The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Everton stun Chelsea and dissecting the Guardian’s Top 100 – Women’s Football Weekly podcast

Episode Date: December 9, 2025

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Marva Kreel and Rich Laverty to discuss all the weekend’s WSL action and the 100 best female footballers in the world 2025

This is The Guardian. Hello, I'm Faker others and welcome to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. It has happened. After a year, seven months, eight days, Chelsea have been beaten and at home to boot coming unstuck against Everton. Late goals rescued all three points for us. Arsenal and Spurs, while both Manchester clubs also won. And we'll cast our eye over the Guardian's annual 100 best female footballers in the world list. Tell us your thoughts.

All of that, plus we'll take your questions. And that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. What's a panel we have today. And might I say, this is a pod first, because we're in a studio together in person for the first time ever. I mean, I did remember that, you know, we were in a premier in in 2022 after the lionesses lifted the European Championship trophy. However, with Susie Rack and Johnny Lou on a bed and me and Salon Andy Hickman on either side of the room, it's not quite the same as these illustrious surroundings we find ourselves in. Susie, how are you? Yeah, it's nice to be sitting in a chair and not lying sort of flat on my back pillows behind me with a mic like hovering over me from bedside table.

Well, listen, I mentioned right at the beginning about Everton. Normally, Marva Creel, we only get you on when Everton have lost, which is quite regular, to be fair. But you've never, I don't think you've ever been on when Everton have won. So welcome. Thank you. Yeah, it feels special. Very special. Well, you've taken the record as well, which is quite something.

Rich Laverty, it is lovely to see you. Is this your pod debut? It is, yeah. How, well, a pod debut and making history by being in the studio. That is special. Yeah, I can't get the image of Susie and Johnny now out of my head. It was some sight, I have to say. Did we even take photos?

We should have taken photos. I think I did. And then we took like a celebratory photo at the end. Oh, of us all on the bed. All on the bed. Yeah, I remember that. It's all flashbacks. I know.

We'll have to post that up so you can all see it. It's quite a sight to behold. We might have had, I think we called it Pop. If you ever do want to listen back to that episode, it is a trip. Enjoy. Right. It's over. 585 days and 34 games later, Chelsea have finally beaten, been beaten in the WSL.

Everton put in a heroic defensive performance to secure a 1-0 win at King's Meadow of all places. Thanks to a first half goal from Hanaka Hayashi. Marvel, we've got to come to you first. What a time to get you on the pods. Honestly, I did that really girly. Oh, yay, Marba's on this week as well. That's even better. First win against Chelsea since 2013 as well, which is quite something.

second win of the season. How are you feeling? Brilliant. Just brilliant. It was just one of those games that like you score and I think I even tweeted I said all right just to like 18 minutes to hold on for now. And we've done it before against Chelsea where we scored even in the kind of last two years we've had actually some quite close calls and then also had like a five no battering but we've had a few where you've gone oh okay like we kind of maybe deserve something here but it's just never going to happen is it? So when we went one nil up I thought And that early on, 11 minutes in, I thought, come on, like, this is, it's just not going to happen. Lauren James is on the pitch.

Like, it's just, it's just not going to happen. And then she comes off for Sam Kerr, and you're going, right, okay, well, we've had our fun. But with 30 minutes left, it's all going to happen. And then post after post got hit, save after save. Brosnan just incredible. That Martina Fernandez, like, goal line clearance. After that, I thought this might be our day because that doesn't usually happen to us. You know what? I've been sat with you for about 25 minutes now

and I've only just noticed your Everton sweatshirt merch. I had to represent today. Absolutely. It's not often I get to know with pride. Everton merchandise with pride, yeah. And no Marijuana-filani style hairstyle either. I actually got my hair cut. So, yeah, maybe that's what that Man United fan with hair needs to do,

needs to get his hair cut already and then they might start winning five in their own. Yeah, I was going to say they did have a 4-1 win, didn't they? But it was against Wolves last night in the Premier League. so that doesn't count. Oh, I'm sorry. Go to Football Weekly for that kind of chat. Susie, who is repping England today, I can't quite believe the run that Chelsea's been on.

We joked about it, didn't we, that they might not win the title yet still be unbeaten at the end of the season, which is quite incredible. So May 2024 was the last time they were beaten. Sonia Bonpastor said it was just one of those days. And as Marva said, they did create 30 shots, but only six of them on target felt a little bit Arsenal-like. Where did it go wrong?

Savage. Yeah, just one of those days that they haven't had for a very long time. I just thought Everton were brilliant defensively. Ruby Mace was incredible. And you've kind of been waiting for her to have her moment since she moved from Arsenal to City, didn't really play.

