’ Brighton - Sarri 8’, 13’

We chat all things WSL with Aston Villa's Kenza Dali at EA Sports' Women's Football Summit On the red carpet with Kenza Dali Friday, 21 October 2022 By Charlotte Stacey We chat all things WSL with Aston Villa's Kenza Dali at EA Sports' Women's Football Summit Charlotte Stacey | Getty Images We were lucky enough to attend EA Sport’s Women’s Football Summit in London to celebrate the launch of the Women’s Super League in FIFA23. First up, we spoke to attacking midfielder Kenza Dali who signed for Aston Villa over the summer. The France international has enjoyed a spectacular start to the season in claret and blue having been instrumental in goal creation and assisting, and has even hit the back of the net herself. On the red carpet, we chatted all things WSL and touched upon the impact of women’s leagues becoming available to play on FIFA, here’s what Dali had to say… Settling in at Aston Villa… “I feel really good to be honest. We had a really good start to the season, obviously a bit disappointed with the game [last] weekend but you know you’re going to drop points in this league because every team is hard to beat. But I feel really good, it’s a really nice group.” Playing under Carla Ward…. “I really love my manager. Really, really, a good manager. A nice human being first of all, which makes things easier, and she’s working hard. I think she deserves the credit that she had this last month.” Kenza Dali on the red carpet at the Women's Football Summit Oppositions in the WSL…. “To be honest it’s a really hard league. When I’m watching every week and I analyse the opposition, I think “oof, another tough one”. You can never go easy. You play in this league for that and I love that.” The toughest league opposition… “I will go for Chelsea. I think Chelsea have a really strong team with a big depth, so this season I would go with Chelsea. But Arsenal, I think, have really improved.” Whether the league is becoming more competitive…. “Definitely. I don’t think there’s any team that you’re going to start the game and say “oh, it’s going to be an easy one today, or that I can be at 60 or 70 per cent.” I think in this league, if you’re at 70 per cent, you can’t win games.” The WSL being available to play in FIFA23…. “To be honest I played as myself in the previous game because the national team was in it. But seeing me in the club kit is amazing! I think it’s a big part of the game too because it shows how much the game has improved. “As I’m passionate about football, I love football - I’m eating, I‘m drinking football – I would love to go back, say, ten years before and play as some of the girls back then. I would love that. So, I think it’s amazing for the new generation.” Dali is in action this weekend against her former club Everton as Aston Villa host the Toffees on Saturday at 12:30am (BST). The game is available to watch live on the FA Player.

Conti Cup: London City Lionesses vs Watford Photographer Adam Mitten After the match ended all square with two apiece at Princes Park, penalties decided who would be earning the extra point. After the first five spotkicks finished equally, eventually Watford clinched the win earning 7 to LCL's 6.

Brighton vs Manchester United Photographer Edward Payne Manchester United added another crucial three points to their tally and now sit top of the table after a 4-0 win in Crawley. Two goals from Leah Galton (who is having herself a very impressive season indeed) and one a piece from Rachel Williams and Lucia Garcia saw the Red Devils make things uncomfortable for a struggling Brighton. Our photographer Edward Payne was on hand to catch the action.

