Tag: Women’s Super League

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Spotlight WSL

How can Carlotta Wamser fill the hole that Manchester City have needed

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Carlotta Wamser vs Birmingham City | photo taken from @carlottawamser on instagram

Manchester City boosted their defence during the summer after signing Carlotta Wamser from Bayer Leverkusen on a four year deal and even though she has only been in the Women’s Super League a month, she has shone game after game. 

During the season prior to her arrival at the blues, she was chased by a number of clubs in Europe including WSL giants, Chelsea and Arsenal which just shows how much she was wanted. After spending one season with Bayer Leverkusen, she played 20 times and scored on one occasion playing mainly as a left back with her ability in defence catching the eyes of different clubs. 

She was part of the squad that reached the semi-finals in Switzerland for Germany and aims to play for her beloved country in the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year. She hopes to join her club and country teammates, Rebecca Knaak and Sydney Lohmann in South America after playing a pivotal role for the current league champions. 

The dynamic defender comes forward to attack when needed and has helped Lauren Hemp on the left side of the flank in the more recent games for the champions. Playing four games in the league, she has made four interceptions and made her league debut coming on for Alex Greenwood against Birmingham City with 15 minutes to go. Ahead of Khadija Shaw’s goal versus Aston Villa, she was pivotal up to the assist that Lauren Hemp provided, helping the players coming into the midfield alongside either Sam Coffey or Yui Hasegawa. 

She impacted straight away for the side and later replaced Gracie Prior in defence for Aston Villa with Alex Greenwood moving into her more natural role of Centre Back rather than where she has been playing the last season or so. She started against Liverpool the week later and assisted for Lauren Hemp’s goal coming further and further up the pitch mirroring what Kerstin Casparij and Iman Beney do on the right side. 

Against bottom of the table Charlton, Wamser came on for Casparij with 12 minutes to go, proving that she can switch between both sides on the pitch allowing a variety of players to come in and out of the team. 

Prior to the arrival of the German International, City had players like Demi Stokes and Leila Ouahabi covering the role at left back with Stokes lasting nearly ten years with the squad between 2015 and 2024. Wamser looks to provide a different look to the role and work with Lauren Hemp providing assists to Khadija Shaw mainly.

Wamser is a player to watch throughout the season and in the future as she aims to be a key player for the cityzens and earn her place in the German National Team squad for the Women’s World Cup 2027. 

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STREAK SMASHED: Thompson Goal Hands Chelsea 1-0 Win Over Arsenal

Photo Credits: Chelseafcw Instagram

Chelsea

Hannah Hampton (GK), Ellie Carpenter,  Lauren James, Alyssa Thompson, Katie McCabe, Weike Kaptein, Keira Walsh, Lucy Bronze (C), Kadiesha Buchanan, Lexi Potter 

Chelsea Used Subs

Sjoeke Nusken, Aggie Beever-Jones, Veele Buurman and Sandy Baltimore

Arsenal

Anneke Borbe (GK), Emily Fox, Georgia Stanway, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Mariona Caldentey, Kim Little (C), Lisa Baum, Ona Batlle, Alessia Russo, Kyra Cooney-Cross

Arsenal Used Subs

Lisa Baum, Mariona Caldentey, Georgia Stanway, Geraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci

Getting into the match we saw a very end to end game, but with Arzenal holding a lot of the possession. Early on we saw opportunities from Katie McCabe, Lisa Baum, Steph Catley and Melvine Malard. 

But Kim Little fired the first warning shots. Emily Fox was able to slide the ball through to Lisa Baum, taking on Katie McCabe. She drove to the box and passed to Little, who was able to turn and shoot, hitting the woodwork. 

Soon after, we saw Georgia Stanway pass to Lisa Baum; she received but was hit by a late tackle from Katie McCabe, gifting them a free kick.

On the counterattack, Alessia Russo was able to find Lisa Baum, who charged down the right flank. She was able to cross to find Mariona Caldentey unmarked. Taking the shot on the second touch, she hit the post, sending the ball out of play.

