Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten break UWCL records as Chelsea dominate at Kingsmeadow Back Match Report UWCL: Chelsea v Vllaznia Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten break UWCL records as Chelsea dominate at Kingsmeadow Girls on the Ball 27 October 2022 Paul Donegan Chelsea produced a dominant performance and emphatic win as they beat Albanian champions Vllaznia 8-0 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Wednesday evening at Kingsmeadow. Sam Kerr scored four, Pernille Harder got a hat-trick and Katerina Svitkova got the other as Chelsea made it two wins out of two in this season’s Champions League. There was a great atmosphere with over 400 Vllaznia fans in the ground supporting their side. It was Chelsea who had the first chance of the game though in the 2nd minute when after a bit of a scramble, Sophie Ingle’s shot was deflected of target. Both Niamh Charles and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd saw efforts saved in the early stages. Kerr gave Chelsea the lead in the 11th minute when she was played through by Harder and finished from about 6-yards. A Chelsea corner caused Vllaznia problems in the 18th minute. Guro Reiten put a long range shot over in the 24th minute as the hosts looked to extend their lead. Harder played a nice ball through to Kerr four minutes later but the offside flag had gone up. The chances continued to come for Chelsea but Harder shot over in the 31st minute. The Dane then headed over a minute later. Reiten skipped passed a defender but her shot was deflected wide in the 34th minute. Chelsea did score a second in the 37th minute. Reiten’s cross took a slight deflection into the path of Kerr who finished from close-range. Two minutes later and the home side scored a third. Reiten, who was excellent throughout on her 100th appearance for the club, with the assist again when her low cross found Harder who put the ball into the back of the net from 6-yards. Chelsea celebrate a goal Photo: Girls on the Ball Reiten played a nice through ball to Kerr in the 41st minute but Kaylin Williams-Mosier got there first to claim. Jessie Fleming put a chance just wide a minute later, again Reiten providing the cross. Kerr had the ball in the net again a minute before half time but the offside flag was up this time to deny her. Chelsea started the second half in the same way by creating chances to extend their lead. Fleming shot over in the 50th minute, and Rytting Kaneryd was unable to control the ball and saw her effort go wide two minutes later. Fleming put another shot over in the 54th minute from 25-yards out. It was 4-0 in the 57th minute when Reiten swung in a corner and both Kerr and Eriksson went for the ball, with the final touch looking like it came off Kerr’s head to complete her hat-trick. Eriksson header over a free kick shortly after, before Kerr scored her fourth and Chelsea’s fifth in the 60th minute. Reiten got her fourth assist of the evening as she played the ball across and the Australian finished from about 8-yards. The backflip celebration followed, and Kerr became the first player to score four goals in a UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage game. Harder had a chance in the 68th minute but shot over from 25-yards. Beth England was denied by Williams-Mosier a minute later as Chelsea looked to add more. They did score a sixth in the 72nd minute. England saw her header from a corner pushed away by Williams-Mosier but Harder was there to put the rebound in and score her second of the game. Harder headed over in the 76th minute, and two minutes later Chelsea did make it 7-0 when two substitutes combined. Alsu Abdullina’s cross was headed in by Svitkova for her first goal for the club after joining from West Ham during the summer. The Vllaznia fans, who had been singing and chanting throughout, started letting off some flares in the final 10 minutes and there was a slight delay after two of these had been thrown onto the pitch. Megi Doci had an effort for the visitors in the 87th minute but her free kick from 30 or so yards went wide. Chelsea scored an eighth in the 88th minute when Harder completed her hat-trick from 6-yards after Svitkova’s initial shot had been saved by substitute goalkeeper Viona Rexhepi. England had two chances in additional time, first heading over then seeing her shot hit the outside of the post. The final whistle went shortly after to signal the end of the match and a high scoring win for Chelsea. Chelsea general manager Paul Green described it as a ‘great perfomance’ when speaking to the press afterwards. He described Guro Reiten as “the assist queen” and “gives quality down the left side”. About Sam Kerr, he said “she is a natural goalscorer” and that “getting four tonight will give her a lot of confidence and hopefully take into the weekend”. Chelsea’s next game in the Champions League is at home to Real Madrid on the 23rd November. Before that, they take on Aston Villa in the WSL on Sunday at Kingsmeadow. Line ups Chelsea (4-3-3): Musovic, Perisset, Buchanan, Eriksson (c), Charles (Carter 63’), Fleming (Kirby 74’), Ingle, Harder, Rytting Kaneryd (Svitkova 63’), Kerr (England 64’), Reiten (Abdullina 74’) Unused substitutes: Berger, Orman, Nouwen, Bright, James, Cuthbert Goals – Kerr 10’, 37’, 57’, 60’ Harder 39’, 72’, 88’ Svitkova 78’ Booked – Perisset 21’, Carter 73’ Vllaznia (5-4-1): Williams-Mosier (Rexhepi 76’), Popovic (Ramadani 45’), Knox, Franja (c), Maliqi, Gjini, Patterson (Shala 76’), Berisha, Cavanaugh, Doci, Bashka (Lufo 45’ (Davidson 83’)) Unused substitutes: Raxhimi, Vuksani, Borci, Gjergji, Kodra, Saranovic Referee – Sabina Bolic (Croatia) Attendance – 3,022