The Lionesses thrashed Portugal 6-0 in Wembley win Back Match Report Aggie Beever-Jones lights up Wembley with first half hat-trick The Lionesses thrashed Portugal 6-0 in Wembley win Lionesses 3 June 2025 By Aimee Logan After a turbulent week in the England camp, the Lionesses put on a show at Wembley Stadium defeating Portugal 6-0, with a first-half hat trick from Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones. A shocking announcement of Mary Earps’ international retirement overshadowed the England camp this week as a huge gap was left in the Lionesses team, significantly between the goalkeepers. Hannah Hampton, now the only capped England goalkeeper in the current squad, was left with immense pressure on her shoulders to perform as the competition for England’s number one spot was now removed and, rightfully so, gifted to her. After playing every WSL minute in the 24/25 season for Chelsea, Lionesses fans are concerned about the risks of having little experience at the back ahead of the Euros this summer. It was Beever-Jones who opened the score sheet, driving past the poor Portugal defence and placing the ball in the bottom corner. It wasn’t long before the Portuguese defence were punished again, after Beth Mead’s shot was blocked by Ines Pereira, Lucy Bronze knocked the ball into the back of the net. Aggie Beever-Jones | @Lionesses Champions League winner, Mead, also secured a place on the score sheet to make it 4-0 for England with only 30 minutes on the clock. Despite the concern from England fans that the defensive holes of Millie Bright and Mary Earps were going to show, Portugal were silenced for the entire of the first-half by England’s backline leaving them without a single shot on target. Before the final minutes of the first 45, Beever-Jones secured her hat-rick as England remained consistently dominant against the visitors. The star of the Lionesses’ show at Wembley stadium had to have been Beever-Jones. Arguably, she was only given the starting position for this fixture due to Alessia Russo’s injury but it’s certain that her performance in this game will give the England manager, Sarina Wiegman, plenty to consider ahead of this summer’s Euros. Wiegman opted for a triple substitution ten minutes into the second half, seeing Alex Greenwood play her first minutes in an England shirt for over five months. Similarly, Lauren Hemp was substituted for Chloe Kelly, Hemp also playing her first England minutes in 2025 after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. A less eventful second half included only one goal from Arsenal loanee, Kelly, proving the instant impact she can have as soon as she steps on the field. The final score, 6-0, provided England fans with comfort as the team looks to reclaim their European title in only five weeks time. For one last time out at Wembley for several months, the Lionesses proved that despite a disruptive time in and around the camp, the team can come together and perform at the highest standards. After Spain’s victory against Belgium, England still need to defeat Spain on Tuesday in order to top the Nations League group and advance to the next stage of the competition. Post-match, Aggie Beever-Jones described herself as “delighted” to become the third England player ever to score a hat-trick at Wembley stadium. “It was my first time playing at Wembley for England, so I don’t think it could have got much better than that.” "The first half from us as a team was incredible” , she added, “I’m just so happy if I’m honest!” Grace Clinton praised the return of Lauren Hemp who hasn’t played on the international stage in six months due to injury, “out of possession, in possession, she's an unbelievable player. She’s got 1 v 1s, she’s got dribbling, she’s got pace, like her runs in behind, she’s got everything.” Hemp agreed, “it’s been a long six months but I feel like, coming back in an England shirt today, it sort of also felt like yesterday that I was back here. It feels great.” She added, “It's been tricky but I feel fit, I feel fresh, so hopefully I’ll get some minutes again before a big summer ahead.” Earlier in the week, young Lioness, Michelle Agyemang described what it would be like to be a part of the team heading to Switzerland for England to defend their European title. “I think it's an honour to represent my country, no matter where it is or what age group. To be there would be an absolute honour, and we’ll see what the future holds.” Wiegman has left Agyemang waiting for her Wembley debut as she started as a substitute for the fixture against Portugal. She revealed the last time she was at Wembley, “I think when I was 15 I was a ball girl, that was it. Yes, England versus Northern Ireland, something like that, at Wembley, a couple of years ago, they got a few of the girls out from the pathway.” She added, “I’d never been to Wembley before, so the atmosphere was crazy, and yes, it was interesting but I really liked it and I enjoyed the experience.” If Agyemang doesn’t get a spot on Wiegaman’s roster for the European Championship, the Under-19s Euros also takes place this summer and no she will no doubt be called upon for the tournament if she doesn’t head to Switzerland with the senior Lionesses.

