The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - FA Cup semi-finals set and London City Lionesses spice up Championship – Women’s Football Weekly

Episode Date: March 21, 2023

Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Flo Pollock and Chris Slegg review the FA Cup and Championship action – and look ahead to the Champions League

This is The Guardian. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Hello, I'm Faye Carruthers and welcome to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. The Women's FA Cup semi-finals are set and it's not to be for Lewis and Birmingham. Four WSL sides will battle it out for a chance to play at Wembley. Aston Villa knock out Manchester City in extra time to reach the last four for the first time. Manchester United make their first FA Cup semi-final

while Chelsea and Brighton complete the line-up. We'll discuss all those matches, look ahead to the Champions League, plus Lois Joel from London City Lionesses joins us with the Championship title race going down to the wire. And that is today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Susie Rack, no polls this week i'm very disappointed yeah i've been too busy fighting fires on afghanistan to do polls oh listen we need to do an entire pod on that i have to say um we don't have long enough that's for sure flo pollock the last time i saw you was at the emirates deep dark interview room how are you doing yeah i'm very well thank you

excellent chris leg a debut it's a delight to see you yeah delight to make my debut especially off the back of a cracking weekend of fa cup quarterfinals well that's exactly where we're going to start chris it's as if you were a journalist and you knew what i was about to do aston villa 2 manchester city won our biggest cup set of the weekend came at the poundland and you knew what I was about to do. Aston Villa 2, Manchester City 1. Our biggest cup set of the weekend came at the Poundland Bescott Stadium. Aston Villa continuing their unbeaten run over Manchester City this season. A 2-1 win in extra time. I mean, we could have written it all, couldn't we?

Who else? Rachel Daly. Villa had taken a lead in the first half thanks to a Rachel Corsi header, deflected goalwards by Esme Morgan before Dana Castellanos had equalised. Susie, a historic moment, their first ever Women's FA Cup semi-final. And I mean, we've waxed lyrical about them all season. It's just reward, isn't it, for an amazing season so far? Oh yeah, totally. And like, Danso in style as well.

I thought Kirsty Hansen in particular was absolutely fantastic just so so dangerous and like the thing is you know obviously she's on loan so next season they're gonna have to fill that gap if Man United recall her but yeah it had a absolutely stunning season for them so far and it was well deserved um arguably City missing big chances Chloe Kelly straight through puts it wide but they didn't quite click for me in this game um Villa were too aggressive for them just constantly pressing high harrying them in a way that I think teams should take note of. Yeah, they don't. We say these kind of things all the time, don't we, Flo? As Susie alluded to, it wasn't really the most high quality of matches.

And as Susie said, they struggled to create in the final third. But so many big chances wasted by Manchester City. They'll be quite frustrated with themselves, I think. Yeah, they will. And I think Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly are wonderful players. They really are. And I think they're going to be top elite players. But I think they're not quite there yet, in my opinion.

They are just not clinical enough. They're very good in the build-up play. Lauren Hemp, actually, I was watching watching watching her cross the ball is really interesting he really digs out crosses you've got a really interesting technique like there's very little back lift so they don't really know that the cross is coming it's just like suddenly crosses it so I think they're so good in the build-up play but yeah I think they're not quite the finished article it's a bit harsh to say because they're wonderful players I think they will get there the finished article. It's a bit harsh to say because they're wonderful players. I think they will get there, just to be clear,

but I think they're not quite there yet. Yeah, whereas the experience of Aston Villa is quite telling, isn't it? Where does this leave City in their season, Chris? When they're good, they feel, as Flo said, exceptionally good, but they just don't have consistency maybe at the moment. Yeah, it's the consistency that's lacking and you know a huge huge setback for them really you know a trophy there for a taking well not for the taking because Chelsea are still in it but they'd have been you know one of the the most fancied sides that they got through but I mean I was just so impressed

with this Villa display to to beat Manchester City after extra time you know even to take them to extra time but then you're always going to fancy the big team, the greater resources on the bench to win after that extra half hour. But what Carla Ward is doing there impresses me so much. I commentated on their last WSL match against West Ham. It's the first time I've seen them live this season and how they have progressed under her. The team that she has built strengthened them in every area of the pitch.

