Arsenal halt Manchester City’s WSL title charge – Women’s Football Weekly

25:16Spurs had a good few chances. They could have been 2-0 or 3-0 up, which would have just been, you know, seemed just catastrophic for Chelsea. I thought they really pulled it together and after that they looked very comfortable in possession. But that sort of quite clear gap of like a Sam Kerr missing, I just think shows this overturning of the squad at the moment and a real transition period for them. And it'll be interesting to see sort of if they go more down the route of just being that team that maybe don't play as well all the time but get those results towards the end of the season because they're still in a lot of competitions.

25:50or if we're going to start to see more cracks start to show in this transition period. And I don't think it's Sonia's fault and I don't think it's Paul Green's fault in that they didn't have an amazing January transfer window and they didn't have an amazing summer window. And Paul's influence has been cut back on a little bit. And his role in what the squad needs and where it's needed and in bringing in players, I think, is significant. And the fact that they did not have two great windows on the bounce before he goes and don't kind of come in with a player who, you know, Kat Macario has struggled for consistency following her injury.

26:21Sam Kerr is only just returning. Myra Ramirez is struggling with her fitness and injury issues. Aggie Beaver-Jones is still very young and, you know, kind of developing into that sort of centre-forward role and is a different profile of player, I'd say, to some of those. Like, they needed more. Alyssa Thompson, obviously, a great recruit, but she's not that sort of Myra Ramirez, Sam Kerr, kind of sat on the shoulder in the middle kind of player in the same way with that physicality as well and they needed more they needed more from the transfer window they needed more to be done about the midfield which is looking a little bit light they needed a better strategy and I don't think they've got that at the moment I think that is the cost of of it all it's gonna be really interesting to see how it pans out Champions League football still vital for for Chelsea next season.

27:13Listen, there was no cause for celebration, Chris. We will talk Madonna in a minute. But first of all, I want your thoughts on the football because your side Spurs dominated the first half, but you were 1-0 down at the break, fell away completely in the second half. What did you make of the performance? Tottenham at home, Sunday Arvo, one point in it before KO. Sinja Gapsa, Olivia Holt on the front foot from the start. Spurs set in tempo and tone. Spurs owning every zone. Beth England causing threat. Shots on target. Pressure met. Spurs had style. Spurs had grace. Hull off the bar. Inches traced.

27:49Walsh unmarked. Clear striking. That was what changed everything. Players with an attitude. Fans that were in the mood. Don't just stand there. Let's get to it. It's who we are. There's nothing to it. Spurs. Producer Silas put the beat behind it. Oh my goodness. I actually think that's your best one yet. And the funny thing is, I wasn't expecting it. I genuinely thought you were going to like talk about the football, which you did, obviously. I did. Sign her up, Marva. That is very impressive. And listen, I also hear you spent, you know, a large part of the game, as you mentioned earlier, serenading Madonna, who was probably looking down from her box thinking, who is this beautiful stranger singing to me?

28:36There you go. I've done it. See, I didn't do it in the intro, but I've at least done a few. And there are so many people listening to this pod, and I apologise to all of you, including producer Soph, who hate Madonna or don't know Madonna songs, who are going, shut up, stop doing this. Madonna was in this one box. She was above us. And then in the box next to her were like two TV cameras and loads of blonde people. Made in Chelsea. Yes, exactly. I found that out afterwards. because I was like they must be famous because there's two like proper cameras here um yeah and it turns out it was made in Chelsea was also being filmed in the box next to Madonna and then the other thing is is that there's a director at Chelsea who's been Madonna's longtime PR since the 80s yeah so I think there was that kind of connection as well because I saw her go across and and it's not just that you know Madonna loves Spurs and she's um or Tottenham hot Spurs I think she's called them but her daughters play for Spurs and she was at the under 14s game earlier on in the day but it created quite a buzz the thought of Madonna in Enfield I just cannot get my head around it yeah Madonna is fully coised folks but I think look from a Spurs perspective I think as Marv has just said we could have gone in 2 or 3-0 up you know and it's one of those things we've never taken a point off Chelsea so you know Olivia Holt's strike was fantastic and it clipped the bar.