Chelsea progress through to the Champions League semi-finals with 4-1 aggregate score over Ajax Back Match Report Chelsea earn place in UWCL semi-finals Chelsea progress through to the Champions League semi-finals with 4-1 aggregate score over Ajax Chelsea FCW 29 March 2024 By Paul Donegan Chelsea progressed to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals for the second season in a row and for the fifth time in the last seven seasons with a 4-1 aggregate win over Ajax. The second leg finished 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening after the Blues had won 3-0 in Amsterdam in the first leg last week. Mayra Ramirez had given the hosts the lead in the first half before Chasity Grant deservedly equalised for the visitors after the break. The Dutch side had the first chance of the match when their captain Sherida Spitse headed a corner onto the roof of the net in the 3rd minute. Chelsea’s first opportunity came a minute later when Isa Kardinaal gave the ball away to Fran Kirby but her pass was overhit and went behind for a goal kick. In the 9th minute, the hosts went close to going ahead on the night but Erin Cuthbert’s effort went narrowly wide of the post. Ajax went close to scoring themselves in the 17th minute when Romee Leuchter’s shot from 12-yards drifted the wrong side of the woodwork. The visitors went even closer to finding the net a minute later when Zecira Musovic’s clearance rebounded off the charging in Tiny Hoekstra and went inches wide. At the other end, Guro Reiten’s shot across goal went not far wide after good build up from Aggie Beever-Jones on the right-side in the 23rd minute. Kay-Lee De Sanders made a good tackle to stop a Chelsea attack a minute later. Beever-Jones then couldn’t get the ball under control in the area after being played in and it was cleared by Ajax. The Blues did take the lead in the 33rd minute when Reiten played in Ramirez and the Colombian calmly rolled the ball low through Regina van Ejik’s legs and into the corner of the net to score her first Champions League goal for the club. Jonna Van de Valde saw her effort from 25-yards go high and wide for the visitors in the 39th minute. Three minutes before half time, Beever-Jones put in a lovely cross from the right which Ramirez couldn’t finish from in front of goal. In the final minute of the half, Leuchter’s shot on the turn flew wide of the far post for the Dutch side. Ajax had the first chance of the second half six minutes into it but Leuchter’s low shot went straight at Musovic. Kadeisha Buchanan acrobatically cleared an Ajax cross in the 58th minute as the visitors looked to find a way back into the tie. Chelsea’s defence wasn’t looking that convincing at times but Ajax weren’t having that many clear chances in the second half. That was until the 65th minute when Grant’s low shot from the edge of the area went through the hands of Musovic and into the net for the visitors equaliser. Danique Noordam had the Dutch sides next chance in the 77th minute but her low shot lacked power and trickled into the hands of Musovic. The Chelsea keeper made a great save in the 80th minute when she turned Leuchter’s shot wide of the post after the Dutch player had turned Jess Carter in the area. Musovic was by far the busier goalkeeper in the second half, and in the 83rd minute she palmed away Soraya Verhoeve’s deep cross. The hosts first effort at goal in the second half came in the 86th minute but van Eijk easily kept out Catarina Macario’s low shot. Musovic made another really good save in the 88th minute when she pushed Danique Tolhoek’s shot from the edge of the area wide. In the five minutes of stoppage time, Macario was played in but Ajax’s goalkeeper rushed out to deny her. Verhoeve then made a good tackle to stop Johanna Rytting Kaneryd as she attacked. These turned out to be the final opportunities of the match as Chelsea progressed to the last four of the Champions League. When speaking to the press after the match, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said she was happy for Ramirez and her performance might cause her selection problems for weekend. Hayes felt both sides could have scored more. She observed that there was disruption with amount of changes made (6) and they were too transitional. The Blues manager added that they love winning, no one cares who scores, she trusts and is happy for the whole squad. Hayes praised Musovic for her second half saves and concluded by saying that Chelsea expect to be at this stage of competition. Ajax head coach Suzanne Bakker said she was “proud of their performance”, they learnt from last week, and the second half was better than first. She felt they created lots of chances and were still trying to win at the end. Bakker added she never doubted her team and they played in a convincing way. Line-ups Chelsea: Musovic, Perisset, Carter, Buchanan (Nusken 66’), Lawrence, Cuthbert (c), Ingle, Beever-Jones (Rytting Kaneryd 76’), Kirby, Reiten (Cankovic 66’), Ramirez (Macario 66’) Unused substitutes: Hampton, Berger, Leupolz, James, Charles Goal – Ramirez 33’ Booked - Perisset Ajax: Van Eijk, Kardinaal (Verhoeve 76’), Spitse (c), de Sanders (Tolhoek 87’), de Klonia (Keijzer 46’), Noordam (Noordman 68’), van Gool, van de Velde, Grant, Leuchter, T. Hoekstra (Keukelaar 68’) Unused substitutes: Nienhuis, van der Wal, I. Hoekstra, Jansen, Sabajo Goal – Grant 65’ Referee – Tess Olofsson Attendance – 11,820