The signings they have made, so clever. Kirsty Hansen, brilliant. Such a shame if they do play Manchester United in the semis or perhaps even in the final, that she wouldn't be able to play. And this for me, I mean, this is one of the greatest FA Cup results we've had really. To have Aston Villa getting through to the semi-final,

you don't get many shocks in the Women's FA Cup I love the competition I love what it does I love the crowds that it brings in but you don't get many shocks because of the concentration of talent and this is one of the greatest shocks we've seen in the quarterfinal stage it's so impressive and I'm really already looking forward to the semi-finals. Do you know what Susie I know exactly what you mean Chris but I didn't feel like it was a shock in many ways. When you look at that 4-3 win on the opening day of the season

for Aston Villa, and apart from that little blip at the end of last year, you know, their season has been so impressive. And I spoke to Carla Ward last night and, you know, she's so humble with it as well.

But this is like years in the planning in terms of the players that they identify to bring to the club to to progress further and further so it doesn't feel like you know this is not where they belong do you know what I mean Susie? Yeah I get what you mean I do think that that you know they've had a hefty stroke of luck in that you know you can plan for the players you want with like all the best intentions in the world but getting Rachel Daly getting Jordan Nobbs getting Lucy Staniforth has only come at this

particular moment in time because of the World Cup coming and them being desperate for game time and yeah playing regularly ahead of that tournament trying to get in that squad when they've been on the fringes and left out by Serena uh here and there for international windows so I think it's like been a little bit of a perfect storm for them in that like obviously they've got a fantastic manager in Carla who like identifies talent really well and always has done and then you've got this situation with England that has enabled them to put the pieces of the puzzle together in a really satisfying way and it really exposed City like I've obviously repeatedly had my criticisms of Gareth Taylor as a manager on this podcast

like don't get me wrong in the league City have looked very good this season they're playing really well but I don't think anyone has challenged them in quite the way that Aston Villa have this season I don't think anyone has really kind of driven at them with the energy and intensity that Aston Villa have. And that's quite exciting, particularly towards the end of the season. I mean, if anything, City going out of the FA Cup makes the league so much more interesting because obviously Chelsea and Arsenal competing in the Champions League,

which could be over this week potentially, but still that's extra games in midweek. Man United are having a little blip in the league in form, look a little rattled, didn't look their best against Lewis. There's a real opportunity there for City to sort of grab the league by the throat a little bit if they want to it's their last hope of some silverware um and I think that could be quite

interesting I think that like I wouldn't rule City out of the title race I'm like quite quite intrigued by what they could do despite the manager in the same way that Leon won a lot despite some of their managers your Your bezzy Gareth Taylor. Oh my goodness me. I'm expecting him to send you some kind of like happy end of season card in May or something. That would be quite amusing. I did speak to Carla Ward last night actually

and she said she's not going to lie. She's sure that Brighton will want to draw them and they want to draw Brighton. It's just an absolute no-brainer. Very honest about it. We will bring you the draw, by the way. It happens just after we finish. I'll be really honest and transparent with you.

It happens just after we finish, but I will insert something in as to who is playing who. Right, Lewis won Manchester United 3. It was a very special day on the south coast for Lewis. Despite falling to defeat against Manchester United, they really put on a show. A club record crowd of 2,801. But it was a Lewis-owned goal and Vilderboer-Riese header

that gave United a comfortable lead until Emily Craft pulled one back for Lewis with a stunner. Nikita Paris, however, sealing the deal to give United a 3-1 win. Susie Lewis might have lost here, but it was a really historic, wonderful day for the club. Yeah, it was. It was great. The atmosphere around the ground was phenomenal. Mark Skinner said it post-match that often they don't get to see