It was a bit of a bit part, used in different positions when they had injuries. And then when she gets to Everton, you think, I finally, obviously she had the time at Leicester as well, she gets to Everton, you think finally, is this going to be a team that is able to kind of get the best out of her and we're sort of seeing the promise that she showed back then. But it's hard to pick out an individual from that defence because they were just so

good. And I think there was an element of luck, as Marva said, with, you know, some of those goal line clearances, the ball almost going over and them celebrating like it had. I didn't think it had when I watched replays, but it's really hard to tell when you've not got goal line tech. But something isn't right about Chelsea at the moment. It's something's not clicking. And I don't know what that is. I don't think they've looked. a perfect side since Sonia came in like we sort of said all last season they're a team that is jelling that they're coming together

they were a bit lucky and how bad everyone else was they just had this mentality and vibe about them that meant they would win regardless of that and they would fight it out right like and this time round I thought the summer would be the difference a full preseason together again like new players in the squad a little bit more settled from the previous year I thought they would really kick on performance-wise

and I don't think they quite have and I don't really know why that is whether it's the squad whether it's too big and then there's frustrations within it about playing who's playing who's not but we've not seen like consistent really really good performances from them

they've been getting over the line haven't they pretty much but not necessarily in a swashbuckling way that we're maybe used to seeing from Chelsea and we've made a lot rich about that unbeaten run but exactly as Susie said that the form has been really consistent back-to-back draws against Arsenal and Liverpool, which now, after this defeat,

leaves them six points behind Manchester City. If you're in Sonia Bonpastor's shoes, what are you thinking? Are you starting to worry a little bit, or are you focusing on the Champions League? Yeah, I think you're starting to worry a little bit. I kind of agree with what Susie just said, in that it does look a little bit disjointed. And I think it was a shock in terms of it's come at home, it's come against Everton, and obviously haven't had an easy season so far. but it kind of felt like it was coming, a defeat was coming. And I think you look at the table and, you know, the defensive record is still very impressive,

but they're just lacking goals compared to the other top four teams. And I know that's a crazy thing to say about a Chelsea team. But, you know, maybe it will click. I mean, you know, Sam Kerr's obviously still coming back to full fitness. Ramirez hasn't been involved. You know, I think I saw Chelsea tweet on Sunday. I think it was Lauren James's first start in 255 days or something like that. So you're talking the start of this year.

And it's just like Susie said, it's just not quite clicking in that attack. And maybe when Sam's back up to full fitness and Ramirez is back in and, you know, Lauren James is back to full fitness, then maybe it will. But yeah, there's work to do there because I think, I don't think anyone's kind of surprised that they have lost a game eventually because it has felt like it's been coming. And defensively, there's problems as well, right? Like in the fact that Millie Bright didn't play again,

they play Lucy Bronze at the centreback instead. Like, that's an interesting call. Don't I really know what's going on there. But then also I think you can't underestimate the loss of Hampton too. I can't remember the stats, but the games with her and without her this season, the results are quite different. And so when you are having those games where you're not having things full quite the right way for you up front, they would at least keep a clean sheet. Some of the draws they've had this season, they've at least been able to kind of balance it out with decent defensive performances. But like that is all a little bit ruptured as well at the moment.

So it's like kind of every area of the pitch isn't perfect. Equally, for Everton, it was. You know, which, you know, you've not been able to say very much this season, Marva. Brian Sorenson obviously delighted post-match. This is what he said. I'm so proud. I'm so happy for them because we had so much adversity at the start of the season. It was the second time we could put the same team out, which feels a little unreal.

We've talked a lot about the squad depth and issues you've had with injuries. You mentioned Courtney Brosnan and how brilliant she was. Susie mentioned Ruby Mace as well. But how else, was there a mentality shift maybe that they had? Almost like we're going to Kings Meadow, we've got nothing to lose. I've been saying for a while that I think we actually have been playing better in the last two seasons when we play against better teams than we do against the teams where we're trying to be the team in possession. And I think it's actually been ironically one of my biggest criticisms of Sorensen because I think that we actually look a better team when we try and play defensive football. And now we have the players on the counter attack to be able to actually do something.

Whereas seasons before you would try and hold off for a nil-nil or maybe a 1-1, maybe a 1-0 to us if we're lucky. But we wouldn't actually have the players on the counterattack to get that goal. Then you're always on the back foot. Whereas that game against Man City, I think we were very, you know, it was unlucky to come away with no points there. And we've been seeing that a lot when we've played against the better teams. It's because we just sit back and we've got a lot of defensive capability. What I don't think we have is the ability to really build. for our midfield yet. I mean, Garley's been missing as well. We've had some big players

missing. I would say as well, Ramsey, I don't think has been the best since she's come in. She's had a few good games, but Broznan, you can just see she's like levels above. And I don't even think that's an insult to Ramsey. I think that's just Courtney Brosnan is actually one of the best goalkeepers in the WSL. So that was a huge type of her back. Having Gago back as well, as being on and off injured. And then just being able to stick to that game plan, Ruby Mace has been playing centreback actually for the last few games and has done really, really well, which is a shame because I think her in that number six position could be the kind of answer to

building armoured fields but I'll take it for now and maybe it's the turning point that you need well we've got Arsenal next so maybe it's a similar type of game plan I think it could definitely be the turning point then because actually we're going to go on to Arsenal now because Steina Blackstanias rescued them

against Liverpool at the weekend they won 2-1 in the end it was a must win game as well Susie wasn't it they had to dig deep wasteful once again in front of God there's a theme going on here I love this from Renee Slager's. She said that her half-time team talk was the firmest it's ever been. I mean, that's not even that strong, really.

