The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly - Sam Kerr does Sam Kerr things on WSL’s big return – Women’s Football Weekly

Episode Date: January 17, 2023

Faye Carruthers has Suzanne Wrack, Ceylon Andi Hickman and Moyo Abiona alongside her to round up all the action after the winter break

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. A controversial penalty decision, an 89th minute equaliser, a cricket score and a win for bottom of the table Leicester. Is the great escape on? I don't know, but I do know that the WSL is back. We'll chat Arsenal, Chelsea, look at the race for Champions League football and who's being sucked into a relegation battle. All that to come,

plus we'll take your questions and that's today's Guardian Women's Football Weekly. Susie Rack, it's lovely to see you. I gave like a kind of run behind the Arsenal press conference desk wave at you on Sunday, but we didn't get a chance to chat. Are you keeping up with your New Year resolutions? Is it even polite to talk about New Year resolutions this late in January? Oh, yeah. All of my exercise rings on my watch are closed. I'm smashing the New Year's resolutions. Well done. I'm very impressed. I wish I could say the same. Salon, not quite in such an

energetic and buzzy mood after your South Coast trip to watch Liverpool at the weekend? I don't watch men's football anymore. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm done. I don't know who you're talking about. I'm done. I don't know who Liverpool or FC are. They play in red. They ship a few goals. They have a manager that gets a bit grumpy when they ship a few goals. That's who they are. Moyo, I did get to catch up with you in the Emirates press room. But what I do want to know is what you're more excited to have back, the WSL or Love Island? Definitely the WSL. Yesterday, Love Island was such a chore.

Just yesterday? Just yesterday, yep. Really? Not just all round a chore? Terrible. Okay, fine. Let's go into the football in that case. The top of the table clash between Arsenal and Chelsea

ended with a point apiece. Arsenal won, Chelsea won. The 89th minute header from Sam Ker and Chelsea ended with a point apiece. Arsenal won, Chelsea won. The 89th minute header from Sam Kerr salvaged Chelsea a point after Kim Little had put Arsenal ahead from the spot. Susie, you must be raging. Two points dropped for Arsenal, I think. Oh, 100%. It was just so predictable. That was what was frustrating. I mean, I'm sitting there writing my match report and I didn't write my top line. I didn't write the intro

because I just knew, I just knew it was coming. And that's the difference. I said before that game that it was going to be won or lost based on the front lines, basically.

And you, like without Beth Mead and Vivian Amidama, you've not got like a superstar who touches the ball in any moment and is going to put it in the back of the net. And Chelsea doing Sam Kerr.

And the only way Arsenal are going to win that game for me was if they completely dominated and gave their forward line enough opportunity to, like just by law of averages, put the ball in the net. And they did that. They created all of those opportunities but you didn't get a single goal apart a penalty from Kim Little going in the back of the net and that for me is Arsenal's biggest problem for the rest of the season is that they're good forwards Lena Hertig, Stina Baxenius, Caitlin Ford they are good players you know then you've got the midfield Frida Mahon and was obviously playing brilliantly up to this point and they'll do a great job probably against some of the teams a bit further down the table but

against a team like Chelsea where you may only get one or two chances, you have to be scoring them and you need the players that are going to do that and they created way more than one or two opportunities and didn't and that was the problem. It felt as if they just wanted to pass the ball to musevich here go have the ball back each time there's a great big gaping goal there but i'm gonna give it to the goalkeeper it felt magnetic it felt like they were playing british bulldog at school with the football you know like that they were literally like aiming for her it was just most frustrating thing and emma hayes said afterwards you know praised her and said oh she you know had a really great game but then was like but it was all stuff that she should do like it was none of it was I like she said I don't remember entirely because I haven't watched it back yet but I don't remember

her having to make a particularly like spectacular save or anything it was all things that are you know sort of part of the day-to-day job description and that sort of summed it up for me well I think there was one she tipped onto the bar didn't she and that was pretty much the the standout one but Solon, Arsenal just don't have the same kind of resilience perhaps as Chelsea do when it comes to these big games because as Susie said it seemed inevitable towards the end they just camped in their own half and soaked up the pressure. Yeah, it almost feels too lazy to say that this is what happens when you don't have Beth Mead and Vivian Miedema, right? But it is true. And I think we all predicted that going into the game. But I think what maybe we didn't predict was Chelsea not being on flying form or not having the multiple

attacking threats that they usually would. Usually, well, pre-game, I was thinking that Chelsea forward line is terrifying. They can create loads. They will score and they will create amazing clear-cut opportunities. Arsenal almost will have to grab a goal somehow and dig in. And that's what happened with Arsenal. But Chelsea didn't bring that threat. So there's almost no better time for Arsenal to be playing Chelsea in this game to try and close that gap and really put the pressure on in the title race.