things around the ground because they arrive too early or they arrive too late and they sort of miss that. But they were in their bus coming things around the ground because they arrived too early or they arrived too late and they sort of missed that but they were in their bus like coming up to the ground as the queue was like snaking down the road and he said that really felt like a moment for him like he had not really seen that before they really felt like there was an occasion that people were coming to and he said he took some photos for his own, like, personal album to remember it. So, like, it was quite nice that he had that feeling as well, coming from, you know, Man United,

where they occasionally get to play at Old Trafford and things like that, and they get big moments. And, you know, they may well get to the cup final and things. But, you know, he arrives at Lewis and things like that. And he said he had a really strong affinity with teams that, you know, where everyone is sort of working really hard together because he felt that from his time at Birmingham. but also like really galvanized the mood and the feeling in the ground um and rewarded like the club and the fans for sort of the effort that had gone into creating what was like a really hostile but like fun and enjoyable environment um yeah it was it was great the sad thing is is that lewis essentially could go under at the end of the season yet there are you know they they make money they you know have fantastic sponsorship

deals but they can't keep up with the rate at which the money as i put in an article is being slid across the table from men's team to women's teams and like as long as you've got that they can sustain themselves at the level they're at but they cannot keep up with the the increases that are being slid across the table which isn't sustainable for those those other teams because they're not making the equivalent amount of money or lewis necessarily in many respects like i think a lot are making less money than lewis but lewis are the ones that could potentially suffer and that's that's kind of what's sad yeah insane, insane. Although Maggie Murphy is on the board of the new co-discussion group, isn't she? So, you know, hopefully she's going to know what's coming next

and how to keep this fantastic club going. And they had a fantastic goal to keep them going in this game. They got back into it, didn't they, Flo? Because the standout moment of the day, Emily Craft's really beautiful goal for Lewis she had a great game as well and her backstory so fascinating to honor ACL twice even though she's 21 years old it was a moment as well that deserved to be watched around the world as it was yeah it was such a good goal wasn't it it was a moment of individual brilliance but it was also

great kind of team goal kind of pressing forced it down also full disclosure I used to play for Lewis actually it was the reserve I was always on the bench but still counts that you played for Lewis yeah take that um and yeah just to echo these sentiments they're such a quality club they really are they're such a community club I'm also a community owner you can be an owner of Lewis yeah they're a great club so yeah it was just really great to see them and yeah it was a great finish I thought it was so unfortunate they went behind so early so it was kind of a freak goal it was unless you really didn't touch it did she I don't think that was was the outcome I think it was granted as an own goal. And if that hadn't have gone in, I felt like, I think Man United have the quality,

you know, to win. But going behind that early really, I think, scuppered their chances, really. But yeah, wonderful goal.

So it's great that they got that moment to celebrate, at least. Yeah, definitely. Manchester United didn't always look at their best in this game, Chris, but they have made it

to their first ever FA Cup semi-final and Mark Skinner's going to feel he's got a real chance of getting them to Wembley. Yeah exactly and that would be you know this is a trophy that is is winnable for them. Chelsea's still in there of course but they may well still be in the Champions League we all hope from an English perspective as we reach the very end of the season they'll certainly still be going for the title Manchester United will hope they can get back into that title race but you'd look at it and you say that the FA Cup is a is a more winnable trophy for them a first piece of major silverware would mean everything and and I hate talking like this because it's not the football

fan in me it's more of the the football journalist who's been used to speaking to to chairman and etc for years and years. But the brand of Manchester United, what it would mean for the women's game if they were to be in the FA Cup final at Wembley, and the fans that you would get coming to that game because they associate themselves with Manchester United, it might be the first women's game they've gone to. I know as football fans, we don't like to talk about football in that way,

but it would be a huge thing if Manchester United get to the FA Cup final when we stayed in. But also what I loved about this game, in fact, I loved about all four games, was they were all competitive, even that Reading-Chelsea game to a slightly lesser extent.