Vivianne Miedema's first half goal means Arsenal remain unbeaten in the group stage of the UWCL Back Match Report UWCL: Arsenal v Juventus Vivianne Miedema's first half goal means Arsenal remain unbeaten in the group stage of the UWCL David Price 8 December 2022 By Paul Donegan Vivianne Miedema scored the only goal as Arsenal beat Juventus 1-0 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening. The Gunners now just need one point from their two remaining group games to qualify for the knockout phrase. Jonas Eidevall brought Leah Williamson back into the starting eleven for Arsenal in place of Jen Beattie for her first start since the end of September as she continues her recovery from injury. This was the only change from Saturday’s 1-0 league win over Everton. Joe Montemurro made one change for Juventus from the side that had drawn 1-1 with Arsenal two weeks ago in Turin with Linda Sembrant coming in for Martina Rosucci. Going into the match, the Italian side were second in the group, two points behind the Gunners. Juventus had the first chances of the match in the 5th minute when Manuela Zinsberger saved with her legs to stop a low Arianna Caruso shot, then Cristiana Girelli put the rebound wide. In the eighth minute, Steph Catley’s dangerous cross for Arsenal went beyond everyone in the penalty area. Two minutes later, Juventus’ goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin came out to block Caitlin Foord after she had been played through. The home side did have the ball in the net in the 12th minute but Stina Blackstenius’ effort was ruled out for offside. Arsenal did take the lead in the 16th minute when Blackstenius crossed in from the right hand side and Miedema finished on the half volley from about 6-yards out into the top corner of the net. This was Dutch forwards 20th Champions League goal for the Gunners, and her third goal in the last three games. The home side continued to have chances throughout the rest of the first half. Foord saw a shot tipped wide by Peyraud-Magnin in the 23rd minute. Blackstenius shot over in the 31st minute, then Lisa Boattin got back to block the Swedish international after she was played through in the 39th minute. Lotte Wubben-Moy had the final chance of the half in the 44th minute but she couldn’t direct her header from a cross and it went high and wide. Foord had the first chance of the second half for Arsenal in the 57th minute when her low shot forced Peyraud-Magnin to get down low to save. Three minutes later, the Juventus keeper came out to claim the ball after Blackstenius had been played through. Juventus had a half chance in the 62nd minute but Boattin’s long range shot drifted wide. Williamson was substituted seconds after that and received loud cheers as she went off on the far side of the pitch in front of the supporters. She even had time to have a photo with a ball girl as she made her way around to the benches. Rafaelle came onto replace her, making her comeback from injury and first appearance since late September. A dangerous cross from Catley was pushed away by Peyraud-Magnin in the 66th minute but the offside flag was up anyway as Arsenal went looking for a second goal. They had another chance in the 72nd minute when Miedema put a shot over after a corner had been only cleared as far as her. There was a loud reception from the vast majority of the 6,592 fans inside the Emirates for Jordan Nobbs when she came onto the pitch in the 79th minute. Julia Grosso’s effort from distance was easily claimed by Zinsberger as the visitors had another half chance in the 82nd minute. At the other end two minutes later, Laura Wienroither cut in and sent a shot into the side netting. Juventus had the final chances of the match in stoppage time. Boattin saw her shot from 30 yards go over, then Valentina Cernoia sent a free kick onto the roof of the net in the fourth minute of additional time. The Gunners are now three points clear of Lyon in the group, and they take on the French side in their next Champions League match at the Emirates Stadium at 8pm on Thursday 15th December. Before that, they face Aston Villa at Villa Park in the WSL on Sunday. Line ups Arsenal (4-3-3): Zinsberger, Wienroither, Williamson (c) (Rafaelle 62’), Wubben-Moy, Catley, Walti, Maanum, Miedema, McCabe, Blackstenius (Nobbs 79’), Foord (Beattie 90’+2) Unused substitutes: Marckese, Maritz, Iwabuchi, Agyemang Goal – Miedema 16’ Juventus (4-3-3): Peyraud-Magnin, Lenzini, Sembrant, Salvai (c), Boattin, Caruso (Cantore 65’), Pedersen (Gunnarsdottir 79’), Grosso, Bonansea (Cernoia 46’), Girelli (Bonfantini 89’), Beerensteyn Unused substitutes: Aprile, Forcinella, Rosucci, Lundorf, Zamanian, Schatzer, Duljan Referee – Ivana Martincic (Croatia) Attendance – 6,592

Esme Morgan Position Defender D.O.B 18/10/2000 Club Manchester City via PA Images

Bristol City take all three points home from Bramall Lane in a 3-1 win over Sheffield United Back Match Report WC: Sheffield United v Bristol City Bristol City take all three points home from Bramall Lane in a 3-1 win over Sheffield United Bristol City WFC 19 October 2022 By Paul Donegan Bristol City continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 3-1 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday. Shania Hayles scored twice before Abi Harrison added their third. Mia Enderby got a consolation goal for the home side in second half stoppage time. Ella Powell had the first opportunity of the match for the visitors but she shot over in the 4th minute. It was a fairly quiet start to the match with chances few and far between. Harrison saw a low cross cleared by a defender in the 15th minute, and Jodie Hutton shot wide for City five minutes later. Harrison then saw her cross go just wide. Courtney Sweetman-Kirk had the hosts first effort in the 25th minute but her shot was saved by Fran Bentley. At the other end a minute later, Ffion Morgan shot from 25 yards was kept out by Bethan Davies. Bentley pushed away a cross from Bex Rayner in the 34th minute, and seconds later saved a shot from Charlotte Newsham. Bristol City opened the scoring