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Barclays deal shows women’s game now big-bucks business | Suzanne Wrack

Contract shatters idea that sponsoring women’s sport is the cheap option that makes your brand look goodGamechanger can be a little overused, but in the case of Barclays’ eight-figure sponsorship deal over three years of the FA Women’s Super League that is literally what it is. Related: Barclays unveiled as Women’s Super League sponsor in groundbreaking deal Continue reading...

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Vivianne Miedema: ‘There’s a big difference playing with boys and with girls’

Arsenal’s striker on a sporting childhood, Netherlands’ World Cup hopes and why her club deserve to win the WSLArsenal, decimated by injuries that have left a stellar seven-a-side team in the stands lately, are struggling to maintain their early-season swagger. League wins have become less convincing and defeats by Chelsea and Manchester City in the FA Cup and Continental Cup respectively have seen their momentum stalled.With the side now two points behind the leaders, Manchester City, though with a crucial two games in hand, the pressure is on the league’s top scorer, Vivianne Miedema, to shoulder the burden and help force her team over the finish line. Related: England women reveal bespoke new kit for 2019 World Cup Some of...

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Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action

Birmingham’s new manager Marta Tejedor gets off to a flying start at Chelsea while Arsenal’s Daniëlle van de Donk helps Vivianne Miedema break the WSL scoring recordMarta Tejedor’s first match in charge of Birmingham turned out to be a memorable one, as they came from behind to win 3-2 at Chelsea thanks to Ellen White’s stoppage-time goal. Tejedor has said that she hopes to make significant technical improvements to her players, whose success this season has been built on defensive solidity and tactical discipline.Wow! Welcome back @ellsbells89#FAWSL @BCFCwomen pic.twitter.com/uW0QcRWQxo Related: Aston Villa Ladies’ return to Villa Park earns widespread support Oh @erincuthbert_ #FAWSL @ChelseaFCW pic.twitter.com/RxrtuxObfEDouble header! @JillScottJS8 tees up @lilkeets #FAWSL @ManCityWomen pic.twitter.com/KfxQxwAzSQ Continue reading...

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Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action

Arsenal are back on top of the table but victory over West Ham papered over defensive issues while Chelsea are back in formArsenal shot back to the top of the league with a 4-2 win over West Ham, but this was a far from perfect performance. The teams went into half-time at 2-2, and the leaders were then given what their usually mild-mannered manager, Joe Montemurro, described as their biggest telling-off of the season. He spent much of the last two weeks training against long balls and set pieces, only to watch his side twice fail to deal with long kicks from the West Ham goalkeeper, Becky Spencer, which released the Swiss forward Alisha Lehmann to set up Scotland’s Jane...

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Joe Montemurro smoothes bumps on road to steer Arsenal to WSL summit | Suzanne Wrack

Arsenal’s Australian coach fixed a leaky defence then introduced ‘balance and management’ to startling effectHow do you build a buccaneering team who sweep away all before them? How do you turn a team who suffer a 3-1 cup final defeat by invincible double winners into one who demolish them 5-0 in their next meeting to maintain an unbeaten start to a new season?Joe Montemurro’s three-quarter season in charge at Arsenal was about laying the foundations for just such a transformation. Working without expectations with a team laden with stars – not least four Dutch European Championship winners – but lacking direction, the Australian set about his task. Related: Hats off to Arsenal’s manager – not just Emery but Montemurro too...

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