And when you see Manchester United go 1-0 up after eight minutes to an own goal, we've seen it time and time again, the build-up, the romance, you know, a lower league team at home build-up the romance you know a lower league team at home tv cameras there you know on the bbc red button and you're fearing this could be seven eight nil even though manchester united made a lot of changes and it didn't pan out that way it remained competitive it took until the 68th minute till united got their second goal

and then emily craft brings lewis back into it with an absolute stunner and it's not till the final minute that nikita Paris wraps it up. So it was just a great game from that perspective. Yeah, I agree. And if anything, I feel like the 3-1 result flattered Man United quite heavily. I feel like a 2-1 United win or a draw would have been, obviously with extra time, would have been a far fairer result at 90 minutes. Lewis's performance was really strong

and Mark Skinner really praised it afterwards. He said that what's impressive is that they're a team that really tries to play and that makes it difficult for you because if a team hits it long and is chasing for the whole game, you know, that's harder for them and they can hurt them when they do that. He praised the surface. He said, you know, the quality of the pitch and the way they tried to play made it a lot harder. So it was really interesting from that respect.

But also I think the Man United performance probably hit a little bit by the pressure of it. Because I think there's a hell of a lot of pressure on United to win this competition. Particularly, you know, given the teams that are left in it as well. Obviously, there's Chelsea there, but, you know, Chelsea are sort of stuttering slightly themselves and haven't necessarily had the consistency of performances. But, yeah, I think there is a hell of a lot of pressure on them to win this competition and to not make the semi-finals would have been a huge, huge, huge, huge blow. But I think if they don't reach the final,

I think there's going to be big, big questions asked because I feel like at the point of development that they're at as a club, they really, really need this trophy. Like Chelsea need the Champions League trophy, which we'll talk about shortly, but they're into their 10th semifinal of the FA Cup. Quite incredible. Reading won Chelsea three.

Goals from Jess Carter, Maram Mielda with the penalty, and Guru Wrighton, who was incredible. That was enough to see off Reading, despite them pulling one back through Sanna Trolskad. It wasn't Emma Hayes' side most convincing performance. Very similar. We've said that quite a lot this season, haven't we?

But they are just relentless in these domestic cup competitions. They've only missed out on the FA Cup semi-finals once in the past 10 seasons, which is just something quite incredible. Yeah, no, it's an incredible record. And that's the thing is just another efficient performance like I don't Chelsea just have not hit the heights for me yeah just ruthlessly efficient and I thought Reading can be so so good defensively and then you have moments like for that first goal where you've got Jess Carter of all players you know not I mean maybe

it's because she's not a sent forward you know and they're so focused on the likes of Sam Kerr and uh and some of the other superstars that they just completely leave her free at the back post but you know having a player like Jess Carter great player not usually in it amongst the goals able to pop up and just slot literally just slot it in the back so easily is it's really disappointing shape for me the penalty again I mean really sloppy just unnecessary to give away and yeah I just I there's a lot of sighing going on there Susie well I'm just I'm like I feel like Chelsea need to be punished for their like their performances they've not been overly impressive this season but yet they're still

champions league quarterfinals they're still in in the fa cup they're still like leading the way in the title race and i find that quite frustrating because i feel like it's almost too easy for them like they found a way to win so relentlessly um and to get a result no matter what and I feel like I want to see them punished for their profligacy and their sloppiness and I want to see them I want to see them challenged and have to raise their game you know maybe we can bring in VAR and the VAR decides what punishment befits a good or a bad Chelsea performance that would make for a really fun game wouldn't it just wouldn't it just flow chelsea also brought on four academy players in this game debuts for ashanti akpan caris brown rihanna blades and amy claypole making her third experience for the club um refreshing to see emma hayes giving

the youngsters a chance but is it maybe also a reflection of how thin their squad has got? Yeah, it's great that they're bringing on some academy products, because I'm sure that Chelsea's academy is probably one of the best, and you want to see those players getting time. I think maybe it's more a reflection of how easy the game was for them,

that they felt they could bring those on, if I'm honest. No disrespect to Reading, but Emma Hayes felt she could bring on academy players and not really kind of bring down their level, really. So yeah, in terms of Chelsea getting punished, I mean, they were punished in the Conte Cup against the final against Arsenal, weren't they? They lost that 3-1. But I know what you mean. They've not been at their best this season, but they just find a way to win. I think that deserves some plaudits in that respect.

