A huge 4-2 victory for Liverpool means the Reds secure promotion to the Women's Super League! Back Match Report FAWC: Bristol City v Liverpool A huge 4-2 victory for Liverpool means the Reds secure promotion to the Women's Super League! Hana Basir 4 April 2022 By Paul Donegan The top two in the Championship played each other at Ashton Gate on Sunday with Liverpool knowing that if they avoided defeat then they will be crowned champions and with it promotion to the WSL. Liverpool started brightly and Leanne Kiernan had the first chance in the 4th minute when her shot from the edge of the penalty area was easily saved. A Megan Campbell long throw was headed just over by Kiernan in the 8th minute. Liverpool did take the lead in the 13th minute when another long throw from Campbell bounced around in the penalty area before falling to Niamh Fahey who scored from about 6 yards out. Bristol City equalised straight away when Aggie Beever-Jones scored from an angle with the ball looping over the Liverpool goalkeeper and into the net. Liverpool went close to regaining the lead in the 20th minute when Rachel Furness smashed a shot just wide. Campbell then saw her free kick saved. Bristol City had a chance at the other end five minutes later when Beever-Jones saw her low shot saved by the legs of Rachael Laws with Liverpool then being stopped by a good tackle as they broke quickly. Furness had another effort for Liverpool that went over. Liverpool went back ahead in the 39th minute when Jasmine Matthews scored against her former club from inside the area after a free kick had not been cleared. Liverpool saw another opportunity go high and wide in first half injury time as they went into the break ahead. It was Liverpool who had the first efforts in the second half with Furness seeing her shot tipped over by Fran Bentley then they saw another shot go wide. A misplaced pass from Liverpool was picked up by Abi Harrison but Laws rushed out and gathered as Bristol City went looking for an equaliser. It was Liverpool though who scored the next goal when in the 59th minute, a Campbell long throw was flicked on and finished from close range by Katie Stengel to make it 3-1. In the 69th minute, Bristol City got a goal back when Harrison’s shot found the corner of the net from about 12 yards for her 15th league goal of the season. It was 4-2 in the 79th minute when Missy Bo Kearns finished a low cross from Stengel from close range. Liverpool went looking for more goals and in the 86th minute, Carla Humphrey rounded the Bristol City goalie but saw her shot blocked. From the resulting corner Jade Bailey headed over. In injury time, Liverpool saw a shot go over and Bristol City had the final opportunity of the afternoon when a long range effort from Jasmine Bull was tipped over. As the final whistle went, Liverpool started the celebrations on the pitch having secured the title and promotion back to the WSL after two seasons away. All of this in front of a Bristol City and Championship record attendance of 5.752. Teams: Bristol City: Bentley, Cataldo (J. Bull 59’), Layzell, Aspin (Wilde 83’), Murray, Allen (Powell 59’), Davies, Beever-Jones, C.Bull, Morgan, Harrison Unused substitutes: Whitehouse, Kuyken, Jhamat, Collis, Cook, Woolley Goals – Beever-Jones 14’, Harrison 69’ Booked – Wilde Liverpool: Laws, Roberts, Fahey, Matthews, Campbell (Wardlaw 67’), Hinds, Holland (Kearns 73’), Furness (Bailey 84’), Lawley (Humphrey 84’), Stengel, Kiernan (Daniels 67’) Unused substitutes: Clarke, Hodson, Moore, Silcock Goals – Fahey 13’, Matthews 39’, Stengel 59’, Kearns 79’ Referee – Lisa Benn Attendance – 5,752

The Arsenal come from one behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd at Meadow Park Back Match Report WSL: Arsenal v Manchester City The Arsenal come from one behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd at Meadow Park Ryan Asman 3 April 2023 By Charlotte Stacey The visitors seized the first advantage, breathing down the necks of the Gunners and pressing intensely early doors. Bunny Shaw’s bullet header earned City the lead within five minutes of kick-off following a passage of rather lovely build-up play between Lauren Hemp, Laura Coombs and Chloe Kelly. Shaw had another opportunity open up a few minutes later and, although the chances were not falling thick and fast, the scales were tipping in City’s favour throughout the first half. The makers of City’s midfield, Yui Hasegawa, Laura Coombs and Filipa Angeldahl, held control in the middle third, as well as offering a higher quality on the ball and in their passing. Arsenal found Hasegawa in particular difficult to deal with throughout. But with the addition of fullbacks Esme Morgan and Laia Aleixandri cutting inside, the visitors were able to overload Arsenal in the midfield whilst leaving Hemp and Kelly high and wide. Yet, as is becoming something of