It's firm, is it? You know, she didn't give them the hairdryer treatment. But she was unhappy with the lack of intensity. What did you make at their performance? The first 20 minutes, they were phenomenal, which is what is so frustrating. Because as soon as the goal went in, they just sort of stepped back and just like let Liverpool into the game in a way like so so dominant and it did look like up till that goal they were literally going to blow them away and it would be you know four or five nil even it was really comprehensive

Olivia Smith was on a mission obviously she gets the goal but then something switched and I don't know why that mental shift is happening in games like it's only a one-nil lead it's so early on in the game why are you taking your foot off the gas as if it's almost like they think oh well yeah this is a breeze, but forgetting that there's an opponent with desire and fighting, you give them an inch any team and they're going to sense that they can get something from it. And if players feel like there is something there to be gained against a big head, they will take it. And that's what Liverpool did essentially. And Arsenal really on the back foot. And there was a shift after the break in that it was like then mostly Arsenal from that point once the Equalizer

gone in and Renee did her not quite so hairdry of treatment at half time. But Then you've got the like persistent problems they've got, which are just creating really obvious chances at the moment, I think is a problem. Like they dominate, they have all the ball, they're getting good positions. But that final pass, that final effort and the space to take it just isn't there a lot of the time. They're almost over-complicating it a bit. Yeah, to a certain extent. I mean, the fact that Olivia Smith's goal was from the edge of the area, I think speaks just part of the problem. Like there's a lot of messing around in and around the box when it could be a lot more simple.

Steina Baxenius, she has to have 30 chances to get the goal, but she does get the goal after the 30 chances, and she often gets the 30 chances. So there's positives there. She scored the harder of them. But I thought... And she always scores a key goal. I thought it was going to be one of those days, though.

Like, it felt like Liverpool would catch them and getting a winner even, or it would be another draw, which would have been disastrous. Like, he said it was a must win every single game for Arsenal. It was a must win if they won any kind of hope of Champions League or challenging at the top, which I think is probably pretty much gone, but the state of the league at the moment, who knows? I mean, obviously City are the ones to catch and look great. Olivia Smith, I mean, we always knew that she was going to be a fantastic signing.

Player of the match performance and a spectacular goal, it was kind of inevitable she was going to score against her former club rich. I was really amazed when I looked at this the other day that that was the first time she scored since the opening day of the season, probably one of the goals of the season on the opening day, just thinking she is going to rip it up this season. and it's gone a little bit quiet, and she's had some games where she's come off,

she's had some games where she's come on, and like you say, looked like she was on a little bit of a mission maybe against her former team, but I genuinely think Olivia Smith has the potential to be one of the best players in the world. I really do in the next five years, and I think it's going to take time,

obviously, like she's still young, and obviously she's working her way in at Arsenal, but I think you're seeing those little glimpses still, like Susie said, you know, it wasn't a tap-in, it's an edge of the box again, and I think that's what you're going to see from her a lot and I think that's

important for Arsenal because like you say if the strikers are taking 30 chances to score and you've got someone that can do that they used to have

it obviously in say Jordan Knobbs for example could do similar and I think she's going to be a really top top player listen don't say that

because that means she's going to come into her peak ahead of the World Cup and we're bound to draw Canada so don't say that Biazza also

made Barclis WSL history four goals in her first five starts but actually you know Liverpool were brilliant defensively, I felt, didn't make life easy for Arsenal, Marva. Maybe, I wonder, and this is a strange thing to say,

the team that have actually been really struggling this season, but maybe that's been their best part of development under Gareth Taylor, potentially. Yeah, I would say the last few games, they've really, really improved, and I think Liverpool fans can definitely, I think for a while, they'd be watching their team saying, what are we doing here, what's happening, what's going on with our club, even in terms of investment, which we've spoken a lot about. But I think in the last few games, despite some of the results in the end, I think they can go away going, we can actually see something building here and what we want to play.

And I think with this game in particular, the only thing I'd say tactically that was a bit confusing for me was they seemed to be doing really well when they were playing in a low block. And then towards the end, as Arsenal were playing more balls over the top, they kind of conceded to that and started pushing forward more, which actually gave Blasinius, more space to get in behind. And like Susie says, you know, you can't give her too many chances. I've just got to say as well, there's a brilliant tweet in the Woto culture now, which is you can give Steena eight chances, but you cannot give her that ninth.

