Everton start new era with nightmare, Liverpool’s slide shames the Premier League leaders, and Spurs happily eye next seasonManchester City and Chelsea played out a brilliant 3-3 draw, full of relentless end-to-end action, quality play, and the pendulum swinging. There were periods when you were sure Chelsea would go on and win it and 10 minutes when it seemed a City victory was inevitable – we might not have seen the best of either team, but the entertainment was top-level. The league now takes a break while England compete in the SheBelieves Cup, and speaking to the managers afterwards they both agreed that the break will be an opportunity to recharge the batteries and change things up a bit. After...
Poor pitches, low wages and conditions far behind the men’s teams’ are common problems – and that needs to changeThe bubble is bursting. Professionalism has pushed the Women’s Super League to new heights, but that growth has stretched to the limit the infrastructures, personnel and, let’s face it, the commitment of those involved in the game’s development.Although the postponement of all six games on Sunday was unavoidable, as storm Ciara battered Britain, the scattergun cancellation of eight games before that was not; because the pitches WSL teams play on are, overwhelming, not fit to host top-level professional teams. Birmingham’s home ground, Damson Park, the home of National League Solihull Moors, has seen two games abandoned. Prenton Park, where Liverpool Women...
Kim Little was sorely missed for Arsenal while poor refereeing and the state of pitches in the WSL were hot topicsA nervy, pressurised game in Manchester ended up with City victorious and Arsenal’s title hopes hanging by a thread. Joe Montemurro’s side are now outsiders in the race after losing to their nearest rivals in quick succession, and they badly missed Kim Little on Sunday. She did not even make the bench, presumably due to a knock, and it meant their link from back to front was badly disrupted. Vivianne Miedema became isolated as a result and, with Lia Walti’s absence in front of the back four also keenly felt, a lack of strength in depth was exposed again. They...
With the Olympics looming and England’s form poor the games in the US in March carry significance – and a chance for revengeFriendly tournaments do not generally warrant much attention. The sponsored mini cup competitions that clubs sign up for in pre-season are a prime example of games that have very little bearing on, well, anything. The US-hosted SheBelieves Cup, though, is seen a little differently generally, as national teams pit themselves against the world champions in their own back yard. This year, for the Lionesses, March’s tournament is about more than bragging rights and the confidence boost of beating the best. Here’s why ... Related: Phil Neville and England relishing tough task of SheBelieves Cup title defence Continue reading...
Arsenal reach new levels of performance in thrashing of Brighton as Cushing’s departure sees City lose ground at the top and all-star Chelsea look for more consistencyAnother week, another convincing win for Arsenal, this time 4-0 at Brighton. They just seem to win all their battles, individually and collectively, and are a level above most of the teams they encounter. The quality and consistency of their play is phenomenal. If you were to paint an abstract picture to illustrate this Arsenal side it would be colourful, it would have energy and there would be light and shade. I love the way their game can be about finding gaps in tight spaces, but sometimes Leah Williamson at centre-half plays a 60-yard...