Table-topping Toon terrorise United

By Texi Smith (23/9/26)

Above: Martha Thomas celebrating her second goal vs Sheffield United Photo: Newcastle United FC.

An action-packed Sunday afternoon of top-quality WSL2 action saw Newcastle United Women leap to the top of the table in style at a breezy Gateshead International Stadium.

An expectant and jovial Geordie crowd roared on their favourites, who were coasting through early goals from Beth Lumsden and Aussie import Kaitlyn Torpey, but watched on in horror as a freak goal from Lucy Quinn had Sheffield United back in the game at half-time.

Two quick goals from Martha Thomas after the break gave Newcastle the footing to go on and fill their boots, but a combination of wayward finishing and unforgiving referee calls prevented them from adding to the agony for the increasingly angry and agitated visitors.

The prospect of watching football in a stadium boasting an internationally recognised running track was not a positive notion, despite the success of South Melbourne and West Ham United in overcoming the tyranny of distance from the stands to the playing surface.

The GIS boasts one main stand, thankfully facing away from the sun, split into North and South sections. The technical areas for the coaches and substitutes brought onto the same side today due to the strong wind.

We had a healthy crowd, the expert pitch-side announcer created a superb atmosphere and explained the tribute planned for the anniversary of WSL legend Matt Beard’s passing due for the 13th minute before the upbeat music whipped up the crowd.

A mix of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck and the Toon Toon Black and White Army chant was a marvellous concoction, and the familiar Blaydon Races, Hey Jude and Local Hero welcomed the players to the field and accompanied the handshakes and coin toss.

Flags provided by the Wor Flags operation were waved furiously by fans young and old, the barriers surrounding the long-jump sandpits of this athletics stadium were adorned with flags bearing Howay the Lasses, while the club’s energy drink sponsor handed out samples of their juicy products to the crowd.

First though, a tribute to Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack, a minute’s applause enthusiastically delivered by the upstanding crowd, and then we were ready for the action. The Sip and Support movement allowed fans to grab their cans and drink their alcohol responsibly in view of the field.

The Tyneside crowd had plenty of vocal members throwing their voices to the cause as the chants were familiar to anyone who had been to a men’s game at the cathedral on the hill on the other side of the river, mixed in with a selection of witty and humorous songs for the players on view today.

The opening exchanges were even, Beth Lumsden not afraid to drop deep to receive the ball, Rachel McLauchlan having to race back to foil a Sheffield United attack and Martha Thomas producing a crunching tackle to get the home fans in the mood.

The stirring minute’s applause on the 13th minute had a quirky moment as Newcastle goalkeeper Anna Tamminen made the first save of the game, the applause intensifying for a moment to acknowledge the stop.

Moments later, the home team took the lead, a patient approach from Martha Thomas and a sweet turn by Lumsden, her stunning left-foot shot giving Sian Rogers no chance.

Mollie Lambert continued the forward momentum on the left, and a quickfire second followed, Torpey somehow ending up inside the penalty area with a low side-footed shot that rolled inside the post in slow motion.

Amy Andrews advanced to curl a shot around the post as Sheffield United responded, but this was all Newcastle, Thomas screwing a shot wide when well-placed, and Charlie Devlin displaying her anger to the referee, the visiting player receiving a stern talking to.

Goalkeeper Rogers miskicked a spinning deflected shot to concede a needless corner – nothing was going right – and trickery from Thomas set up Lois Joel for a rasping shot that just cleared the bar.

Just when we were wondering how many Newcastle might score before the break, the unthinkable happened – a routine back pass saw Tamminen hesitate and Quinn reacted to close down the ball, the goalkeeper only able to drill the clearance into the Sheffield United attacker’s legs, the ball rolling into the unguarded net.

Silence and disbelief in the crowd and on the field, and as suddenly we had a game on our hands.

Torpey tried to shepherd out a ball for a goal kick and managed to touch it on the way out, Andrews got to the byline to pull back for Devlin to fire into the side netting, and an equalising goal was suddenly a possibility.

The score remained until the break, however, Joel and Thomas the standout performers for the home team while Andrews troubled the defence with her obvious pace.

Newcastle allayed the fears of their fans with a dramatic opening to the second half.

A mistake allowed Torpey to jink to the byline and deliver a fantastic cross, Thomas rising highest to power home a header to restore the two-goal advantage only seconds after the restart.

Moments later, Thomas raced into the box and pulled the ball back for Kathleen MacGovern, but she fluffed her lines, and the home team were purring.

Thomas treated the crowd to a beautiful nutmeg before Lumsden wowed the crowd with a cheeky flick to beat her player to race away from the defence; her touch was strong but she had the wherewithal to slide in before goalkeeper Rogers could react, touching the ball inside for Thomas to tap home her second goal and Newcastle’s fourth.

Aoife Mannion’s meaty challenge stopped Sheffield United’s Tilly Bristow when she threatened to weave through the whole defence on her own, and the defence was stretched again when the pacy Andrews was played in cleverly by Sophie Harwood and fired in a shot that bounced off the post.

There was life in the visitors yet.

Jordan Nobbs came on to huge cheers and immediately fired a volley just wide, but this was a good spell for Sheffield United, Tamminen again with a nervy moment, this time getting away with it.

When Thomas was strangely asked to leave the field after a head knock, there was confusion on the sideline, and Bristow then bemoaned the referee when she felt impeded in the box by Tamminen’s stretch.

Substitute Leanne Kiernan then broke clean through for Newcastle, looking way offside, and she shaped to shoot before getting it all wrong, tumbling to the floor.

The undeniable pace of Andrews continued to be a thorn in the home defence, and she powered in a shot that Tamminen tipped over for a corner.

By now the result was beyond doubt, but there was still plenty of action, Mollie Rouse into the book for a shirt pull in front of the referee, and Thomas had a chance for a hat-trick but decided to cut in instead of taking the shot on the run, and curling effort clearing the far post.

Following a good chance from a corner that Hildur Antonsdottir maybe could have connected with, a deflected shot from substitute Freya Gregory, the final goalmouth action saw Gregory finish at the far post into an unguarded net, but with goalkeeper Rogers already prone on the turf following a collision, it was no surprise that the referee disallowed the goal.

The final score of 4-1 was reflective of the domination of the home team today, but there were periods when their control went missing; Sheffield United were no pushovers.

The time-honoured worldwide tradition of women’s games ending with a meet and greet with the fans was respected, families, partners and fans all able to meet their heroes and congratulate them on an impressive home win.

There was no rush to leave the stadium, the numerous flags scattered through the main stand were collected by the home fans and deposited at the front and the staggered departure of the crowd made for an easy exit, retracing the steps along the sun-drenched St James’ Boulevard to the Metro with a handful of happy Newcastle United fans.

From a football perspective, what we’d seen today was a well-oiled Newcastle machine making a statement.