a theme, Jonas Eidevall’s gameplan began to take shape and the Arsenal began to get more of a foothold towards the end of the half. When they concede, the Gunners are not impulsively reactive. Rather than dropping their heads or panicking, they allow themselves to settle which is definitive of a collective culture developing. There was concern for Arsenal as Caitlin Foord was replaced by Laura Wienroither 35 minutes into the first half after suffering a knock. The Gunners will have everything crossed that nothing substantial is afoot after captain Kim Little became the latest name on their growing injury list last week. City had their chances in the second half and will be disappointed not to have netted at least one of them with the space Arsenal repeatedly gifted at the far post. Eidevall’s side dodged a bullet more than once in leaving Hemp unmarked when City’s whipping crosses came in and it is an area they will need to tighten up on. Frida Leonhardsen Maanum managed to poke the ball though the mountain of bodies in the area to score the equaliser just after the hour mark. Arguably City still had greater control of the ball up to this point, yet this served as somewhat of a catalyst for Arsenal to take the upper hand. Eidevall’s decision to shift his formation just minutes later further contributed to this mentality. Centre-back Jen Beattie was brought on and the Arsenal switched to a back three. This was clever for two reasons. One - to add another body into midfield and neutralise City’s overload, and two - to have a single central figure to occupy Bunny Shaw. Shaw is quite simply an exceptional striker. She has the movement, she has the finish, but what makes her truly brilliant is her intelligence and hold-up play. As she has done all season, Shaw had repeatedly dropped deep, earned possession and held-up the ball to allow teammates to flood forward. By introducing Beattie, Shaw was more closely pressed, limiting her allocation to retrieve the ball. Katie McCabe then went on to seal the deal for the Gunners with a rocket of a shot that defied numerous bodies, as well as Ellie Roebuck, to thump the back of the net. In a move that has clearly been rehearsed, McCabe received the short corner, nudged it into enough space to create an opening and unleashed a beauty that sent Meadow Park into orbit. City couldn’t bag themselves an equaliser and Arsenal ultimately earned the precious three points. Neither side outplayed the other, yet the Arsenal recognised and adjusted to the themes of the game more quickly and more sufficiently than their visitors. City, along with their uncharacteristically poor finishing, perhaps left it a little too late to respond to Arsenal’s tactical changes and fell just short of the mark. Line-ups Arsenal (4-2-3-1): D’Angelo (GK), Raffaele, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Maritz (67’), Williamson (C), Leonhardsen Maanum, Wälti, Foord (35’), Pelova (67’), Blackstenius (67’) Substitutes: Zinsberger (GK), Marckese (GK), Beattie (67’), Gio, Kühl (67’), Wienroither (35’), Taylor (67’), Reid Goals – Leonhardsen Maanum 61’, McCabe 74’ Yellow – McCabe, Wälti Manchester City (4-3-3): Roebuck (GK), Aleiandri (81’), Greenwood, Houghton (C), Morgan, Coombs (81’), Angeldahl (87’), Hasegawa Kelly (79’), Hemp, Shaw Substitutes: MacIver (GK), Casparij (81’), Fowler (87’), Castellanos (81’), Raso (79’), Ouahabi, Dahou Goals – Shaw 4’ Attendance - 3, 982 Referee – Abigail Byrne

Review of the Lionesses double header against France England versus France: 2025 Euro's Qualifiers Back Review of the Lionesses double header against France Lionesses Sunday, 9 June 2024 By Paul Donegan England faced a tough double-header against France in UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying over the last week or so. The meetings between the sides second and third in the world rankings resulted in a win apiece with the visitors being victorious 2-1 on both occasions. Here is a look back and some thoughts on the matches. The first game took place at St James’ Park in Newcastle on Friday evening. This was the first time the Lionesses had played there and it was also Sarina Wiegman’s 50th match in charge. Wiegman decided to pair captain Leah Williamson and Millie Bright together in defence for the first time in over a year after both had suffered injuries during that time. Alex Greenwood can maybe feel a bit unfortunate to miss out after having a great season with Manchester City. Mary Earps won her 50th cap but within the first minute picked up a hip injury and had to be replaced by Hannah Hampton shortly after. England looked a bit shacky at the back in the early stages, maybe not surprising considering how long it was since Bright and Williamson last played together. It was Williamson’s long pass forward that started the move that led to the Lionesses taking the lead on the