The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Russo fires England to four wins from four – Women’s Football Weekly podcast

Episode Date: April 21, 2026

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Emma Sanders and Marva Kreel to discuss England and the home nations’ international games and preview the Women’s Champions League semi-finals

This is The Guardian. I'm Faker others and welcome to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. It's another lioness's landmark reached 500 games and most importantly another win on the way to World Cup qualification. Alessia Russo's goal was the difference in Iceland. We'll assess the game and maybe talk about Susie's scuba diving exploits too. The Republic of Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland all won and Scotland drew but stay top of their group. We'll review all the action as well as preview the Champions League semi-finals with Arsenal hosting Leon. Plus we'll take your questions, and that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly.

What a panel we have today. Susie Rack, lovely to see you. Listen, we have to get straight into the football, but tell me very quickly what scuba diving in Iceland was like. It wasn't scuba diving, was snorkeling, but it was fantastic. It was between continents, between the Eurasian and North American continents, in what is supposed to be some of the clearest water in the world with 100 metre visibility, and it was beautiful. Well, it looked it incredible. Emma Sanders kept her wetsuit off.

You didn't partake. How are you? Yeah, I'm amazing. I was doing well watching instead. So I got to see like about 11 humpback whales, dolphins, prophets. I had basically the greatest day of my life. I went with Rachel and Sof. So, yeah, it was, obviously, I'm in love with Iceland.

I wish I was still there. I have huge foam. I reckon Marva Creel might do too. Yeah, I was moving house in Tottenham, so not quite as, as exciting. See you too. Wow. Right, let's get straight into the football,

which was the real reason you were there, by the way. The lionesses wrapped up their second World Cup qualification camp with the dogged and slightly nervy 1-0 win away in Iceland. There was late pressure from the hosts, although not enough to spoil England's 500th game celebrations. Alessia Russo's first half finish maintains their place at the top of the group going into the final window.

How do you reflect on the performance, What does it say about England's ability to grind out results when not quite are their best? I was colder at the game than I was in the two to four degree water, which was funny. It was a game of two halves. I think it's fair to say. The second half was really, really tough and Iceland really frustrated them. We know Iceland are really, really good at home and defensively solid, and we saw how difficult they can be to break down in Nottingham.

but they really went for the game in the second half and, you know, England will really put under pressure for not having sort of built on that lead more. But I think there's a big difference in this campaign, this World Cup Qualifax campaign compared to the last two years of Nations League. Obviously, it follows the same format as the Nations League. When England have really struggled against some of the teams are difficult to break down,

like drawing against Portugal, losses to Belgium in both years and that's a big change that I think is really a really significant one because they're the only team who are three points clear at the top of their group

and being able to grind out the results when you're coming off the back of a big game against Spain at Wembley and the pitch quality wasn't great and things like that I think is a little bit of a shift regardless of the performance not being ideal that's a really interesting trend

so they've got over one half but there seems to be another one that they're struggling with at the moment because they did start the game brightly, several chances, but just not more of a cushion going in at the break. And that was similar to the Spain game as well, Marva. Should Serena Vigman be concerned about that? I think it's hard to say for this game, because I do think you have to take into account

how draining that Spain game would have been, not only in terms of tired legs, but I think just mentally as well, like they knew they had to win that game. So then not really switch around the team, We know Serena Vigman likes to do that. I think that's played a big part. You saw tired eggs, especially in the second half.

There has been a problem, like Susie said, over the last few years out of major tournaments, and actually sometimes in them as well, in starting to play well. And I think this campaign has seemed different in that sense. I think they've seen a bit more knowing their roles. I don't know if that's a case of we haven't Touchwood had any sort of big injuries that have affected like the starting lineups that we've seen at major tournaments in the same way. I think we've kind of forgotten how much Lauren Hemp brings to that side

and forgotten how much that we weren't with her in the lead-up to the Euros. And she just brings such balance to those wings, which has been really, really helpful. And we've seen in both games how that helps the team. But yeah, should have finished it more. I'm actually quite critical of England usually, but I'm going to step back and not be as critical in this performance because I think they got it over the line

after a really, really difficult hard performance against space. So we'll see in the next round of fixtures, particularly against Ukraine, because I think that's the one where you do need to step up on your goal difference. But I can't be too critical of those two performances. I'm playing in the heat of Spain, which is going to be interesting additionally. But the front line is exciting, Emma. Alessia Russo got her 30th goal for England. And as Marva said, Lauren Hemp back in the front line. Lauren James also fit.