The skills of Lois Joel and Martha Thomas were crowd-pleasing, the Newcastle defence was solid and relaxed, and a goal and an assist by Kaitlyn Torpey justified the Aussie Aussie Aussie chant from the delighted main stand.

Looking at this from a fan’s perspective, it was a perfect family day out; the all-encompassing mix of supporters, many of those with the names and numbers of their female heroes on their shirts, everyone willing to join in with the songsheet, made a fabulous atmosphere.

Beers in your seat, a kiosk selling pulled pork rolls, free energy drinks for all, along with dancing magpie mascots, flag waving and player interaction, this was a strong reason for more fans to make Gateshead International Stadium a go-to weekend day out.

Newcastle United are on a roll; the juggernaut is only just in second gear; this will be a powerhouse before we know it.

Lineups: Newcastle: Tamminen, Purfield, McGovern, Lambert, Thomas, Torpey, Bradley, Joel, Mannion, Lumsden, McLauchlan. SUBS: Rendell, Wardlaw, Nobbs, Gregory, Nemeth, Antonsdottir, Sevenus, Evans, Kiernan

Sheffield United: Rogers, Cowan, Kinzett, Pearse, Andrews, Devlin, Houssein, Quinn, O’Rourke, Harwood, Reavill. SUBS: Soper, Baker, Bristow, Scofield, Rouse, Jones.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Trailblazers: The Arsenal Women’s Column

by Roberto Revilla (23/9/26)

Above: Mariona Caldentey slots home Arsenal’s late penalty which finally clinched their win over HB Køge last night. Photo: Arsenal FC.

Arsenal find a way to win, but attacking questions remain

Mariona Caldentey’s stoppage-time penalty gave Arsenal a 1-0 victory over HB Køge at Meadow Park on Tuesday night and ensured Renée Slegers’ side began their Women’s Champions League campaign with three points.

It was a win Arsenal deserved on the balance of possession and territory, but one they made considerably more difficult than it needed to be.

Arsenal finished with 70 per cent possession, 21 attempts and 10 corners, yet only two of those attempts were on target, one of them Caldentey’s penalty.

One commentator described it as quantity rather than quality, and that summed up the evening rather well.

Slegers made eight changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Saturday, with Anneke Borbe coming into goal behind a back four of Smilla Holmberg, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley and Taylor Hinds.

Kyra Cooney-Cross joined Kim Little and Frida Maanum in midfield, while Chloe Kelly and Caitlin Foord started either side of Stina Blackstenius.

There was some early encouragement.

Kelly immediately looked willing to drive at the Køge defence, while Holmberg pushed high from right-back and regularly overlapped outside her. Little provided support inside, and Cooney-Cross continually looked to move the ball forward quickly.

That directness from Cooney-Cross became one of Arsenal’s biggest positives and ultimately earned her UEFA’s Player of the Match award.

Above: Kyra Cooney-Cross – who delivered a player of the match performance last night. Photo: Arsenal FC.

Arsenal thought they had taken the lead after 13 minutes following one of their best moves of the first half.

Cooney-Cross drove towards the penalty area, combined with Foord and continued her run before finding Kelly, who finished superbly from the middle of the box.

A VAR review changed everything.

Blackstenius was standing in an offside position between Kelly and goalkeeper Alberte Vingum and was judged to be interfering with the goalkeeper’s line of sight, so the goal was disallowed.

It was a frustrating moment for Arsenal and particularly for Blackstenius, who wasn’t directly involved in the move but found herself in a position which ultimately cost Kelly an excellent goal.

From there, the game’s pattern became increasingly familiar.

Arsenal had plenty of possession and repeatedly reached the final third, but too many promising attacks ended on the wrong decision, an extra touch, or a shot from an area where Køge were comfortable allowing them to try.

The visitors weren’t simply sitting in a permanent low block.

They defended in an organised 4-4-2 shape, pressed Arsenal’s defence with their two forwards and were prepared to play when they recovered possession.

Kyra Carusa continually looked to stretch Arsenal’s back line, while the vastly experienced Nadia Nadim found pockets around the Arsenal penalty area and tested Borbe from distance.

Køge’s attacking quality wasn’t always matched by the final pass, but there were enough warning signs to prevent Arsenal from committing everybody forward without considering the space they were leaving behind.

Little produced an excellent challenge inside the Arsenal penalty area during the first half, while Borbe looked composed whenever she was required to deal with Køge’s longer passes.

At the other end, Holmberg became an increasingly important part of Arsenal’s attack.

The 19-year-old repeatedly got outside her defender and delivered accurate balls into the penalty area, but Arsenal lacked somebody consistently anticipating where those crosses were going.

That became one of the biggest frustrations of the evening.

These weren’t hopeful deliveries thrown into the penalty area because Arsenal had run out of ideas. Holmberg was repeatedly putting the ball into dangerous positions, but the movement in front of her wasn’t good enough to take advantage.

Blackstenius struggled to become the focal point Arsenal needed and was replaced by Alessia Russo at half-time.

Above: Chloe Kelly looks to break through the HB Køge defence last night. Photo: Arsenal Women.

Russo immediately offered different movement through the middle, while Hinds became increasingly adventurous from left-back, but Arsenal were still struggling to turn their possession into clear chances.

There was also a significant warning at the other end when Køge broke through Arsenal’s high defensive line and Borbe raced a long way outside her penalty area to prevent Carusa getting through on goal.

It was an important intervention during an otherwise relatively quiet first Arsenal start for the German goalkeeper.

Slegers made two further changes just before the hour, with Caldentey and Lisa Baum replacing Little and Foord.

Kelly moved to the left and Baum took up the position ahead of Holmberg on the right, reuniting a combination which has already shown considerable promise this season.

Arsenal became more positive after the changes, but the end product was still missing.

Maanum endured a particularly difficult evening in front of goal, sending another opportunity high and wide after Russo had produced an excellent cross from the left.

By this stage Køge knew what was coming.

Arsenal were attacking from both sides and putting numerous balls into the penalty area, but the Danish champions were getting three or four players around the ball and dealing with almost everything being sent towards them.

The frustration inside Meadow Park was becoming increasingly obvious.

Slegers finally introduced Selina Cerci for Maanum after 72 minutes, allowing Russo to move into a deeper position and giving Arsenal a different presence through the middle.

It proved decisive.

Arsenal continued to push without finding a way through until stoppage time, when Cerci did something they hadn’t done often enough in the previous 90 minutes.

She attacked the penalty area directly.

With three Køge defenders around her, Cerci forced Yukina Sakabe into making a decision, and the defender brought her down.

Caldentey stepped forward and although Vingum got something on the resulting penalty, she couldn’t prevent it finding the net.

Arsenal finally had their goal.

Above: There’s a lot for Renee Slegers to think about ahead of Sunday’s huge trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Photo: Arsenal FC.