Chelsea were pretty wasteful in possession, I thought. They looked lacklustre in the final third. Sam Kerr was really isolated. And you think as an Arsenal player there, you think, well, we've got the edge here. We can do this. We can really do this. And yeah, I think it's that inevitability.

It's sad to say, but if you had a few more goal cushions, which they really should have done, Hertig at the keeper, Ford at the keeper, Blaxtemius at the keeper, so many. I think Mucevic clears it off the line with one hand at one point in around the 58th minute. And you think there are so many chances there that you should have put this game to bed

and you really should have buried it. And that Sam Kerr goal was a wonderfully typical Sam Kerr goal, 89th minute leaps like a salmon. And it's a fantastic goal where you can argue that Leah Williamson and Arsenal's back line have switched off for a second and they get punished. And that could really hamper their title chances this season. So yeah, I felt I wanted Arsenal to win. I want the title race to get a bit more exciting. And I still think it is. But yeah, it was a shame that Arsenal didn't bury that game when they really had the chances to.

Yeah, you talk about inevitability. And actually, Moyo, you tweeted Sam Kerr scoring is inevitable. And as Solon said there, she had quite a quiet game at the Emirates, but she just manages to pop up for Chelsea just when they need her. Yeah I saw Arsenal fans during the game like tweeting stuff like oh if Miedema had this performance that Sam Kerr's having like she'd be getting slated and I was just thinking oh I get it but like there's no point she's probably going to be the one to score and and obviously that did end up happening but yeah I think she wasn't really getting any service in the game, to be honest.

I feel like she was making runs, especially in the first half and the beginning of the second. But she wasn't really getting any service. And then normally two people that are quite good in possession that I don't think were that good. I thought they were quite sloppy, actually, on the weekend were Guru Wright and Aaron Cuthbert. There were a couple of times Aaron Cuthbert misplaced some passes and you could see her getting frustrated with herself. But yeah, I thought in the middle of the park they weren't great.

Lauren James was pretty much the person who was creating chances, let's say, or created the chances they had in the first half. And she was pretty much creating them for herself. Yeah, and I think Emma Hayes said it after the match that attacking-wise, they were pretty poor. But yeah, with Sam Ker Sam Kerr it just feels like she's gonna keep popping up into those spots and as Arsenal continue to invite pressure and territory like it seemed inevitable and it was yeah it really was and and you know Lauren James was was incredible and that 50-yard run when she

stole the ball in midfield was trademark Lauren James, for sure. She had Steph Catley's head spinning at times, didn't she? But I spoke to Jonas Eideveld and Emma Hayes after the game. It certainly felt as if the Chelsea players looked a bit rusty and not quite up to speed yet. And we know they start slowly because we saw what happened to them at the beginning of the season, losing their opening game to to Liverpool but Susie Jonas said that he felt Arsenal deserved to win I asked him whether he thought it was a fair result or a frustrating result and he kind of didn't answer me what do you think well you deserve to win if you put the ball in the net

right like that's the thing is you know you can play your socks off but it's all wasted labor if you don't put the ball in the back of the net so no I don't think they deserve to win if they put the ball in the back of their net they would have deserved to win if they had scored they would have deserved to win but you know as it stood a draw is probably a fair result because they didn't do that like I mean you could argue yeah dominated to such an extent that they deserve to win but you don't you don't if you don't actually do it because you've not done the one thing that actually needs to happen for you to win a game of football um which is incredibly frustrating I thought Moira made a really good point about Lauren James as well I thought she was exceptional and like tracking back and things as well.

She was just everywhere, right at the back, putting in a tackle and then racing down the wing again. And a real all-action performance that was really satisfying. But that was the only real threat from Chelsea at any point for me until the goal. Let's talk about the controversial penalty salon. Emma Hayes said that it was a big discussion in the tunnel after the game as well. What did you make of it? She was obviously previously called for VAR in the WSL as a number of people had. What was your view? Yeah, I don't think it was a penalty. I think it was outside the box when the foul

started and they fell when they were in the box I think that's quite clear to see from our perspective right and I think that's where I thought Emma's response actually was was really decent after the game I think the quotes I saw she said you know the ref gave it for the tangling of legs in the box it's unavoidable VAR needs to be in the game to confirm or deny that and I thought that was a really nice way of framing it of like I can't tell you right here right now for my position I'm probably quite biased I think it's outside the box and not a penalty but you get VAR to confirm or deny it rather than kind of going in with the assumption I thought that was quite well done from her because you can get wrapped up in these things after games and actually the narrative becomes all about the