in the 40th minute. Hayles picked the ball up near the touchline midway inside the half, then ran past a couple of defenders before finishing low into the net. The away side made it 2-0 in the 48th minute. A cross from the right looped into the air off a combination of Hayles and goalkeeper and the City forward finished from close range to score her second of the match. Harrison scored The Robins third goal in the 54th minute. A ball was played over the top by Aimee Palmer which the Scottish international got onto before producing a nice finish into the corner of the net. Emily Syme had a chance to make it 4-0 shortly after but shot over after a scramble. Sheffield United made loud appeals for a back pass in the 59th minute but nothing was given. Rayner saw her dipping cross caught on the line by Bentley a minute later. Morgan’s shot from the edge of the area for City was saved in the 65th minute. Bentley made a save low down by the post to stop a Grace Riglar header from a free kick. She made an even better save in the 73rd minute when she kept out a deflection off Naomi Layzell from Sweetman-Kirk’s cross. The home side were finishing the match well and had a few opportunities in the final ten minutes. Enderby saw a low shot from the edge of the area saved, and in the 85th minute, Alethea Paul dragged a long range shot wide. Sheffield United did find the net in the first minute of stoppage time when Enderby picked the ball up midway inside the half, ran past one challenged and finished into the corner of the net from about 12 yards. The win sees Bristol City move three points clear of London City Lionesses and Charlton Athletic after the weekend’s games. Sheffield United drop down to sixth place in the league. Sheffield United are at home to Southampton on Sunday whilst Bristol City are also at home to Crystal Palace on the same day. Line ups Sheffield United: Davies, Newsham, Hartley, Riglar, Paul, Lord-Mears, Cusack, Haywood (E. Wilson 53’), Sweetman-Kirk (c) (Enderby 78’), Rayner, Walters (Muir 66’) Unused substitutes: N. Wilson, Wilcock, Docherty, Francis-Jones, Brown, Miller Goal – Enderby 90’+1 Booked – Cusack 87’ Bristol City: Bentley, Cataldo, Layzell, Mustaki, Powell, Syme, Palmer (c) (J. Bull 79’), Hutton (Bruce 69’), Morgan, Harrison (Woolley 69’), Hayles (C. Bull 57’) Unused substitutes: Clarke, Wilde, Teisar Goals – Hayles 40’, 48’, Harrison 54’ Booked – Syme 50’, Palmer 68’ Referee – Sophie Dennington Attendance – 1192

Kit Graham's late winner irks the Addicks in testing FA Cup match Back Match Report Graham sends Spurs through in FA Cup glory Kit Graham's late winner irks the Addicks in testing FA Cup match Spurs Women 11 February 2024 By Paul Donegan Tottenham Hotspur beat Charlton Athletic 1-0 in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round thanks to Kit Graham’s second half goal against her former club. This tie at the Gaughan Group Stadium on Saturday evening pitched Women’s Super League Spurs against the current Women’s Championship leaders and it turned out to be a close affair. In the second minute, the home side had the first chance when Eveliina Summanen’s flicked header from a corner hit the top of the crossbar and went over. Bethany England maybe should have done better when she headed wide from close range for the hosts in the 10 th minute after a cross had only been pushed as far as her. The Addick’s first opportunity came in the 15 th minute but Kate Longhurst’s header from a corner was blocked. Tegan McGowan lost possession when turning in the area a couple of minutes later and Spurs goalkeeper Becky Spencer claimed the ball. After some nice play from the home side in the 22 nd minute, Grace Clinton played in Celin Bizet but she fired over the bar. Freda Ayisi whipped in a free kick for the visitors that missed everyone as the match approached the half-hour point. A couple of minutes later, Ayisi saw her free kick from 25- yards hit the wall before being cleared. The conditions weren’t great with persistent rain falling through most of the match, and there were a number of misplaced passes from both sides. The hosts finished the first half well but England wasn’t able to get onto Olga Ahtinen’s cross. In the 41 st minute, Ahtinen’s long-range chip dipped over the crossbar. Wang Shuang aimed at goal from just outside the area but her shot went the wrong side of the post just as stoppage time was announced. Spurs made a double substitution at half time with Martha Thomas and Jessica Naz coming on for Clinton and Wang. Two minutes after the break, a cross from the home side went over England’s head and hit Bizet before going behind for a goal kick. Thomas couldn’t get on the end of another cross with Elisha N’Dow clearing the ball. Charlton’s first effort of the second half came in the 52 nd minute when McGowan sent a low shot narrowly wide. England had another opportunity for the hosts in the 55 th minute but she put her shot wide of the post. N’Dow then blocked an Amanda Nilden effort on the hour mark. Tottenham came close to taking the lead in the 65 th minute when Nilden played the ball back to England but her effort from just outside the 6-yard box cannoned back off the crossbar and out of the area. Nobody from the home side could get on the end of a Matilda Vinberg corner in the 74 th minute. Naz saw a shot saved by Jessica Gray a minute later. Spurs took the lead in the 76 th minute when second half substitute Graham won the ball back and her low shot from outside the area found the back of the net. Another dangerous Vinberg corner went right across the area in the 80 th minute with no one able to get the final touch. Graham saw an effort fly over following a corner as the home side looked to wrap the tie up. Karin Muya saw her shot from the edge of the area take a deflection and trickle to Spurs keeper in the 84 th minute. Nine minutes of stoppage time were signalled, and