30:05If it was just like a fraction lower, I think that would have kind of opened the game up in a different way because exactly as we've just been talking about, what's been going on at Chelsea. And I just think there's something about what that would have produced from a momentum perspective, from a Spurs perspective, just in terms of what that mentality might have been. And the new players are beginning to sort of find their feet. That was Hannah Vyke's first start. But, you know, Senja Gapset, what a player she is, you know. I was a bit frustrated by the referee who kept getting in the way. And it was for both teams.

30:39And it was just like, get out of the way, ref. But, you know, that's kind of where we find ourselves. I think, look, the stats were pretty even. It was a good time to play Chelsea. As I say, we've never managed to get a point against them. We started so well and I'm just frustrated that we didn't take the chances. But, you know, there's no shame in losing to Chelsea, I suppose, is what I'm trying to come away from that. And I feel positive about what we've got going forward. I mean, we missed Drew Spence, best player of the season so far for us, I think. And so not having her in the midfield made a difference.

31:12But, you know, we move. I thought Spurs were really, really strong in this match. And I think Martin Ho would be the first to say that they're not there yet in terms of ready to challenge for that top four. But the signs of shift there are really, really impressive. like Martin is doing some very good stuff with that side the recruitment strategy is really good everyone seems to be singing from the same hymn sheet in a way that I don't think they've had at Tottenham which obviously probably helped a little bit with sort of the changes at the club more generally in the past few years in that there is a real dedicated team that are really committed to the side and that's like quite exciting for you know women's football and the WSL because they are really committed to this?

31:56Absolutely and you can definitely see that before the game there was a presentation made to Rebecca Capelhorn who was the director of football governance and administration who has been instrumental you know like her sort of love and care for women's football is genuine and sort of having someone at her level she was on the board who was advocating for the women's team you know and she does that that's her job for the men's team as well she's not wasn't just working in women's football, I think has made a huge difference entirely to make that transition and to ensure that we've made the correct appointments and structured the team well.

32:33So, you know, with Rebecca leaving, we'll see what sort of happens there. But also, you know, shout out to her because she's going on to be the chief football officer at the Premier League, which I think is like remarkable and a brilliant job. And the Premier League is going to be lucky to have her. Absolutely. And they're the kind of people you need behind the scenes. absolutely grafting and advocating and what a change that's happened at Spurs. It feels as if Everton are in this kind of weird transition at the moment. A turbulent week for your club, Marva. Brian Sorensen departing the club, but weirdly in the midst of back-to-back victories for the first time in two years.

33:15I'm not quite sure how that kind of works, But Inma Gabarro scored a second half goal, the only goal of the game, to put in a resilient performance and ultimately three points against London City Lionesses. It's been really chaotic, hasn't it? So Brian Sorensen went on Wednesday. Under-18s coach Scott Phelan takes over until the end of the season. What did you make about the decision? And obviously the three points are vital, so you can wax lyrical about that as well. But what strange timing? It was strange timing. I think particularly strange timing when considering off the pitch elements in that we've had a January transfer window that does seem to be mainly Sorensen's signings because we actually don't have a director of women's football at the moment.

34:04So you can only assume that he's had a big part to play in those signings. However, in terms of on the pitch, I know we beat Aston Villa, but I still don't think it was that strange timing. I think when you look around the teams around us, like I said, West Ham and Liverpool were actually outperforming us. Even in terms of XG, they were more likely to go on and do better for the rest of the season. And we were in a really precarious position. Also, when you look at that Villa win, two goals from a centre-back from set-piece, you know, a header, which is like the antithesis of Brian Sorensen football.

34:36And I think that's been a real indication of Sorensen's turn, which is, don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful for him and how he has taken us through some really tumultuous times. but his whole brand of football was to play expansive possession-based football. And actually, when we've done the best is when we haven't played that. It's fair to say that he hasn't always been backed by the club, that he hasn't always had the resources at his disposal. But at the same time, since the new owners came in over a year ago now, they have backed him a lot. And at the beginning of the season, he got a lot of players that were clearly his players.