poor refereeing or or that that one decision of the game and there's actually a lot more in that game that we learn about Arsenal and maybe learn less about Chelsea I think in that performance I think in terms of the goal Arsenal deserved a goal well to Susie's point did they deserve a goal I don't know every single shot was straight at Mucevic in the first half. So I wasn't overly angry that the score was 1-0 to Arsenal because you felt that's what it should be. But I do think it was a poor decision and it shouldn't have been a penalty. That's interesting because I've spoken to quite a few different people on this

and the laws of the game actually interpret it that the tangling of legs in the box afterwards, even though the initial foul was outside of it, suggests it was a penalty and it wasn't a clear and obvious error and VAR wouldn't actually have overturned it. But, you know, this is football, isn't it? It's controversial decisions all the time and subjective. Susie?

Yeah, I thought it wasn't a penalty and I'm an Arsenal fan. So, like, not very objective in this situation. But I get the rule and that, you know, if it continues into the box it is a penalty but i i almost felt like it was two separate things in that you had the foul outside of the box and then they tangled and fell inside the box so like it's almost like i think there should have been you know they were almost like split like they were it wasn't really uh the same thing and it was like a falling in the box.

Can I interrupt you there? Because I disagree with that. Oh, yeah. I feel like the tangling of legs in the box happened because of the foul outside the box. Yeah, but then, I mean, then what is the foul? The foul is the barging outside the box, right? Like you fall as a result of that and like Emma said she can't see how you can avoid the tangling of legs when you're falling as a result of a challenge which like I think is true it's

the interpretation rules I don't think VAR would have necessarily overturned it because it's about the interpretation of the rules and blah blah but it was I thought fortunate I mean Arsenal should have been ahead anyway so it's much of a muchness but if I was a fortunate. I mean, Arsenal should have been ahead anyway, so it's much of a muchness. But if I was a Chelsea fan, I would be very frustrated with that. Quick straw poll. If you're the defender,

are you fuming that that's given against you? I am. Absolutely fuming. Yes, but Niamh Charles didn't seem to be, which is why it was funny. She seemed pretty much okay with the decision. Well, to be fair, I feel as if Niamh Charles thought it was funny. Like she seemed pretty much okay with the decision. Well, to be fair, I feel as if Niamh Charles thought it was coming at some point because she had a torrid time down that side of the pitch.

She really struggled. And actually, Moyo, the Chelsea substitutes were game changers and Yves Perrecer came on for Niamh Charles, which looked to be a fantastic change, as was Jelena Kankovic coming on. And both of them changed the course of the match. Of course, Kankovic with the pinpoint cross in for Sam Kerr. Yeah, and I think Perisay had like a good cross in

maybe like five minutes before then as well. They both looked really good when they came on to win. It's really direct. And I think sometimes what helps to have been on the bench and you've been able to watch them, like you've been able to see what the wingers have been doing. So like, you know what changes you need to make when you come on. But obviously on the flip side,

it could be different in the sense that you've not been up to speed with the intensity. But I think they both sort of came in and made an impact immediately, which was good. And I feel like, yeah, Niamh Charles did struggle in the second half. In the first half, I thought she was all right, to be honest. Sometimes I watch Niamh Charles at fullback and I feel like, yeah, Niamh Charles did struggle in the second half. In the first half, I thought she was all right, to be honest. Sometimes I watch Niamh Charles at fullback and I'm like, I see Emma's vision with this.

And sometimes I'm watching her at fullback and I'm like, I don't believe it. Like, I'm not sure I still believe that she's a fullback long-term. I feel like sometimes she looks really strong. She's quick and she reads the game quite well. But then sometimes she comes across wingers that just make

her look like she's a winger playing that fullback I don't know with a long-term plan there but Emma Hayes has so many options off the bench and that's where I feel like Arsenal kind of struggled they didn't have as many options off the bench and so therefore just started bringing on players that would help see the game out but in seeing the game up they ended up losing the game. They need that marquee striker that Jonas Eideveld has talked about, don't they, Arsenal? And this is an interesting take, actually, Salon, because they've dropped points to opposition at the Emirates in the closing stages of games this season. Is playing on a bigger stage in front of 46,000 fans actually hindering rather than helping them?

