Marta the Champion. Bunny Shaw Controversy. Hemp has Knee Op.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
IN THIS WEEK’S ROUND-UP...
Picks from the pitch: Our top five moments from this week’s action
Latest headlines: Kerr-Mewis baby reaction. $30m Kang investment
Fave finds: Greenwood sets DAZN straight.
Kit drop: Girls United x Ar Tye
What we’re watching: Upcoming matches
Jobs: New opportunities in football
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⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH
Our top five moments from this week’s action
This week had a mix of Champions League, WSL and League Cup to choose from:
Alexia Putellas scored her 200th Barcelona goal against (UWCL[JB])
Bunny Shaw was on fire again against Hammerby (UWCL)
A Lucy Bronze volley anyone? (UWCL)
We’re not sure if we love Eveliina Summanen’s goal or celebration more. She clinched the winner for Spurs (League Cup)
An incredible Hampton save denied Man Utd (WSL)
WSL SCOREBOARD: MATCH DAY 8
There was just one match in the WSL this week, Chelsea and Man Utd played their rescheduled fixture. Chelsea won 1 - 0 keeping them top of the table, five points clear of City. (Highlights)
👀 MEANWHILE, IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE…
Hammerby 1 - 2 Manchester City (Highlights)
Arsenal 1 - 0 Juventus (Highlights)
Chelsea 3 - 0 Celtic (Highlights)
In a bizarre episode, Bunny Shaw scored, celebrated, appeared to be hit by coins and was shown a yellow card for ‘antagonising’ the fans.
Two spots remain in the quarter-finals after all three English teams, Real Madrid, Lyon and Bayern Munich guaranteed their places in the quarter-finals with two games left to play.
🚨ICYMI
Top Headlines
🎉 Orlando Pride are NWSL Champions. They beat Washington Spirit 1-0 (highlights), with Barbra Banda scoring the winner in the 37th minute. Banda was named the 2024 NWSL championship MVP. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Marta, who is in her eighth season at the club, celebrated the Pride’s first Championship win in front of her mother. In a brilliant, unscripted moment, she dropped the F-bomb live on TV saying, “I f***ing wait eight years for this moment”, before going on to reflect on the win and thank her teammates.
The Pride had an outstanding season breaking the league record for:
most points in a season (60)
most wins in a season (18)
most clean sheets in a season (14)
🏟️ Arsenal’s Champions League game against Bayern Munich will move to Meadow Park. It comes after the men’s team were drawn to play Crystal Palace at the Emirates on the same date the women were scheduled to play. UEFA gave special dispensation as Meadow Park doesn’t meet UEFA standards. Fans are unhappy that the men’s team got priority despite thousands of tickets for the women’s game already being sold. Full details for fans here.
🏳️🌈 Last week our Fave Find was the Kerr-Mewis baby announcement but across social media the news was greeted by a shocking amount of homophobic and abusive comments. So much so that comments had to be disabled. Well there have been some awesome messages of support from across football not least from Chelsea’s Bompastor and Millie Bright, but this was one of our favourites
😲 Ex-Welsh international Natasha Allen-Wyatt (formerly Harding), has been accused of taking money for one-to-one training sessions but not delivering them. Businesses also accused her of taking sponsorship money and investments but not delivering on her end of the bargain.
🟰 AFC Sudbury, Worcester City Women, Cheltenham Town and Dulwich Hamlet have joined Lewes FC to campaign for a fairer distribution of FA Cup prize money. The second round of the women’s FA Cup sees teams take home £8,000 whereas in the men’s competition teams at the same phase take £75,000.
🏆 Colombia, Japan and Australia will join the USA for the tenth edition of the She Believes Cup in 2025.
💸 Michelle Kang does not sit still. She’s pledged a $30 million investment in U.S. Soccer and Women’s sports over the next five years which will see 100,000 new opportunities created for women and girls in football.
🕵️ UEFA has opened an investigation into an incident that saw Bunny Shaw hit by an object as she celebrated her goal during City’s Champions League match against Hammerby. Check our Fave Finds for more.
🇲🇦 The African Cup of Nations takes place in Morocco between 5-26 July 2025. The group draw saw defending champions South Africa draw Ghana’s group, while hosts Morocco will face a strong Nigerian team (think Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji strong).
🏆 NATIONS LEAGUE
Lionesses squad announced
With USA and Switzerland friendlies just around the corner, Sarina Wiegman’s latest England squad has some big names missing due to injury. Niamh Charles, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Lucy Parker and Ella Toone are all out, but it’s created an opportunity for Laura Blindkilde Brown (Man City) and Ruby Mace (Leicester City) to get their first senior call-ups.