Let's judge at the end of the season, depending on the Champions League and the FA Cup. Final game, Birmingham 0, Brighton 2. Maybe this scoreline wasn't quite as straightforward as it looks either. Brighton, a potentially tricky fixture, managed to pull themselves through it. Poppy Pattinson on the score sheet and a Daniel Carter penalty. But Birmingham hit the crossbar about five times, I think. I mean, is this semi-final, Chris, a little bit of a distraction for Brighton, given where they are in the WSL right now? Yeah, but again, I think it's great to see a club like Brighton getting into the latter stages i know they were there a couple of seasons ago but it's a club that with all due respects is

never going to feature in the top three right now you know going for champions league qualification but this is a trophy they can aim for certainly to get to the very latter stages of it and and birmingham put up a really good fight like you say hit the woodwork five times jade pennock with a brilliant performance uh for them shiv wilson also playing really well for them and and birmingham put up a really good fight like you say hit the woodwork five times jade pennock with a with a brilliant performance uh for them shiv wilson also playing really well for them and and they kept that game competitive despite the fact as i mentioned earlier we so often see championship teams completely blown out of the water by wsl sides in the fa cup i know birmingham have a very recent wsl history but um yeah another game that really kept us interested until the very latter stages and obviously Dan Carter there brilliantly taken penalty a player we can all

remember scoring a fantastic winner for Arsenal at Wembley against Chelsea back in 2016 so she's got some great history in this competition and you never know you know you never well we don't know as you mentioned quite how this draw that's going to happen in about half an hour time is going to pan out and yeah if Brighton and Villa draw each other as Carla Waters said that they hope to then one of those teams is going to be going to a showpiece final at Wembley and that's that's going to be another huge moment for women's football. You just missed a Susie Rack chair dance there for that Dan Carter winner. As Chris says, the draw for the FA Cup semifinals will be this morning, straight after we've finished recording, really helpfully.

However, I will be popping up to insert a this is who the teams have drawn message at some point soon. So we shall see whether Carla Ward gets her wish. But that is why we have not predicted what's going to happen and who's going to be at Wembley. That's it for part one. In part two, we'll look forward

to the Women's Champions League as well as chat to one of the weekend's big winners. have business insurance? If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft, or a lawsuit? No business or profession is risk-free. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com. Be protected. Be Zen. Welcome back to part two of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Whilst the FA Cup was going on, there was also league football taking place. Specifically, a massive top-of-the- table clash between Bristol City and London City Lionesses. Delighted to say we're joined now by

London City Lionesses fullback Lois Joel after two goals from Atlanta. Primus gave them a crucial win to take them back within three points of Bristol City at the top of the table. How are you, Lois? I'm good. I'm good. Thank you for having me. A few celebrations, I'm sure, after the weekend. Not too many, but a few dances in the dressing room, a few sing songs and that was it. And then back to bed. But yeah, it was a good day.

Excellent. How were the team feeling heading into the game against Bristol? Did it feel like a must win? Yeah, it felt big and we didn't shy away from that we knew the pressures of the game especially after dropping points to Sheffield we knew we had to get a win really to keep the title race super close but we just you know we reviewed the first game and what went wrong really and we just wanted to nullify them a bit more because we thought we actually played well at points in that game and should have probably finished more chances so yeah we just had

a slight difference in our tactical plan and everyone believed in that. And I think it showed on the day and it worked. So, great. Yeah, it certainly did. How did you feel in the game itself? Yeah, we started the game really strong. So we were happy with that and we actually created quite a few chances early on. But the ball just wouldn't go over the line. So the defenders were at the back thinking, oh, is this going to be one of those days that we just can't get a goal but no we just kept going and the chances came and Atlanta had a great game and she finished two of them which was great. I was just