Anneke Borbe plays out from the back to Steph Catley, but Ellie Carpenter intercepts the touch. Catley goes for the tackle, but the ball is collected by Malard. She takes it into the box and slips it to Keira Walsh, who is able to get a shot off but is saved by Borbe. The ball lands for Alyssa Thompson, sending it into the top corner. Chelsea are in the lead; it’s 1-0.

Chelsea pressed for a second before the break as Malard’s driving run down the wing ended in a Borbe save and a corner. Standing over the ball in front of the Arsenal end, former Gunners star Katie McCabe made no effort to rush the delivery, calmly taking a yellow card for time-wasting while soaking in the reaction from her old supporters.

Early into the second half, Wieke Kaptein was able to lay the ball off for Ellie Carpenter. Taking it on the first touch, she crossed it to an open Malard in front of goal; she got a foot on it, but it wasn’t enough to end up in the back of the net.

Arsenal made their first substitutions of the match, seeing Chloe Kelly, Cailin Foord and Stina Blackstenius coming on for Lisa Baum, Mariona Caldentey and Georgia Stanway.

Soon after Chelsea made their first substitution, with Lauren James coming off for Sjoeke Nusken.

Steph Catley floated a dangerous ball over the top to find Stina Blackstenius, who managed to get a foot to it and chip it over the bar. Both the forward and keeper couldn’t pull back their momentum, colliding heavily with one another in the process, though Chelsea’s concern was quickly relieved as the flag was raised for offside.

Back-to-back subs come with Aggie Beever-Jones coming on for the Blues and Geraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci for the Gunners. While Melvine Malard, Kim Little and Ona Batlle leave the pitch.

Arsenal saw plenty of the ball, but found no way through Chelsea’s stubborn low block. The Blues sat back, absorbed the pressure, and comfortably limited Arsenal’s chances.

With not long to go, Chelsea’s big names for the match leave the pitch, with Veele Buurman and Sandy Baltimore coming on for Alyssa Thompson and Katie McCabe.

5 Minutes of additional time were announced, but the game was done. London is blue, with the game finishing Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal.

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WSL

Reigning WSL Champions on top vs WSL2 Champions during the opening fixture  

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photo taken from @mancitywomen on Instagram

A tough opener for the WSL2 Champions as Reigning Champions, Manchester City won 3-1 against Birmingham City. A double from Khadija Shaw and a Mary Fowler goal helped City win all three points against the newly promoted side with Oceane Hurte getting the goal. 

Birmingham had multiple chances in the opening five minutes as Oceane Hurte opened her WSL account but failed to find the back of the net on both attempts. Just minutes later, Lauren Hemp fired a cross into Bunny Shaw but her header from close range was saved. Triple chance, one after another from the hosts failed to find the back of the net as Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp both had attempts which failed. 

Sophie Baggaley performed spectacularly for the newly promoted side as save after save helped her side in the first half against the Champions. The hosts were testing the side with efforts from Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp and Aoba Fujino but all were saved or blocked. 

It wasn’t all the hosts with the chances. Birmingham City also provided with Oceane Hurte and Lily Crosthwaite both having attempts but most of their first half consisted of blocking the shots. 

Half-time: Manchester City 0-0 Birmingham City 

After a frustrating first half, Manchester City opened the scoring in the 49th minute from Australian Forward, Mary Fowler. Her effort from the near side of the goal was fired in from 12 yards out, which marked the club’s 1,000 goal as a professional club. Just 10 minutes later, the home side doubled their lead after a header from Khadija Shaw. She had many attempts from her head in the first half but finally got one in the back of the net after a corner from Kerstin Casparij. 

Both sides continued to have chances throughout including a shot from Lauren Hemp, who was making her 200th appearance, but was comfortably saved by Sophie Baggaley. Just four minutes left of the 90, Khadija Shaw added her second of the day and a second header for the Jamaican International. Beth Mead crossed the ball in from a corner with her effort going into the back net from close range.

On the 90 minute mark, Oceane Hurte scored Birmingham’s only goal of the game as she stole the ball from Jade Rose outside the box with her effort finding the back of the net past Ayaka Yamashita. 