Cerci deserves considerable credit for creating it because her approach represented something Arsenal had lacked for much of the evening.

Rather than searching for another pass or waiting for the perfect opening, she attacked the space in front of her and forced the defender to react.

For Slegers, there were other positives.

Cooney-Cross was direct and decisive throughout. Holmberg once again demonstrated the attacking qualities which are making her increasingly difficult to leave out. Kelly continually tried to make things happen in crowded areas, and Borbe handled everything asked of her.

Køge also deserve credit.

They were well-organised, committed players around Arsenal’s attackers, and retained enough ambition in possession to ensure the hosts couldn’t simply forget about defending.

But Arsenal’s attacking numbers remain difficult to ignore.

Twenty-one attempts with only two on target cannot simply be dismissed as poor finishing.

Some of it certainly was, but there were also too many attacks where the problem came before the shot: the extra touch, the delayed pass, the run that wasn’t made, or another accurate cross arriving without anyone attacking the space.

Arsenal are producing plenty of attacking activity, but too much of it isn’t ending with a player receiving the ball in a position where they would reasonably be expected to score.

Tuesday night may at least have provided some clues.

Cooney-Cross speeds Arsenal’s possession up. Holmberg can provide consistent quality from the right. Kelly is willing to attack defenders, and Cerci again showed that her instinct is to attack the penalty area.

Slegers now has to work out how to put enough of those qualities onto the pitch at the same time.

Arsenal have their first three Champions League points and, ultimately, that was the most important requirement on Tuesday night.

But with Chelsea waiting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Arsenal’s attacking play will have to improve.

They won’t have 70 per cent possession and 21 attempts every week.

Above: Frida Maanum bursts through last night. Photo: Arsenal FC.

Roberto Revilla is the founder and host of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, an independent podcast and website providing in-depth analysis and coverage of Arsenal Women. You can find the podcast and Roberto’s latest Arsenal Women writing at Arsenal Women: Trailblazers.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Trailblazers: The Arsenal Women’s Column

by Roberto Revilla (23/9/26)

Above: Smilla Holmberg hits Arsenal’s late equaliser against Manchester United on Saturday. Photo: The Guardian.

Arsenal simply have to be quicker at exploiting the moments

Smilla Holmberg struck a superb stoppage-time equaliser as Arsenal rescued a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at the Emirates, denying Eva Olid’s side their first WSL victory of the season.

Julia Zigiotti Olme had given United the lead midway through the second half and for much of the afternoon their disciplined defensive performance looked set to deliver all three points. But Holmberg, introduced before the hour, met Leah Williamson’s long delivery at the far post in the 94th minute and volleyed beyond Phallon Tullis-Joyce to rescue Arsenal.

The result leaves Arsenal unbeaten after three league games, but having dropped four points from consecutive home draws against Crystal Palace and Manchester United, there will be frustration for Renée Slegers despite the late escape.

United provide an early threat

Arsenal began reasonably brightly, with Olivia Smith finding space on the right and Lisa Baum testing Tullis-Joyce early on.

United, however, were not content to simply retreat into a low defensive block. They enjoyed spells of possession and produced arguably the most dangerous spell of the opening half, when Elisabeth Terland forced Misa Rodríguez into two saves in quick succession around the 20-minute mark.

Misa’s first stop was particularly important, and the Spanish goalkeeper would go on to produce another assured performance, both with her handling and her distribution.

Arsenal continued to probe. One of their better moves saw Smith release Emily Fox, who found Alessia Russo before the ball was worked to Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the area, but her effort curled wide.

Their clearest opportunity of the half came shortly before the interval and began with Rodriguez.

The goalkeeper spotted Ona Batlle’s run and sent an excellent long pass over the United defence. Batlle couldn’t quite bring it under control, but Baum recovered the ball and delivered it back into the area for Stina Blackstenius.

The Swedish striker connected powerfully with her header, but directed it too close to Tullis-Joyce, who made a strong save to ensure the teams went into half-time level.

Holmberg changes the game

United had increasingly succeeded in making Arsenal’s possession relatively harmless. Olid’s side remained compact centrally, encouraged Arsenal towards the wide areas and defended the resulting deliveries well.

Slegers responded before the hour.

Kim Little replaced Mariona while Holmberg came on for Smith, with the 19-year-old immediately adding greater directness on Arsenal’s right.

Rather than continually recycling possession, Holmberg looked to attack Anna Sandberg, get around the outside and deliver early. Her willingness to run directly at United’s defence began to alter the rhythm of the game. 

But just as Arsenal appeared to be increasing the pressure, they handed United their breakthrough.

In the 66th minute, Georgia Stanway attempted to find Steph Catley under pressure, but the pass was loose and Zigiotti Olme seized upon it. The Swedish midfielder still had work to do, but finished impressively beyond Misa to give United a 1-0 lead.

Above: Manchester United celebrate Julia Zigotti Olme’s (centre) opening goal at The Emirates. Photo: The Guardian.

Slegers responded quickly. Caitlin Foord and Selina Cerci replaced Blackstenius and Baum, before Chloe Kelly was introduced for Batlle as Arsenal committed more players to finding an equaliser.

Foord forced an excellent save from Tullis-Joyce; Cerci headed another opportunity at the United goalkeeper; Williamson went close, and Kelly tested her from distance.

United were being pushed progressively deeper but continued to defend impressively, with Maya Le Tissier particularly influential centrally and Tullis-Joyce providing the final barrier whenever Arsenal found a way through. 

Cerci also went down under a challenge in the penalty area during stoppage time, but no penalty was awarded.

Arsenal would not need it.

Holmberg rescues Arsenal

With Arsenal still trailing in the 94th minute, Williamson sent a long diagonal delivery towards the far post.

Holmberg timed her arrival superbly and, with no hesitation, met the ball first time on the volley to beat Tullis-Joyce and send the Emirates into celebration.

It was a moment of considerable composure from the 19-year-old, but her contribution extended beyond the goal. Her direct running had given United a different problem from the moment she entered the game and provided one of the clearest positives for Arsenal on another frustrating afternoon. 

Arsenal’s attacking problem

The result leaves Slegers with questions to answer before Arsenal’s next fixture, although the problem may be more complicated than simply struggling to break down a low block.

Arsenal finished with 16 shots, six on target and an expected goals figure of approximately 1.4. They also forced 18 high turnovers but produced only three shots from those situations and recorded no shots from fast breaks. Around 0.6 of Arsenal’s expected goals came from corners. 

Those numbers suggest the issue is not solely finishing.

There were opportunities when United had not yet established their defensive shape, but Arsenal frequently failed to turn those moments into immediate attacks. By the time possession had been recycled, United had recovered their positions, closed the central spaces, and Arsenal were once again faced with an organised defence.

Slegers described Arsenal’s problem afterwards as failing to turn “dominance into danger”, and the distinction is important. 