half-hour mark with Beth Mead finishing Lauren Hemp’s low ball across the area. Hampton made a good save to stop Maelle Lakrar’s header four minutes later as France looked for a quick equaliser. The visitors did level the score before half time when Elisa De Almeida’s stunning volley from a corner looped into the corner of the net. Not much England could do about that one. Pauline Peyraud-Magnin made a good save of her own in first half stoppage time when she stopped Mead’s curling effort. Marie-Antoinette Katoto put France ahead in the 68th minute with a low volley into the net. Though maybe she shouldn’t have had the chance in the first place as the Lionesses had numerous chances to clear the ball before it reached the unmarked Katoto. Apart from the early enforced goalkeeper substitution, Wiegman didn’t make any other changes until the 79th minute when Fran Kirby and Chloe Kelly came on. This was perhaps a bit surprising considering it was the end of a long season and changes could have been made slightly earlier with England being behind and hardly threatening during the second half. The two substitutes helped improve things with both looking lively, and it was Kelly who had the best chance to equalise but saw her long-range effort dip over the crossbar. So, it was a defeat for England, and another recent match where a side has marked Keira Walsh closely and the Lionesses have produced little. There really needs to be a plan B for occasions when performances aren’t great and key players aren’t being effective. Moving onto Tuesday in Saint-Etienne when France knew that if they won then they would qualify for the Euro finals in Switzerland next year whilst England couldn’t really afford to lose after Friday night. Wiegman only made one change from the first meeting with Hampton starting in goal in place of Earps whilst Toone won her 50th cap. More changes might have been expected after the disappointing performance four days previously with the likes of Greenwood, Kelly and Kirby coming in. Both sides had early chances with Russo having the best of the Lionesses. Maybe having a number 9 to finish some of the chances could be useful as not really had one since Ellen White retired in 2022. A great Georgia Stanway first time strike from just outside the area gave England the lead in the 21st minute after Hemp had passed to her. The Lionesses looked more threatening and attacking with Toone playing higher up the pitch. Russo headed in England’s second goal in the 34th minute, Hemp providing the cross this time for her third assist in two matches. Stanway had the Lionesses final chance of the first half before Katoto headed narrowly wide to send a warning to England that France weren’t out of it yet. Indeed, the hosts were better after the break but the Lionesses were defending well. France were pressing more in the second half, and on one occasion when the visitors were playing out from the back, they won the ball back and Grace Geyoro was brought down in the area by Williamson with the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Kadidiatou Diani stepped up and sent put the ball into the net to make it 2-1 in the 72nd minute. Wiegman left it late to make substitutes again, making the first in the 75th minute then another in the final minute of the match with Kelly and Kirby coming on again. In the 89th minute, Hampton made a fantastic one-handed match winning save when she got down and tipped Katoto’s close-range effort wide of the post. There were no further chances in what was a slightly nervy finish to the match as England moved level on points with Sweden and two points behind France with two games remaining. Personally, in what was a much better performance overall especially in the first half in Saint-Etienne, I thought Russo, Stanway, Hemp, Toone, Jess Carter and Hampton all had really good games. The final group games take place in July with the Lionesses facing the Republic of Ireland in Norwich before travelling to Gothenburg play Sweden

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Alessia Russo The backheel assassin herself Alessia Russo is becoming a regular face on game days and it’s proving to be increasingly beneficial. The Manchester United striker gives the Lionesses’ forward line something altogether compelling; a buoyant point of reference to target. Russo is adaptable and has experience in playing out wide, however she is most effective when stationed in the centre as a no. 9. Using her physicality, Russo likes to put the pressure on and strongly contest for the ball, thus causing her to have quite the presence in the area. Russo is a capable dribbler, and is also a willing runner, which leaves England in good stead when using quick transitions. Finally, Russo is extremely good in the air adding further element to her layered abilities Photograph courtesy of the FA.

