The five-minute read for dedicated-ish fans of women’s football.

This week: City bags the double, Chelsea salvage their season (ish), and a big McCabe rumour does the rounds. Plus, too many World Sevens comedy moments to mention.

– Jo, founder of Twentytwo

Manchester City 4–0 Brighton

City have done the double, winning the WSL and FA Cup in the same season, for the first time in their history. The 4-0 scoreline flattered them: Brighton had them pinned back for the first half-hour and Vidosic called the result "a little bit unfair" on his side afterwards, and he had a point. But Shaw, days into her new record-breaking contract, got the opener and City were ruthless when it mattered. Greenwood showed off her set-piece skills, scoring her first goal in over two years. Coombs came on for the final minutes of her 19-year career. Jeglertz's first season couldn't have ended better.

👀 Watch Greenwood’s perfect free kick 

🏟️ Plymouth Argyle have told the vast majority of their women's squad their contracts won't be renewed… and the players found out by email. The squad called it cold and impersonal, saying those who gave everything for the club deserved "greater care, respect and empathy." Read more

📺 The WSL has a new US home — CBS Sports and Paramount+ have signed a four-year deal running through 2029-30. Paramount+ streams all 183 matches; CBS Sports Network airs one game a week. Described by the WSL as a record US deal, though financial terms haven't been disclosed. Read more

🌟 Alexia Putellas has left Barcelona after 14 years, 38 trophies, two Ballon d'Ors, and a fourth Champions League title last weekend. London City Lionesses are frontrunners for her signature, which some say could be the biggest signing in WSL history. Read more

→ The reality of motherhood and football management: ‘There’s a superpower to it’ – via The Athletic (Paywall)

→ Footballers praise study looking at women's boots – via The BBC

→ Watching: 24hrs with Ella Toone – available on BBC iPlayer

The World Sevens returned to London for its third edition and delivered everything we wanted: audacious football, unhinged walkouts, and players who were loving every second of it. In the end, Chelsea won with a 6-5 victory over Manchester United. It might not exactly salvage their season, but a trophy's a trophy. And this was a fun one.

Picks from the pitch:
The walkouts got increasingly out of hand, and we were there for it:

Top performers:
Jess Park shone and nabbed six goals for United. But Aggie Beever-Jones was the stand-out, winning the golden boot with eight goals and five assists. She produced a genuinely audacious rabona assist for Cuthbert then won it for Chelsea with 23 seconds left — having come from 4-1 down. The final finished 6-5. Melvine Malard celebrated a United goal by pretending to need CPR.

Ending the season on an injury…
Lauren James sat out the final with what Bompastor described as "a small injury." Wiegman will be watching that closely ahead of Spain. West Ham's Tuva Hansen was taken off on a stretcher on day two — no update at time of writing.

→ Manchester City: Bunny Shaw has signed a new four-year deal worth a reported £1m+ per year — making her the world's highest-paid women's footballer. City moved fast to keep her after Chelsea had looked nailed on to sign her. 

→ Chelsea: Becky Spencer's contract has been extended for a further year. Sandy Baltimore has signed a new deal until summer 2030.

→ Tottenham: Caitlin Dijkstra joins from Wolfsburg on a long-term deal. The 27-year-old Netherlands international is a composed, ball-playing centre-back with Champions League experience. [Tottenham official]

→ West Ham: Constance Picaud joins from Fleury on a three-year deal. The 27-year-old France international kept 19 clean sheets in 40 league appearances last season and arrives with World Cup, Olympics and Euros experience.

→ Chelsea: In a twist that nobody saw coming, Katie McCabe is set to join from Arsenal. The Republic of Ireland captain's family are Chelsea fans, which perhaps explains it — Chelsea fans' feelings about McCabe after that infamous hair-pull in the Champions League quarter-final are a different matter. 

→ Manchester City: Niamh Charles is set to sign from Chelsea, with a medical still to be completed. She’d be the obvious replacement for Leila Ouahabi who leaves this summer.

→ London City: Mapi León is set to join from Barcelona. The Spain international leaves after nine seasons and 313 appearances — four Champions League titles, 27 trophies.

→ Arsenal: Ona Batlle is set to return to English football with Arsenal. The right-back spent three years back at Barcelona after impressing at United, and arrives as one of the most technical defenders in the game.

→ Lyon are pursuing Salma Paralluelo — the 22-year-old Barcelona forward whose contract expires 30 June scored twice in the Champions League final last weekend. Nothing confirmed yet.

England are two games from automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Top of Group A3, with four wins from four, they’re the only team in League A with a perfect record. They’re three points clear of Spain, who they play on Friday, which means a win or draw in Palma confirms automatic qualification with a game to spare.

How does qualification work?

The fixtures this window

How is the squad looking?

Beever-Jones, Toone and Godfrey return from injury. Lauren James picked up a small injury at World Sevens, so could be a doubt. Khiara Keating has been called up after Ellie Roebuck needed surgery. England will go into the fixture with some confidence after their April win. Spain away is the hardest fixture left.

If they don't get the win on Friday?

They'd need to win against Ukraine at home next Tuesday, and if Spain win their remaining games it might come down to points difference. But automatic qualification this window would mean no play-off pressure, more preparation time, and heading into a World Cup year on the front foot. The play-off draw, if needed, is 18 June.

Your what-not-to-miss viewing guide (BST)

Internationals: World Cup 2027 Qualifiers

Friday 5 June

Tuesday 9 June

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