35:11There were lots of technical, small midfielders. And I think if you're going to forego a lot of those other qualities in having big physicality or, you know, being able to sort of lob it long, then you have to at least be able to, if you're putting all your eggs in one basket, we need to see the fruition of those eggs, basically. And we weren't even seeing passing football. Like, we just could not pass the ball. And when you look at even this performance under Phelan, I think it wasn't an amazing performance. We weren't, you know, playing London City out of the water, but we were a lot sharper.

35:44We were really just trying to progress it up the pitch. Whereas you compare that to that game against Brighton at home where there were some boos from Everton fans and calls for Sorensen out. It was so lethargic, the passing. You just didn't even know where we were going with it. We could barely string passes together, even when we did. And so I think it was time for Sorensen to go. And hopefully now, I mean, Leicester have a game in hand. So at the moment it looks more comfortable than maybe it actually could be. I think those bottom four teams is actually still pretty tight. And one week can just sort of change everything.

36:17But we've got West Ham next. That's the six-pointer if I've ever seen one. And if we play like we did against London City, it was just a really solid performance, which gives me a little bit of hope. I think if we can continue that for the rest of the season and even just get one or two wins, I think that would be enough. Yeah, Courtney Brosnan has been fantastic, actually, hasn't she? But where did it go wrong for London City, Susie? They couldn't get past her in goal. She was excellent again. And they did actually out-possess and out-create Everton, but just couldn't find a way through. What did you make of their performance?

36:52Yeah, I mean, Brosnan was brilliant. I think the two saves to stop Freire Godfrey, who's been in such phenomenal form, were significant. Obviously, Gioro hit the post as well. So they had chances, but they didn't capitalise on those. And I think that is where it goes wrong for them. I think just generally there is always going to be points of a season when you've brought so many new players together where things aren't always great. And I think that's OK. And I think expectations should not be as high as their position in the table suggests and things. Because they are new to this league. A lot of these players are new to playing together still, regardless of how far in we are.

37:33And I think that is at times going to show. And I think Everton just looked a more organised unit throughout most of this match. And the fact they were able to keep them at bay is testament to that. Yeah, I just think it was a sign of things not always clicking in the right way for a team that is still so new to each other as much as to the league. Yeah, without a doubt. A special mention as well for Everton's in Margobaro. So she's had such a torrid time since joining Everton in July 2024. She ruptured her ACL just two months after joining and spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Sevilla.

38:12So hopefully that goal, which was her first for the club, is going to give her some much needed confidence. Right, last but not least, not a classic, but Manchester United earned an important 2-0 victory over Leicester City. Julia Zighiotti and Elizabeth Turland scoring in each half to make sure that Mark Skinner's side continued to try and chase down City at the top. They stay second. It wasn't vintage us. It was vintage. Oh dear, can you tell what I've been doing the last few weeks? It wasn't vintage us, is what Mark Skinner said after the game. Where was this one won and lost, Chris, do you think?

38:50I just think Leicester just look like they're floundering a bit. And Manchester United just put them to the sword when they needed to. exactly that it wasn't vintage but they did what they had to you know um looking at that second goal um you know ziggyotti's challenge it was strength and not a foul but should the defense have done better and not let turland get it out from under her feet you know because she was there for ages sort of you know and she scored like she always does against leicester i did think it looked like a pen against o 'brien from sandberg she properly clattered into her you always wonder if i had scored a penalty at one nil what it was one nil when they went when that when it was that But again, I think Manchester United just probably would have just stepped up a gear.

39:30So I think they did. I think it was an efficient performance. Yes, not vintage, but an efficient one. And they did what they had to probably. And I think if they needed to step up a gear, they probably could have done. Yeah, you mentioned the officiating. Leicester weren't very happy about that, denied a penalty. And the ref not pulling the game back for a foul on Sam Tierney in the lead up to the second goal. They are 12th now, bottom of the table, Leicester. And they've got, as we mentioned earlier, Man City to come on Friday. day. How worried should Rick Passmore be, Marva? Yeah, of course he should be worried and we said from the beginning of the season, I think nearly everyone had them as their team to go down and then they actually have done a lot better than most people expected.