I mean, that threesome is just wonderful, isn't it? Yeah, I think it really worked. And actually I did a piece sort of debating where Lauren James' best position was before. You know, the first game of the camp, for me, it's definitely on that left-hand side. I think Lauren Hemp now has got such a good ability to switch between the wings that I think we saw particularly against Spain how well that balance worked with LJ on the left, hemp on the right and Rousseau in the middle. Because I think the two wingers, like, you know, they're willing to change during the game anyway.

But I think when you have LJ on that left-hand side, she has the ability to cut in and she can shoot from anywhere around the box and she can use both feet. So I think if you're a fullback defending that, a lot of sort of left-wingers will cut inside, whereas LJ will do that effectively. But then she can also just, you know,

whip it in with the left foot and her left foot is a fantastic delivery of the ball. So I think England really have strength in those areas. I think that was never a question. It was just how to get the balance right and I just think it worked completely in this camp even against Iceland it was choppy I think

is a nice road to say the game but still going forward England were really really exciting particularly in that first half and yeah if I was sort of any opponents coming against England I'd be terrified of that front free I think it's probably the best in the world I think Spain have an argument in France as well

difficult to know kind of the consistency of the USA at the moment with their sort of attackers, but I think certainly England is right up there. Just got to keep everybody fit. There's a long time to keep everybody fit. We've still got a year to go, or just over. You said it was a game of two halves, Susie. So how did Iceland's tactics enable them to switch the momentum in the second half?

I think they were just really frustrated England. I thought it was interesting watching them water the pitch at half time, which really did not need watering, if that felt like a tactical move. in and of itself. Firstly, you know, England have always struggled a little bit against low block. That's what they started out in. But they were kind of probing, able to carve out a few opportunities also, you know, obviously to get the goal.

But then second half, they came out of that low block a little bit. They brought it forward a little bit. And we're really good at kind of being so compact in the middle that England really, really couldn't find a way through and didn't necessarily make the most of the wingers. as well in the space that was created by Iceland moving up a little bit. But I think that was just because Iceland were really, really on it and wanted it. And like we're really kind of battling to get something from that game. They could sense that there was a point to be got, at least, I think, from it.

And so it was just a really, really robust defensive performance, really compact, middle, difficult for England to get through there. And, yeah, a real kind of hunger at home to do it in very difficult conditions to travel to. say the cold, the pitch quality wasn't amazing. Then they wore it at half time. It was a clever tactical game plan all round. Well, I mean, we needed Hannah Hampton to keep out some of their chances, didn't we? And she's had a bit of a topsy-turvy season with Chelsea, but made quite a few big saves to make sure of the three points. This is what she said, which made me giggle, actually. It's my job, isn't it really? We're in it as a team. I can't be the one scoring goals, but I can't

stop them. Yes, that is your job. All right, working. What is it about her, though, that makes her as important as she is to that defensive unit, Marva? I just think her ability on the ball, as we know, adds so much to a team that, especially in moments like that where we were pin back and I still pushing and pushing, and I think to have that confidence in your keeper is so important. But to see her growth in shot stopping, I thought, you know, some of those saves that she made towards the end, I think even though she's had some very good seasons for Chelsea over the last few years, but I think some of those stops, maybe she wouldn't have pulled off in previous years, because I think just her growth in confidence in being that goalkeeper for England, I think,

is really showing, which is so great to see as an England fan. You want that confidence in your goalkeeper to know that they feel confident in that team and that they can. can be the person to win you points. I think she maybe needed that after the season that she's had. I'm sure she won't dwell on it too much, but as you said, it has been a bit topsy survey. So I think to have some moments like that where she can go away from this camp knowing she contributed massively to those three points, well, six points in the end, I think will be

a big confidence booster for her. Yeah. Just quick last one on Iceland, Emma. What did you make of them as a whole? Because they've actually played in the last five euros. So there are a constant feature on the European stage, but how good are they? Yeah, I've been impressed by them both times. I've seen the play against England and the bits that I've kind of seen of them over the last two years.