It's hard to know. I think it's probably less about the occasion and more about the pitch size and the width and the depth that your opposition can come and exploit that you perhaps aren't used to. And as a back line, as a team, you aren't used to defending that much space. So actually, when you're shifting and moving on the strong side or the weak side of the pitch, there's so much more space to be exploited by your opposition that you're not actually used to

maybe covering and being ready to pivot and shift and track back. I think I would argue that maybe the occasion and the amount of fans and the atmosphere and the home advantage was actually a real advantage to them in that first half the way that they played was so aggressive so like

we are going to absolutely go for this this game and almost I think they really used that as part of their armour rather than something that was daunting them

they're used to it now I think they're used to playing in front of those crowds and playing at the Emirates and I think they really like it but I would argue that maybe it was it's the space of the pitch that is actually the thing that

they might struggle with. How many people could like before that game thought that Arsenal were likely to win that I mean I didn't I thought it was all that was Chelsea's game right like so you know when you reflect on it like that it's a decent point point for Arsenal, let's face it, regardless of all that. And they have, I mean, to be fair, the Emirates point, they have played a training game against Spurs there last week. They did their Lyon build up there. So I think they're being quite clever at the way they're using that stadium more and more to really lose the disadvantages from it, which is cool. There's definitely a discussion to be had another time about how they're stewarding the game and managing the game outside because fans took a long time to get in so that's something that we'll definitely discuss going forward but the top two are no longer the top two that was

the top two Titan clash but they're not the top two anymore because Manchester United thumped Liverpool by six goals to nil, meaning they go into second on goal difference, level on points with Arsenal. Goals from Lucia Garcia, Alessia Russo, Hayley Ladd, Martha Thomas, Rachel Williams and an Emma Coivisto own goal. It was a comprehensive win. Solon, are you kind of looking over your shoulder a little bit as a Liverpool fan? And we're going to talk more about the relegation battle later in the pod, but getting a bit nervous. You know what, Faye? I'm going to really out myself here, but I really like Manchester United women.

I feel like they're a wicked team of great characters and the football that they're playing, it's kind of, yes, relentless. It's a wonderful brand of football to watch and they just look like they're enjoying it and having so much fun. And I think I have to take away the kind of politics and the history of Man United and how they've got into this position because that just makes me angry.

And being a Liverpool fan, it's more ammunition to go for them. But actually, if you look at how they play football, I'm here for it. And I also love the fact that this is becoming not just a two or three horse race in previous years with City, and it's becoming a real four horse race. And the WSL is actually really competitive and exciting.

The United were on fire against Liverpool, weren't they? I think 72% possession. Liverpool just didn't have the ball. Onabatia was absolutely incredible, creating just chance after chance from that right-hand side. I think she contributed to three goals. And obviously the Tooney-Russo link-up. It's almost like telepathic now between those two. It's just, I'll slide you in, I know you're there.

And the finish from Russo for the second goal was exceptional. So you're watching this beautiful brand of football. They're putting pressure on a traditionally closed league at the top. actually it's making it really fun and exciting to watch. So I'm really, really outing myself. Don't come for me on Twitter, Liverpool fans, i.e. Manchester City in the Premier League, for example, but not necessarily be a fan of that team as a whole and what they represent off the pitch, perhaps. Is that a polite way of putting it, maybe? Yeah, definitely. I feel it's quite a niche one. But the 2016-2017 RB Leipzig men's team in Germany that's very incredible football they played a 4-2-2-2 and I'd never seen it before and

I just I watch the Bundesliga every week but RB Leipzig for anyone knows so just yeah the awful side of football and corporate capitalism really ruining football so you can definitely watch a football team and appreciate how they play football and the results that they get and how they do it without embroiling yourself in the politics, I think. Well, maybe you could, I don't know. God, that's a big statement.

It's so difficult. So difficult. One player who doesn't cause any controversy in terms of what she's brought to the game is Gilly Flaherty. And Liverpool, Susie announced at the start of the year that she's going to retire or has retired. The all-time WSL appearance maker.

We all know Gilly relatively well, having seen her around and about for such a long time. How do you sum up her legacy? It's hard to. She's such a phenomenally talented player, like such a long association with the league. I don't remember the league league I like I don't remember the league without her I don't remember football really without her because obviously as an Arsenal

fan I remember her sort of coming through the ranks at Arsenal really really young when I was a kid so she's sort of always been there and like I think the thing that's so great about her obviously really good player won a lot in her career but she wears a heart on her sleeve and I think that speaks to the way she's retired as well in that you know she's after the death of her dad she's just like I can't do this anymore without him and that's a very gilly flaherty thing to open up about and say and like a very emotional response as well and an understandable one too when someone's been like the backbone of your career like that for such a long time but yeah I did a sit down with her a few years ago on like struggle she had when she was in the Arsenal academy and how she nearly took her own