40:09I think where it's difficult for him now in particular, yes, they've brought in a few players, but when you compare the signings they've made in Elish Lehmann and in Rich Williams compared to some of the other teams in and around them, particularly West Ham and Liverpool, I won't actually include Everton in that, I think those signings elsewhere have looked more like the types of signings that will get you three points immediately. That might happen for H. Williams and Lehman. You might start to see. I thought they actually, Lehman in particular, did look bright. But you need just some clinical finishers.

40:42If your game plan as a whole is to defend in two blocks or four, which they do well with Leicester, you need some players up the other end to just have a bit of individual brilliance and do something amazing. And in comparison to the teams around them, I'm not sure they have that attacking talent in the way that some of the other teams do. So I would be, I'm inclined to be a bit more worried for them now. However, I do think that the table, like I said, maybe doesn't quite actually reflect it with a game in hand. But they've got some tough games coming up, but it's still very, very tight down there.

41:14So they're not down and out. Obviously, it's no automatic renegation anyway, but there's still, I don't think they're down and out yet. And it's going to be a very tough battle to the end. Yeah for sure Susie you've been down on the south coast haven't you over the last week or so at the opening of a new bar a women's sports bar called the Crossbar how many times can I say bar in one sentence what was it like? It is so good I love them Pip and Lucy and what they've done like it's an idea whose time was so overdue in the UK it's the first women's sports bar in the UK Brighton's the perfect place for it as well.

41:53The location is fantastic. It's right in the centre of Brighton, like a few minutes walk from Churchill Square where the main shopping centre is and stuff. So it's like super accessible. And then just the whole idea behind it, I think is fabulous. Like the whole vibe of opening night was just incredible. Everyone there was just buzzing that it exists. It's just really quite liberating to be able to go into somewhere and not have to ask for the channel to be changed to the women's game, to have people frown at you or like yeah to feel a little bit you know kind of like you're having to prove yourself and you're like love of football in a place right or whatever sport you may be into and what's also great is that they um they're showing men's sport as well because obviously men and women should be able to just like sport uh so they stayed open late for the super bowl and things like that it's just great you've got to go down and experience the space i've done an interview with them a couple of weeks ago so i wasn't like getting in their way on opening night And we had a photographer down and a social media guy down on opening night.

42:53So we've got some really nice content coming out probably this weekend on it and some lovely like voices from people who were there for the first time on opening night, including Amanda from The Traitors, which was great, who is absolutely wonderful, told a fantastic story about her experience of trying to watch the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup in Brighton, which I will save for my piece and we can revisit. But yeah, it's just brilliant. They're just fantastic. It's just a labour of love to women's football. This is way too long, but it is that good. I just really want it to be successful and I think everyone needs to back it.

43:27Listen, we've got some questions and some emails to read out that you lovely lot have been sending in at womensfootballweeklyattheguardian.com. This is from Mr Barber. I'm assuming not Paul, but you never know. Was wondering your opinions on the increased amount of simulation slash diving that's happening in the WSL without naming names. although cliched a massive selling point of women's football was the lack of diving compared to the men's game can this be stopped or is it just part of the game now was it a massive selling point listen no no one likes simulation right but i think the the fact that we have to sort of hold women's football to some higher account and that somehow we have to sort of do do stuff in a in a more sort of pure way to kind of make mr barber happy doesn't really go with me sorry mr barber I don't mean to be rude to you.

44:17But like, so yeah, there's a bit more. Maybe there is a bit more simulation. But again, you know, we come back to sort of officiating because I think if you don't fall for it, then you don't need to, then you won't need to simulate. So I just think I don't accept the premise of the question. Sorry. It's natural, isn't it? It's a natural progression of the game. And like the fact that there is more at stake, right? Like there's more money in the game. There's more at stake. Results matter more in a lot of these battles that we're talking about at the top, the bottom, even Champions League places as well.

44:50And things happen, right? And as Chris says, it's up to the ref to control that. And maybe VAR would help as well in those kind of cases too. Whether we want that or not is another can of worms. But it's a natural development of a professionalising, that's not a word, but an increasingly professional game. Exactly, exactly that. I'm going to jump in and defend Mr Barber a little bit because I think I know what he means. It's why people end up, you know, talking about rugby in a more pure form in some ways. There are some elements of the men's professional game that people get frustrated with, you know, the rolling around, you know, etc.

