Chelsea Last-Minute Winner | Chloe Kelly on a Croc | An On-Pitch Proposal | A Record Crowd

March 24, 2025

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
IN THIS WEEK’S ROUND-UP...

  • Picks from the pitch: Clinton, queen of lobs

  • Latest headlines: Real Madrid sink Barca for first time

  • Kit drop: Lyon releases retro lifestyle collection 

  • What we’re watching: Our pick of the week’s upcoming matches

  • Jobs: New opportunities in football

⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH

Our top five WSL moments this week

Chelsea and Man City faced off in match 3 of 4 at the weekend, and we have to say, the last-minute Chelsea win felt harsh. It was an intriguing fixture, sitting between two UWCL legs, so the question was whether we’d see tactical tweaks or if each manager would keep some tricks up their sleeve ahead of Thursday’s game.

  1. Grace Clinton with what is probably the ‘lob of the season’… or ever.

  2. Janina Leitzig made a huge save to halt Brighton’s dramatic comeback.

  3. Erin Cuthbert put in a 91st-minute flying header to deny City a draw.

  4. Caldentay the magician - top corner curler, what more is there to say?

  5. Kelly Gago put in the perfect cross. Sara Holmgaard finished with a textbook header.

RESULTS: WSL MATCHDAY 17

AS IT STANDS

🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England’s next squad announcement will be at 11.30am GMT on Tuesday 25 March ahead of the April international window. They face back-to-back games against Belgium in the UEFA Women’s Nations League where they currently sit in second place behind Portugal in group 3. The final round of fixtures takes place at the end of May/start of June.

👀 Hot off their Champions League win against Arsenal midweek, Real Madrid finally beat Barcelona in the women’s Clásico after 18 straight losses. Real Madrid opened the scoring before Barca equalised in the 67th minute, but two goals from Caroline Weir in the 87th and 96th minutes sank the Spanish giants and showed they’re not invincible.

🇺🇸The USA will bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup and is likely to put forward a proposal for some matches to be played in smaller countries such as Jamaica and Costa Rica. They’d previously made a joint bid with Mexico for the 2027 competition, but that was withdrawn. FIFA is expected to favour a US bid this time around, so it may go through unchallenged.

💰 FIFA surveyed 669 women’s football clubs from 101 territories and found that the average player salary worldwide is $10,900. Women’s football is seen as being in a ‘start-up’ phase, on average 67% of top clubs are making losses, as match-day revenues and attendance remain low. Predictions by Deloitte expect women’s football revenues to rise from $740m in 2024 to $820m in 2025.

👀 FAVE FINDS

Lionesses Croc charms anybody? We thought so. Whether you’re after Weigman, Walsh or a Chloe Kelly sports bra special, CrocPaperScissors has got you covered. More of an Arsenal, or specifically Katie McCabe, fan? No stress, they’ve got those too.

Everton forward Rikke Madsen had the perfect post-match surprise when her partner Martin Thomsen proposed. It followed Everton’s 3-0 win and Madsen’s first game back after a year out having given birth in October. Cute!

✍️ INSIDE TRACK

Millie Turner has extended her contract at Man United until 2028. The defender has been at United since its inception in 2018. The star of the photoshoot was her pooch. Does anyone want to sign our petition to make players’ dogs compulsory at signing ceremonies going forward?

Jenna Clark signed a new contract with Liverpool. The 23-year-old defender arrived in 2023 and has made 46 appearances in all competitions.

It feels like the negotiation that never ends, Marc Skinner is still on the verge of being awarded a new contract at Manchester United. Fans have long called for his dismissal but after a pretty steady season (they're currently sat in third place in the league), it’s looking increasingly likely that he’s here to stay. Speaking to Sky Sports Skinner said, "Every win, every loss makes me more convinced. I'll know when it's time. I want to win things here. I want to compete in the Champions League. I want to keep pushing standards of training. The fire is there.”

🩼 ACL + INJURY UPDATES

Manchester City in Fresh Injury Nightmare

Ayaka Yamashita will miss Manchester City’s UWCL 2nd-leg against Chelsea. She picked up an injury during City’s WSL Chelsea clash and will be out for a few weeks minimum.