life and things like that and she's always been this like real like open honest player about her struggles so I'm both devastated to see her leaving professional football because she brings so much, but at the same time, really respect her for looking after herself and understanding for her when it's time to walk away as well. Yeah, absolutely. And we wish you all the best, Gilly. And I feel as if it's not the last we've heard of Gilly Flaherty in women's football. There is still so much more for her to give to the game. And, you know, wishing you and your family all the best if you're listening. That's it for part one. In part two, we'll catch up with the other half of the WSL as well as look at some late drama in the championship. Do you 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. Aston Villa 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1. The January transfer derby is how we have decided to name this one. Villa coming out on top. Jordan Nobbs and Lucy Staniforth making their debuts,

although Bethany England did make sure she got her first goal in a Tottenham shirt, which felt as inevitable as Sam Kerr getting an equaliser at the Emirates. Rachel Daly and Kenza Dali, though, the Daly and Dali combination saw Villa come from behind. Both these teams, Moyo, have been making moves. What have you made of their transfer windows? I really like Villa as a team, to be honest. I really like what Carla Ward's doing there. I feel like it's been a nice trajectory for them

in terms of making sure that they were safe last year and then building on that. And you've been seeing the improvement with every single game. But in the summer, they made some good transfers, obviously, with Rachel Daly, Kenza Dali. But I feel like they've just reinforced their ideas again this January that they still want to build.

So with the signings they've made, they've now got a sense of competition as well midfield as a United fan obviously I'm going to say Lucy Stadenforth is a fantastic player but she she brings someone that can play multiple positions I think at United there were a couple games she played as a six a couple games she played as an eight she's played on the wing before and I feel like she gives Villa options and versatility and then with Jordan Nobbs she's just like a typical standard traditional central midfielder and I feel like that will give Villa the edge in games that they want to actually retain the ball I feel like in the bigger games they've played this year sometimes the midfield battle is where it's been lost so I feel like with the bigger games they've played this year, sometimes the midfield battle is where it's been lost. So I feel like with the signings they've made,

they've given themselves a big and a better chance in terms of making a stand in those games. And then with Spurs, I mean, Bethany England's a great player. We know that she can score goals. She's scored goals everywhere. And I feel like Tottenham have been missing goals. I'm still not sure if they're going to create enough chances for her to score goals, but we know she can score goals. So if they do create chances, she'll score.

I was going to say, she's not quite the only answer, is she, Salon? There needs to be some more investment. I'm not sure what Tottenham are looking at, you know, a couple of weeks left in the transfer window, but what are the expectations for both of these sides going forward? The investment this season with a view to next season? transfer window but what are the expectations for both of these sides going forward the investment this season with a view to next season well I think Villa have built really well and set their intentions is the team that they want to be and who they want to be and I think they do want to be top of that kind of just below our kind of top three four they really want to be pushing there I think their signings were were brilliant and I think everyone else was kind of sleeping on

Jordan Nobbs or Lucy Staniforth and even Rachel Daly about when that happened I still think that was such a wonderful transfer I think with Spurs it's a lot of money for one player that's not going to be a silver bullet to all of your problems yesterday or Saturday you saw I think Bethany England's goal was the only time they got in the opposition's box in the half and I think Beth England's goal was the only time they got in the opposition's box in the half. And I think you really missed Ashley Neville in that game. She was obviously, she picked up a suspension, hadn't she? So she's been involved five of their goals this season. So you need an Ashley Neville to supply to a Beth England so that you can make the most out of Beth England.

I think she will score goals this season. Of course she will. And she's she's almost got a point to prove right of how much she wants to do it but yeah as you said I don't think it's enough for Spurs to just spend a lot of money on one player as a striker and rest there on their laurels I do think they need to recruit more I think they need more creative players more players who are going to drive into the box and create those chances for Beth England because at the moment they're kind of resting on Ashley Neville being the only player that that will do

that for them and then you see what happens when she's not there so yeah I do think they need some reinforcements before the transfer window's done. You're nodding along Susie try not to rub your hands too much with glee because they're they're struggling a little bit Tottenham they've lost five games in a row now they've got got the worst form in the WSL. I think it's nine points in 10 games. And we kind of expected a bit more from Rhian Skinner's side. Yeah, definitely. When they were so well organised after she came in

and really turned things around for them and they looked like they had a plan of what they wanted to do and what they wanted to achieve. And then it's sort of all gone a little bit skew-iff this season. Oh, I thought you were going to say Pete Tong. I was really excited. I should have done. It's all gone a bit Pete Tong.