The Arsenal head coach had deliberately selected Russo behind Blackstenius to get two strikers into the penalty area when Arsenal attacked from wide positions. The logic was understandable, but too often United were organised before the delivery arrived.

Holmberg demonstrated one possible solution: attack the space earlier.

Her introduction also provides some mitigation for criticism of Slegers’ substitutions. The first changes came before the hour and before United took the lead, with Holmberg immediately influencing the game. Cerci and Foord followed shortly after United scored.

United deserve significant credit too. Having suffered a 5-0 defeat against Chelsea in their previous fixture, Olid had worked extensively on defensive organisation during the week. The improvement was clear.

Sandberg handled her individual battle with Smith well, Le Tissier marshalled the central areas and Tullis-Joyce produced important saves when Arsenal did find openings.

For Arsenal, Misa and Holmberg were the clearest positives, while their response after falling behind demonstrated the attacking options available to Slegers.

The concern is that the urgency seen in the final stages only appeared when Arsenal were chasing the game.

Four points have now been dropped from successive home fixtures and, for a side with ambitions of winning the WSL, that cannot become a recurring pattern.

The task for Arsenal is therefore not simply finding better ways to break down organised defences. They must become quicker at exploiting the moments before those defences have a chance to organise in the first place. 

Keep your eyes peeled for Roberto’s deep dive analysis of last night’s Champions League opener for Impetus – on the site shortly.

Roberto Revilla is the founder and host of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, an independent podcast and website providing in-depth analysis and coverage of Arsenal Women. You can find the podcast and Roberto’s latest Arsenal Women writing at Arsenal Women: Trailblazers.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

NPLW VIC Grand Final: Avondale FC are Champions

By Kieran Yap 23/9/2026

Above: Avondale FC celebrating their win. Photo: Allyce Collett for Impetus.

Avondale FC are the 2026 NPLW Champions after defeating Box Hill 2-1 in an absorbing contest at the Home of The Matildas. Goals to Sloane Young and Aideen Keane claimed the Grand Final win after the clubs first season in the top flight and marks a significant achievement for the ambitious club who now hold the men’s and women’s titles.

After 26 games of the home and away season and two weeks of finals, it all came down to this. The defending champions, and current premiers Box Hill United Pythagoras against the fast rising superpower Avondale FC.

Box Hill went into this game as marginal favourites. They have been the best team of 2026 and been the pacesetters from early in the season. a convincing win over Bulleen Lions in the preliminary final did nothing to dampen expectations. Watchers of this competition may have become accustomed to them winning, but that did not make their run to a second decider any less impressive.

Kogulan Sabaratnam named a strong lineup, even without Holly Murray who had begun pre-season with Adelaide United.

Kiara Bercelli came into this game with 18 assists and 11 goals after a season that should see her in contention for Gold Medal status. Erin Keyt joined in in attack with 13 goals and four assists, with club icons  and A-League stars Sofia Sakalis and Rhianna Pollicina pulling the strings in midfield.

At the back, they had Keeley Sevagvic. The goalkeeper has been one of the best signings of the season, and considering the stats of Bercelli and Keyt, that feels like a huge statement, but her performances in goal for Box Hill also make it an easy one to make.

Box Hill had a week’s rest after the Round 26 and looked fresh against Bulleen in the preliminary final. It was not an easy win. Box Hill had to survive Bulleen’s early onslaught and a valiant comeback attempt from the Lions, but it was a ruthlessly professional win by a side still operating at the level that won them the Grand Final last year.  

Co-Captained by Pollicina and  20 year old Sofia Palywoda, Box Hill’s season has been even more impressive than last year. They arrived at The Home of The Matildas looking to add a third trophy to the cabinet in two years and underline their status as the state’s benchmark club.

Avondale FC held no fear of recent history. Why should they, when they are in the middle of a purple patch of form.

The newly promoted club has invested heavily in their women’s side. They had a slightly stuttering start to the season. Some early wins preceded some surprising losses. Despite the significant star power ate the club. Del Donnelly’s challenge was turning an all-star squad into a consistent team and they peaked when it mattered most.

Avondale played some sparkling football in the first half of the season, but the additions of Taylor Ray, Ellie Wilson  and Aideen Keane helped them to another level. The foundation’s were solid. At the back they had the defensive duo of Isabella Accardo and Gulcan Genitsaris.

In midfield, Asuka Miyata has been outstanding from Round one. standing out in a midfield that boasts Ray and Matildas legend Elise Kellond-Knight.

Up front, Sloane Young has been a star. The American winger scored 21 goals and had seven assists. Her close control and powerful finishing have made her almost impossible for any side to contain.

There were key matchups all over the field, and stars in every position. The quality on both sides of the team sheets made it feel like goals could come from anywhere, but the manner of the first one was still a surprise.

Box Hill earned a corner on the right of their attack. Maho Murakami stepped up and delivered an excellent ball into the goalmouth that evaded everybody and ended up in the back of the net. Olimpico’s are always special and always crowd-pleasers. This was a spectacular way for the game to begin.

If there was a downside to it, it is that Box Hill had taken a half chance and spun it into gold, but they are known for dominating games, and after Murakami scored, they were unable to do that as easily as they have this season.

Avondale began to push forward, Kellond-Knight moved higher up the pitch and began to link with Kellond-Knight. A crunching, but perfectly timed tackle by Genitsaris left Keane momentarily hobbling, but she recovered to set up a dangerous chance for Hannah Wilkinson that the striker’s lunging leg just missed.

Box Hill appeared to sit back after scoring, but Avondale were increasingly gaining control of the tempo. Their defensive line pushed up near halfway, almost daring Box Hill to hit them on the counter with Accardo starting to initiate play from the back.  

Bercelli took advantage of this high line and almost doubled the lead after skipping past her marker and bringing a great save out of Brooke Bennett.

Erin Keyt was next to find an opening in Box Hill’s attack. Her clever turn made room for the shot, but it went over the bar from 10 yards out.

A perfectly timed intervention from Taylor Ray at the edge of the penalty box denied Box Hill another chance and typified a game of fine margins and split second decisions.

Avondale were not affected by conceding early, and looked to be playing the game on their terms, but still could not find an equaliser, despite Keane and Sloane’s influence beginning to grow. Another missed chance by Wilkinson felt fateful at the time, but in hindsight, Avondale were just going to keep trying until one went in.

That happened midway through the second half. Keane’s surging run down the right ended with a cutback to Kellond-Knight. The midfielder was faced with a wall of Box Hill defenders but prodded the ball wide to Young who swept the ball into the net to level the scores.

Avondale had started the half stronger, and it had increasingly felt like Box Hill were holding on. At 1-1 it was still anybody’s game, but Taylor Ray in particular had tilted the scales in midfield and was having a huge say in proceedings.