in the second minute of these, the Addick’s Mary Bashford saw her shot from 25-yards caught by Spencer. The match had got a bit tetchy during the second half and there were a few yellow cards shown, including one for someone on the Spurs bench. A long free kick forward from Charlton was headed just wide of her own goal by Nilden for a corner deep in additional time. That came to nothing and Spurs held out for the remaining time without any problems to progress to the quarter-finals. Line ups Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Spencer, Grant, Buhler (James-Turner 62’), Bartrip, Nilden, Ahtinen, Summanen (Graham 70’), Clinton (Thomas 46’), Bizet (Vinberg 62’), England (c), Wang (Naz 46’) Unused substitutes: Votikova, Brazil, Ayane Goal – Graham 76’ Booked – Summanen, Naz Charlton Athletic (4-2-3-1): Gray, Roe, Skeels, N’Dow, O’Rourke (Bashford 83’), Longhurst (c), Ross (Filis 74’), Addison (Muya 83’), McGowan (Johnson 74’), Barton, Ayisi (McKenna 63’) Unused substitutes: Rogers, Humphrey Booked – O’Rourke, Johnson, Barton Referee – Lisa Benn Attendance - 974

Liverpool's Faye Kirby made a sensational WSL debut, but it wasn't enough to keep Chelsea at bay as the Blues earned a late 2-1 win Back Match Report WSL: Chelsea v Liverpool Liverpool's Faye Kirby made a sensational WSL debut, but it wasn't enough to keep Chelsea at bay as the Blues earned a late 2-1 win Liverpool FCW 4 May 2023 By Paul Donegan Sam Kerr scored a late winner for Chelsea as they came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Kingsmeadow on Wednesday evening in the WSL. Emma Koivisto had given the visitors an early lead before Niamh Charles equalised for the Blues just before half time. The win sees Chelsea close the gap on the Manchester clubs at the top of the league to four points behind United and one behind City with two games in hand on them both. This was Chelsea’s first league match since their 3-0 win over Aston Villa on the 2nd April, having been in FA Cup and UEFA Women’s Champions League action since then. Emma Hayes made one change from their draw in Barcelona last Thursday with Lauren James coming in for Maren Mjelde who had jarred her back. They started in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Charles and Guro Reiten playing in the wing-back roles, Eve Perisset was one of the back three with James joining Kerr up front. Matt Beard made four changes for Liverpool from their disappointing result and performance against Leicester at the weekend. Out went Rachael Laws, Leighanne Robe, Fuka Nagano and Katie Stengel. Coming in for them were goalkeeper Faye Kirby, who was making her WSL debut, Rhiannon Roberts, Gemma Bonner and Miri Taylor. They lined up in a 5-3-2 formation with Koivisto and Taylor Hinds playing as wing backs and getting forward when they could. When defending, the defence and midfield played very close together so it felt like there were about eight players for Chelsea to get through at times. The home fans may have still been eating the free hot dogs promised by Hayes after the original game was called off after six minutes due to a frozen pitch in January when the visitors took the lead in the 2nd minute. After winning the ball in midfield, Liverpool attacked with Natasha Dowie’s cross finding Koivisto running in unmarked at the far post who finished past Ann-Katrin Berger. Erin Cuthbert had Chelsea’s first effort at goal eight minutes in but shot over from 25-yards. A Perisset free kick was easily claimed by Kirby in the 11th minute. Bonner blocked Kerr’s effort four minutes later. Kirby got down low to save a Reiten shot shortly after. Liverpool saw a long-range effort from Dowie was easily caught by Berger. The Reds were defending well and looked organised, blocking a Chelsea effort before Kerr put a shot wide. Kirby made a good one-handed save to stop Kerr’s flicked header in the 23rd minute. Jessie Fleming shot wide a minute later The visitors were slow taking a throw in after half an hour and got warned by referee Abigail Byrne. Koivisto was booked for the same offence a few minutes later. During a break for treatment to an injured Liverpool player, Hayes took the chance to have a chat to her players and changed formation to 4-2-3-1. She admitted after that she probably took too long to make this change as they were missing Mjelde playing the back three. This change also allowed their play-makers to be somewhere else on the pitch which Hayes said they felt they needed. Chelsea equalised soon after this tactical change but the goal came from a set piece. Perisset put in a corner which Charles headed into the net in the 41st minute. Liverpool had the final chances of the half during the four minutes of stoppage time with Shanice van de Sanden seeing an effort saved then Dowie’s shot which was blocked by Perisset. Chelsea had the first opportunity in the second half but James saw her effort comfortably saved. The Blues players did a bit more switching of positions when they made a double substitution in the 54th minute with Fleming dropping back alongside Melanie Leupolz in midfield, Pernille Harder came on and went in the middle behind Kerr with Jelena Cankovic going in the right-side attacking position. Liverpool’s two wing backs almost combined but Koivisto deep cross couldn’t find Hinds running in at far post. Cankovic was putting in some dangerous crosses but no-one could get on the end of these or direct the ball towards goal. Liverpool brought on another defender in the 68th minute when Robe replaced Taylor meaning Roberts was pushed slightly further forward into a defensive midfield position. Kerr put a chance over in the 73rd minute, before Harder was allowed to run towards the but her shot went wide a minute later. A final slight positional change for Chelsea in the 80th minute saw Cankovic drop back into midfield when Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was