I'll say it for you there. They can cut it and change it and make it better or leave it in as a hilarious little side note. It's gone wrong. And this is the business they should have been doing in the summer, right? Like bringing in Beth England. They needed a top centre a top centre forward obviously couldn't have predicted the injuries they'd get so early on in the season and that kind of thing but they needed like a big statement centre forward who was gonna put the ball in the back of the net for them and they didn't go for that or maybe they

did maybe they had gone hell for leather for someone like Beth England but she hadn't wanted to move yet wanted to try her luck or whatever but you know you saw Aston Villa getting Rachel Daly so it was doable there were players out there that they could bring in it's not like there was no one no one available and you know in the summer when you're looking at teams in the league and you're looking at Spurs and you're looking at Aston Villa Spurs are technically the more attractive choice given the season they had last year so they should have been making those moves in the summer and they've sort of left it a little bit too late if anything to really turn things around and get some rhythm I think the problem for them is going to be really building up their confidence

again as a group and like getting them all on the same page and believing in each other again and it's going to take a few games before they do that with Beth England in it, with Ashley Neville back in it and things like that, before they actually start to, I don't know, feel like a unit again. And it might not happen for them. If there's some bad defeats within that, then that can derail things again. So I think it is going to be a bit of a stutter towards the end of the season for them. I just don't think they'd be very, very smart

in transfer windows. I mean, yes, obviously, Beffinggood is a great move, but everyone has been saying that that move should happen for a very long time. You know, that was the perfect sort of, you know, player to go for.

And the football that she needed and the type of player that they needed. So that was sort of like a no-brainer whereas you look at Villa's transfers by comparison and it's they've all been like wow okay now this is special and you can see what they're doing and they've really capitalized on the opportunity to give some you know England hopefuls game time before the World Cup. Let's focus on the relegation battle, shall we? This was a massive, massive result for Leicester. They beat Brighton by three goals to nil. I think we had all signed

Leicester's death warrant over the last few weeks because it looked inevitable that they were going down. There's that word again, but with a negative slant on it this time. But don't send them down yet. First points of the season. Aileen Wheeler, Sam Tierney, Monique Robinson, all on the score sheet. What say you, Salon Andy Hickman? Is the great escape on? No, I still don't think it is. Sorry, Faye.

They have three points at the bottom of the table Brighton are just above them with a game in hand on seven points so I do think it was a great win I'm not going to take that away from Leicester and you could see what it meant to those players to score some goals and get a win at home but I don't think there's enough there and there's not enough time there's not enough games to crawl back and they've obviously got a really difficult run coming up they've got Spurs, City, Liverpool and Man United and some cup games in there as well you can't really see them getting more more points off the bottom of the table they did play really well though and some of those goals were brilliant I thought the first goal particularly um Whelan's goal the little ticky-tacker to get through and slot it

home was was a lovely finish so, it was nice to see. It was a nice moment. I'm glad they did it, but I can't see it being revolutionary for their season. That's interesting. I feel as if they could potentially pick points up off of both Liverpool and Tottenham, actually, and make it a really interesting end to the season.

Brighton, though, Susie, not the best start to life in the WSL for Jens Schur. What exactly is he going to bring to this Brighton though Susie not the best start to life in the WSL for Jens Schur what exactly is he going to bring to this Brighton side? I mean it's hard to say after the one game isn't it like in the new year that's going to be a very disappointing result for those players in particular but you've got to give him time right like it's kind of first game after a lengthy winter break where you've got your kind of first time with a team to properly do some work on the training pitches with them so I don't think you can totally write off Brighton's chances and say that Leicester are completely back in it but he yeah it's not going to be easy the next few games for them while they're sort of finding their feet

under a new manager right like it's that's never an easy thing to do I think there's got to be a little bit of leeway given to any manager coming in at this stage of the season and trying to do something Brighton was so chaotic in the first half of the season so hit and miss so inconsistent that it's going to take quite a bit of work to turn that around. And maybe that does give Leicester a little bit of hope going into this run. Well, certainly psychologically, it could be quite big next weekend because Brighton have Arsenal, which you would expect Arsenal to take points off them there.

And if Leicester beat Tottenham, all of a sudden, a point starts to change the narrative a little bit and the psychology, albeit that they do have that game in hand. Let's move on to West Ham 0, Manchester City 1, Moyo.

Bunny Shaw keeping up pace with Rachel Daly at the top of the WSL's goal-scoring charts. She secured Manchester City's three points on that Sunday night visit to Dagenham. They're unbeaten in 11 games. Are they kind of, because of the start of the season that they had,

are they going under the radar a little bit, do you think? Yeah, I think they are. And I think City notoriously go on these sorts of runs, though. These sorts of runs are what you expect from Manchester City. And I feel like they do it every season. I feel like that's probably why I'm not really getting too excited yet until there's a big enough distance for them to not be able to get, I don't know, top three or whatever it is that's the goal for them this season.

Because they know how to grind out wins always against everyone that's not like an Arsenal and a Chelsea. But yeah, I feel like Bunny Shaw obviously is in great form right now. Before she came to WSL, she was a top goal scorer. So I don't think I doubted that she'd do well here. And I feel like City and the amount of possession they have in games meant that she was probably going to get enough chances in games to score.