Ray was instrumental in keeping the ball moving for Avondale, and breaking up Box Hill’s attacks. Her positioning off the ball is if the highest quality, her Grand Final pedigree well established and her intelligence was on full display as she effected how both teams played.

Keane was the driving force behind the goal, Young finished it, but Ray was making life impossible for Box Hill,  just as she had In the 2024/25 A-League Grand Final against Melbourne Victory.

Ray was not alone. Asuka Miyata was busy and creative. The Japanese midfielder is hard to track across the field when she is in this kind of form. She looked to be everywhere, knitting together play between midfield and attack. She is tough as nails too and drew fouls as much as she snapped into challenges.

Wilkinson had been wasteful in the first half, but she is an experienced striker who started in a home World Cup. Her head was not going to be bowed and she found a way to help win the game.

Wilkinson drifted out wide, dragging a marker with her. At first Box Hill would have been happy with that sight. That is where you want her ideally, out wide and far away from the penalty box.

But Keane had made an explosive overlapping run through the middle and Wilkinson weighted the pass perfectly. Keane’s finish beyond the rushing Segavcic delicately directed the ball into the bottom corner. It was 2-1 to Avondale with 14 minutes left to play.

Box Hill looked re-energised by going behind, and Pollicina moved to the point of the attack. The idea was to get her closer to goal and take advantage of her renowned finishing, but she was rightly marked and Box Hill were forced into more hopeful balls wide to Bercelli and substitute Gabrielle Simpson.

Avondale FC held on and were crowed Champions in an historic first season in the NPLW. They had beaten the reigning champions and current premiers in an epic encounter. There was little to separate these teams in the end, a moment of quality and determination was the difference for the winning goal and Box Hill had their chances, but from repeat viewing, this was a clearly deserved victory over a mighty opponent.

There are stories across the squad for Avondale. Genitsaris announced her retirement from the league after a long career in the game including 60 games with Melbourne Victory and international caps for Türkiye.

Keane and Ray are the new benchmark for mid-season signings. Their impact since joining Avondale and in particular for this finals series has been incredible.

Accardo made the switch from Bulleen Lions in pre-season and played every game for her new club, anchoring them in defence and using her composure on the ball to start attacks.

Beattie Goad made a triumphant return to football after retirement in late 2024. The capped Matilda and long time NPLW star was a delight to watch, and it was a privilege to watch Kellond-Knight play up close again. KK is simply one of the best midfielders Australia has ever produced and was influential when it mattered most.

Miyata was one of the best midfielders in the league over the season and Sloane Young was electric from Round One.

It is a testament to the quality of this competition that even with this stacked team, Avondale were made to earn this championship. They had a lot of quality, incomparable experience but no easy wins. When it came down to it, they were able to find a way against an opponent that could best be described as a winning machine over the last 12 months of football.  It is to the credit of the coaching staff that Avondale were able to peak at exactly the right time of the year.

Aideen Keane was named player of the match. Box Hill had no answer for her, but they are not alone in that. Few A-League teams did last season either, nor did Lucy Bronze. She is a huge talent, dynamic, combative and creative. Able to turn games in a moment of explosive confidence.

Keane will return to Melbourne City and if she continues to improve at the current rate, she could easily be in Matildas contention by mid-season. She was a delight to watch and frighteningly is still approaching her peak. Keane made this finals series her own, and it feels fitting that she scored the winning goal.

As for Box Hill, they can hold their heads up high after this season. It is one of the fun quirks of Australian Football that finishing on top of the ladder is both a massive achievement and the hardest thing to accomplish, but also no the pinnacle of the season.

Box Hill were incredible in 2026, even better than they were last year. Only Essendon Royals were able to convincingly beat them and they played some of the most eye catching team football in the league.

They will be disappointed with how the final day ended for them, but history will still record Champions in 2025 and Premiers in 2026. They remain a benchmark club in the Victorian NPLW.

In Appreciation of everyone who read this season

This was one of the most enjoyable seasons of the Victorian NPLW. From Round One it has been thrilling to watch and recap in this column. For a peek at how the sausage is made. I usually watch at four games in full each round, and the highlights of the remaining matches. Time does not allow for much else.

It can be tiring, but it is not a chore. I look forward to writing about this league more than any other football competition. It is a fun, passionate, community based and skilful league and it is nice to be in a football environment that exists almost purely because people love it.

I have written match reports covering the A-League Women, Matildas and NPLW back-to-back-to-back every week since 2020,  and I am now looking forward to an “off-season” in terms of writing (it’s truly superhuman that players manage to do this on the pitch)

I won’t be doing weekly match reports for The A-League women in 2026/27 with the intent of being recharged for the next 2027 NPLW season.

I greatly appreciate everybody who has taken the time to read these article this season. I try not to check the numbers, but love getting messages, even and often especially those that disagree with me or want to point out something I should focus on more. Talking about the game, the players and the league is the best way to help it grow and I think it is the whole point of watching sport.

I hope people have enjoyed this season, and my tiny contribution to it. Thankyou for reading.

To finish things off, here is the objective, definitive official Top 3 Hot Chips ranking for 2026:

Photo by Isabelle Campbell

1: Lakeside Stadium, South Melbourne. The right level of crunchiness and fluffiness with the best seasoning I the league

2: Home of The Matildas. Excellent but could probably be a bit larger in the serving size

3: Cross- Keys Reserve: pretty basic chips, the price is good, the bucket is handy to hold at a ground that is better to stand at, and I appreciate them getting so many made in a small one-person canteen.

Seeya at a cold ground with hot chips next year.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.


Arsenal FC pre-HB Køge press-conference

By Monica Clarke (22/9/26)

Above: Renee Slegers preparing her side for their UWCL opener Photo: Arsenal FC

Renee Slegers and Smilla Holmberg discuss Arsenal’s turn to focus on today’s Champions League matchup with HB Køge after back to back draws in the WSL.


Slegers reflects on Arsenal’s two most recent performances in the WSL where Arsenal struggled to create goals, drawing 0-0 against newly promoted Crystal Palace and 1-1 against Manchester United who had yet to collect any points in the WSL season so far until then.

“The way we progress onto the pitch is good, the way we dominate in many ways and get the ball forward is good. But then, of course, again, the final third and the chances that we set up. So, we’ve looked at that again, and both from a tactical, psychological, technical perspective.”


“I think one positive takeaway is that mentality of the squad and the players on the pitch, the players that came on and made a difference, Smilla scoring the goal in a forcing face towards the end in the 94th minute, we take that with us from a resilience mentality perspective, but yeah, of course we want to score more goals.”

Slegers also spoke on the talent and depth within her squad this season and being “doubled up in every position”.

Especially in the context of Arsenal’s quick turn between Manchester United, HB Køge tomorrow and then Chelsea FC in the upcoming weekend.

Slegers discussed the importance of player freshness going into this busy season of football.