That exactly came true. But yeah, I think that Liverpool are really building. I think, unfortunately for them as well, it's they concede a lot of late goals, and that's what they've got to get out. And I think, of course, squad depth comes into that, because how can you keep pressing at that intensity? how can you keep defending at that intensity, which they were doing brilliantly. That's very unfair to expect of players when you don't have the depth to come in

and the talent and quality to come in to do that. But there are good signs building there. And I think the way the league is this year, it does only really take one win to get you out of relegation trouble, or at least for that moment, and then obviously someone else wins and then you're back in relegation trouble. To me, to you. Yeah, they're not quite adrift yet. So I think keep playing how they are and the points will come.

We saw it against Brighton, they almost won, it was very unlucky, a point against Chelsea, almost a point against Arsenal, that's encouraging signs for them. Well, the squad depth is a key point because Gareth Taylor was only able to name four outfield players on the bench and one was a 16-year-old in Maisie Truman. He's spoken about the need to strengthen in the transfer window, said, I've not had assurances, but we have had conversations. Sometimes players are more likely to move to get games when there's a major tournament in the summer which there isn't, okay, so that's potentially positive but same old, same old with Liverpool, isn't it, Susie? You know, no assurances.

That's a worry. I mean, he was really, really honest in the press conference. Like, it was really refreshing. I've been really interested to see how he does this season because obviously he, you know, coached through city age groups before becoming city manager and then at city you're given a lot of resource and you could argue that in the time there his tenure was a bit of a failure

in that with the resource they've got they should have walked away with more trophies so I was really interested to see how he would do at a club where he's not completely embedded in the culture of it and the way it works is given everything he needs and it's instead having to work with what he's got and fight for stuff I was like really curious

I think as Marva said he's done a great job on the pitch particularly these past few games like the signs of progress are there and the board need to back him we asked him where they need to strengthen and he was literally every area of the pitch. There isn't a single position where we couldn't strengthen. We need lots of recruitment.

And that was like the crux of, you know, the entire conversation about it. I think he wouldn't have necessarily come into that job if he hadn't have been given some assurances at the start of the season that would be able to do stuff. Because he came in so late because of his contract with City that he wasn't able to have a huge amount of influence in the summer. So I think it's really important they give him money. So I think he's been on a journey in this first last of the season.

And I'm excited to see. what they do after Christmas, but I just really, really hope they back him because, come on. I mean, if ever there was a time, like, he's showing that there is an opportunity there to do something. Potential. Potential. Journey bingo, by the way. Ding, ding! On a journey, on a journey. And you talked about late goals as well, and there was plenty of drama at Brisbane Road, which Tottenham Hotspur coming from behind to beat 10 player, Aston Villa. They had Ocean Deslandes sent off for a second yellow card. They'd taken the lead as well, Villa, through Kirsty Hansen, Bethany England leveled a minute later before Olivia Holt's 95th minute goal sealed all three

points for Martin Ho's side. It was really important that they got that win actually. They've actually gone four points clear of London City lionesses in fifth. They're just two points behind Chelsea in second. What has most impressed you with Martin Ho's side since he's taken over? I think exactly what he said in an interview himself a few weeks ago that I read. I think he's changed the attitude. I think, you know, he said last season they were maybe a little bit defeated towards the end of the season.

And I think he's gone in there and tried to get them on the front foot, tried to restore some belief, some resilience. And the road they look a little bit, you know, in the last few weeks. I think he would have been disappointed with the London City game and shipping four goals like they did. And then, you know, not capitalising on Sunday, obviously when Villa went down to 10 players. But I think that was pretty.

probably that biggest proving point of what he's done because I think last season when Tottenham got 1-0 down there with five minutes to go, I don't think they get a result, let alone win the game. So to come back and actually, because they didn't do a, they didn't have a massive shift in the summer. They didn't bring in a load of players and start again. You know, the recruitment was very tailored. And I think, you know, you look at what he's doing and, you know, the sway that he has as well. You know, he obviously bringing his old friend from, from Bran over in January, incredible signing because I think she, no offence to Tottenham, I think she could go and play for pretty much any club in Europe. We saw what she did over the international break again against

Brazil and she's an unbelievable player and I think we'll take Tottenham up a level and you look at the fact that they're clinging onto the coattails of the minute of, you know, a few of the top teams that are underachieving. I'm not saying Tottenham are going to get in that top three, but if they can keep picking up those results with that belief and they add what they're going to add in January, I think he's gone in there with a fresh attitude or, of this is who we are, this is who we're going to be. And because the squad isn't that different, they've made very tailored, good signings

to add, I think, quality rather than quantity. And, yeah, I just think, I think Sunday was the biggest, like I said, case of that so far where you look at that and go, I don't think Tottenham come back last week to even get a point. So to go and get three was, I think, yeah, a big, not a turning point, but sort of another landmark, but bring the bingo out again on the job.