In more injury misery for City, Laura Blindkilde Brown is unlikely to play another game this season, after damaging ligaments in her ankle during training.

👟 KIT DROP

Olympique Lyonnais x Adidas four-piece lifestyle range comes complete with retro vibes and effortless style. There’s a tracksuit, jersey and a dress inspired by a shirt. Just my thing. Shop the collection

Snuggs is the new period underwear partner of Manchester City. There’s been more discussion around the impact of periods on women’s participation in sports, and City sees the partnership as a way to support young women in its academy and beyond on and off the pitch.
Get your pants here

🧠 KNOWLEDGE

Neurodiversity in Footballers gets Dedicated Study

The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) is exploring neurodiversity in football, surveying over 700 players to understand how conditions like autism and ADHD impact their lives on and off the pitch. Early findings show many players experience traits like trouble focusing or social challenges, highlighting the need for clubs to create better support systems.

  • Lucy Bronze spoke to Alex Scott (BBC) about her autism and ADHD, and the impact of getting the diagnosis in 2021. She touches on her hyperfocus, struggles with eye contact and how she manages her ADHD. Watch here

  • Manchester United’s Safia Middleton-Patel has also been very open about her autism diagnosis, sharing regularly on her social channels to raise awareness

🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA

Upcoming Events

Brighton fans… register for a free interactive online meet & greet with Nikita Parris and Fran Kirby. Ask all your burning questions and get involved in the convo. Wednesday 26 March, 3pm.

The Lost Lionesses
The Place Theatre, Bedford 15-19 April
Based on true events; “The Lost Lionesses” tells the story of a Bedfordshire-based team of pioneering young women who travel to Mexico to play in the 1971 women’s football World Cup in front of 90,000 people.
Get your tickets here

Baller FC x The Volley - UWCL 2nd Leg
Thursday 27 March, The Bower, 211 Old Street
20:00 KO - Chelsea vs Man City (0-2 agg)
More info here

Is there a women’s football event happening near you? Give us a heads-up.

🧠 QUIZ

Question: What is the attendance record for a Women’s Championship match in England?

Answer at the bottom of the email

📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST

What We’re Watching

UEFA Women’s Champions League Quarter-Finals 2nd Leg
Wednesday 26 March
17:45 - Lyon vs Bayern Munich [TNT Sports 3, DAZN, DAZN YouTube]
20:00 - Arsenal vs Real Madrid [TNT Sports 1, DAZN]

Thursday 27 March
17:45 - Barcelona vs Wolfsburg [TNT Sports 3, DAZN, DAZN YouTube]
20:00 - Chelsea vs Manchester City [TNT Sports 1, DAZN]

WSL
Sunday 30 March
12:00 - Manchester United vs Everton [BBC]
14:00 - Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City [WSL YouTube]
14:00 - Crystal Palace vs Arsenal [WSL YouTube]
14:00 - Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur [Sky Sports]
14:00 - Liverpool vs Aston Villa [WSL YouTube, LFCTV]
16:30 - Chelsea vs West Ham United [Sky Sports]

All kick-off times are GMT

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

  • Programme Content Manager | Manchester City Sports Business School | Apply by 26 March

  • Board Secretary (part-time) | The Professional Footballers Association | Apply by 28 March

  • Performance Well-Being Lead | Women's Professional Leagues Limited | Apply by 30 March

  • Learning and Events Executive | The Premier League | Apply by 31 March

  • Football Operations Manager | Derbyshire County Football Association | Apply by 4 April

🧠 QUIZ

Question: What is the attendance record for a Women’s Championship match in England?

Answer: 38,502 – The record was set this weekend as Newcastle took on Sunderland in the first women’s Tyne and Wear derby at St James Park. The previous record (15,387) was set at the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light. We headed up North to soak up the atmosphere and it didn’t disappoint!

P.S. If you know a WSL fan who’d love to read this email, please forward this one or share a link :)

More women watching, playing and working in football