Poppy Pattinson spoke to the media after booking their place in the FA Cup semi-finals Back "This is massive for us" says Pattinson as Brighton progress in the FA Cup Poppy Pattinson spoke to the media after booking their place in the FA Cup semi-finals Cameron Smith/Getty 20 March 2023 By Paul Donegan Poppy Pattinson scored the opening goal direct from a corner in Brighton & Hove Albion’s 2-0 win against Birmingham City in the FA Cup on Sunday. When asked about the goal after the match, Pattison said “I am left footed, it is an inswinging corner, we loaded the six-yard box and it went all the way in” . She added that set pieces are important in every game and they have been working on them in the last couple of weeks. “I can’t complain with the goal” remarked Pattinson. Reacting to getting through to the semi-finals, the Brighton left back said she is “over the moon, and that was the aim coming into the game”. Pattinson noted the whole team are buzzing after the win and “this is massive for us”. She feels they have been gaining momentum over the last few weeks despite the results, and have “felt together as a team, working together, learning and building relationships and can see that today.” Asked about how they have regrouped in the last fortnight since Amy Merricks became interim head coach, Pattinson commented “that football is up and down, it is about how you deal with these things”. She feels that they have dealt with it well, and concluded by saying that “we fight for each other and that showed today.” News

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Lauren James Widely regarded as one of the rawest footballing talents the country has ever seen, Lauren James is simply magnificent to watch. The Chelsea forward can play in just about any attacking position and deals with whatever she is tasked with radiating collectedness. It is almost as if James defies time and space when she is in possession. Everyone and everything around her appear to stand still as she motors toward goal, darting around opponents as if they are nothing more than cones marked out on a training ground. With pressing qualities as well as defensive substance, James’ ludicrous speed paired with her ease on the ball is just the tip of the iceberg. There is no other way to describe James’ game than to define it as inexplicably cool, but the real exhilaration comes in knowing that she is nowhere near her prime. Mark these words, Lauren James will define a generation. Photograph courtesy of the FA.

England's most capped player Fara Williams talks FIFA and the WSL at the Women's Football Summit On the red carpet with Fara Williams Thursday, 27 October 2022 By Charlotte Stacey England's most capped player Fara Williams talks FIFA and the WSL at the Women's Football Summit Charlotte Stacey | Getty Images Any self-respecting fan of women’s football knows the name Fara Williams. As England’s most capped player with 172 caps during her career, as well as a wealth of experience at a number of top-flight clubs, Williams knows a thing or two about the women’s game. We caught up with Williams at the Women’s Football Summit presented by EA to chat all things FIFA and to get her take on the new Women’s Super League season, here’s what she had to say… The development of FIFA games… “I could never have imagined this! You know, I played Fifa as a kid but only ever the men’s teams that were involved, and even you think of the graphics back then as well they all pretty much looked the same! You couldn’t identify players!” EA Sports hosting a women’s football event… “So, I never imagined anything like this, but I think it’s fantastic. Certainly, EA Sport and FIFA23 have grown the women’s game. The game has been growing for the 10-15 years, we won the Euro’s, it’s perfect with this brand and now the game is coming into its own and it’s fantastic.” Predications for this season… “It’s difficult, I always think Chelsea are going to come out on top in the end. But in terms of Manchester United, I think they’ve done well. So far though, they’ve played opposition I would expect them to beat so right now it’s difficult to fully judge them.” Could a team pip Chelsea to the post… “Manchester City have had a tough start, so it’s difficult. Arsenal look impressive but now they’ve got two massive injuries at centre-half. Everton look really good in their opening games even though they lost the first one. “But Chelsea, they showed themselves. In terms that Chelsea are still that level. But it’ll be an interesting one, I think teams will take points off each other… but Chelsea are going to win.” You can catch Williams as part of the punditry and commentary teams on games selected for television broadcast.

