England Face Spain on Road to World Cup Qualification

November 11, 2024

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

  • Picks from the pitch: Our top five WSL moments of the week

  • Latest headlines: Arsenal Manager latest. NWSL semi-finalists are set.

  • Nations League: England go head-to-head with Spain again.

  • Fave finds: Hemp x Gary Barlow’s son

  • Kit drop: Rainbow Laces return

  • Jobs: New opportunities in football

If you spot [JB] next to a word, head to the bottom of the email for a simple jargon-busting explanation.

⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH

Our top five moments from this week’s WSL action

  1. Vivi Asseyi kept her head and rounded the keeper to secure West Ham’s first three points of the season. 

  2. Indiah-Paige Riley scored for Crystal Palace inside the first minute. 

  3. Tullis-Joyce made an awesome double save to keep her third clean sheet in a row for Man Utd. 

  4. Lauren Hemp hit both posts. How it didn’t go in 🤷‍♀️ we’ll never know. She did manage to bag herself a hat-trick of assists, two for Shaw and one for Jill Roord. 

  5. Maanum’s long ranger left the keeper with no chance as Arsenal led the high scorelines this weekend.

WSL SCOREBOARD: MATCH DAY 6
AS IT STANDS
🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

😡 Fans are questioning how authentic Arsenal’s ‘one club’ ethos is after the men’s team were drawn to play Crystal Palace in the second round of the Carabao Cup at the Emirates. The problem? Well, the women’s team was already scheduled to play their Champions League match at the Emirates on the same night. Tickets have been sold, and travelling fans’ flights and hotels booked. But guess whose game has to move? It’s not the men. And fans aren’t happy.

❌ Nick Cushing has ruled himself out as the next Arsenal manager. The New York City FC manager said he expects to remain with the club next season and will not be heading to north London.

🎙️ A male commentator is under investigation by the WSL after saying Ella Toone ‘had a face like a smacked bum’ in live commentary on Man Utd’s game against Arsenal last weekend. Fans pointed out that she had recently lost her father to cancer, which made the comments beyond insensitive.

🏟️ Next weekend (16-17 November) all 11 Women’s Super League and Championship games will be played at clubs’ main stadiums for the first time.

🧤 33-year-old goalie, Becky Spencer has extended her contract at Spurs until 2026.

✍🏾 To develop more opportunities for female coaches from diverse backgrounds, the FA is offering placements for six aspiring coaches. Applications for the programme close on 17 November.

🗳️ Lucy Bronze and Kim Little have been elected to represent the WSL on the PFA[JB] Players’ Board. Players from across Men’s and Women’s leagues act as the voice of the changing room and influence how the PFA is run and supports players.

🏆 The 2024 NWSL playoff semi-finals are all set. Favourites, Orlando Pride booked their place after beating Chicago Red Stars 4-1. They’ll face KC Current, while Washington Spirit and Gotham FC battle it out for a spot in the final.

📺 Whoopi Goldberg is launching the first global channel exclusively dedicated to Women’s Sports. The All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) will show everything from football, basketball, tennis and cricket to more obscure sports like curling and will be available in over 65 countries.

📚 WHAT WE’RE READING

Top Links

→ Steph Houghton’s new autobiography is out, read an extract here: Leading From The Back: Steph on talking tactics with Pep

🏆 NATIONS LEAGUE

England Face Spain on Road to World Cup Qualification

England has been drawn in the same group as Spain for the second season of the Nations League. Facing down the team that beat them to the World Cup last year will be a big test for Weigman’s squad, which it’s fair to say has struggled recently. They’ll be joined by Belgium and Portugal, making up League A Group A3.

How the other UK groups stack up:

  • League A Group A1: Scotland, Germany, Netherlands, Austria

  • League A Group A4: Wales, Italy, Denmark, Sweden

  • League B Group B1: Northern Ireland, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania

Group games will be played between February and June 2025. Matchdays 1 and 2 take place between 19-26 February. This year the league will affect qualification for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in Mexico in 2027.