“We also have to make sure that players are fresh, and players deserve opportunities as well to play.”

Slegers was asked about her choices in remaining players fresh for upcoming games and rotation.

“We’re just looking at what we need in the game, what partnerships are strong, what
players are in form, where’s everyone at physically?”

With a total of eight new signings joining Arsenal’s squad going into this season, Holmberg, the 94th minute equalising goalscorer vs Manchester United discussed the player’s connection as the season has begun.

“All the new players coming are very great in the team, both off the pitch and on the pitch and I’ve enjoyed playing with everyone”

“I think all of us have such a belief in this team and what we can achieve this season”

Going into the match this week Arsenal have focused on “how can we set up our chances and how do we arrive in the box?”.

Slegers spoke on “expecting to face a low block” with “fast attacks and counter attacks” from the HB Køge squad.

“They will try to close down spaces we’re expecting, whether that’s a back four or back five.”

Holmberg will be playing her first League phase of the Champions League having joined Arsenal in January last season.

“I know the Champions League campaign is something special and I love playing Champions League games so it will be exciting.”

Arsenal FC will face HB Køge at Meadow Park, Boreham Wood on Tuesday the 22nd September at 8pm BST.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Renee Slegers: Squad selection is “hardest part” of the job ahead of Manchester United

Above: Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers in a press conference. Image: Arsenal.

By Sarah Myles (18/9/26).

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers spoke to the media Thursday about squad sizes, frustrating draws and Arsenal’s next home game against a struggling Manchester United.

Following a tough 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, Slegers said the best thing for her team is to get back on the grass to resolve the frustration of failing to score despite a dominant performance. 

“We were happy with our dominance in the game and our entries in the final third, entries in the box, amount of shots,” Slegers said. But we’ve also been looking at how we can create even bigger opportunities for ourselves when the spaces are really tight and there’s a lot of bodies in the box.”

“We’ve been on a training pitch, and the players’ reaction has been really, really good. They’ve been working hard in training.”

Arsenal have the potential to extend their undefeated run in the WSL to 20 matches — the longest in club history. Slegers said she had “mixed emotions” about the statistic, focusing on how some of the draws in the period have been frustrating. 

“It’s very positive; what you say is that we’re hard to beat and that’s really what we feel about ourselves,” Slegers said. “It’s nice to see in the background, but for us, it has no meaning in the moment.”

Arsenal made several high-profile signings over the summer transfer window, with Selina Cerci and Geraldine Reuteler still to make their debut. Slegers said both could make an appearance this weekend. 

“They’re great players, both of them,” Slegers said.  “They’ve both had disrupted pre-seasons and have been away from the team a couple of weeks.”

“Of course, they want to represent Arsenal, and they want to pull on the shirt and connect with the fans in the competitive games, and they will,” Slegers said. “So what we’ve been talking about is the patience and the importance of everyone in the squad. It’s a marathon, it’s a long season, and we’re going to need everyone.”

Slegers recently called for an increase to the WSL match day squad. Another summer signing, Lisa Baum, has had a bright start to her Arsenal career, starting against both Brighton Hove and Albion and Crystal Palace and scoring on her Women’s Super League debut.

“She’s in a great place and can still improve her repeatability,” Slegers said. “She was a really good player for us on the pitch against Crystal Palace.”

“We have everyone in a great position,” Slegers said.We have good fitness and we have a lot of quality — and we think over time it’s going to benefit us. We’re also now going into short turnarounds with midweek Champions League games.”

Slegers said there are many factors she considers when selecting a match-day squad, including physical readiness and player profile.

“It’s the hardest part of my job at the moment,” Slegers said. 

Katie Reid, Daphne Van Domselaar, and Michelle Agyeman are still out with injuries. Slegers confirmed that new signing Elisa De Almeida is also unavailable due to injury.

Providing an update on Van Domselaar’s ongoing absence, Slegers said that October is a target for her return and that the goalkeeper “is working hard in the background with the medical team.”

Arsenal’s upcoming opponents, Manchester United, are still searching for their first league points following an opening weekend defeat to London City Lionesses and a catastrophic loss to Chelsea. Both of the league matches between Arsenal and United finished in scoreless draws last season.

“I can imagine they’re not happy with the start of their season,” Slegers said. “We know it will be a very competitive game against United on Saturday.”

Arsenal face Manchester United at The Emirates on Saturday 20th September at 5:30pm.

Trailblazers: The Arsenal Women’s Column

by Roberto Revilla (16/9/26)

Above: Alessia Russo gets a shot away against Crystal Palace in Sunday’s goalless draw against Crystal Palace. Photo: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC.

Arsenal find new routes but familiar frustration against Crystal Palace

Arsenal registered 30 shots, enjoyed 79 per cent of possession and struck the crossbar twice, but Crystal Palace left the Emirates Stadium with a point after an extraordinary defensive performance.

The visitors made 73 clearances, blocked nine attempts and restricted Renée Slegers’ side to a goalless draw despite spending almost the entire afternoon around their own penalty area.

For Arsenal, the immediate frustration came not only from dropping two points at home to newly promoted opposition, but from how familiar the result appeared.

Slegers’ side drew six Women’s Super League matches last season, and several followed a similar pattern. Arsenal controlled possession, established themselves around the opposition area and finished the match wondering why that control hadn’t been reflected on the scoreboard.

However, a closer look at Sunday’s performance paints a more encouraging picture than the result initially suggested.

Arsenal didn’t lack attacking intent or ways of reaching the Palace goal. They created several opportunities that players of this quality would normally be expected to finish. The failure came in the final action, not in an inability to build meaningful attacks.

Arsenal start with purpose

Slegers made three changes to the team that began the opening-weekend victory at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Lotte Wubben-Moy replaced Steph Catley in central defence, Kyra Cooney-Cross came into midfield for Kim Little and Chloe Kelly started in place of Olivia Smith.

Misa Rodríguez remained in goal behind Emily Fox, Leah Williamson, Wubben-Moy and Ona Batlle. Georgia Stanway partnered Cooney-Cross in midfield, with Mariona Caldentey operating behind Alessia Russo. Lisa Baum started on the right, and Kelly began on the left.

Arsenal needed less than two minutes to create their first significant opportunity.

Kelly held the width on the left as Caldentey, Cooney-Cross and Stanway moved the ball across midfield. Stanway then drove forward and passed through the Palace defence to find Russo.

The striker moved ahead of her marker, turned and shot towards the near post, but former Arsenal goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin reacted sharply to push the ball away.

It was an early indication of both Arsenal’s attacking approach and the challenge they would face.

Palace defended with two compact lines and surrounded Russo whenever the ball reached her. At the moment Peyraud-Magnin made the save, three defenders were positioned inside the six-yard box with another three immediately outside it.

Arsenal continued to move the ball quickly and came within inches of taking the lead shortly afterwards.