Vivianne Miedema’s first half goal sees Arsenal go through to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup Back Match Report FA Cup 4th Round: Arsenal v London City Lionesses Vivianne Miedema’s first half goal sees Arsenal go through to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup Olivia Cantwell 30 January 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Arsenal entered the fourth round of the FA Cup to take on Championship side London City Lionesses. London City are title contenders this season, challenging for promotion into the Women’s Super League, currently laying second in the Championship on 25 points behind Liverpool and with a game in hand. On the other hand, Arsenal remain as league leaders of the WSL, now on 29 points after beating Brighton and Hove 2-1 on Thursday. Arsenal lined up a fairly familiar starting eleven with recovery from injuries and illness denying Jonas Eidevall a large amount of rotation. Arsenal were without Leah Williamson, Rafaelle, Jen Beattie, Lia Walti and Tobin Heath, as well as Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Lydia Williams who are competing in the Asia Cup. London City arrived at Meadow Park well stocked, having captain Harley Bennett, Brooke Nunn and goalkeeper Shae Yanez amongst their starting eleven and a number of substitutions availabe on the bench. For the most part of the first half Arsenal were very much in the driving seat. The Gunners maintained a great deal of possession, created plenty of chances and won a large number of set pieces. By the 11th minute London City goalkeeper Yanez had made two impressive saves to keep out Nikita Parris and Katie McCabe respectively. London City found an opening of their own after turning over possession at the 17-minute mark, making use of Arsenal’s high press by quickly sending the ball into space behind Noelle Maritz. The subsequent delivery into the box was high and did not find the intended target, however it in terms of transition, it showed intent from the visitors that opportunities to counter will be taken should they arise. At 21 minutes, after a quick one-two with Jordan Nobbs, Beth Mead found herself space on the edge of the area to whip in a powerful left footed shot. Yanez managed to shift her bodyweight to match that of the ball trajectory and tipped Mead’s effort over the bar in what was an outstanding piece of goalkeeping. The first and only goal of the game came at 43 minutes and was scored by Vivianne Miedema. London City had played themselves into trouble on a couple of occasions during the first half, passing out from the back without enough pace on the ball to dismantle an approaching Arsenal, thus penning them close to their own area. Kim Little intercepted a London City play ‘from the back’ just outside of the box and cut the ball across to Miedema. The striker took a couple of small touches before releasing the ball out to the right and into the back of the net. Arsenal started the second half very brightly with both Miedema and Frida Maanum testing Yanez within three minutes of the restart. Yet the second half progressed similarly to the first. Arsenal seeing plenty of the ball and creating several opportunities, yet none executed well enough to increase the score line. There are possibly a couple of reasons for this. The first is down to London City’s defensive wit. The Pride maintained visible lines of defence that proved difficult to break, especially through central lanes. In particular, midfielder Amy Rodgers strongly contested the movements of Little and Maanum on several occasions. This pushed Arsenal to stretch play and use the wings. Noticeably the Gunners used the right-hand side during the second half to press. The link-up play between Laura Wienroither, Mead and Maanum repeatedly exposed space behind Alli Palisch, who had a tough job keeping tabs on the interchangeable positioning of Wienroither and Mead. During these occasions London City retreated to flooding bodies into the area making clean shots more difficult to come by. Due to the sheer volume of bodies in the box, there were instances in which Arsenal took too many touches in attempt to find space, only to end up playing themselves into a dead end. Knowing London City would, for the most part, sit and block, Arsenal used a number of plays in a bid to catch the Pride short. Notably Lotte Wubben-Moy became the provider of long bypass balls that eliminated the packed-out middle third. The Gunners also won several set-pieces and used this to attempt a range of plays including a mixture of long and short corners, goal targeted free-kicks and ‘in-swingingers’ directed to teammates. Of course, Arsenal did not score from any of their set-pieces today, this is something Eidevall will no doubt be working on. Both sides executed their game plans well, Arsenal in using different approaches to press and penetrate a compact defence and London City in implementing and retaining a clear structure that left little wiggle room for the Gunners to play with. Although they were not able to add any more to their tally, Arsenal go through to the FA Cup Fifth Round. Draw to be made at 7:30pm on Monday 31st January. ___ Arsenal: Zinsberger (GK), Maritz, Wubben-Moy, Boye, McCabe, Maanum, Nobbs, Little, Parris, Miedema (55’), Mead Substitutes: Cull, Wienroither (55’), O’Brien, Jupp, Head, Gillard Goals: Miedema (43’) ___ London City Lionesses: Yanez (GK), Girasoli (64’), Palisch, Rodgers, Napier (64’), Rouse, Bennett (C), Fitzgerald, Primus, Rossiter (45’), Nunn Substitutes: Fleming, Mehmet, Nolan (64’), Jarrett (45’), Gray, Thompson, Muya (64’), Froc

