WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY

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

This week: We’ve got drama at the top and bottom of the table, the Earps saga drags on into a second week, and Bonmati snapped in a cowboy hat. Enjoy! – Jo (founder of Twentytwo)

⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH

This weekend’s WSL action delivered drama across the table. Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal was a costly slip for the Blues, handing Manchester City a chance to go top thanks to Bunny Shaw’s late winner. Meanwhile, bottom of the table, West Ham missed crucial opportunities to get their first win of the season, showing familiar struggles with clinical finishing and conceding late goals once again. Aston Villa deserve a mention after an unexpected win ended Man United’s unbeaten run.

TOP GOALS:

1. Kelly Gago – Cheeky backheel equiliser for Everton.

2. Bunny Shaw – A classic towering Bunny Shaw header to send City top of the table.

3. Alyssa Thompson – Her first WSL goal, looped over the top of DVD after free-flowing Chelsea build-up play.

4. Alessia Russo – One of many dramatic moments in this high-stakes match. Arguably offside, but perhaps justice for an earlier disallowed Blackstenius goal.

5. Eveliina Summanen – A perfectly executed curling free kick.

🎥 Watch this if you only click one thing: Freya Godfrey – Wow, this one was a beauty. A cut-in, dummy and exquisite curled strike that buried itself in the bottom corner. This is what we’ve been waiting for from the LCL forward.

💬 Biggest Talking Point: Arsenal's VAR Controversy
Arsenal had two big goals disallowed, first a Stina Blackstenius equaliser disallowed for handball, then Frida Maanum’s effort for offside. Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers was fuming at full-time and called for the introduction of VAR to correct refereeing errors.

RESULTS: WSL MATCHDAY 8

• Manchester United 0 - 1 Aston Villa (Highlights)

• Arsenal 1 - 1 Chelsea (Highlights)

• London City Lionesses 4 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur (Highlights)

• Liverpool 1 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion (Highlights)

• West Ham United 1 - 1 Leicester City (Highlights)

• Everton 1 - 2 Manchester City (Highlights)

AS IT STANDS

🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

🌴 Former Arsenal and Lioness legend, Alex Scott, is heading into the jungle. The presenter will be on the cast of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, when it starts later this month.

⚖️ Joey Barton was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of sending grossly offensive social media messages, including those targeting Eni Aluko. Sentencing is pending after he was convicted under the Communications Act for his conduct online.​

🏟️ Arsenal’s Alessia Russo is fronting the new “Alessia Cup” grassroots girls’ tournament, with Chislehurst School taking the inaugural title. The tournament aims to inspire more girls to play and stay in football.​

🏆 North Korea retained the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title by defeating the Netherlands 3-0 in the final in Morocco. This marks their second consecutive U-17 World Cup victory, with a dominant performance and three second-half goals securing the trophy.​

⚽️ The NWSL playoff quarter-finals saw Gotham FC, Washington Spirit, Portland Thorns, and Orlando Pride advance to the semi-finals. Gotham pulled off a surprise win over Kansas City Current 2-1, while Washington defeated Racing Louisville on penalties 1(3) - 1(1). Portland got past San Diego Wave 1-0, and Orlando comfortably beat Seattle Reign 2-0. The semis are scheduled for November 15-16, with Washington hosting Portland and Orlando facing Gotham.

🇺🇸 Atlanta was confirmed as the latest NWSL expansion team, backed by Falcons owner Arthur Blank. The $165m franchise fee signals growing investment and brings women’s pro football back to Atlanta by 2026.​ Read more

⛔️ The NWSL, players’ union, and Orlando Pride jointly defended Barbra Banda, a cisgender woman, after she faced a surge of racist and transphobic abuse. The backlash ignited following her inclusion in the FIFA Women’s World 11 and an op-ed calling for tougher gender eligibility rules that featured her photo. All parties emphasised that Banda meets the league’s eligibility guidelines and condemned the attacks. Read more

💸 Monarch Collective, the women’s sports investment fund, is set to buy up to 38% of Germany’s FC Viktoria Berlin. The US-based group also invest in Boston Legacy, Angel City and San Diego Wave. This latest deal takes them into Europe for the first time.