Full-time: Manchester City 3-1 Birmingham City 

What’s next: 

Manchester City next travel to Aston Villa for a 6:30pm kick off on Sunday 13th September, meanwhile Birmingham City host Brighton and Hove Albion on the same day at 2pm. 

Manchester City: 

Starting 11: Yamashita, Rose, Greenwood © (Wamser 74’), Fowler (Mead 61’), Shaw, Hemp, Casparij (Beney 61’), Blindkilde Brown (Coffey 74’), Fujino, Hasegawa, Prior.  

Unused Substitutes: Cumings, Wienroither, Davies, Davis, Beckinsale

Yellow Cards: Mead (83’) 

Goals: Khadija Shaw (55’, 86’), Mary Fowler (49’) 

Birmingham City: 

Starting 11: Baggaley, Levasseur, Lee Geum-min (Amano 84’), Naalsund (Miyagawa 46’), Leidhammar (Cornet 57’), Crosthwaite, McKenna, Turner ©, Hurte, Sarri (Effa Effa 72’), Herron. 

Unused Substitutes: Thomas, Startup, Harris, Cooke, Holloway. 

Yellow Cards: Effa Effa (90+3’) 

Goals: Oceane Hurte (90’)

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WSL

Arsenal beat Brighton 1-0 on the opening weekend of the WSL

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photo taken from @bhafcwomen on X

On Sunday the 6th, Arsenal travelled south to Broadfield Stadium to take on the Seagulls in what was a cagey and frustrating fixture. Brighton pushed for an equaliser but ultimately the Gunners did enough to secure a crucial 3 points.

The game kicked off with high intensity and both sides quickly matched the oppositions energy. The first real chance came early on with a great piece of vision from Chiamaka Nnadozie who spotted Kiko Seike charging forward and released the ball, which opened up a positive spell of play for Brighton.

Shortly after, Arsenal WSL debutant Lisa Baum, received the ball down the left wing and thundered an incredible strike off the crossbar and into the back of the net; 1-0 to the Gunners. This goal advantage ignited the travelling side and their loyal fans, who thrived off this momentum and continued to force pressure up front. 

Brighton soon responded and were awarded a few free kicks from promising positions, however the players struggled to connect with these crosses into the box. Instead, they found most success through Japanese forward, Kiko Seike, who was causing trouble on the wing for Ona Battle in their 1v1 moments.

Equally, Arsenal also had opportunities to add to the scoreboard. Olivia Smith’s swinging corner in the 27th minute was met by Steph Catley who headed the ball into the hands of Nnadowzie. Mariona Caldentey also had a go herself, releasing a long-range shot, again saved by the strong hands of Brighton’s keeper.

The first half drew to a close with some scrappy moments and fouls for both teams. It was interesting to see the battlesforming all over the field, which were starting to shape the game. 

The home side came out the tunnel looking fired up for the second half, creating a set-piece opportunity in the final third early on, looking in much more control all over the field, offering increased crosses in the box and pressing high. 

In the opening 45, although Arsenal wasn’t able to capitalise on their advantage, they looked to have more of a grasp of the game. In comparison, after half-time the Gunners were more vulnerable and unable to hold on to possession. However, on the counter, they looked dangerous at times especially through new signings Lisa Baum and Georgia Stanway- standouts from the match. The Brighton backline, specifically Manuela Vanegas did a great job of keeping the relentless Alessia Russo out of the game as well as their other attacking threats. 

Lacking creativity up front, Renee Slegers substituted onto the field Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord. The duo had their bright moments but similarly couldn’t efficiently break down the Albion’s defence, which summed up Arsenal’s attacking performance of the game. 

In turn, Brighton utilised the valuable playmaker of Fran Kirby who intelligently picked up the ball centrally on several occasions, then drilled the ball out wide to Seike. Much to the frustration of the players and fans, they weren’t able tosignificantly challenge goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez and find the back of the net.

After a break in momentum (due to substitutions and Lia Walti going down with an injury) the game did pick up in the closing moments with both teams pushing at either end, but the scoreline remained 1-0.

