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...
Vivianne Miedema eyes the prize, Chelsea’s defence impress as much as their potent attack, plus a Mancunian scrap for third Who knows where Vivianne Miedema will play next season but for now she is Arsenal’s, and so important to Jonas Eidevall’s team. The Dutch striker has revealed that several clubs are interested in signing her for next season – she is out of contract in the summer – but there are no signs that her mind is elsewhere. When Arsenal thrashed Leicester City 5-0 on Sunday to briefly go top of the WSL the Netherlands international was in sparkling form. Miedema had two close efforts before half-time, one saved by goalkeeper Demi Lambourne and another smacked against the woodwork. Then...
Forward pairing keeps Arsenal top but Kerr’s late strike means champion Chelsea still have title destiny in their own handsArsenal cruised to victory over Brighton on Sunday night, inspired by the attacking flair of the duo now fondly known as Viv-stenius. The arrival of Stina Blackstenius in the winter transfer window has allowed the prolific Vivianne Miedema to drop into a traditional No 10 role. Having a focal point to aim at has allowed the Dutch star to show off her array of playmaking attributes. It would not work, however, without Blackstenius up front. The partnership they have built in such a short time is remarkable and the Swedish goalscorer added two to her tally on Sunday. Arsenal are now...
Miedema hits incredible mark, Zelem does the unthinkable – twice – and Manchester City continue upwards trajectoryJust one goal Vivianne? A mere 25% of your team’s total production this weekend? Yes, the Dutch forward only scored once in the 4-2 win against Birmingham on Sunday, making the most of a loose ball in Birmingham’s pinball penalty box. She made it look simple and Miedema most likely puts dozens of those away in training, probably without looking. It is sometimes difficult to put in context just how good she is but one way to illustrate it is that the goal made her the first player in WSL history to reach 100 goal involvements What if we were to also say that...
The two Manchester clubs are on the rise while Arsenal have made signings in an attempt to stop the rotWest Ham battled well to claim a 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Sunday night after Hawa Cissoko put her team in the worst possible position. The Hammers were 1-0 down after 54 minutes and Cissoko, who was responsible for the tackle that led to Spurs’ penalty, was sent off two minutes later for a second yellow card. But West Ham managed to claw back a point in the dying moments through a Kate Longhurst header in the 92nd minute. The comeback highlights the team’s progression as last season they could well have sunk being a goal and a player down. But...