Six For City. Leicester In Trouble. Aluko Under Fire.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
The five-minute read for dedicated-ish fans of women’s football.
This week: things got a little uncomfortable wherever you looked. It’s tight at the top as the Champions League race sharpens, nervy at the bottom as the relegation fight heats up — and then there’s Eni Aluko, saying things that have even the most supportive fans wincing. Right. Let’s get into it.
– Jo, founder of Twentytwo
⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH
Six For City. Trouble For Leicester.
Credit: Damon Thomson/Alamy Live News
Man City responded to their defeat at Arsenal last week by smashing six past a struggling Leicester side.
The title race now looks all but over. But with Chelsea and Manchester United both winning and Arsenal’s match postponed, the squeeze around the Champions League places is heating up. One of the big names is going to miss out.
For Leicester, the defeat keeps them in the bottom three. Liverpool and West Ham both lost, which offers a sliver of hope, but with only a couple of points between the sides, Leicester’s game in hand now feels crucial. The catch? It’s against Arsenal.
There’s now an international break, but 15 March is already circled. Liverpool vs Leicester is a must-win for both.
RESULTS: WSL MATCHDAY 20
Manchester City 6-0 Leicester City (Highlights)
Everton 1-0 West Ham United (Highlights)
Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool (Highlights)
Manchester United 2-1 London City Lionesses (Highlights)
Aston Villa 3-7 Tottenham Hotspur (Highlights)
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal - Postponed
PICKS FROM THE PITCH
Three must-see superstrikes from the weekend:
Jess Park – Individual brilliance
Viv Miedema – A beautiful long-ranger
Kerolin – Unstoppable
🎥 Watch this if you only click one thing: First she set up Nüsken, then followed up with this. It’s Lauren James at her best.
AS IT STANDS
🚨ICYMI
Top Headlines
🚨 Chelsea’s head of women’s football Paul Green has left by mutual agreement after 13 years and 19 trophies. Reports of players being blindsided by the decision, men’s directors meddling in operations post-BlueCo restructure, and a shaky season are fuelling wider questions and talk of crisis behind the scenes. Read more
🏴 England will announce the squad for March’s fixtures against Ukraine and Iceland at 11am GMT, Tuesday 17 February 2026.
💰 Ella Toone has signed a reported £1.5 million deal with Nike, one of the biggest individual sponsorship agreements in the women’s game.
🗣️ Eni Aluko has reignited her public spat with Ian Wright, criticising ITV’s decision to pick Wright and Nedum Onuoha over her and Fara Williams for Euro 2025 final punditry. After previously arguing male pundits limit women’s opportunities, her latest comments triggered sharp pushback from Laura Woods and Simon Jordan. Read more
✍️ Spurs have locked in Eveliina Summanen on a new long-term deal. The 27-year-old Finland international has been pivotal this season, bringing experience and consistency to Spurs’ midfield. Read more
🥳 Arsenal’s Kim Little hit 400 appearances when she came on as sub in Wednesday’s 4-0 UWCL rout of OH Leuven. The captain joined from Hibs in 2008 and has been at the heart of things ever-since. Read more
😡 AS Roma are facing backlash after match-worn women’s shorts sold for significantly more than shirts in online auctions, prompting concerns about sexualisation and safeguarding — especially given some of the players involved are teenagers. Read more
📚 WHAT WE’RE READING
Chelsea Women in crisis: A critical exit, player confusion and the role of the men’s sporting directors – The Athletic via Yahoo
🏆 UWCL ROUND-UP
The first legs of the Women’s Champions League knockouts couldn’t have gone much better for the English sides.
Manchester United won 3–0 away at Atlético Madrid — disciplined, clinical and now firmly in control heading into the second leg at Leigh. (Highlights)
Arsenal were even more ruthless, beating OH Leuven 4–0 in Belgium to put one foot in the quarter-finals. (Highlights)
Elsewhere, Real Madrid edged Paris FC 3–2 to leave that one finely poised, while Wolfsburg and Juventus drew 2–2 in a tie that’s very much alive.
Second legs are this week. Win on aggregate and it’s a place in the quarter-finals.
👟 KIT DROP
Prada’s dropped a sharp formalwear capsule for China Women ahead of the Asian Cup (1-21 March). The star is the tailored black mohair suit, accented by a purple embroidered phoenix motif (symbol of strength and rebirth). But we’re obsessed with the red knit cashmere: it’s luxe, cosy, and refined.
🤓 KNOWLEDGE
So… Do Periods Impact Recovery More Than We Thought?
A four-season study from Barça Innovation Hub followed 33 elite players and logged 80 injuries to see whether periods change injury patterns. The short answer? Players weren’t getting injured more often during bleeding — but when they did, the injuries were more serious.
Key findings:
• Injury rates were similar on bleeding and non-bleeding days.
• Injuries during bleeding led to roughly three times more days lost (684 vs 206 per 1,000 hours).
• Median recovery jumped from 17 days to 53 days.
• Soft-tissue injuries carried the biggest burden.
• Hormones weren’t measured, so this doesn’t prove why it happens.
So no, periods don’t increase injury risk. But they may affect how long players are out — which makes cycle tracking far more relevant than it used to be.
🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA
Upcoming Events
The Sheffield Vintage Football Fair
Explore an eclectic mix of vintage football shirts, memorabilia, artwork and more
1 March, 11-16:00, The Steamworks, Sheffield, S2 4SJ
Tickets now available
The Origins of Women's Football in Sheffield Guided Walk
Starting at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 16:00 on Thursday 12, 19 and 26 March
Sheffield Home of Football are providing guided football walks to share people, events and locations that link to Women's Football in Sheffield dating back to 1867 and through to the early development of the game through to modern times. The walk ends in time to go to The Ladies Football Club.
Tickets £5 + booking fee
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)
Women's Champions League
Knockout Round Play-Off 2nd Leg
Arsenal vs OH Leuven (4-0 agg.)
20:00, Wednesday 18 February
Disney+Manchester United vs Atlético Madrid (3-0 agg.)
20:00, Thursday 19 February
Disney+
Women's FA Cup
Fifth Round TV picks:
Birmingham City v Chatham Town
17:15, Saturday 21 February
TNT Sports 1 & discovery+Chelsea v Manchester United
13:30, Sunday 22 February
TNT Sports 1 & discovery+Liverpool v Everton
16:30, Sunday 22 February
Channel 4, TNT Sports 1 & discovery+London City Lionesses v Tottenham Hotspur
19:30, Monday 23 February
TNT Sports 1 & discovery+
👀 FAVE FINDS
💇♀️ We live for a masterful goal celebration and Manchester United Women delivered. Maya Le Tissier and Elisabeth Terland cracked out the air scissors to mime a celebratory haircut — a nod to the fan who said he wouldn’t cut his hair until the men won five in a row. The women have now won six. Time to book the barber.
See you next week!
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