But it's been good to see her really thrive this season. In that game, I thought they played quite well at times in the first half in the second half though I don't think they were great I think West Ham started growing into the game they got a few chances themselves there were a couple times Asahi was sort of like leaning on on Alex Greenwood and I thought okay there might be a chance here and then there was that goal line scramble but other than that I feel like West Ham didn't really have a clear-cut chance that they could say, OK, we should have scored that.

And City looked resilient in the sense that they didn't really look like, other than that goal line scramble, that they were going to concede. I was surprised they didn't score more, but West Ham don't notoriously concede to a huge amount of goals. But yeah, just another three points

to add to City's total. I feel like they're, yeah, just going about their business. No one's really looking at them because right now they're not in the top three. The reason I was actually happy that Chelsea and Arsenal drew was because now Arsenal can have even more need to beat City. I feel like right now we're working off a tandem.

So we all need to help one another. So I'm glad and I'm looking forward to that City-Arsenal game. We're all friends in the WSL. There's no competition whatsoever. There's no beef. Interesting point actually that Moyo made there, Susie, regarding West Ham because Thea Kajvag returned home to Norway during the transfer window.

Claudia Walker's gone back to Birmingham, scored at the weekend as well. Do they need to strengthen in their forward areas a little bit? Yeah, definitely. I think all of those teams in that middle pack sort of need to the only like Villa have really taken the the advantage there I would say like over West Ham and Everton who sit above them and that for me like obviously automatically drawn to the title race in any league and then you also look at the relegation battle but for me that that sort of pack just below the top three four of Everton West Ham and Aston Villa is a really exciting part because that is the you know who is going to be the next bag united who are actually

breaking it and challenging that top four and that's where you see the real intent of a club and a side whether they think that they can do that, because the financial gap between the top and that middle pack isn't huge. Like in terms of WSL, it's big, right? But in terms of just football generally, it's minuscule. So those clubs would not need to pay a lot to be able to be realistically challenging. And so for me, that's a really interesting thing. And West Ham Ham I sort of

feel like for a few years have been almost like teetering on the brink of wanting to take the team seriously and invest in it but not quite going for it and I feel like this is a point at which they've got to sort of either step it up or they're going to drift away and they've sort of almost been performing beyond expectation they've got a decent manager in he's got them well organized they are super efficient like he sort of needs reward now for the season they've had because I would say that they've punched above their weight a fair bit given their resources to date right just to wrap up the WSL, Everton 3, Reading 2. Everton coming out on top.

Goals from catchers Snogis and Jess Park putting Everton 2-0 up. Fast-moving 10 minutes saw Justine Van Hevermet pull one back before Gabby George smashed one in from the edge of the area. That was a beaut. Deanna Cooper's fairly fortuitous header couldn't quite get Reading back into the game. But I tell you what, Moyo, Jess Park is certainly running the show at the minute. She really is. She looks super confident.

I feel like when she first came into the City first team, she looked like this. But obviously, City had so many players that she couldn't get a consistent run. But at Everton, she looks like she's confident and she looks like her teammates are confident in her. So I feel like that's also added to it. And then obviously, if you add the fact that she's getting game time and consistent game time at that, she just looks more well-rounded now. She's a super direct winger and I feel like that's what Everton needed in terms of actually putting fear into opposition.

But yeah, Everton, that looks like a great loan signing. Obviously, I know she's going to go back at the end of the season, which will then mean Everton will have to go back into the market. But yeah, right now at Everton, she's looking great to me. She's looking like a really good someone to bring in this season. Solon, the player whose name none of us can properly pronounce. I'm just going to put full disclosure on that because, you know, pronunciations are never my strong point anyway.

However, for some reason, I just cannot get this. I get tongue-tied, but Katja Snodis struggled and sorry. See, it said Katja Snodis snuggled. If you mispronounce every word, then it hides the glaring error in the pronunciation of her name. First show back of 2023. Can't actually string a sentence together. Anyway, she struggled in the first half of the season,

as am I, in the first half of talking about this game. But how important is it going to be for Everton, for them finally to find a striker that sticks for them? Yeah, they've got to have goals in that team. And I think she did really well and it was a great goal. And Jess Park's goal was wonderful as well. But the standout goal of that game didn't come from a striker. The standout goal of that game was Gabby George.