💼 NWSL clubs have launched a league-wide advisory board to drive growth from 2026, focusing on marketing, fan engagement and player initiatives. Delegates will mentor, support league campaigns and open doors to new partnerships, all aimed at expanding women’s football’s reach and profile in the US.

📚 WHAT WE’RE READING

The Mary Earps book launch saga rolled into a second week. Here are the articles and podcasts that caught our attention throughout:

• Earps’ reaction 'shows pressure on women to be perfect angels' – Anita Asante, BBC

• Mary Earps and the dangers of the 'girl-bossification' of women's sport – Flo Lloyd-Hughes, The Cutback

• Mary Earps’ book furore illustrates how women’s football fandom can turn toxic – Jonathan Liew, The Guardian

• Counter Pressed Book Club – All in by Mary Earps – Watch here

👀 FAVE FINDS

Classic Football Shirts are taking their collection from warehouse rails to a coffee table near you. Their first-ever book dives into the history, stories, and cult favourites behind some of football’s most iconic kits, from obscure gems to era-defining designs. A proper nostalgia hit for shirt obsessives. Pre-order your copy

ICYMI: Esme Morgan and Trinity Rodman leading the Washington Spirit’s celebrations after making it through to the NWSL playoff semi-finals.

👟 KIT DROP

Adidas have unveiled their 2026 federation kits in time for the men’s World Cup, and three designs are stealing the spotlight: Argentina’s refined classic blue and white, Germany’s geometric nod to 1990, and Japan’s dreamy, wave-inspired print. We have to mention Spain’s slightly bizarre ‘Spanish cowboy’ look (Aitana Bonmatí in a Stetson was not on our bingo card). We’ll get our first glimpse of them in action on the women’s teams during November’s internationals, but they already look like future classics. Available now

Football Gal x Adidas Predator is a collab that we should have seen coming. Known for her floral embroidery on football shirts, the artist has turned her needle to the Predator boot. The result? Understated, elegant and must-have.
Take a closer look. And for anyone allergic to cold weather, check out the indoor style.

🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA

Upcoming Events

Baller FC x The Cutback: Derby Sunday
Spurs v Arsenal and Newcastle United v Sunderland
16 November, 12:00-17:00, Signature Brew, Haggerston.
+ Liverpool v Chelsea, Aston Villa v LCC
+ Live analysis, football market including: Throwback tops, Lucky Cowboys Merch and Stanchion Books. Grab your free ticket here

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 (GMT/BST)

Women's Champions League League Phase
Tuesday 11 November

• St Polten vs Chelsea (20:00, Disney+)

Wednesday 12 November

• Bayern Munich vs Arsenal (17:45, Disney+)

• Manchester United vs PSG (20:00, BBC Three, iPlayer, Disney+)

Women’s Super League
Saturday 15 November

• Manchester City vs Manchester United (13:30, BBC One, iPlayer)

Sunday 16 November

• Aston Villa vs London City Lionesses (12:00, Sky Sports)

• Brighton & Hove Albion vs Leicester City (12:00, Sky Sports, WSL YouTube)

• Liverpool vs Chelsea (12:00, Sky Sports)

• West Ham United vs Everton (12:00, Sky Sports, WSL YouTube)

• Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal (14:30, Sky Sports)

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

• HR Executive - Payroll, Pensions & Benefits | Professional Game Match Officials | Apply by 14 Nov

• Women's Physiotherapy Pathway Lead | The Football Association | Apply by 16 Nov

• Communications and Content Lead (AVWFC) | Aston Villa FC | Apply by 16 Nov

• Senior Social Media Executive | Brentford FC | Apply by 19 Nov

• Assistant Producer - Sky Sports News | Sky Sports | Apply by 21 Nov

See you next week!

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