Chelsea will go to Barcelona with hope, Arsenal’s mentality is changing, City are flying and the relegation battle is hotting upChelsea may have lost 1-0 in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona but afterwards they were relatively buoyant. Playing against the possession-heavy and quick-moving Catalans is one of the trickiest tests in football. “You have to be in the tie. We’re in the tie,” said the Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes. She is right but Barcelona walked away the more content side. Yes, they did not capitalise on their dominance to a greater extent, but their play (and injuries to Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan) forced Chelsea to change shape, to a back five. As the...
This was a tale of resolve and courage and conviction with the team depleted by injuries recovering through collective will The pale sun hits the river and smashes into diamonds. Some fans soaking up watery rays on the grass bank in front of the Volkswagen factory. It’s a nothing and everything kind of day in Germany’s 64th biggest city: bit breezy, bit warm, bit cold, bit sunny now, maybe a bit wet later. The noise in the stadium is pleasant, bordering civil. Moral of the story: the elements aren’t going to help you out here. Nor is the crowd. All the fire and sulphur you need to fortify you for this game, you’re going to have to provide yourself.This is...
As a dramatic and entertaining initial phase of the competition comes to an end we look at how the runners and riders faredThe Women’s Super League. Last season both Arsenal and Chelsea struggled in the Champions League group stage, with Chelsea falling short and Arsenal scraping through. This year, Arsenal topped a group which included reigning European champions, Lyon and the Italian title-winners, Juventus. Meanwhile, Chelsea went undefeated and scored 19 goals on their way to winning Group A ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Continue reading...
Beth Mead is among a host of players sidelined with ACL injuries, yet Fifa’s response is to add to a packed scheduleThe photograph of Beth Mead and her partner and Arsenal teammate, Vivianne Miedema, on the red carpet before the England forward’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year win, illustrated a problem rocking women’s football. Both were standing there, two of the best female players on the planet, on crutches. Mead ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee in November, before Miedema, the Women’s Super League record goalscorer, did the same this month. Both will probably miss the Women’s World Cup next year in Australia and New Zealand.Their situation is not unique. In the past year a whole...
Gunners have the easier run-in, but their London rivals have the trophy-winning nous to bag a third title in a rowArsenal. They are one point behind Chelsea with both sides having played 18 games but their remaining four fixtures are, on paper at least, more winnable than those of their rivals. Intriguingly, Tottenham will have a big say in the title race. While Chelsea play them on Sunday and then again on Thursday, the north London derby takes place on 4 May. Although Chelsea should win at Birmingham on 1 May, their tricky concluding home game of the campaign comes against a Manchester United side challenging Manchester City for third place – and the final Champions League slot. Continue reading...