45:31And I do think that actually, you know, there is a difference with women's football with that. So I can understand why he's asked that question. In defence, Mr Barber, please don't stop sending us your questions in. They are all valid. And I know exactly what you meant. But I also understand that, you know, the professionalization of the game means that, you know, there is more at stake. So maybe that's a reason why. And it is just part of the game now. And I'll just read out this one. It's not a question from Holly. It's just a lovely email. Hello, wonderful pod team. First of all, just wanted to say how much I enjoy and appreciate the pod.

46:09A true highlight of my week is listening. It's a huge Geordie. I'm dying for Newcastle to get promoted to the WSL this season. They've had an amazing window so far, bringing in stars like Caitlin Torpy from Portland Thorns and appointing fellow Aussie Tanya Oxterby as their head coach. Two statement moves. We, of course, had Tanya on the pod actually a few weeks ago. not to mention we're a big club and the Geordies are massive take the 38 ,000 crowd at St James' Park for the Derby last season as well as becoming the first fully professional club back when we were in the National League North also the movement from Kingston Park to Gateshead Stadium to adhere to the WSL pitch recruitments I think you mean regulations was a clear move made to go top moving away from an artificial turf I really feel they've earned a spot in the WSL and that this is their time thank you and keep up the great content.

47:00Holly, thank you for your email, Holly. Exciting times at Newcastle at the moment, team. Yeah, and I think if it's not this season they get promoted, it's going to be won very, very soon. The investment that they're putting in. And also, I do think at that level, like she said, having that level of fan base makes such a big difference for big games. And I just, yeah, I don't think it will be long until we're seeing them at the top and then in the WSL for a long time, actually. I think they've got a really bright future ahead. I want it for the fan base. I want it for the fan base. I want it less so for the way the women's team is being used by the ownership of this club and in many other clubs like let's not be silly here.

47:42there's plenty of ownership groups that are unsavoury in their character and nature and commitment to women's football and football generally that we could criticise. So they're not alone in that. But for the fan base, I would really like to see them be successful because the way they've rallied behind the team is really impressive. Ultimately, football should be about the fans, shouldn't it? But absolutely make a very, very good point. right team it has been so brilliant oh in fact let me just remind people to keep having your say send your questions via x email us as Mr. Barbara and Holly did on women's football weekly at theguardian.com and your regular reminder too to sign up for our bi-weekly women's football newsletter all you need to do there is search moving the goalposts sign up Marva it has been lovely you have a new signing to make in Chris Paros I do I'm waiting to hear it with the beat behind it and then I can really make my decision Then I'll do the voice turnaround on my swivel chair here.

48:44Brilliant. That would make my day. It really would. Chris, you are just legendary. I'm not even going to throw another Madonna song pun at you. I haven't even shared with you what I sang to Madonna. You need to share. You need to share. Come on then. It will only take a second. No, that's take that. Take a minute. Sorry. Some teams try and some teams lie, But we don't watch them play No way Only teams that dare to do Make our rainy day Because we are living in a Tottenham world And we are all Tottenham girls Etc We sang it three times We sang it three times And my wife said she went further and further down in her chair And I was mortified for the rest of the game because obviously I just want Madonna to be my friend.

49:40Yeah. Oh, but I love that you did that. I'm just more disappointed that she didn't say, come and join us, serenade us in person. Do you know what? If she'd just said, if she'd just waved the first time, we wouldn't have done it two more times. Fair enough, fair enough. Note to Madonna's people. Oh, Susie, I want Panto News next week. Oh, you'll get Panto News next week. will be six performances down or something by then. So, you know, I will have seen it at least twice at that stage. So, I mean, I'll be pantoed out. Yes. Well, I'm not pantoed out. I'm not sung out either. Thoroughly enjoyed the pod this morning.

50:18So thank you very much to all of you. Thank you for listening as well. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is produced by Sophie Downey and Silas Gray. Music composition was by Laura Iredell. Our executive producer is Joel Grove.

50:33This is The Guardian.