 

Brighton: Chiamaka Nnadozie, Manuela Vanegas, Moeka Minami, Maisie Symonds, Madison Haley, Kiko Seike, Lia Walti, Fran Kirby, Caitlin Hayes, Marisa Olislagers, Charlie Rule

Substitutions Used: Emilie Joramo, Olivia Garcia, Emily Murphy, Olaug Tvedten, Sophie Peskett

 

Arsenal: Misa, Emily Fox, Georgia Stanway, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Mariona Caldentey, Kim Little, Olivia Smith, Lisa Baum, Ona Battle, Alessia Russo

Substitutions Used: Chloe Kelly, Cailtin Foord, Stina Blackstenius, Smilla Holmberg, Frida Maanum

Goal Scorer: Lisa Baum

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WSL

West Ham hope for improved season with nine new additions

Image via @westhamwomen on Instagram

As the transfer window draws to a close, it’s no secret that West Ham have had one of the busiest summers in England with nine signings and ten outgoings to date. Within this, they’ve secured the signatures of a strong mix of experience and youth, adding to the already stacked squad.

In January, the club saw five new additions  as well as a manger to their squad and it has since become clear that Rita Guarino joined the side with a mission: to win.

Their first purchase of the summer came in the form of Katie Zelem from London City Lionesses. She spent the second half of the 25/26 season on loan to the club and is a proven leader, having captained Manchester United for five years. With the recent departure of Katrina Gorry, there’s a high likelihood that she will pick up this role once more whilst Claret & Blue.

Next came Constance Picaud, a France international goal keeper with experience in both the Champions league and on the international stage. The keeper amassed 8 clean sheets in 22 games last season and with the recent departure of Kinga Szemik, it seems like a move well fitted for the 28 year old.

A seemingly surprising announcement was revealed next with Laia Codina switching North London for East. The defender won the world cup with Spain in 2023 and has three champions league titles to her name – two with Barcelona and one with Arsenal. With a lack of playing time last season, Codina will be looking to become a regular starter for the Hammers side.

Nadine Riesen quickly became the club’s fourth summer signing, joining from Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. The Swiss international joins after three years in Germany, even playing in the Champions League during her tenure and is likely to be first choice at right back after the recent injury to Tuva Hansen.

The Hammers next couple of signings looked slightly different in Sienna Wareing and niamh Peacock. The duo joined from Manchester United and Arsenal’s academies, and despite not having huge amounts of senior footballing experience, they have a good understanding of the English playing style so their moves are likely to be seamless, both proving as good additions to the West Ham squad.

Ebony Salmon switched one type of Claret and Blue for another this summer, making the move from Aston Villa to West ham earlier this year. The forward struggled to find her form last season, often featuring for the Villains from the bench so will be hoping for more regular game time in order to improve her performances in the season ahead.

Estelle Cascarino was thought to be leaving West Ham after the conclusion of her loan this summer, however she recently signed a three year deal with the Hammers, keeping her at the club until 2029. The 29 year old plays primarily as a centre back and has prior league experience at Manchester United in 2023. Her time at Juventus didn’t quite go to plan with a lack of opportunities over the past couple of years and she joins former teammate, Lia Walti in returning to the WSL this summer.

The club’s most recent signing saw Kelly Gago join the club from Everton after just 18 months in the North West. The striker scored a total of ten goals in her time at the club, but after missing several matches last season, the striker will be looking to improve her tally this year.

West Ham had an influx of player departures this summer, including captain and vice-captain duo, Katrina Gorry and Shelina Zadorsky. With Gorry taking time out of football and Zadorsky moving back to her home country, Canada to play, the club will be looking to newer  arrivals to fill their shoes this season, a massive jump from seasons prior.

Other departures saw striker, Shakiera Martinez join Tottenham Hotspur, Vereana Hanshaw and Camila Saez move to clubs overseas and both Jessie Stapleton and Jess Ziu both join Leicester City. Emily Taylor Brown also moved to AFC Wimbledon and Soraya Walsh joined Aberdeen in the SWPL.

West Ham’s transfer window has been a huge jump from previous seasons, and whilst there is lots of change within the squad, they got their business done early, putting themselves in the best possible position for the season ahead. Newcomers have had a full season to gel with the team and transfers saw all the replacements needed, so it’ll be interesting to see how the club shape up in the upcoming season.