I think Serena Vigman was very strong after the Spain game. That just because they've won that doesn't mean that England, you know, are going to qualify automatically for the World Cup. I think she knew that this Iceland test in particular was a really, really difficult one, as obviously has been shown in that second half. that I think people will always look at, you know, their organisation and their physicality, you know, with the height that they have in the team and say that they're their strengths. And they absolutely are.

But there's a lot more to them. You know, they have real quality on the ball as well. And I think maybe that's an area that that was probably underestimated was that, you know, people might have looked at it as England just have to break them down. But actually, you've got to be really careful of what they can do on the ball as well. And I think they showed that in patches throughout the second half. So, yeah, a good side, unfortunate for them, that they got drawn in a group with Spain and England.

Yeah, very much so. And as you said, Serena Vigman, not getting carried away. Pragmatic in post-match, as she tends to be. She said, as always, we play to win. We've played four, have 12 points, and are in the best possible position. So that's absolutely positive. You know, as Marva said, six points in this camp.

Four wins from four going into the final match window. they're three points above Spain. They both share the same goal difference. I mean, they're in the driving seat, Susie, but that Spain game is massive. Yeah, it's huge, but it's also a great place for them to be in, well, the best possible place to be in, in that they've worked out quite a good game plan

for getting the better of Spain now. They're happy out of possession, happy to frustrate Spanish players, you know, kind of catch them on the counter and things and really take advantage of the space out wide, Forsom Central. I mean, that's what they did at Wembley. And they go to Spain not having to score

if they keep a clean sheet, right? Like, a draw is enough. So in a sense, like they've added to the strength of that game plan in that if they stay defensively resolute, like then, you know, they'll be all right. But that's a really, really tricky ask, obviously, against this Spain team. Although without Itanable Matty, who's obviously injured,

like they kind of look a very different side. That's not fair. That's not fair because they're more than just one player. But she's a player who can get something when times are really tough or they're really struggling. She's the one who finds that little bit of magic to make something happen, to get a goal to like carve an opening from the tightest of spaces. And they don't quite look like they've got someone who's stepping into that role.

So it's a good time at the moment to be playing them. And yeah, I think England are going to go to that game full of confidence. They've got back to back wins against them, one of them in a Euro's final. So there's nothing to fear really in that game. No, and a cushion as well. It almost feels too – I think this is my problem. I can't feel too relaxed about it because I'm like, no, no, no, this feels too easy. This can't be this easy.

And, you know, where it's not been easy for Serena Vigman is the injuries that she's had to deal with. She played around with their backline in both these games, gave opportunities to Lucia Kendall and Laura Blinghilde Brown. What do you think she's learned overall from her team in the course of the last fortnight, Marva? Are we still a little bit too reliant on some of the older players? I'm kind of thinking Lucy Bronze as an example. I would say Lucy Bronze, definitely, whereas I think actually this camp showed us we're less reliant on some of the other positions that maybe we thought we were in terms of centrebacks in particular. I think where there have been difficulties with injuries, especially with Lea Williamson, and just also

not knowing exactly what that balance is like in terms of the two centrebacks. I think Esme Morgan and Lottweb Moy has done a brilliant job over this camp of just really cementing their place and either one of them or if Lea Williamson was out, that I think everyone would have a lot of confidence in those two players and the ability that they bring. It's also nice to see them bring something else as well. It's not just a step-in into those roles. It's that women moi can play that through ball, I think it was to Russo, who then cut it back to Stanway, which could have been a goal. So it's nice to see them grow their confidence in that sense. However, yeah, I would say how much we rely on those overlapping runs from Lucy

Bronze, especially at her age. I hope she doesn't mind me saying, but knowing that it relies on her getting forward and then having to get back. And for the last few years, we've seen that as weakness in the England side. And I think, you know, we've still got a year. and a half ago she was playing on that awful injury in the Euros and I don't think she'd be able to do something like that again. So that is also worrying knowing that we don't have a direct replacement that we see really growing enough has got that experience even at club level. There's no one that massively stands out in the exact same profile to be able to make those overlapping runs and then get back and do some heroic acrobatic defending. Of course she is

through her career just being a world-class player so that that's always going to be hard to replicate and cover four. But I think the fact that even in this game against Iceland where you've gone, okay, she's played full 90 against Spain, is there someone else we can play? The fact that we're still so reliant on her, I think, is probably my only worry

taken from this camp. Yeah, it's going to be fascinating, isn't it, to see who might come out of the shadows in the next year or so. Not that I don't want Lucy Brons to be going out to Rio because I absolutely do and she's such a warrior. I'm sure she will be, but just to be able to save her in many ways. So she's not, you know, playing every single game and kind of wrapped up in cotton wool bandages and goodness knows what else just to get her through would be really useful.