All the key details ahead of the opening weekend of the Women's Championship Back Domestic Football Returns as the Women's Championship Kicks Off All the key details ahead of the opening weekend of the Women's Championship Ryan Asman 25 August 2023 By Charlotte Stacey After an incredible summer of international action, the Barclays Women’s Championship 2023-24 season gets underway this weekend. All 12 clubs across the Barclays Women’s Championship are in action this weekend, keeping the spotlight firmly on the women’s professional game after a year of record attendances and audiences. Beginning today, the league opener features last season’s runners-up Birmingham City making the trip to Blackburn Rovers. Sunday will see the rest of the opening fixtures unfold, with newly promoted Watford welcoming Durham to mark their return to the second division. This season marks the tenth anniversary of the Barclays Women’s Championship, first established in 2014. Last season the league recorded a 75% uplift in average attendance figures last season compared to 2021-22. The league will feature several players who participated in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, adding to the excitement after a historic summer for the women’s game. Ireland’s Louise Quinn, Lucy Quinn and Lily Agg represent Birmingham City, while Grace Moloney and Ruesha Littlejohn join up with London City Lionesses. Fresh from their round-of-sixteen run, Jamaica’s Paige Bailey-Gayle will begin her second season at Crystal Palace and international teammate Atlanta Primus has joined Southampton from LCL. All first and second round fixtures of the Barclays Women’s Championship will be available live on The FA Player streaming platform. From the third round onwards, one match per round in the in the Barclays women’s Championship will be selected for live broadcast on The FA Player. First round fixtures are as follows: Saturday 26 August 2023 Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City | Ewood Park | 17:30 Sunday 27 August 2023 Watford v Durham | Wealdstone FC | 12:00 Sunderland v London City Lionesses | Eppleton CV | 13:00 Crystal Palace v Reading | Sutton United | 14:00 Charlton Athletic v Sheffield United | The Valley | 15:00 Lewes v Southampton | The Dripping Pan | 16:00 The FA Player is a free streaming service. News