Baum played the ball into Cooney-Cross, who intelligently allowed it to run through to Stanway rather than slowing the move with another touch. Stanway carried possession towards the penalty area and found Batlle moving inside from the left.

Batlle released Kelly inside the box, and her deflected cross looped towards Caldentey. The Spaniard controlled the dropping ball before sending a wonderful half-volley beyond Peyraud-Magnin.

The goalkeeper was beaten, but the ball struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced away.

Arsenal had created two clear opportunities by attacking in different ways. Russo’s early shot came from Stanway driving through midfield and passing directly into the striker. Caldentey’s effort followed a wider combination involving Baum, Cooney-Cross, Stanway, Batlle and Kelly.

That variety continued throughout the half.

Cooney-Cross and Caldentey combined to release Fox into the penalty area, forcing Peyraud-Magnin to leave her goal quickly and smother the danger.

Fox was involved again when she moved inside from the right and delivered towards Stanway. Two defenders prevented the midfielder from making clean contact, but Caldentey reacted to the loose ball and headed it back towards Russo.

With Peyraud-Magnin no longer properly protecting her goal, Russo’s shot appeared destined to give Arsenal the lead. Palace recovered quickly and Molly Bartrip retreated to clear the ball from the goal line.

Palace’s best opportunity of the half came from a free-kick. After Cooney-Cross made contact with the initial delivery, the ball dropped towards former Arsenal defender Teyah Goldie, who sent her effort over the crossbar under pressure from Wubben-Moy.

Palace protect the centre

Palace’s performance was built around more than simply retreating towards their goal.

Jo Potter’s players defended the spaces between Arsenal’s attackers. Whenever Arsenal formed a triangle or diamond around the ball, Palace placed several players inside it.

The pass could still reach an Arsenal player, but she rarely had time to turn, assess her options and make the next decision before another defender arrived.

Russo received the closest attention. Palace regularly surrounded her with two defenders while another watched the wide player on the opposite side and prepared to move across if the ball was delivered into the middle.

That organisation was evident in the 36th minute when Arsenal created their clearest opportunity of the first half.

Stanway collected possession deep inside Arsenal’s half and passed through a group of Palace players to find Caldentey near the centre circle. Batlle received the lay-off before releasing Baum on the left.

As Baum looked towards the penalty area, two defenders were already recovering towards Russo. Bartrip checked Kelly’s position on the opposite side before deciding she could leave the winger and move across to provide further protection.

Baum still drove an excellent low cross beyond the final defender and into Russo’s path.

The striker met it in front of goal but sent her effort several yards wide. It was an uncharacteristic miss from a player who would normally be expected to convert from that position.

Arsenal had finally moved the ball quickly enough to get beyond Palace’s recovering defence. The delivery was right, the opportunity was clear and the finish was missing.

Despite the goalless scoreline, Arsenal hadn’t spent the first half circulating possession without purpose. They played through Palace, attacked from both wings, and took shots from outside the area when closer routes were unavailable.

The task after half-time was to continue creating those moments while improving the final pass or finish.

Baum provides Arsenal’s greatest threat
Above: New teen signing Lisa Baum had another positive afternoon for the Gunners. Photo: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC.

Slegers made no changes at the interval, and Arsenal immediately pushed Palace back towards their penalty area.

Stanway released Baum on the right, allowing the winger to cut inside Goldie and force another save from Peyraud-Magnin. Stanway then found Caldentey with a longer pass, but her shot travelled narrowly wide.

In the 57th minute, Baum came within the width of the crossbar of scoring for the second successive weekend.

Caldentey found Stanway outside the Palace area and the midfielder played a first-time pass into Russo. With two defenders closing around her, Russo protected the ball before releasing Baum from the right.

The 19-year-old wrong-footed Goldie, moved the ball onto her right foot and struck a powerful effort across goal. Peyraud-Magnin was beaten again, but the ball crashed against the crossbar.

Baum had scored against Brighton after moving inside from the left and finishing with her left foot. Against Palace, she created danger from both wings and came close to scoring from the opposite side with her right.

That ability to attack in different ways makes her difficult to direct towards a supposedly safer area.

She can move outside a defender, cut inside to shoot or release a teammate before the additional pressure arrives. Despite making only her second competitive Arsenal appearance, she repeatedly accepted responsibility and remained Arsenal’s most dangerous attacker.

Changes add numbers to Arsenal’s attack

Slegers made her first substitutions after an hour.

Smith replaced Kelly, and Stina Blackstenius came on for Cooney-Cross. Caldentey moved into a deeper role beside Stanway, while Blackstenius became the central striker and Russo began operating in the spaces around her.

The change gave Palace’s central defenders another forward to cover and allowed Russo to move away from the areas where she had been repeatedly surrounded.

Smith also offered a more direct threat from the left after Palace had prevented Kelly from regularly receiving the ball with enough space to build momentum.

Arsenal soon created another good opportunity.

Fox found Caldentey on the right and despite three Palace players closing around her, she moved the ball first time into Baum.

The winger came inside and threaded a pass beyond Palace captain Aimee Everett and into Blackstenius’ path. The striker reached it near the six-yard box, but Peyraud-Magnin came out quickly and smothered her first-time attempt.

It demonstrated why Blackstenius had been introduced. She found the space behind the defence and Baum recognised the run, but the former Arsenal goalkeeper again prevented the breakthrough.

Palace managed only their second shot of the match when Abbie Larkin tried her luck from outside the area. Rodríguez collected the attempt comfortably.

Arsenal’s defensive control remained one of the most encouraging parts of the performance. Williamson and Wubben-Moy managed the space behind midfield, while Fox and Batlle spent much of the match supporting the attack.

Palace offered almost nothing from open play, and Rodríguez completed her second clean sheet in two league appearances.

Stanway then forced Peyraud-Magnin into another low save from outside the area after Palace had closed every passing route ahead of her.

The decision to shoot was understandable. Arsenal’s forwards were positioned between two lines of Palace defenders and there was no clear route into the area.

Slegers introduced Little and Caitlin Foord after 75 minutes, replacing Caldentey and Baum.

Baum’s removal was the most surprising decision because she remained Arsenal’s greatest attacking threat. However, she had started both opening league matches and expended significant energy moving between the two wings.

Foord attempted to offer a direct threat from the left, with Smith switching to the right, but had limited time to settle into a match that had already established a very specific rhythm.

Little brought greater calmness to Arsenal’s midfield, although Palace had retreated even closer to their penalty area by that stage.

Frida Maanum replaced Russo with five minutes remaining. She helped create one final opening for Smith, whose shot from outside the area passed narrowly wide.

Smith also sent a late free-kick over the crossbar before Palace completed their defensive effort and celebrated a valuable point.

Above: Emily Fox in action against Crystal Palace. The American put in another dynamic display. Photo: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC.