Anyway, right, that's it for part one of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. In part two, we'll catch up on some other key World Cup qualification matches and we'll look ahead to the Women's Champions League, the semi-finals of this weekend. Welcome back to part two of the Guardian Women's Football Weekly. There was delight for Carla Ward and the Republic of Ireland. They beat Poland for the second time in a week, this time in front of their fans at the Aviva Stadium. Sunderlands Marissa Shiva scored the only goal of the game to put Ireland safely in third in the group, just two points behind leaders, Netherlands.

Carla Ward understandably delighted with their performances over this window. This is what she had to say. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe we had the potential to get to the World Cup. So we have to believe that we have to get there and I'm obsessed with it. That is what we work for. How the girls executed the game plan in the last two games has been nothing short of sensational. They take messages on and they deliver it in a way like no other group I've ever worked with. 15 months she's been in that role now, Emma, which has absolutely flown by.

I mean, I've got zero concept of time nowadays anyway. But what have you made of her impact on this team? They've obviously got France and Netherlands to come next, which are big. Yeah, they're the two big ones. And I think that was always the tough task for them was obviously being in that group. But look, I think she's done a fantastic job. I think it maybe took a little bit of time for the team to kind of react to her way of management. I think you could see in the first couple of months it was maybe a bit scatter go in terms of the performances.

But they're delivering the results. And I think even when she speaks there in her quotes, Carla's got this ability of making every team feel like they're the best team she's ever worked with. And she stays there about them being a team that have taken on messages more than any team she's ever coached. Pretty sure if you go back to all of her jobs, she would have said that at some point in each job.

But that's the beauty is that, you know, she really gets the best out of the players that she has at that moment in time. She's always been someone who likes a challenge. And I think, you know, it was a challenge. to take on this group and get them to try and be in a position where they can at least compete to qualify for the World Cup. I'm just shot that Katie McCabe didn't score a goal in the last game because she seems to score in every game for them at the moment.

But, yeah, I think it's helped that, you know, Island's key players have been really stepping up. You know, you look at the lights of McCabe and sort of Denise O'Sullivan have been really important for them going forward. I do worry a little bit in the next game, obviously, without O'Sullivan and Emily Murthy. I think will be losses for them. But yeah, they're in a great position.

They've kind of done everything that they would have liked to have done by this point. So, yeah, really impressive and good job by them all around. And let's just hope that they can get over the line because that would be such an incredible achievement if they can. Yeah, really would. Wales also in a decent position. They beat the same opposition capably earlier in the week and dug out a scrappy 1-0 win over Albania in Elbe San.

Rianne and Roberts scoring the only goal of the game to make sure Rianne Wilkinson's side remain in lockstep with the Czech Republic at the top of the group as with a lot of the games this window it wasn't pretty Susie we tend to get that don't we in this April window but how much will it do for Wales's development

to be able to dig out those kind of victories away from home? I mean it's huge it was a similar problem to England's in that sense different game obviously but Albania set up in a low block sat really deep and Wells just struggled to find a way through that and that's a problem that every team has when they come up against a team that's going to bank back against them right like it's hard to put a ball through that many bodies so to come away with that from that with a win

and to be still neck in neck with the with the Czech Republic is hugely significant and as long as you know, they do okay in the next game against Montenegro, I think it is, then everything is on that final game of the group against the Czech Republic, which will be really interesting because it was a two-two draw between them in Wales. So it's an exciting time, an exciting group. They're doing some good things. Like, yeah, the performance wasn't great, but they had the 150th cap of Sophie Ingle to celebrate,

which is obviously like a nice bit around it. I thought it was interesting. to hear Helen Ward saying on the radio that they're just missing, missing Jess Fishlock, who can like, do something special, a special moment to just, you know, kind of when you are playing a team that is being particularly tough to, you know, kind of extend a lead and take the pressure off yourselves a little bit as the clock ticks down. But, you know, they got it over the line in the same way that England did. I didn't think it's too critical of that. Particularly, you know, they played Albania back to back as well. So that's all.