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse
Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Gabby George, Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner, Leah Williamson,
Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown, Grace Clinton, Fran Kirby, Ruby Mace, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh
Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Jessica Naz, Alessia Russo
In other news, a re-match of the Euro 2022 final is on the cards. The Lionesses will host Spain on 26 February at Wembley in the Nations League. Ticket info expected later this year.
👀 FAVE FINDS
Greenwood puts DAZN straight.
So that Bunny Shaw coin-throwing incident we mentioned earlier? DAZN got a slap on the knuckles from Alex Greenwood who helpfully corrected their strange social post (which has since been deleted).
Sue Smith, former England star turned TV pundit, celebrated her birthday this week. What better way for the England admin to send best wishes than by digging into the photo archives for these beauts?
What can’t Leah Williamson do? Now she’s the face of the latest Nike Air Shox TL shoot.
🧠 QUIZ
Who has become the first player to play in two NWSL Championship finals before the age of 24?
(Answer at bottom of the email)
✍️ INSIDE TRACK
Lola Brown goes pro.
If you caught the U17 World Cup earlier this year you might have spotted Lola Brown among the Young Lionesses. The forward signed her first professional contract for Chelsea this week after coming through their academy programme. She quickly made her debut during Chelsea’s Champions League match against Celtic.
Former Aston Villa coach, Carla Ward says she’s ready for a return to the WSL or international management. Ward took some time off, starting in May, to focus on her daughter and has since teamed up with Emma Hayes joining the USWNT staff during the Paris Olympics.
Clare Polkinghorne has announced her retirement. The Matilda’s veteran stepped back from international football earlier this year but has now called it a day after a twenty-year career. She’ll play her last game against Brazil in her home town of Brisbane in December.
👟 KIT DROP
Ar tye x Girls United
Ar tye x Girls United. Ar tye is a female-founded sports brand based in East London. They’ve released their first shirt by partnering with Girls United, a non-profit providing girls access to football in London and Mexico. Funds raised through the partnership will help Girls United deliver professional coaching to underserved communities, building confidence and football skills in girls aged 5-16.
🩼 ACL WATCH
Injury updates
Lauren Hemp had successful knee surgery this week. It means she’ll miss England’s friendlies against the USA and Switzerland. Fans will hope she gets back to the form she was in pre-surgery, which was the most exciting kind of Hemp to watch.
Ella Toone could be out until the new year with a calf injury picked up in training. She’ll be assessed by the Man Utd team after the international break.
West Ham’s Katrina Gorry is out with a shoulder injury suffered against Brighton. She’ll miss Australia’s next camp as she recovers.
Alexia Putellas is out for three weeks with a calf issue and will miss Spain’s upcoming friendlies.
Mary Fowler has pulled out of Australia’s next camp saying she needed to focus on her physical and mental health.
🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA
Upcoming events
Set Piece Social - Pop-up
30 November, 17:20 - Lionesses vs USA
Happy Hour 19:30-20:30, followed by the After Party
More info here, or to book a table head over here
Free Lionesses England vs USA pre-match meet-up
30 November - 12:00-16:00, Blue Check, Wembley
(A non-alcoholic drinks menu is available.)
More information
Rainbow Owls Lionesses Watch Party
30 November - from 16.45
Head of Steam, 103-107 Norfolk St, Sheffield, S1 2JE
Reserve your spot
Is there a women’s football event happening near you? Give us a heads-up.
📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST
What We’re Watching
Friday 29 November
UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Play-Off 1st Leg
19:00 - Northern Ireland vs Norway [BBC iPlayer]
19:15 - Wales vs Republic of Ireland [BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer]
19:35 - Scotland vs Finland [BBC Scotland, BBC iPlayer]
Saturday 30th November
Women's International Friendly
17:20 - England Women v USA Women [ITV1, ITVX]
📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
More Women Working in Football
Senior Finance Business Partner | The FA | Apply by 27 Nov
Marketing Executive (Women's & Girls) | Brighton & Hove Albion | Apply by 3 Dec
Women’s Refereeing Manager | FIFA | Apply by 7 Dec
Digital Systems Lead | The FA | Apply by 8 Dec
Physical Development Coach Student Placement | West Ham Utd | Apply now
🧠 QUIZ ANSWER:
Who has become the first player to play in two NWSL Championship finals before the age of 24?
Trinity Rodman. She’s done it aged 22 years & 187 days old. The Washington Spirit forward played in the 2021 and 2024 finals. In 2021 she got the assist to the winning goal, giving the Spirit their first Championship trophy.
📚 JARGON BUSTER
UWCL - UEFA Women’s Champions League
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