Her Game Too ambassadors tell us how important the deal equal pay for the national teams is in Wales and look to the year ahead. FAW x Her Game Too Sunday, 29 January 2023 By Finley Chung Her Game Too ambassadors tell us how important the deal equal pay for the national teams is in Wales and look to the year ahead. Her Game Too History was made earlier this month as the Football Association of Wales agreed a deal that will see the Men’s and Women’s football teams receive equal pay when repressing their country for the first time. This news is the first of its kind for Welsh football and shows a huge step in the right direction. Brittany Teague, a proud Wales supporter and member of the ‘ Her Game Too’ campaign commented, “It's fantastic to see that the women's game continues to grow in Wales, in both participation and attendances. The men's team unanimously agreed to a pay cut to enable this to progress which collectively shows their support of the historic change. I hope that this message encourages more young girls and women in Wales to continue in the sport and that other organisations take this positive approach too.“ The talks of pay parity with the Wales women’s team have been underway since November 2021 and the Red Dragon will now join countries such as Australia, England, Norway, England and Brazil in paying the same international match fee to both Men’s and Women’s teams. Brittany’s fellow Her Game Too member, Roopa Vyas said, “For me, as a Her Game Too director and a proud Welsh woman, I am elated. The support for the women’s team has grown significantly, especially over the last year, and will only continue as they are treated as equals by the FAW and are put in the spotlight just as much as the men. "If you didn’t already know, the FAW have several projects in place to support and encourage women and girls in football such as a BE football mentoring programme and I have seen first-hand the opportunities available for women in all capacities. It truly is amazing to see. Football as a whole is heading in the right direction, but decisions like these with Wales leading the way mean I couldn’t be more proud to be Welsh” Both Brittany and Roopa are part of Her Game Too , a campaign set up in 2021 to combat sexist abuse within football and ensure it really is everyone’s game. The campaign won the prestigious Best organisation in Women’s Football at the Football Content Awards (FCA’s) last year, which Roopa described as “the icing on the cake”. Of course, the campaign will be around for the long haul, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of girls to want to grow up to play and watch sport without the threat of sexist abuse. Speaking on her targets for the year, Roopa said, “2022 set the bar quite high, but I just know we can go bigger and better in 2023! We are branching out in so many directions, there is a lot in the pipeline at the moment which I can’t reveal too much on yet but all I will say is that you will see us EVERYWHERE! I would also like to quickly thank people for their support throughout this journey. "The campaign is under 2 years old but we are growing exponentially and that can be quite overwhelming on top of a full-time job. But the support gets us all through it and really is the motivation to carry on fighting to make football a game where all are accepted and welcomed”. With 2022 being a landmark year for HGT and 2023 starting off in the historical way that it has for FAW, Brittany ends by saying, “every partnership from grassroot teams to Premier League teams means so much to the team and we continue to work hard together to raise awareness and offer support to those who reach out to us. "We know collectively that there are still many challenges ahead for the campaign however we are driven to create a positive change in football.“

A quick guide to Reading who compete in the Women's Super League. Reading Website https://www.readingfc.co.uk/teams/women Manager Liam Gilbert - ENG Captain Squad Reading Badge Square Grace Moloney Photographer: Girls on the Ball Rachel Rowe Photographer: Girls on the Ball Reading Badge Square 1/6 Number Player Position Nationality Madison Perry FW ENG Lauren Wade FW NIR Ava Kuyken MF ENG Charlie Estcourt MF WAL Emily Orman (in on loan) GK ENG 51 Sanne Troelsgaard FW DEN 31 Bethan Roberts DF WAL 28 Lily Woodham DF WAL 25 Jacqueline Burns GK NIR 17 Diane Caldwell DF IRL 16 Easther Mayi Kith DF CMR 15 Brooke Hendrix DF USA 14 Deanna Cooper DF ENG 11 Lauren Wade FW NIR 8 Tia Primmer MF ENG 7 Charlie Wellings FW ENG 51 Sanne Troelsgaard MF DEN 21 Rhiannon Stewart GK ENG 27 Justine Vanhaevermaet FW BEL 10 Natasha Dowie FW ENG 12 Emma Harries FW ENG 19 Brooke Chaplen FW ENG 9 Amalie Eikeland FW NOR 7 Jeon Ga-eul FW KOR 6 Deanne Rose MF CAN 4 Chloe Peplow MF ENG 23 Rachel Rowe MF WAL 11 Natasha Harding MF WAL 5 Gemma Evans DF WAL 2 Faye Bryson DF ENG 31 Bethan Roberts DF WAL 29 Kiera Skeels DF ENG 28 Lily Woodham DF WAL 14 Deanna Cooper DF ENG 3 Emma Mitchell DF SCO 1 Grace Moloney GK IRL Ground Select Car Leasing Stadium, Reading

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.