brought on and she went on the right side. Reiten had ball in net for the hosts in the 82nd minute but the flag was up for offside. Chelsea did score a second, and what turned out to be the winner, in the 86th minute. Fleming’s shot from outside the area hit the woodwork and Kerr was first to the rebound to score despite Kirby getting a touch on the ball. During the eight minutes of added time, Harder saw an effort blocked, and then a long ball forward was headed on by Kerr to Harder but Robe tackled before the Dane could shoot. The final whistle went seconds later. After the match when speaking to the press, Hayes said that Chelsea’s performance had showed they had not played a WSL match for a month, “we needed this game to get back into WSL, it is such a different game”. She felt they were asleep for the first 10 minutes of the game and this might be a “little bit of a hungover from the semi-final (UWCL against Barcelona), playing in front of 72,000 people and then 1,600, there is an adjustment and the first half reflected that”. She continued by saying they “found new levels of grind and new levels of dig today” to get the win. Beard said afterwards that he was disappointed for the Liverpool players as he thinks they “deserved a point” because of the way they defended. He admitted they “rode their luck at times” but considering everything that happened, they deserved something. After the disappointing performance against Leicester, he was happy with the commitment and desire the players showed against Chelsea. Both sides are at home on Sunday in the WSL with Chelsea taking on Everton and Liverpool host Manchester City. Line ups Chelsea (3-4-1-2) (changed to 4-2-3-1 during the first half): Berger, Perisset, Carter, Eriksson (c), Charles, Cuthbert (Cankovic 54’), Leupolz (Kaneryd 80’), Reiten, Fleming (Ingle 88’), James (Harder 54’), Kerr Unused substitutes: Musovic, Abdullina Goals – Charles 41’, Kerr 86’ Liverpool (5-3-2): Kirby, Koivisto, Roberts, Matthews, Bonner, Hinds (c), Taylor (Robe 68’), Kearns (Humphrey 82’), Holland (Lundgaard 60’), van de Sanden (Stengel 68’), Dowie Unused substitute s: Laws, Cummings Goal – Koivisto 2’ Booked – Koivisto, Kirby Referee – Abigail Byrne Attendance – 1,664

Reading face defeat at home as the Blades take a comfortable win 3-1 on the road Back Match Report Sheffield United earn all three points in Reading Reading face defeat at home as the Blades take a comfortable win 3-1 on the road Sheffield United FC Women 24 October 2023 By Paul Donegan Sheffield United beat Reading 3-1 in the Women’s Championship at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Sunday. The Blades goals were scored by Ashley Hodson, Isobel Goodwin and Charlotte Newsham whilst Tia Primmer got the Royals late consolation one. Reading had a few early corners, including one where some of their players ran from behind the goalline before it was taken, but these came to nothing. Sheffield United’s Sophie Barker had first shot at goal in the 7th minute but this was easily gathered by the hosts keeper Emily Orman. The home side saw Freya Gregory’s long-range effort deflected over three minutes later. Tara Bourne’s free kick hit the post in the 13th minute as the away side went close. Rachel Dugdale’s was causing the Blades defence some problems with her long balls forward. The Royals next opportunity came in the 17th minute but Sanne Troelsgaard’s long-range effort sailed over the crossbar. Lauren Wade cut in and saw her shot from 20-yards tipped over by Sheffield United’s goalkeeper Fran Stenson in the 23rd minute. Wade had another effort at goal from the edge of the area two minutes later but this one was pushed away by Stenson before being cleared. The visitors took the lead in the 33rd minute when Hodson got onto a loose back pass, went around the goalkeeper and finished from a wide angle. There was some miscommunication in the Blades defence shortly after that almost let Reading in before the ball was cleared. There were half chances during the remainder of the half but nothing to test either goalkeeper as the away side went in ahead at half time. Three minutes into the second half, Sheffield United made it 2-0 when Goodwin won the ball off Easther Mayi Kith, run into the area then finished low into the corner of the net. Jodie Hutton shot over in the 51st minute as the visitors looked to add a third. The Blades seemed determined to be first to the ball and were rushing Reading in the early stages of the second half. The home side saw a curling free kick miss everyone in the area three minutes later. On the hour mark, the hosts had another opportunity when Stenson kept out a low effort from Dugdale before the ball was put behind for a corner. Hutton sent a free kick from 25-yards over for the away side in the 65th minute. Newsham made it 3-0 for the visitors in the 72nd minute when after Hutton’s great ball across had been played back to her by Bourne, she tapped in from near enough on the goalline. In the 78th minute, Stenson made a good save to deny Josie Longhurst as the Royals looked to get a goal back. The home side finished the match well and scored a consolation goal in the fifth minute of additional time when Primmer finished from close range after Stenson had made another save. The final whistle was blown a few minutes later meaning Sheffield United have now won three of their last four league matches. After the weekend’s results, Sheffield United move up a place in the Championship to eighth whilst Reading drop three places to ninth. Both sides next games are after the international break on Sunday 5th November when the Royals visit Birmingham City, and the Blades are away to Southampton. Line ups Reading: Orman, Dugdale, Houssein (Longhurst 60’), Primmer, Wade, Hendrix (Cooper 59’), Mayi Kith, Estcourt, Gregory, Woodham (c), Troelsgaard Unused substitutes: Annets, Smith, Elwood, Medows Tuson, Jarvis Goal - Primmer 90’+5 Booked – Primmer, Woodham Sheffield United: Stenson, Newsham, Barker (c), Bourne, Sigsworth (Haywood 78’), Rayner (Kinzett 90’), Goodwin, Hodson (Wilcock 90’), Hutton (Connolly-Jackson 85’), A. Brown, R. Brown (Graham 85’) Unused substitutes: Heeps, Docherty, Page, Adebowale-Arimoro Goals – Hodson 33’, Goodwin 48’, Newsham 72’ Booked – R.Brown Referee – Grace Lowe