journey of they're going on this season, but like another little doubt on the dartboard kind of thing of we've turned another corner here. Every time you think that Villa have turned a corner, they turn back round again and reverse, back to about defeats now for Natalia Arroyo's side, Marva. And they will have definitely been iron up this game to get points from. So I'm sure she'll be really disappointed. Yeah, and it was one that they could have in the way that the game was going. It was a really sort of, especially in the second half, a very, very open game,

which I think once, you know, they went to 10 players, it just favoured. Spurs in that sense. And I agree, I think Spurs don't win that game a year ago, but they just really stepped it up. Having said that, I actually thought Villa stepped up when they got the red card, really sort of push forward. And one of Spurs' weaknesses is getting in behind their fallbacks, which they did, and a brilliant solo goal from Hansen. But I just think as it became more and more open and obviously more stretched because they had 10 players, it just favoured spurs completely, whereas I think they could have just hung back a lot more. They conceded straight after scoring, basically.

So that was just lack of organisation, really, which was a shame because I think the way they played, it was a quite even game overall. That quick succession of goals reminded me of the game they played last season, where it was like Rachel Daly scored for Villa and then England scored straight away. It was very, very similar. This time, you could just see the difference in quality that Spurs had over them, whereas I think last season those were two very even teams. And you can see the kind of pull-away in quality that Spurs had compared to.

to this villaside. Bit of disappointing news. I mean, we all saw what happened to Jess Nas stretched off in the 71st minute with a knee injury. I think we all thought the inevitable and it has now been confirmed as an ACL. I was just looking actually, that is the eighth ACL of the season.

I think the reports, last year was over 12 months. There were 10 in the WSL. We're eight already and we're not at the end of the year. So again, I think we'll look into that in more depth at some point. But that's it for part one of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. In part two, we're going to run through the rest of the WSL game. and talk about all things, Guardian Top 100.

Welcome back to part two of the award-winning Guardian Women's Football Weekly. We actually have the award from the Football Supporters Association in the building. It's in the studio currently, and a lovely thing of beauty it is. I haven't picked it up yet, but I've been well informed. It's very heavy. We'll take a photo and put that up on socials at some point. Let's go through the rest of the WSL games from the weekend that we've not discussed yet. Manchester United, getting back to winning ways, a narrow 2-1 victory over West Ham.

Dominique Janssen's fantastic free kick was what sealed the three points for Mark Skinner's side. Susie, an important victory for Manchester United, given they lost their last two in the league. It was quite vital for them to kind of get ahead. because, you know, when we're heading into the end of 2025. Yeah, and had the loss to Wolfsburg as well. I think that's the thing that's been most interesting about them at this stage of the season is I think you're seeing the toll of those extra champions league games have an impact on their WSL form in a way that it maybe wouldn't have happened last season the same way

or, you know, if they hadn't had those games this season, I don't think we would have necessarily seen them suffer those two defeats, which, you know, they're the only one of the top four to have lost twice so far. So that's the interesting thing for me is how their squad copes with those added games, but then also how Mark Skinner copes with that. Because, I mean, they've not got the biggest squad in the world, but he also doesn't really rotate much. So he's kind of having to,

and you're getting players coming into games that previously haven't necessarily played a huge amount of minutes or kind of built those relationships on pitch, in match-like scenarios, you know, away from the training pitch, kind of thing. So it's not necessarily been as fluid as it has been. So yeah, it's really important for them to get the win. Like they've got a massive game coming up against Leon. Then they've got Spurs who obviously we said are in great form. So they've got two tough games to end the year. So anything to West Ham who are struggling big time this season, I think that would

have really knocks them ahead of those two big games. So they needed something. Yeah. Yeah, we'll talk about West Ham in a second, but, you know, we mentioned already, Gareth Taylor talking about the transfer window, Rich. Mark Skinner all season has been calling for United to be aggressive, is the word he's used this time round, in the transfer window. He's really trying to push the board into action. The question is whether he's going to be successful or not. I think we need the Bill Murray clip, don't we, in Ground Dog Day?

I think we've been hearing that from Mark Skinner since pretty much day one in the job with Man United and I think it's frustrating because there's a lot of potential there I mean it's Manchester United it's one of the biggest club names in the world and every now and again they make a sign in and you go okay you know they signed obviously rolfer in the summer and Malad a few years ago and there's times where you think okay they are going to really invest and they're going for the biggest names available and then like Susie's I think you're starting to see the the squad be stretched a little bit they have looked a little bit tired in recent performances they got across the line and

obviously on Sunday, but I remember watching them against Man City last month and it was really stark, you know, looking at who United were bringing off the bench, you know, Hannah Blondell obviously just come back from having a child and Rachel Williams, you know, play and Man City were bringing on, they've got Carolyn on the bench and Grace Clinton and Benet, you know, at the weekend coming on against Leicester and you're going, that's just a different level and that's where United need to get to. Listen, we've all had this conversation, haven't we over the last two, three years with the previous owners and then Ineos about, you know, their investment in the women's team. And I feel for Mark a little bit in that because we hear this from him before

every transfer window. It never quite seems to change. But they do. They do need more. But I think the quality of the starting 11 is very good. And I think Mark and the coaching staff set them up very well. Their defensive records always been pretty good, apart from that first half against Man City. That was probably as open as they've looked in a long time. But they've always got one of the best defensive records in the league. I think we all said it at the start of the season. They just don't quite have enough for me to sustain it over a 12-month period. We mentioned West Ham, Marva.

