Lionesses Enjoy a Ruthless Return to Wembley + GK Barry League Cup Chaos
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
The five-minute read for dedicated-ish fans of women’s football.
This week: England looked like a team having fun again, the League Cup draw descended into innuendo chaos, and we finally got to celebrate the legend that is Fran Kirby. Enjoy!
– Jo, founder of Twentytwo
🏴 ENGLAND FRIENDLIES
Lionesses Enjoy a Ruthless Return to Wembley
Credit: MI News & Sport /Alamy Live News
How it played out
England marked their Wembley return with an 8-0 demolition of China — Stanway grabbing a hat-trick, Mead looking razor sharp, and the right flank tearing through a passive back line all night.
They were 5–0 up by half-time and never really needed to get out of third gear, giving Sarina Wiegman her 50th win in charge.
Lucia Kendall got minutes late on, but the rest of the newer players named in this squad stayed wrapped up on the bench.
Talking points
A confidence reset: After a choppy run of form, England looked relaxed and ruthless. This felt like a proper homecoming performance - a fast start, fluid and fun.
Core team solidifying: Wiegman largely stuck with her established group, with players like Jess Park slotting in and strengthening that inner circle rather than reshuffling it.
Limited experimentation: With such a gulf in quality and zero jeopardy on the scoreboard, it could have been a chance to see some fresh faces, but Wiegman’s priority was clearly rhythm over roulette.
Eyes on Tuesday: The real window for fresh ideas might be the Ghana match. Kendall’s brief cameo suggests there’s at least some appetite to start testing depth.
Our take…
England needed a night like this. It was genuinely nice to just sit back for once and watch a goal fest. Low jeopardy, loads of fun, and a big confidence boost. Our post-Switzerland nerves might just about be recovered.
We’re hoping for something different against Ghana on Tuesday. If there’s a moment to get bold with the youngsters, that’s the one.
🎥 Watch this if you only click one thing: Slow-mo Beth Mead goal, Lucy Bronze assist
🚨ICYMI
Top Headlines
🇪🇸 Aitana Bonmatí, Barcelona and Spain’s Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder, has fractured her left fibula on international duty and is expected to miss at least two months, including this week’s Nations League decider. Read more
🇬🇧 It’s finally official. The UK’s four home nations have submitted an unopposed joint bid for the 2035 Women’s World Cup, listing 22 stadiums, including Man Utd’s planned 100,000-seater. FIFA will confirm in April 2026. The predicted numbers include 4.5m tickets and 3.5bn TV viewers. Read more
🏆 Clubs have voted in favour of revamping the Subway Women’s League Cup from 2026-27, shifting it from a group stage to a league-style format and excluding Champions League sides to ease player workload. But will another league-style competition without the biggest clubs really feel meaningful? Read more
🇪🇸🇩🇪 Spain and Germany drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Women’s Nations League final, leaving everything riding on Tuesday’s return game in Madrid. Germany hit the woodwork twice, created the better chances and forced Spain keeper Cata Coll into a string of big saves. Watch the highlights
🧤 Chelsea and England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been voted BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2025. Read more
📺 In Numbers: The NWSL Championship match peaked at 1.55 million viewers in the US, becoming the most-watched women’s club match in American TV history. Read more
📚 WHAT WE’RE READING
→ What's the real cost of cheap, fake football shirts? – From the BBC
→ England managed a superb, celebratory homecoming. But is the succession plan clear? – The Athletic via Yahoo
🔍 IN FOCUS
GK Barry's League Cup Draw Disaster
What happened:
The WSL streamed the League Cup QF/SF draw on TikTok, hosted by influencer GK Barry alongside Portsmouth’s Ella Rutherford. It went off the rails fast: lewd jokes, sexual innuendos, and a loud admission of having “no idea” about the teams involved — capped off with a dig at Spurs as their name came out of the bag.
Then came the real chaos. Barry pulled out a ball, dropped it back into the bag by mistake, and redrew the same one. The official ruled the redraw valid, but if she’d picked a different ball the whole thing would’ve had to restart.
Clubs were furious. Spurs received a direct apology from the WSL, another club requested a review of the footage, and the video of the draw was quietly wiped from platforms.
Why it matters
Credibility took a hit: A cup draw should be a landmark moment. This one felt unprofessional and cringeworthy, undermining the standards the women’s game has worked so hard to build.
Growing frustration: It feeds into a wider unease about how women’s football is being handled — from scheduling to commercial decisions. Fans can spot when the product is treated as second-tier.
Our take
Reaching Gen Z and experimenting with formats is going to be crucial for the women’s game, but handing a no-filter TikToker the reins without any guardrails was asking for trouble. Women’s football has a sense of humour, but this missed the mark. Next time, maybe pair the influencer with a proper host.
👟 KIT DROP
Did you know the men’s FA Cup prize pot is almost four times as much as the women’s? Ridiculous, eh? You can show your support for the Equal FA Cup campaign with this official tee.
Pre-order now.
In a world of fluoro boots screaming for attention, Adidas has dropped the ultimate palette cleanser: the Predator Mania Gunmetal rerelease. Moody greys, the classic red tongue and a swooshy take on the three stripes. It’s a big yes from us. Available now.
🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA
Upcoming Events
Big Kick Energy Live at Christmas
19:00, 8 December 2025 - Leicester Square Theatre
Tickets £22 (It’s sold out, but you can join the waitlist)
Is there a women’s football event happening near you? Give us a heads-up
📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST
What We’re Watching
Your what-not-to-miss viewing guide (BST)
Tonight
England U23 vs USA U23 [19:00, England YouTube]
UEFA Women’s Nations League
Tuesday 2 December
Spain vs Germany - 17:30, Final - Leg 2 (1st leg: 0-0)
Sweden vs France - 18:00, Third-place play-off - Leg 2 (1st leg: 1-2)
International friendlies
Tuesday 2 December
Scotland vs China [18:00, BBC Alba, iPlayer]
England vs Ghana [19:00, ITV4]
WSL
Saturday 6 December
Arsenal vs Liverpool [12:00, Sky Sports]
Sunday 7 December
Leicester City vs Manchester City [12:00, Sky Sports]
London City Lionesses vs Brighton & Hove Albion [12:00, Sky Sports, WSL YouTube]
Manchester United vs West Ham United [12:00, Sky Sports]
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa [12:00, Sky Sports, WSL YouTube]
Chelsea vs Everton [14:30, BBC iPlayer]
⚡️ Our favourite new format, World Sevens, is back on 5-7 December. TNT Sports will be launching the 7v7 tournament in America, but the rest of us can catch it on DAZN.
👀 FAVE FINDS
England legend Fran Kirby was celebrated before kick-off against China. She retired with 77 caps, 19 goals and as a Euro 2022 champion.
It's not too late to get your hands on an alternative advent calendar. Daily Croc charms anyone? CrocPaperScissors have launched their Lionesses x Red Roses advent calendar or you can Design your own
See you next week!
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