Ultimate Football Heroes: Lionesses by Emily Stead Ultimate Football Heroes: Lionesses Ultimate Football Heroes: Lionesses by Emily Stead Celebrating the success of the phenomenal Lionesses, this book follows four key players in their journey from the playground to the pitch, as they prepare for the biggest match of their lives. Learn how star players Lucy Bronze, Ellen White, Leah Williamson and Beth Mead stepped up to help the Lionesses secure the title of European Champions 2022. Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share. Available to buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lionesses-European-Champions-Ultimate-Football/dp/1789466881/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_2/257-3022985-0041206?pd_rd_w=sBA28&content-id=amzn1.sym.40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_p=40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_r=52Y9N1NYHXDY411HMK13&pd_rd_wg=eMXJ4&pd_rd_r=d05131df-0701-4d16-98ec-20c2bfbb5bbe&pd_rd_i=1789466881&psc=1

Natalia Arroyo reflects after an own goal destroys Aston Villa's hopes of taking a point away from leaders Chelsea Back Match Report “This is a starting point of something bigger” says Villa boss Arroyo Natalia Arroyo reflects after an own goal destroys Aston Villa's hopes of taking a point away from leaders Chelsea Aston Villa Women 4 February 2025 By Aimee Logan Chelsea continued their unbeaten run in the WSL this season, after an own goal from Sarah Mayling gifted the title leaders the full three points at Villa Park. The Blues have dominated the WSL so far this season, they remain undefeated with 12 wins and only a single draw in the competition so far under manager Sonia Bompastor. Only a fine margin divided Aston Villa and Chelsea last time out, a goal from Rytting Kaneryd giving Chelsea the victory: she started on the bench for this fixture. In the opening 15 minutes of the fixture, there were chances for both teams to take advantage of a counter attack, the best chance was handed to the home side where a mistake from Hampton provided Villa with a goal-scoring opportunity but her quick recovery defended the close-range chip from Nunes. Chelsea were quick to dominate the home opposition after some careless football in the defensive third. The referee awarded The Blues with multiple corners but despite the impressive deliveries, there wasn’t a player in the six-yard-box to knock it home for Bompastor’s side. After the convincing spell from the away opposition, Arroyo’s side stood-out for the remainder of the first 45, consistently punishing Chelsea for their errors with the away team’s defensive line criticality keeping Villa from scoring first. The final chance of the first half came from Chelsea’s Lauren James who fired the ball just wide before the whistle was blown for the break. The only substitution made at half-time was Chelsea’s Guro Reiten, being replaced by Rytting Kaneryd who would have hoped to build on some of her team’s positive attacks. However, the home side came back out fighting and didn’t give The Blues an opportunity for a shot on target for the first 15 minutes of the second half, until a shot from range from Macario ricochets into D’Angelo’s hands. After substitutions from both sides, the game remained an end-to-end battle with chances for both sides to score an opener. The best opportunity for the home team to punish Chelsea followed an impressive team counter-attack, finished with Hanson hitting the crossbar after the ball narrowly exceeded Hampton’s fingertips. It was Bompastors side who were awarded the first and only mark on the scoresheet, though, after Villa’s defensive mistakes left an opening for Chelsea leading to a messy own-goal from Mayling. A disappointment after Villa held their own for the entirety of the game and deserved to take a point away from the game. The score ended Villa 0-1 Chelsea, the title leaders going 10 points clear at the top of the table. Post-match, both managers reflected on their teams performances in the fixture with Arroyo stating that she is “sad but proud” of her teams’ performance. She determined that her team needed to “make a bigger impact in some details” because “the only big chance they [Chelsea] had, they put the ball in”. I asked if Arroyo could see the improvements in the Villa side since they last lost 1-0 to Chelsea back in September, she acknowledged that at the start of the season, the team “struggled in the first half” . Her team is “totally in” and “ have trust” in her as the new head coach. “I had the feeling that they [the fans] were there,” she added. “I loved the atmosphere, hopefully we can put more people in the stadium, but if not, it's nice what they were doing.” Bompastor also reflected on her teams’ slightly lackluster performance that earned them the full points away at Villa Park stating that “the starting XI wasn’t good enough” , adding “that’s my responsibility”. “I don’t really care about the fact we have been unbeaten, it will happen one day” The Blues’ boss relayed. She wants the team “ to focus in every game, because if we are able to perform in every game until the end, we will be in a really good position to have the title.” I asked Chelsea’s manager about new signing Keira Walsh, who completed her first few minutes in a Chelsea shirt against Villa and Bompastor could already recognise what she is going to bring to the team. “She’s so smart, she brings the calmness”. “We’re really happy to have her and I think she’s really happy to be with us.”