It was always going to be a tough day at the office, illness, injury in the camp, but Martinez's bicycle kick was brilliant, got them back in it. So I feel as if Rianzkin could probably take some positives away from the game. But it becomes now that they've had this another defeat, the Liverpool game is absolutely massive. coming up. Yeah, that game is huge because I think, you know, you go away from a game like this without a point and you say, yeah, kind of expected. I actually think they played really well. I think they could have taken a lot of positives from how they played in that game. Defensively, I thought they were actually

better than I've seen for a while against other teams. But I think Man United actually just played really well against what they were doing. So West Ham played with five at the back, which they do, but were very compact, which worked very well for them defensively. But then, United just did very well at getting, switching the ball to the widths, and that's where their goal came from, their first goal. And their second goal is just a brilliant free kick, direct free kick. And there's nothing you can do about that. And I felt for West Ham there because it reminded me actually of that game they played

against Villa, where they did everything right, and then Villa just scored two absolute worldies. And you just go, what can you do? What can you do with that? But I think it shows that on the other end of the pitch for them, they just haven't had those players who are quite delivering, whereas I think, last season, you know, towards the end, Martinez really stepped up in that sense. For the last few years, SAE has stepped up so much for them. And this season, it's not quite clicking with some

of those players. And they're getting the chances going forward. In that first sort of 25 minutes or so, they were having as many chances in terms of breakaway moments that Man United were having. They just couldn't convert them in the way that you'd expect Man United to convert. But I think in terms of these sort of narrow defeats that we're talking about, I think there's also an element of a lot of these teams are just getting better and it's not going to be as easy as expecting three nils, four nils all the time. Even in the Leicester Man City game, which we'll go on to, it wasn't as easy as that scoreline reflects. So I think it is big credit to a lot of these teams that are building and building and building. And we know that they can't quite compete

on a squad level, but I think the fact that they've got some players like Martinez, like Gago at Everton, it just means now and then you can do something special. So I think we're going to seem, exactly, and we're hopefully going to see more and more of that. I think the coaching is getting better as well across the board. Like there's not a team I look at and I think they're a really badly coached team at the moment, like which I think is quite exciting because usually as a team you could identify for the drop straight away, but Liverpool and West Ham at the bottom.

And I look at their games and I think they are not destined for the drop. Leicester may be the weakest, but like even then, again, as Marva's, said, like, decent against City for much of that match. Like, the level of coaching, the quality of the coaching, I think, has really massively gone up. And 3-0 was the score line between Leicester and Manchester City. It did look comfortable on paper for Manchester City, but definitely not the case at all. And Andre Yuggler said that these are the type of games that his side need to win if they want to win the league. And they were made to work really hard for it, Rich, weren't they? How important was kind of the patience from City in this game? Yeah, I mean,

they're six points clear now, aren't they? They're going to have to get used to teams, you know, certainly in the bottom half. And I think teams have done this to Man City for a while anyway, but now that they are kind of the ones being chased and they are the ones that you're looking at and going, you know, certainly with Chelsea's result at the weekend, you have to say Man City are the favourites now for the title and the level of player they have in attack,

whether that's Bunny Shore, whether that's Medemar, whether it's hemp, you know, for Gino, you know, I said there again at the weekend, and they brought Carolyn, Clinton, Benet, all off the bench. Like, they've probably got now the most stacked attacking in the league, and that's before you get to the quality of the people like Hasagawa, etc. And defenders, but they're going to have to get used to teams frustrating them. And I think they've got every weapon in the book to have that patience, like you said, whether that is the players that start, you know,

if you give Bunny Shaw enough chances, you know, I know she missed a few on Sunday, but she will put them in the back of the net, you know, Meademar's back to top form. She had an incredible international break. It's got four goals in, I think it was half an hour or something, in one of the Netherlands games. And, you know, if they don't, like you said, to be able to bring on Clinton,

you know, Carolyn being back now full fitness. And we've seen the impact Benet can have, you know, in big games. She came on at Anfield scored. She scored the winner against Arsenal earlier in the season. They look like a team that is really well at all. There's no panic. You know, they just went about their business.

They got their three goals. they look like a team that is going to be really hard to stop at the moment. Yeah, without a doubt. And, you know, she did have five big chances before scoring two of them, Bonnie Shaw. But I thought Carolyn was just absolutely fantastic and so key to the game when she came off the bench, Susie. What impact does she have on the team?