always tricky. A team figures out and, you know, kind of comes up with a different game plan to play you. So it can be a lot harder, particularly if you're, you know, you've won the first game. Yeah, we talked about that last week, didn't we? It's very difficult to do. I'm not a fan of it in the slightest. Understand that scheduling is an issue and these things are not an exact science. I'll tell you what, though, Northern Ireland are doing very well because it's two wins from two now under new boss Michael McArdle. And they got their first away wins since July, 25. and one of the things he has seemed to fix is scoring goals.

It finished Malta 2, Northern Ireland 4, and previously they were really struggling in front of goal, but they've now got eight from their last two matches. How much confidence, Marva, is that going to give them as they head into their final games against Turkey and Switzerland? I think that's the main thing that they can take away from that, given that they didn't score against Tokyo, Switzerland, previously, but obviously, you know,

you'd expect Switzerland to be leading the group, which they are, and Malta is the team that you do want. want to beat and you want to make sure you bring up that confidence. And to get four goals against them in both ties, I think is really important because Turkey and Switzerland only scored, I think, the three goals and four goals. And it wasn't like, you know, this is a team that's getting battered, eight-nil and Northern Ireland weren't able to do that. They've managed to match the other teams. And they've had narrow losses against the other teams as well. So I think they can take a lot of confidence from this going into the next set of games thinking, why not go on further and be able to

something against the teams that maybe we didn't expect to get something against Turkey got a point of Switzerland as well so it's going to be an interesting one. Yeah, it certainly is. There was some significant results elsewhere across Europe as well. Scotland drew nil-nil with Belgium, an important point away in Loewen secured them top spot in their League B group heading into the final two match days. In League A, Denmark and Italy played out a goalless draw as Sweden secured a 1-0 win over Serbia. The Netherlands earned a valuable point. away in France to maintain their lead at the top of their group. Norway just about took advantage of Germany's goalist draw with Austria with a three-to-win over Slovenia. That was a 92nd minute

winner from Signa Gapsett. As it stands, it means that no one has yet claimed any of the four automatic qualification spots for next year's World Cup, which in a way is really good. Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, all hold narrow one-point leads in their respective groups, heading into that final round. England are the only side to have taken maximum points in League A. And this is exactly the kind of competitiveness that was the reason behind this qualification system being set up, wasn't it, Susie? Although we've got some, you know, critical things to say about it.

You know, competitiveness is not one that we can throw as something we're unhappy about. Yeah, no. And I think, yeah, we've made our feelings clear on the number of teams that go through, automatically. I think if we unmuted producer Sophie, should probably still be ranting from the last time that we talked about it in that it's only the top teams in League A, the top four sides that go through out of 12 places, well, 11 places and a playoff place that UEFA get in the World Cup. So, you know, that isn't amazing, particularly when you've got teams like Spain and

England drawn against each other. They're teams that you really, really want at a World Cup and you think they'd be making sort of a few more accommodations to make that happen by making it the top two that go through and then the rest go into playoffs and things and that's where it starts. And I think that would also lift the pressure on those teams who are playing a lot of football because a lot of those players are obviously at the top clubs in Europe and around the world and competing in Champions League and other continental tournaments at club level. So yeah, so it's great to see competitive football. I think that's what everyone wants. And I think it's important that teams get these.

difficult games more regularly than they, you know, than they did in the past when World Cup qualifying was way, way too easy and you saw the sort of 20-0 games and things like that from England. I say that as if that was a regular thing, that was the record. But there was some heavy score lines along the way to that, that record win. So yeah, basically, competitiveness good. Some more teams should be qualifying automatically for me, as we've said previously, but playing competitive, tough, top 10, top 20 teams on a more regular basis, it's definitely good for the growth of the game. That phrase, amazing.

It is important though. As are the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals. Obviously, we have to wait until June to discover how all the nations get on in terms of World Cup qualification, but club football is getting to the business end. The semifinals of the Champions League are this weekend.