Bristol rise to the top of the table after an emphatic 3-0 win over Crystal Palace Back Match Report WC: Bristol City v Crystal Palace Bristol rise to the top of the table after an emphatic 3-0 win over Crystal Palace Bristol City Women 24 October 2022 By Paul Donegan Bristol City continued their undefeated start to the season when they beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday at the Robins High Performance Centre. After having two goals disallowed during the first half, Shania Hayles gave the home side the lead in the 41st minute. Emily Syme scored their second in the 48th minute, and Abi Harrison added the third four minutes later. Ffion Morgan saw her shot hit the crossbar later in the second half for The Robins as they had chances to win by more. Having beaten Palace 4-0 in the Conti Cup recently, Bristol City had the first chance in this game withing the first 30 seconds of the start when Ffion Morgan was just unable to get onto Harrison’s cross across goal. The home side did have the ball in the net in the 14th minute but Harrison’s effort was ruled out for offside. Crystal Palace had their first opportunity a minute later when Blanchard cut in but sent her effort well over. Harrison was unable to convert a cross in the 18th minute, and Fran Kitching made a fantastic save from close-range to deny Morgan five minutes later. In the 24th minute, Syme saw her header deflected wide. Palace were having the occasional chance and in the 26th minute a dangerous cross from Blanchard was cleared. Kitching made another good save in the 28th minute from Morgan, and Bristol City found the net again three minutes later but it was disallowed after referee Amy Fearn spotted an offence from a corner. In the 40th minute, Elise Hughes was just unable to get her head on a Fliss Gibbons cross for the away side. The home side took the lead four minutes before half time. Kitching got her hands on Hayles’ low shot but was unable to stop the ball from crossing the line. Anna Filbey made a superb clearance off the line a minute later to deny Harrison. Palace broke down the other end which ended with Chloe Arthur putting the chance over. The Robins had a barrage of chances just before the break but were denied by saves from Kitching and blocks by Palace players. The rain that had started during the first half had got heavier after half time. Three minutes into the second half and the hosts made it 2-0 when Syme’s first time strike from the edge of the area found the corner of the net. Bristol City made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute. Morgan put a cross in which was headed in at the far post by Harrison. Hayles had a good chance to score City’s fourth in the 56th minute but shot wide when one on one with the goalkeeper. A minute later and Morgan saw her strike from 25-yards hit the crossbar and bounce away. Aimee Palmer then put a free kick from 35-yards out over. On the hour mark, Harrison was unable to get a touch on Morgan’s low cross across goal. The visitors did have the odd chance but Paige Bailey-Gayle couldn’t get past Bristol City goalkeeper Fran Bentley, and Gibbons was stopped by a good tackle after running through. Harrison saw her shot from 12-yards saved in the 79th minute, and Jodie Hutton’s dipping effort went over two minutes later for the hosts. Kitching made another save to deny Morgan in the 82nd minute. Morgan had another effort from close range saved five minutes later. Palace had the final chance of the match but Hughes put her effort wide. After the weekend’s matches, Bristol City remain three points clear of London City Lionesses at the top of the Championship. Lauren Smith’s side will look to continue their good start to the season when visit Charlton Athletic on Sunday. Dean Davenport will look to pick Crystal Palace up after three defeats in a row in all competitions when they travel to Durham on the same day. Line ups Bristol City: Bentley, Cataldo, Layzell, Bruce (Wilde 90’), Powell, Palmer (c) (Woolley 78’), Syme, Mustaki (C.Bull 69’), Morgan (Boddy 90’), Harrison, Hayles (Hutton 69’) Unused substitutes: Clark, J.Bull, Teisar Goals – Hayles 41’, Syme 48’, Harrison 52’ Crystal Palace: Kitching, Doran, Everett, Filbey, Waldie, Haines (c) (Barton 89’), Blanchard (Bailey-Gayle 62’), Guyatt (Olding 76’), Arthur (Peplow 62’), Gibbons (Sharpe 77’), Hughes Unused substitutes : Negri, Johnson, Reilly, Noble Booked – Waldie 46’, Peplow 66’ Referee – Amy Fearn Attendance – 671

Chelsea advance to the semi-finals as they hunt down a third successive FA Cup after cruising past Reading 3-1. Back Match Report FA Cup Quarter Final: Reading v Chelsea Chelsea advance to the semi-finals as they hunt down a third successive FA Cup after cruising past Reading 3-1. Getty 19 March 2023 Rosa Maitland Current FA Cup champions, Chelsea, booked their place in the FA Cup semi-final thanks to goals from Jess Carter, Maren Mjelde and Guro Reiten. With a busy week ahead on the road for Emma Hayes’ side she named a line-up with six changes to the team that beat Manchester United last weekend. Amongst others, attacking duo Sam Kerr and Lauren James dropped to the bench with Niamh Charles leading the line. Kelly Chambers, who was keen for her side to bounce back after their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal last week, made just three changes with Lily Woodham returning to the side following a spell out with injury. The last time the Blues travelled to Berkshire, Reading inflicted a rare 1-0 loss to the current WSL champions. The Royals’ will be hopeful for a similar scoreline as they aim to make the FA Cup semi-final again after a penalty loss in the same stage in 2019. It was a relatively quiet start from both sides with both teams enjoying spells of possession, although nothing to test either keeper. Charles’ had the first chance of the game as she took advantage of Grace Maloney’s poor pass, but the striker struggled to find the target. Reading had their fair share of chances, with most joy coming from the wings but the quality in the final third was lacking. Chelsea started to grow into the game and control the majority of possession. The visitors broke the deadlock midway through the first half when an initial corner was not dealt with by the Reading defence. Reiten picked up the