wondering like obviously the title race is really tight but like how frustrating it is for you as players I think both at the top end and the bottom end of the table that only one team goes up it's something we've talked about regularly on the podcast it's something that we've talked about further down the league at national league level coming into the championship like you know obviously being in a title race a tight title race at the top is exciting but it feels like the quality is there in the championship for more to come up? Yeah, I would agree with you. I think you see that when we play Cup games, the results are getting much tighter between the top teams in the Championship

and the bottom of the WCL, which is obviously a credit to just the structure of it and people investing and the women's game growing. And I do think as the game grows, we should see maybe another team grow up. And that's just something for, I guess, the FA to look at. Because I think as it gets more competitive, there's less of a reason for it to be one up, one down. maybe another team go up. And that's just something for, I guess, the FA to look at. Because I think as it gets more competitive,

there's less of a reason for it to be one up, one down. Obviously, it creates, I think, more excitement for fans and there's more of a chance for champ teams to invest more. There's more incentive if they know two's going up. But yeah, hopefully as the game continues to grow, there's not really a reason, I see, why not to have more than one team go up. Because you don't have the backing of a Premier League club is there any concern about how your future will be with the the new creation and this independent company looking after the WSL and Championship going forward? I think there's been quite a bit of talk about that to be honest as we've got closer to

going up and obviously as players we try not to focus on it too much but um the staff have been great and they work you know incredibly hard to make sure that we don't have to really worry about stuff like that and if it does happen and we do get promoted well I think we'll be fine and our owner you know we're very ambitious and we've got stuff in place next year to make what we have now even better which shows the drive of the club and even if we don't get promoted we're doing stuff we have plans in place so yeah I think obviously as players we don't really worry about and that's stuff for the staff to deal with unfortunately for them but I think we're very confident as the team that if we do go up it will be fine and there'll be investment and we'll continue to grow and it's exciting that there's a

independent women's team and it shows obviously there's also some positives because sometimes when you're tied to a men's team you have a budget and it looks really big but obviously you've got certain restrictions and you have to work within the men's framework and we can do what we want really and so far it's working so hopefully it continues. I was going to ask you about that how's it felt for you being at the club because most teams most women's teams like no matter how many times the clubs tweet about their one club mentality and and equal opportunities and all that kind of stuff like ultimately often it's second fiddle to a certain extent but when you're at a club where there is no men's team and you you are the priority that must be like a very different feeling and vibe around the place where you feel like you're the

priority does it like do you get that sense from the club is that how it's made you feel being there yeah 100 obviously it has its challenges but um like you said perfectly everything all the decisions made made what's our best interest as a women's team and other clubs that have to work within the men's framework again sometimes it's not always in their best interest and they've got to you know just work around the men but yeah it has its challenges but I also think it's very exciting and it makes the players feel you know like we're doing something different we could create history if we do this and it makes us feel slightly empowered like we're a women's team and that's all it is and I think our you know maybe our biggest challenge will be growing a fan base completely

organically that doesn't try you know we don't have a men's team to tap into but you know as we continue to win games I think more fans will come and it'll be good. In terms of challenges you had a challenge with Melissa Phillips moving on in the middle of the season. How smooth has that transition been? Yeah, it was tough because Melissa was a huge part of London City and she'd been there a few seasons and especially for players that had also been there for her and they'd been on that journey together and she'd brought a lot of players in, but she'd also set foundations, strong foundations.

You know, by the time we were at Christmas, we knew how we wanted to play and what we wanted to do. And we were already on our way to hopefully winning the league. So Keats, our assistant coach, who's our interim head coach, has stepped in really well and stepped up to the challenge. And loads of staff have also stepped up. And if anything, it's made the players closer. And we've just thought, like thought we've just got to dig deep

and finish what everyone started with Mel. Your running looks more favourable on paper, if you like, to be respectful. You've got Durham, Charlton, Southampton, Blackburn and Coventry. How confident are you that you can take this all to the wire and you're going to be the ones promoted to the WSL? We all have a lot of belief as a group, but we can only focus, I think, on one game at a time. And it may look more favourable on paper,

but we've also had a hiccup against Sheffield a couple of weeks back. So it shows that you can really drop points to any team if you're not good on the day. So, yeah, we'll be focusing on ourselves and then hopefully Bristol have their own little hiccup and we go through so yeah we don't want to look too much at Bristol and forget that we also have to still win you know all of our games. And Charlton are sneaking up behind actually they've got a couple of games in hand haven't they and Karen Hills has history with this, of course.