Arsenal will host Leon at the Emirates on Sunday. a rerun of last year's semi-final, you'll remember. Leon, though, have been in formidable form this season. The two sides met

at the start of the competition with Leon taking a 2-1 win home from Meadow Park. What will Arsenal need to do to improve ahead of this match, Marva? It's going to be a tough one.

I think Leon will give them a tougher game across both legs than they did last year. Watching them against Wolfsburg, particularly, they were just unstoppable. they just kept going and kept going in a way that made me feel like it was personal from that semifinal from last year.

It was, they don't want to go out this time and especially not to Arsenal again at semifinal. I think their front free is incredible. They're going to be very difficult to stop in terms of their interchanging of movements, the pace around the front three. That's not to say that Arsenal can't do it though. I think they're in a really, really good position. I think Arsenal going in maybe even more.

mentally strong, then Leon, I think Arsenal keep proving people wrong when it comes to the Champions League because they'll look at their WSL form and sometimes that's a bit up and down. And then they get to the Champions League and they just almost have this confidence that they can go on and do it. And they've been pulling together in the latter part of the season. Other than that FA Cup game, I think overall in the last few months, they've really been clicking as a team and looking more solid. So I'm really, really excited for this match. up, I think it's going to be a really, really good one. But I actually can't call it yet. I'm going to do the typical thing of sitting on the fence. I can't call it quite yet.

How's them splinters? I'm watching Susie Rack's face. I can't decide if it's like a little bit of smug, a little bit of pride, but she's nodding along, smirking while you were talking there, Marva. Are you confident, Susie? No, never confident. I mean, like, I'm basically after the weekend and the end's game, like free falling off a cliff ready to like crash into the rocks on the bottom with no sign of any parachute. So like morale is low when it comes to Arsenal at the moment and Leon a superb. But like we won it. We won it last year. I'm so happy about that still that like, you know, there's nothing to lose really from this game. Like we go out, we go out to a great team. We go through it's another brilliant like Champions League final, which I again would not expect

to win necessarily. But it's. just fun. Football is fun. Football is fun. I'm really surprised that you of all people are saying that, particularly at the moment, because it doesn't feel... That's the only thing I can cling to is that who gets to experience this roller coaster of emotions. Like, we are so lucky to be in that position. I'm challenging my Tom Hiddleston, basically, and trying to be positive about what we're getting to watch. It's a struggle. It's a struggle, but, you know, we've got to try. You've had your adrenaline junky moment in Iceland. It feels like you're addicted to it.

Oh yeah, I'm ready for more. In the other tie, Bayern Munich are hosting Barcelona at the Alliance Arena on Saturday. This feels cut and shut, but maybe it won't be because you'll remember the two sides met earlier in the campaign. And Barcer came away with a 7-1 victory, which will have stung for sure. What do do do do to make sure it's not so easy for the Spanish champions? time round, Emma? I think they just need to be consistent for the full 90 minutes. I think we've seen them play like maybe 20 minutes or 30 minutes here and there

where they look like one of the best teams in Europe and they look incredible. And then we've seen them play for an hour football that's just not good enough to be in the semi-finals of the Chamois League if I'm being blunt about it. So there's no way they can get away with that against Barcelona. I think they really need to step up. they've definitely got it within them and I think I wouldn't like to face them at any point of the season

because you don't know what you're going to get but that is also kind of the problem you need to know what you're going to get at Bayern Munich I think they're a big club with big players so they've got to turn up for the full game against Barcelona I think is probably my simple response to that yeah could be a shock

never know it's only the first leg anyway and we will review the games next week. It's been lovely to have you with us as always. Emma, take care. Thank you. Marva, lovely to see you. Love the new haircut. Thank you, thank you. Susie, what's next on the adrenaline junkie route for you? A sleep. I was like a nice sleep. I didn't get much sleep in Iceland. So yeah, catching up on sleep would be great. Okay, that's not the answer I was looking for. Anyway, keep having you say, send in your questions via X.

Maybe let us know what you think Susie's next adrenaline junkie mission should be. Email us at Women's Football Weekly at The Guardian.com. Until then, this is also your regular reminder to sign up for our biweekly women's football newsletter. All you need to do is search Moving the Goldposts 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. This is The Guardian.

Thank you.