ball before delivering an inviting cross to unmarked Carter at the back post who was able to tap it in. Minutes after Chelsea opened the scoring the visitors had a chance to add a second. Brooke Hendrix conceded a penalty after clattering into the back of Charles. Mjelde was able to calmly send the ball in the bottom left corner after sending Grace Maloney the wrong way. Reading responded well to going two behind and pulled one back for themselves only for it to be ruled offside. Sanne Troelsgaard Nielson picked up on a loose pass before emphatically thumping it home after a long wait the referee chalked it off for offside. Lily Woodham was a threat down the left hand side and delivered a good ball into the box, but the final finish was missing from Charlie Wellings whose header went just wide. Halftime: Reading 0-2 Chelsea Chambers made one change a half time with Gemma Evans replacing Brooke Hendrix. Chelsea found their third, just five minutes into the second half following a clinical passage of attacking play. A pinpoint through ball by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was met by Alsu Adbullina who unselfishly squared it to Reiten to make it 3-0. Following the third goal the home side struggled to see much of the ball and Chelsea looked to dominate and see out the game. Maloney had to remain switched on as she made a strong save to deny Charles her goal and Chelsea’s fourth. Charlie Wellings found herself in space after a Chelsea defensive error but fired her shot across goal. After her goal was ruled out offside earlier Troelsgaard found the back of the net for the second time, and this time it stood. Wellings did well to keep the ball in play before finding Troelsgaard who did well to hold of Millie Bright and find the left corner. Reading continued to look for a second to increase the pressure on Chelsea, but the visitors remained stubborn in their defending and Reading struggled to find the qualify in the final third. Fulltime: Reading 1–3 Chelsea The current FA Cup champions profess to the semi-finals, despite Reading’s chances they struggled to make them count and their focus will now turn to the WSL. Chambers’ side will now prepare for two crucial games against Brighton and Leicester. Meanwhile, Emma Hayes’ will prepare for her sides’ trip to Lyon in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions league quarter final, before travelling to Manchester City in the WSL. Line-ups Reading: Moloney, Bryson (Wade 65’), Mukandi (c), Wellings, Eikeland, Hendrix (Evans 45’), Mayi Kith, Moore, Rowe, Woodham, Troelsgaard Substitutes: Burns, Evans, Wade, Caldwell, Jane, Vanhaevermaet, Meadows Tuson Goal: Troelsgaard 70’ Chelsea: Musovic, Bright, Ingle (Akpan 65’), Carter, Reiten (Claypole 65’), Eriksson (c), Fleming (Blades 89’), Mjelde, Rytting Kaneryd (Brown 90’), Charles (Leupolz 80’), Adbullina Substitutes: Berger, Leupolz, James, Kerr, Buchanan, Claypole, Akpan, Blades, Brown Goals: Carter (23’), Mjelde (25’), Reiten (50’)

Chelsea clinch a win over West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Ground Back Match Report WSL: West Ham v Chelsea Chelsea clinch a win over West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Ground Paul Donegan 11 March 2022 By Paul Donegan After a day dominated by off the field news, Chelsea took on West Ham, who were unbeaten at home in the league, on Thursday evening at the Chigwell Construction Stadium looking to reduce Arsenal’s lead at the top of the WSL. Chelsea started off brightly and Pernille Harder saw a header hit the post from a Jonna Andersson corner in the first 2 minutes. Sam Kerr had a header easily saved in the 8th minute and shortly after Ji put a shot wide. In the 17th minute, Bethany England saw an effort saved and seconds later Sophie Ingle saw a long range shot go over. Chelsea did take the lead after 21 minutes when after West Ham gave the ball away, Andersson passed to Harder who took a touch and shot into the corner of the net. Three minutes later Chelsea increased their lead when Harder headed back to Niamh Charles who scored with a shot from outside the area that took deflection on its way in. West Ham’s first effort came in the 26th minute when Tameka Yallop saw her curling, dipping effort tipped over by Zecira Musovic in goal for Chelsea. The resulting corner was scrambled clear by Chelsea. It was 3-0 to Chelsea after 33 minutes when Ji’s delightful through ball was headed in by Harder for her second goal of the match. Yallop saw a header saved in the 38th minute as West Ham looked to get a goal back before half time. Two minutes later, in a repeat of the corner routine from earlier in the half, Andersson crossed but Harder this time saw her header go over. West Ham had a good chance to get a goal back two minutes before half time when Katerina Svitoka headed wide Kate Longhurst’s cross. West Ham started the second half well and scored three minutes after the break when Longhurst’s cross was volleyed in by Dagny Brynjarsdottir. West Ham continued to be the better side and Svitoka saw a long range shot go wide after 51 minutes and 10 minutes later the same player saw a header caught by the Chelsea goalkeeper. Chelsea didn’t have a second half chance until the 63rd minute when they made it 4-1 when after a bit of pinball between West Ham players in their own box, the ball fell to Kerr who finished from inside the area. Chelsea blocked a West Ham chance after 65 minutes as they looked to get back into the game again. After coming on a substitute in the 75th minute, Lois Joel had two late chances for West Ham when she saw a header saved after 81 minutes and three minutes later saw a shot from the edge of the area saved low down. A big win for Chelsea as they move five points behind Arsenal in the league with two games in hand. Teams West Ham United: Arnold, Parker, Flaherty, Cissoko, Longhurst, Hasegawa, Brynjarsdottir, Svitkova (Joel 76’), Wyne (Evans 57’), Yallop (Filis 76’), Walker (Leon 57’) Unused substitutes: Stringer, Snerle, Leat, Cairns, Houssein Goal - Brynjarsdottir 48’ Chelsea: Musovic, Carter, Bright, Nouwen, Charles, Ingle, Ji (Reiten 67’), Andersson (Abdullina 76’), England (Spence 67’), Harder (James 79’), Kerr Unused substitutes: Mjelde, Berger Goals – Harder 21’, 33’, Charles 24’, Kerr 63’ Referee – Carl Brook