👀 FAVE FINDS

Bertolucci back after cancer treatment

Luana Bertolucci finished her final round of chemotherapy at the start of October and is now back in training with Orlando Pride. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the start of the year. The Pride dedicated their 4-1 playoff quarter-final win against the Red Stars to Luana.

Lauren Hemp x Gary Barlow’s son:

Panini’s WSL 2024-25 sticker collection will drop on 21 November, with 397 stickers in a 60-page album. Pre-orders are now open.

🧠 QUIZ

Who became the record hat-trick scorer in the WSL this weekend?

(Answer at bottom of the email)

👟 KIT DROP

Return of the Rainbow Lace

Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign will return in WSL and Championship Matches on 16 and 17 November. Over 1 million people have laced up in support of the campaign whose vision is to see LGBTQ+ people welcomed and safe to watch and participate in sports at all levels. Order your laces here.

Nike’s latest Mercurial Dream Speed boot has dropped. The Dream Speed 009 is inspired by the fastest athletes in football. The Air Zoom unit underfoot provides springy acceleration, while the integrated speed cage locks in your feet so you can accelerate instantly. Players wearing the mercurial range include Sam Kerr and Caroline Graham-Hansen. Available now

🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA

Upcoming events

Ground-Hop Day with the Barclays Women’s Super League and Baller FC
The WSL is giving away 50 tickets to both Stamford Bridge and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium fixtures. The day starts with a pre-match party, lunch, and the North London derby before heading to Stamford Bridge for Chelsea vs Man City. Enter here for a chance to win tickets and take part.

London Talks: The History of Women's Football
Thursday 14 November, 6:30pm. Tickets £15
The London Archives - 40 Northampton Road London EC1R 0HB

Join Professor Jean Williams, as she reflects on the history of the women's game, exploring the dynamics that led in 1921 to a ban of 50 years, before bringing us up to date with the return of women's football in 1970, and the Lionesses capturing the heart of a nation culminating in glory at the 2022 European Championship.

The event will include a 40-minute talk and extensive Q&A. Get tickets

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

📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST

What We’re Watching

Tuesday 12 November 2024
Women's Champions League Group Stage
17:45 - Barcelona Women v St Polten Women (DAZN)
17:45 - Juventus Women v Arsenal Women (DAZN)
20:00 - Bayern Munich Women v Valerenga Women (DAZN)
20:00 - Manchester City Women v Hammarby Women (DAZN)

Wednesday 13 November 2024
Women's Champions League Group Stage
17:45 - Galatasaray Women v Wolfsburg Women (DAZN)
17:45 - Real Madrid Women v FC Twente Women (DAZN)
20:00 - Celtic Women v Chelsea Women (TNT Sports 1, DAZN)
20:00 - Roma Women v Lyon Women (DAZN)

Saturday 16 November 2024
WSL
12:30 - Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United [WSL YouTube]
13:45 - Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal [BBC One, BBC iPlayer]
17:30 - Chelsea vs Manchester City [Sky Sports]

NWSL Playoffs Semi-finals
12:00 (ET) - Washington Spirit vs Gotham FC

Sunday 17 November 2024
WSL
14:00 - Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace [WSL YouTube]
15:00 - Everton vs Liverpool [Sky Sports]
15:00 - Leicester City vs Manchester United [WSL YouTube]

NWSL Playoffs Semi-finals
15:00 (ET) - Orlando Pride vs KC Current

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

Pixel FC Academy Applications are now open for 2025. It’s a 5-month programme for young women aspiring to work in the football media and content industry and runs in partnership with the Lionesses, Liverpool WFC, Arsenal WFC and Google Pixel UK.  Apply by 18 November

📚 JARGON BUSTER:

PFA - Professional Footballers’ Association

🧠 QUIZ ANSWER:

Bunny Shaw.
She scored her first hat-trick of the season against Tottenham this weekend but it also took her to six all-time hat-tricks in the WSL, making her the record hat-trick scorer, overtaking teammate Vivianne Miedema who has five.

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