But listen, Lois, we wish you the very best of luck and hopefully we'll be speaking to you at the end of the season. You're a WSL player. Hope so. That'd be great. Take care. Thank you very much, Lois. Thank you for having me, guys. Brilliant stuff.

Thank you very much there to Lois Joel. Elsewhere in the championship, Durham beat Southampton 1-0. Sunderland and Sheffield United drew 1-1 and Charlton beat Coventry 4-1 courtesy of a Melissa Johnson hat-trick. Charlton 10 points behind Bristol City in third, but with two games in hand

and may not feel, as I said to Lois, like they're out of the running for promotion just yet, but they do have games against London City and Bristol City to come. Right, let's look at the UEFA Women's Champions League, shall we? Chelsea and Arsenal heading back into European action this week with Arsenal facing Bayern tonight in Germany before Lyon host Chelsea on Wednesday. Susie, Arsenal probably feeling slightly more confident now

than when they did when the draw was made. But Bayern, certainly no pushovers. Oh, far from it. I think the midfield battle is going to be so exciting. That's where I sort of really look at this game and find it quite mouthwatering. You know, Kim Little and Frieda Marnham up against Georgia Stanway and Sarazadrazil,

who have just been in such phenomenal form. Georgia Stanway is such a fighter. Kim Little is such a battler. I think that's where this game is going to be won and lost. I think in many senses, not many people expect Arsenal to beat Bayern. That's the first time they've faced each other in the Champions League. Bayern are a very strong side. German teams have always been notoriously difficult in this competition.

And I think that helps. We saw it in the League Cup final. Everyone thought Chelsea would walk that to a certain extent. And Arsenal dealt really well with that underdog mentality and thrived off it I think I think there will be a little bit of element of that play but for me the it's the midfield battle is just like the mouth-watering aspect of this tie. Yeah Chelsea face potentially an even tougher challenge against Leon Flo although we've obviously seen Arsenal pull off an upset against them in the group stages? Can they pull off the same kind of upset?

I'm no good at prediction, to be honest. But, I mean, I think they can. It depends. Is Ida Hoderberg back? I saw a video of her. I think she's going to be in the matchday squad. Okay, that could be a bit of a difference maker. I remember watching the Champions League final last season,

and she's such a good player. And I don't think, after you've spoken about it, I don't think Chelsea are that great defensively at the moment. I don't really know what their best back four is. Obviously, Buchanan and Bright are the two nailed on centre-half. But aside from that, they've actually only got five clean sheets in 14 league games, which is great when you're top of the table. So I think it's going to be a tough draw for Chelsea.

What I do think they should do, and I think this is the same for Arsenal, is I think go to Lyon and get away without losing and then come back to the home leg and try and win it there. I think that's what they should do, I think, especially for Arsenal. But I think Emma Hayes will maybe try and do that. I think she's very tactically flexible. She's quite happy to. Like against Man United

the other day in the league. They kind of sat deep, hit it up for Sam Kerr. They don't have one set way of playing and I think that's what they should do. So I think if they can get away from Lyon without losing,

I think they've got a good chance. Chris, obviously, aside from Chelsea's Champions League final appearance two seasons ago, that 4-0 defeat to Barcelona, English clubs have flattered to deceive maybe in European competition. How disappointing would it be if both of these think there isn't the fear i mean i would still make leon slight favorites i think arsenal by is really hard to call but i think there isn't the fear factor that there would have been in the past you know when you would come up against leon or a top german side i know by and haven't been a top german side in champions league terms until very

recently but the strong german sides of the past, Frankfurt, Hermann Potsdam, Wolfsburg, as they still are, you would always make those favourites. Now, I don't think you would in the same way. Chelsea have got a real chance here. Yes, Arsenal's 5-1 win against Lyon in the group stage also bodes well for that. And as Flo mentioned there, the second leg's at home for both the English teams.