Oh, huge. I mean, she's so dynamic, quick, like technically gifted. The pace that she comes into a side with, if you're coming off the bench, I think is really valuable, particularly a team like Lester doesn't have a bench to anywhere near match what city have at their disposal like you're running at very tired legs at that point

but I think she's worthy of a start to really show what she can do the hard thing is is who do you drop to make way in that city side right? Like you look at Mirzema and Bunny Shore and they both got hat tricks in the international break Hempers is undropable really like you're kind of swimming around

but that's a good problem like I think they're starting to get a squad capable of doing what Man United are struggling with now and competing in the Champions League next season. I mean, that bench, Imman Bene, Grace Clinton, Nora Coombs, Carolyn, like, it's really, really good. And frightening for the opposition to look at that, which actually is probably why, you know,

Lester are getting quite a lot applauded for this game, even though, you know, they ship three goals, essentially, Marva, because they were quite resilient and they worked really hard off the ball. They were really resilient, and I think they actually nullified city's main threat, which is their wing backs of the season, and they did that really well. And I think what's gutting for them, because I think if you go away, you lose to city, you understand it. But what's gutting for them is that they did so well. And then the first goal they concede is an individual error, just a swing and a miss, basically. And then that lands

at Bonnie Shaw and she's not going to miss from there. And then it just felt like the floodgates kind of opened, heads went down, which you can understand because I think their whole game plan and honestly probably wasn't to get a goal. The whole game plan was just to sit back and defend and hopefully get that nil-nil. So once that one goal goes in, it changes everything for them and I think it was too hard moving forward.

I think for Leicester as well, what I was saying about, you know, West Ham and Liverpool with Olson and Everton with Gago is that Leicester don't have a player like that. They don't have that just one player who can really create something out of nothing. Brian's shown some promise. Kane can do it now and then,

But they're not like that next level of talent that you just can give the ball to them. And they just power their way through and do something incredible. And this game was another example of that. They did everything they could. But once Carolyn gets on the ball and starts slicing your team open and heads go down, there's very little you can do as a team like Lester. Yeah. And at the minute they are lucking out that West Ham and Liverpool are not picking up any points.

I was about to say terrible. They're not terrible, obviously. But they're just not picking up any points. Final game to go through. London City lioness is nil. Brighton won. It was a real scrap between these two sides. And actually, you know, London City hadn't been beaten at home in their last three games, but Brighton took all three points. Thanks to Kiko Seiki. And Daria Vidazic had called for his side to start well. And they did just that, six minute goal, which turned into being the winner. Right, listen, Rich, I want you to tell us a little bit more about the Guardian's annual 100 best female footballers in the world. because the list was released last week. Itana Bon Mati coming out top after votes were cast by a panel of 127 judges, including coaches, former players, and media. And of course, as the creator, Rich, there was no one better to get on the pods today.

How did the project come about in the first place? I literally said to Susie walking in, the last time I was in this building was when we created the top 100. Well, yeah, so, I mean, you might remember, Faye. We started it with the off-side rule with Kate, Lindsay Haley, 10 years ago now. It was kind of out of a bit of stubbornness on my part that the Guardian had a men's one and I was kind of like, yeah, let's do a women's one. Like, why not? And, you know, Kate and Linda, like, they're good for anything. Like, they were like, yeah, you know, let's do it. And obviously we'd done quite a bit of women's football stuff with the World Cup in 2015. So we did it for

two years. It was quite small, you know, 30, 40 judges, people we knew, people in our network. And then, yeah, the Guardian came to us in 2018, I think it was. And basically, said, did you steal our idea? And we were like, yes, we did. We stole your format, your rules, everything. And the Guardian were great. To be fair, they were like, listen, it's brilliant. We want to start doing a women's one. Do you want to work together on it? I love seeing the players down, you know, even the bottom end of the list. Like we had a Northern Super League player in the list this year, you know, the first year for them in Canada. And I think that shows the visibility is growing. And they're the ones that I love. So yeah, it's been a pretty

crazy thing to see it grow. I just want to give a bit of love to the Offside Raw podcast because they were the pioneers actually in terms of women's football and, you know, Lindsay Hooper, Kate Borsay, Haley McQueen and then Natasha Dowie actually joined Lindsay after that, you know, did brilliant, brilliant work, brilliant pods as well and I love that we get as the Guardian to kind of showcase the work that you're doing. I'll ask you about 99th and 100th in a second, but Marva, I, Tarnabor Matty came out on top. Why was she a worthy winner?

I could go on forever about why Balmati is a worthy winner. I was one of the few people as well for the Ballondor who was saying she's a worthy winner and everyone's saying that this was a sham of a result. But I just think when you look at what she's done, not just in the last year, but just her consistency. Obviously, she's unfortunately injured at the moment,

so we will see a different one next year. But she has just brought so much talent to the game in a way that excites people. I think Patea's did something similar when she first was getting her products as well and we've got some incredible players in this game but there's something about the way Bon Matty plays that I think any football fan can just sit back

and appreciate and just stare in wonder. There are games that I've seen her just step up to levels that I've seen very few other players, men's or women's do. In a year as well where there probably wasn't one standout I think those top four in this list, but also that we've seen across many other lists as well, I think all were the winners of the top spot in every single award. So for me, I just love Bon Matty as a player so I would pick her. She's just one of those players that excites people and a load of trophies on top of that.