Marc Skinner calls for "investment in officials" after United are denied two penalty shouts Back United boss Skinner laments ‘massive decisions’ as the Red Devils face defeat at Kingsmeadow Marc Skinner calls for "investment in officials" after United are denied two penalty shouts Getty 12 March 2023 By Finley Chung Manchester United boss, Marc Skinner lamented the referees performance as he felt “two stonewall penalties” were not given to his side in the crucial clash at Kingsmeadow on Sunday. Sam Kerr’s 22nd minute strike was enough to separate the sides, but it could’ve been oh so different on another day. Kadeisha Buchanan’s challenge on Nikita Parris, and Jess Carter’s on Ona Battle, were both deemed fair challenges by referee Cheryl Foster but it’s fair to say that Skinner didn’t see eye to eye with the officials. “They’re big decisions in big games, we’ve come here, had 62% possession, forced Chelsea into playing counter attack and we’ve had two penalties not given, that’s the reality. I’m hopeful that we see things balance out”. As a result of the decisions, Skinner calls for “investment in the officials and the technology that can help. You see the same challenges not given in the box, that are given in the middle of the park, so something isn’t connecting here.” Chelsea’s goal came about after a stunning long ball from Lauren James found Sam Kerr in behind the back line of United before the Australian striker dinked it over Mary Earps for the eventual winner. “It’s a switch off moment for us, Sam Kerr is really good at getting in behind the back line, we’ve spoken about it all week, one long ball should be able to be dealt with, but we have to learn from it.” The United gaffer said that "|the girls will be fuming (with the decisions), but we need to be sharper in their box” , with United having not forced Chelsea keeper Ann Katrin-Berger into any real save in the ninety minutes. “If we play that game again we don’t lose it”, commented the United boss. On the performances of Leah Galton and Ella Toone, who weren’t at their best for the Red Devils, Skinner admitted, “we tried to get Leah into the game in the first half, there were moments we need to be braver between the lines to play the ball. Tooney gets into some great positions but we didn’t play her. We could’ve invaded Chelsea’s backline a lot quicker, but Chelsea sat in a block, so it’s very difficult to play around or in behind them”. Marc Skinner and Man United will have to dust themselves off and go again quickly, with their next game an FA Cup Quarter Final, against Championship side Lewes, where Skinner’s side will no doubt look to avoid a cup upset. News

Chelsea goalkeeper Carly Telford departs Chelsea and joins San Diego Wave Back Carly Telford’s time with Chelsea comes to an end Chelsea goalkeeper Carly Telford departs Chelsea and joins San Diego Wave via Goal 24 January 2022 By Charlotte Stacey The England international has been with the Blues for five years in her second stint with the club. Telford first signed for Chelsea in 2011 before joining Notts County in 2014. She then returned to London in 2017, racking up a total of 76 appearances overall. During her time with Chelsea, Telford has been crowned a champion of England four times, won both the FA Cup and Continental Cup twice, as well as securing the Community Shield once. Telford has been an essential figure within the Chelsea camp both on and off the pitch and has enjoyed noteworthy spells between the sticks. This was perhaps most apparent during her stellar season of 2018-19, in which she earned 10 clean sheets in 14 appearances. Although Telford’s role with the Blues has somewhat changed in recent times, with her taking up a part-time coaching as part of her contract, supporting Chelsea’s under-16 and under-18’s, her bounty of experience and irreplaceable presence has remained an integral feature of the senior side. During this period, Chelsea have gone on to reach the final of the Champions League for the first time and obtain the domestic quadruple. Internationally, Telford has been called up numerous times for the national side and has made 27 appearances for her country. Telford’s performances on the world stage have been no less impressive than those domestically. After patiently plugging away waiting to stamp her mark in a major competition, Telford confidently stepped up in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup and asserted a standout performance at the 2020 SheBelieves tournament in the States. Most recently, Telford was a part of the Team GB squad that competed in the Olympic games last year. Chelsea boss Emma Hayes commented, “Carly has been a fantastic servant to the club across two different spells. A big character in the dressing room and a hugely valued member of our squad.” “We didn’t want to lose her, but we could not hold her back from taking this fantastic opportunity in the States. We wish Carly well in this next chapter of her career and she knows she’ll always be welcome back here any time.” Telford will now link up with former England teammate and ex-Manchester United manager Casey Stoney, joining Stoney’s new club, NWSL side San Diego Wave. News