And I think that's a goal of the season contender. I would love to score a goal like that. Just driving up. Also the pass that was played to set her off on her run. I don't know who it is, but it just cuts out that Reading player and then she just picks out defies a two-footed slide tackle from behind roams forward and scores an absolute worldie in the top right corner but she doesn't even celebrate like it was like it was anything she's just like yeah cool just kind of jogs off and I think if you've got goals like that for the back of the park then the strikers can have a day off because that was that was incredible quick one on Reading

Susie because I'm looking at the table and whereas Salon said that the great escape is not on for Leicester City Leicester have played 10 and have three points Reading have played 11 they're in 10th but they're on seven points that could get get very, very nervy for Kelly Chambers. It could. And I'm going to Redmond United. That is their next game. It's not going to be an easy one. And then you've got Leicester playing Tottenham,

which could go either way at this stage of season. So things can change very, very quickly. But I would never, ever write off a Kelly Chambers team because she's just got an incredible way of keeping the bare bones of Reading in this league despite all odds and favours and everything and in the same way that you would not bet your house on Tottenham beating Leicester anymore you would not necessarily bet your house on Man United beating Reading because they will lose one week really significantly to a relegation battling side and then the next week will go and beat a Chelsea or beat a Man United and that's the sort of unpredictability of Reading that means that

they always sort of muscle through to the end of the season in an okay position the table doesn't necessarily look favorably upon them at the moment given Leicester now have some points but I'm just there's something about a Kelly Chambers team that never makes me overly worried about where they're gonna end up like she always manages to claw them out of trouble I maybe it's because they know that that always happens maybe it's because they know that they're so unpredictable that they don't get down about a poor result and just like well we've been here before we We know we can lose to whoever one week and then go out and beat one of the title chasing side of the next. So it may be mentally that just doesn't impact them.

I don't know. But it's, yeah, I never, I never ever doubt a Kelly Chambers team anymore after doubting them last season and at the start of this one. Well, you've convinced me not to doubt them now either. Thank you for that. Championship, drama at the top and the bottom of this one. Well, you've convinced me not to doubt them now either. Thank you for that. Championship, drama at the top and the bottom of the league. Bristol City came from 2-1 down against Pointless,

and that is Pointless as in they have no points, Coventry, to win 3-2. Thanks in part to a goal from Manchester United loanee Grace Clinton. How important is that loan Susie for Grace I mean she's such a talented player got a big move to Manchester United in the summer we've not seen a minute of her and now she's playing in the championship yeah I think we're we're going to see more and more of moves like this in the league you look at Chelsea signing Micah Habano and then immediately sending her out on loan like I think it's increasingly going to happen because I am hasty at it recently. In fact, when she was talking about Hermano,

the level needed at the top isn't necessarily something you can just walk into anymore as a player in the same way that you could before. So they've almost got to prepare players for being able to play young players in particular for being able to play regular football of the intensity required before they even come into the environment and then learn the environment so it's almost like they're going out for prep camps and I think that the most astute teams will take advantage of those situations and Everton as we said a minute ago have done it really really well with Jess Park, Aggie Beaver-Jones, Emily Ramsey like picking up some of those players that are really fantastic young England players coming through the pathway and putting them in their starting lineups as loan moves that are paying off big time for them and Clinton's another example of that and it's

that for me speaks to the way Manchester United are managing to bridge the gap at the top a little bit because they're now reaching a stage where their squad is big enough and experienced enough that they're able to do things like that as well and that's where you're starting to see a little bit of a shift between Man United moving away from that middle pack and towards that top pack. They've now got this depth there that has enabled them to provide a level of competition at the top that not anyone can walk into anymore. So, yeah, I think we'll see more and more moves like that. And it's up to Clinton, Parks, etc. to really make the most of it. And so far they all are which is what is

quite exciting and that's the thing is we I don't think we look at the England pathway enough it's really really really strong and actually it's only ever going to improve the second tier as well in terms of the championship which is a good thing and it's been a really exciting league this season because Lewis beat Southampton 1-0, ending their unbeaten run. Claudia Walker, as I mentioned, scored on her return to Birmingham. They beat Sheffield United 1-0. And Sunderland came out on top in the North East Derby against Durham, winning 3-2. Of course, former Durham player Elizabeth Odupi had to open the scoring for Sunderland. London City Lionesses stayed top of the table, though, with a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace.

Although Bristol are just a point behind them with a game in hand. Charlton's game against Blackburn was called off because of a waterlogged pitch. Right, that's it. First one back for 2023 done. Thank you, Susie. You are welcome. It's good to be back. Yes, it is indeed. Thanks, Solon. Thanks, everyone. Bye, Moyo. See you. Thanks for having me.

That's everything from us this week. We'll be back next week. The Guardian Women's Football Weekly is produced by Lucy Oliver and Jesse Parker-Humphrey. His music composition was by Laura Iredale. Our executive producer is Sal Ahmed. This is The Guardian. 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,

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