I know that isn't quite as big of an advantage as it used to be in the away goals day but it's still an advantage if they can stay in the tie and come back next week to games that are being staged at the Emirates and at Stamford Bridge and hopefully we'll have great crowds there getting right behind the teams then they've really got a chance but yeah your question depresses me I don't want to think of the chance of them both going out of the quarterfinal stages but we do have to accept that that is realistic because these are two hugely competitive quarterfinals as indeed are all four of the quarterfinals I mean it's a mouth-watering prospects ahead and how good is it that people can watch all of these now you know only two years ago

you wouldn't be able to see any of these now you know only two years ago you wouldn't have been able to see any of these you might have got lucky and one of the clubs might have been showing it somewhere but the fact that DAZN now show all of these games you can get them on YouTube it's just taken this competition to a whole new level as well yeah I remember scrabbling around trying to find uh somewhere to watch, some kind of stream, something, some kind of updates. I mean, I think we forget sometimes because we demand so much of the game nowadays and what we want and what it deserves. And I think we forget actually how quickly this is now accessible and normal for young football fans and for us as football fans. Just quickly to finish off, and actually this links in nicely, Susie,

because Kelly Simmons announced yesterday she's going to be stepping back from her role as the director of the women's professional game. 30 years she's been part of the FA. It's quite incredible. How important has she been in the development of getting the women's game to where it is now and you know you've got five minutes but I know that you could do an entire pod on it oh I mean like an incredible uh legacy at the FA you know and not not always the nicest of place to work most likely I saw another journalist say it but like I don't think England are winning the Euros

last summer without Kelly Simmons like I think she's been that influential on the development of women's football in England that we wouldn't have reached a point that that we had last summer with you know everything coming together the way it has without her and a number of others obviously driving behind the scenes and constantly banging on the door for more for women's football. Like, yeah, beyond brilliant. I'm really excited to see what she does next, to be honest, because the legacy she leaves in the women's game is huge. And it'll be interesting to see what she does without the shackles of the FA,

which, you know, obviously are many and heavy. And I think she's still got a lot to give football generally, not just women's football. But yeah, really, really brilliant person. And it's hard to find the words for the legacy she leaves behind. You know, she started off up in the regions, coaching works her way through. It's head of the professional game.

The professional game is now being, you know, handed over to this new company of some sorts that is going to run and manage it. It's almost like her job here is done to a certain extent. Yeah, and she can go and put her feet up and enjoy that break and then come back

and do something special, hopefully, as you say, something more special. Right, we have come to an end. Flo, it's been a delight. Nice to see you. Thanks, you too. I've just realised as well,

the Bayern Munich Arsenal game is a 5.45 tick-off. It's a random time, I always think. Always random times in the Champions League, I think. Chris, a delight. Lovely to see you. See you soon.

Yeah, lovely to be here and I'm going to be trying to tune in at that random time anyway because what a match in prospect. Can't wait for it.ie always a pleasure yeah I am also tuning into that dodgy kickoff to try and catch up with what's happening before I fire to Leon tomorrow I will be trying to watch it on my phone because I'm up at St George's Park today so I will be trying to watch it and get dodgy signal on my train home uh right we'll be back next week for women's football weekend and blockbuster games galore.

A Merseyside derby, a North London derby and a trip for Chelsea up to Manchester. And a reminder, you can now email us on womensfootballweeklyattheguardian.com. Right. I promised I'd tell you the breaking semi-final news, didn't I? Drumroll. Carla Ward did not get her wish. Aston Villa will play Chelsea and Manchester United face Brighton. Those ties will be played on the weekend of the 15th and 16th of April

with the final on the 14th of May. This ends your public service announcement. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is produced by Lucy Oliver and Jesse Parker-Humphreys. Music composition was by Laura Iredale. Our executive producer is Sal Ahmed. This is The Guardian. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters.

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