Back Sandy MacIver (Reserve) Club Everton Position Goalkeeper D.O.B 18/06/1998 Bio With a significant amount of game time behind her this season, MacIver is a keeper that should be carefully considered. MacIver presents a favourable outright shot stopping rate and a distributive passing ability that reflects her skill in being as well versed with her feet as she is with her hands. The Everton keeper presents a confident solidarity at the back and is a suitable addition to the squad. via Sandy MacIver Twitter E1

The Red Devils earn five consecutive league wins after a 1-0 win over Spurs Back Match Report Five out of five for Manchester United The Red Devils earn five consecutive league wins after a 1-0 win over Spurs Manchester United Women 4 February 2025 By Paul Donegan Manchester United made it five Women’s Super League wins in a row as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Sunday evening. Elisabeth Terland scored the only goal of the match early on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as United moved back to second place in the league and seven points behind Chelsea after being displaced by Arsenal earlier in the day. From the first minutes, there were some boos from Spurs supporters for their former player Bizet whenever she was near or on the ball. Manchester United took the lead in the 6th minute when Terland volleyed in Jayde Riviere’s cross from 12-yards for her sixth goal against Spurs. Maite Oroz’s free kick was well claimed by Phallon Tullis-Joyce as the home side looked to quickly get level. The hosts first shot at goal didn’t come until the 22nd minute but Hayley Raso’s strike went well wide. Leah Galton’s effort from a visitors free kick was deflected behind for a corner in the 26th minute. Raso was looking dangerous for Tottenham with a shot of hers from the edge of the area being held by the United goalkeeper. At the other end, Hinata Miyazawa’s strike was headed behind by a Spurs defender. Terland then cut in on the right-side but her low effort was also put behind for a corner by Clare Hunt. Dominique Janssen had the visitors next chance but this too was blocked before going behind. Ella Toone went close to extending Manchester United’s lead but her curling, dipping effort grazed the woodwork. The home side gave away the ball on the edge of their area but Terland’s strike was easily claimed by Lize Kop as half time approached. The visitors had the first effort of the second half but Toone’s volley from the edge of the area was blocked by Hunt. United did well to stop Jessica Naz getting a shot away then block debutant Josefine Rybrink’s effort as the hosts looked for an equaliser. Janssen almost put Manchester United two up in the 56th minute but her powerful shot went wide. Terland couldn’t finish a cross from close-range for the visitors in the 63rd minute. After going down injured twice in quick succession, Janssen was substituted off for the away side and went straight down the tunnel. Naz’s strike from 20-yards in the 66th minute was caught by the United goalkeeper. The visitors next opportunity came in the 71st minute when Millier Turner’s low strike from the edge of the area was saved. In the 77th minute, Spurs had a chance to equalise but Bethany England headed over whilst under pressure from Turner. There was late game management by United with them keeping the ball in the corner of the pitch whilst the hosts had the final chance of the match but this was a tame shot from Hunt that didn’t trouble the goalkeeper. After the match when speaking to the press, Tottenham’s head coach Robert Vilahamn thought they had an unlucky start by conceding so early but admitted United were the stronger side in first half. Vilahamn felt Spurs were much better in the second half, much braver on the ball and can compete with United. At the moment he feels they are a top 6 side but not top 4 but have taken steps forward against big teams this season. Manchester United’s head coach Marc Skinner thought his side were controlled and only allowed Spurs to have potshots which we defended well. This clean sheet now means they have had 9 in 13 league games this season. Skinner feels his side are adapting to how teams are playing against us and the youngsters were mature. Line ups Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Kop, Neville, Hunt, Bartrip, Nilden, Raso, Rybrink (Csiki 86’), Oroz, Naz (Vinberg 86’), Thomas (Holdt 77’), England (c) Unused substitutes: Spencer, Grant, Ahtinen, Buhler, Ayane, Gunning-Williams Booked - Raso Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis-Joyce, Riviere (Mannion 90’), Le Tissier (c), Turner, George (Sandberg 64’), Miyazaawa, Jannsen (Awujo 65’), Bizet, Toone, Galton (Marland 64’), Terland Unused substitutes: Middleton-Patel, Clinton, Williams Goal – Terland 6’ Referee – Kirsty Dowle