You can't complain too much, but I feel Susie might slightly. I love Bon Matty, right? I agree with everything Marva said about watching her in any year all the time. And, you know, if it was an award and all of the awards were for, like, the best player to be playing football objectively, at any moment in women's football, it's going to be Bon Matty, right? Like, until she dies, basically, probably, in the same way that Messi would just win it every year forever more, like, because objectively he is probably the best player to ever. ever played. But then that ballondeur like highlights real when she won that. And it's her basically like stony-faced after losing the Champions League final. And there's stony faced after losing the Euro's final. And you're like, if there's a year where one of the brilliant

Spanish players isn't going to win it, it was this year really. So that's the thing I have an issue with because I also don't think she was the best Spanish player this year. I think both Alexia and Patri had better years for me for Spain and for Barcelona. So I would still have a right up there. She's still brilliant, but it's her high standard. She didn't kind of reach the levels that she has in the previous years. You know, when you look at the Arsenal players that went on and did the Euros win as well. or Mariona Caldente, who first season in the WSL, winning the Champions League,

in the manner that they did, having the season that she did domestically. Like, it just felt like the right moment. I feel like they elevated their game to a level that we just, you know, probably didn't expect versus Bon Matty, whose level relative to her ability was lower than it has been in recent years. So that's, but then again, like awards. They're so subjective, right? We probably would all have the same top 10-ish, but the order would all be entirely different.

Well, this is what I was just going to finish up and ask Rich, because football is subjective. Awards seem to, you know, bring the best and the worst out of everybody. Why is there no perfect formula? And what differentiates the Guardian top 100 from other lists and awards? It's so hard for me because I am like a perfectionist. But you have to accept that there isn't a perfect list. You could get rid of every judge and just go, you know what, I'm just going to put my 100 and everyone would disagree with it.

And like, you know, I think it was shown in... Do you live in America? I think it was 54 judges put Bon Matty first. So you're talking less than half, you know. But obviously she got the most, you know, votes overall. And I think that shows how split it was. I was a little bit surprised how much Bon Matty did actually win by. I thought it was going to be a lot closer.

but I think our top four was the same as the Ballandoors. I do think there's maybe a little bit of recency bias in that and I've come straight after the Ballandore. I think people see that and go, oh, you know, Bob Matty won the Ballandor again. I'm not saying she's undeserving, you know, she's an incredible player, but I do think there was a few candidates.

Yeah, I've had to sort of dig deep a little bit to accept that it's never going to be perfect. There is no perfect when it comes to a list. It's a little bit labor of luck. It's a little bit like having a kid. You've got to love it by nature. annoys you a lot of the time, but when anybody comes for it, you get very protective about it. So it is a little bit like that. But no, it's been good. But yeah, you have to

accept that there is no perfect when it comes to a list of 100 names. No, it's really tricky. Any awards is tricky to do. So you've done an incredible job. By the way, 99th, Cygnagal set of S.K. Brown and Rachel Kundanji of Bay FC is 100. Go through the whole list. It's on The Guardian.com. God, she's mad, really. I know. That's what I mean. That's two incredible players. By the way, that photograph of Signa, she looks so much like Grace Clinton in that particular photograph.

It's terrifying. Anyway, just a little bit of other news to bring you, Bayfc. Speaking of which, have announced that former England under 23s manager Emma Coates is going to become their new head coach. She joins the NWSL side after eight years at the FAA and we'll be joined by her assistant, Gemma Davies. San Diego Wave won the second edition of the World Sevens that was held over the weekend in Fort Lauderdale.

Yonis Idavel and his team banked $2 million with that victory. It has been an absolute pleasure to have you all. Thank you so much. Marva, in Honour, Everton win. I love that. Yeah, I'll go and enjoy myself this week until on next game. Excellent. Rich, lovely to have you.

Brilliant debut. Thanks for being part of Guardian Women's Football Weekly history. No worries, thank you. Ceasey Wreck, we're off for an award celebratory lunch. And we've seen each other two days in a row. That's wild. I know. It's incredible.

Right, let's just keep this run going. Let's keep our momentum. Chelsea lost theirs. I don't know if I can cope with more Faye tomorrow. Yeah, that's a bit much, isn't it? A bit much. Keep having you say, by the way, we are going to do a mailbag episode very soon, I promise you. Send in your questions via X.

Email us at Women's Football Weekly at The Guardian.com. We always read them all. As ever, as well, a reminder to sign up for our biweekly women's football newsletter. All you need to do is search moving the goalposts. sign up. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is produced by Sophie Downey and Silas Gray. Music composition was by Laura Iodale. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.