More than possession without reward

The statistics demonstrate how completely Arsenal controlled the match.

Slegers’ side had 79 per cent possession, recorded 30 shots and placed nine on target. Twenty attempts came from inside the Palace penalty area and Arsenal had 74 touches inside the box.

An expected-goals figure of approximately 2.4 further suggests these weren’t simply speculative attempts from unreasonable distances.

Caldentey and Baum struck the crossbar. Russo saw one effort cleared from the line before missing Arsenal’s clearest opportunity and Blackstenius was denied from close range.

If one of the first-half chances had gone in, Palace would have been forced to reconsider their approach. Potter’s side could no longer have spent the entire afternoon protecting a level score and greater attacking ambition would have created spaces for Arsenal to exploit.

Slegers felt the variety and number of chances represented a significant improvement from the victory at Brighton. She also acknowledged that the final decision and final detail needed improvement.

That assessment was fair.

Arsenal attempted 40 crosses and won 13 corners. Several deliveries produced good opportunities, but too many later attacks ended with the ball being sent into an area Palace were already prepared to defend.

The visitors were comfortable facing the ball with several defenders positioned around Russo and Blackstenius. Arsenal didn’t always use their width to move beyond the nearest defender and deliver from closer to the goal line.

However, the wider attacking plan hadn’t failed.

Stanway’s forward runs offered an additional threat from midfield. Caldentey found spaces around the penalty area, while Baum attacked from either wing. Fox and Batlle moved inside and outside as Arsenal tried to alter Palace’s defensive shape.

The chances were created. The finishing prevented the performance from receiving its reward.

A warning rather than a crisis

The result will inevitably invite comparisons with last season.

Arsenal scored nine fewer league goals than Manchester City and dropped points in several matches they had controlled. After scoring only once across the opening two games of the new campaign, supporters are entitled to question whether the same weakness remains.

The resemblance is real, but it isn’t yet proof that the season is following the same path.

Against Palace, Arsenal created several opportunities that their forwards would normally be expected to finish. That is a different problem from failing to move the ball into dangerous areas or leaving the striker isolated.

Russo won’t regularly miss from the position Baum created for her. Caldentey and Baum won’t hit the crossbar every time they beat the goalkeeper and Blackstenius has built much of her Arsenal career around converting close-range opportunities.

If Arsenal continue producing chances of this quality, the goals should follow.

If similar performances are still producing goalless draws later in the autumn, the concern will become more serious. A team hoping to win the WSL cannot repeatedly require 20 or 30 attempts to score.

For now, the Palace result should be treated as a warning rather than a crisis.

Arsenal’s finishing must improve, but the performance contained greater movement and attacking variety than the scoreline suggested. The team also retained its defensive security, recorded another clean sheet and allowed the opposition almost nothing in open play.

The disappointment surrounding the result was understandable. Arsenal should have won.

The responsibility now is to ensure that a frustrating afternoon remains an isolated result rather than the beginning of another familiar pattern.

Roberto Revilla is the founder and host of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, an independent podcast and website providing in-depth analysis and coverage of Arsenal Women. You can find the podcast and Roberto’s latest Arsenal Women writing at Arsenal Women: Trailblazers.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

NPLW Vic Preliminary Finals: Box Hill United to face Avondale FC

By Kieran Yap 15/9/26

Above: Aideen Keane celebrating her goal for Avondale Photo: Ashley Perez Photography

Box Hill United Pythagoras and Avondale FC are through to the Grand Final after winning their preliminary finals on the weekend. Box Hill’s 2-0 win over Bulleen Lions gives them the chance to defend their 2025 title, and add a second trophy for this season. Avondale’s late season surge to the decider and 2-1 defeat of Essendon Royals  is reward for big ambitions in their first NPLW season.

Friday night saw Bulleen travel out to Wembley Park to face the reigning champions and newly crowned premiers. This was the second time these teams had faced each other in a knockout game this year. The last time was a classic, that ended 3-3 and was decided by penalties in the Nike FC Cup quarter final.

Box Hill had a well earned rest last week after finishing top of the ladder. Bulleen arrived after finishing an emotional rollercoaster of a game against South Melbourne.

But it was Bulleen who looked freshest in the opening half. They attacked early and with energy. Maja Markovski played an excellent through ball into the path of Ash Jordan and the forward brought the best out of Keeley Segavcic in goal. The Box Hill goalkeeper followed up that stop with a second block to deny Markovski’s follow up effort from distance.

Olivia Bomford’s corner was the next to test Segavcic. The in swinging effort almost crept in at the far post, but Segavcic got a fingertip to it at full stretch.

Tiffany Eliadis was everywhere, as she was in the previous week. Her surging run down the left, teed up Markovski for Bulleen’s next chance, but the effort was sent over the bar.

The Bulleen icon thought she had given her side the lead before the break. Eliadis turned cleverly on the edge of the box and sent a left foot rocket into the net. The quality finish was cruelly ruled to be offside with Markosvki judged to be interfering with play as she ducked out of the way.

 After the break, Box Hill found their rhythm. Rhianna Pollicina, Sofia Sakalis and Kiara Bercilli began to find the ball more and the champs quickly gained the momentum.

 The first goal arrived in the 46th minute. Erin Keyt’s excellent bit of ball control retained possession in Box Hill’s attack. What followed was what has somehow become typical of this side. A slick passing move involving Juri Kawano, Sakalis and Pollicina and ended up with Keyt again on the wing. Her low cross was missed by the sliding Sakalis but met at full pace at the back post by Bercelli.

In full flow, Box Hill look unstoppable. The off the ball movement from their forwards makes them hard for defenders to track and the decisive passing opens up space while the opposition are still reacting to the last ball.  Bulleen had defenders excellently in the first half, but in that moment, Box Hill switched gears and there was no stopping them.

Keyt had her second assist in the 60th minute. Her curling left foot pass was sent into the stride of Kawano who took it beyond the defender with one touch and finished with second.

Kawano now has 11 goals and three assists for the year. Nine of those coming in the league. This was her fourth consecutive match on the scoresheet.

Bulleen tried to find a way back into the contest, using the space on the flanks to try and get behind the defence. To their frustration, Box Hill’s back four were as disciplined as the attack is creative and they held their shape to force Bulleen into offside positions repeatedly.

As the game ticked beyond 70 minutes, a comeback began to look unlikely, and Box Hill continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack. The final whistle blew and the best side of this league season was through to a second consecutive Grand Final.

Saturday saw Avondale FC make the trip to play Essendon Royals at Keys Cross Reserve. Like Box Hill, Essendon had a week’s rest but were without Grace Maher or Maggie Jenkins for this game. Both players were unavailable due to impending A-League Women pre-season with Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory.

The contracted Melbourne City players on both sides did take the field. Taylor Ray and Aideen Keane lined up for Avondale, while Media Player of the Season, Golden Boot winner and likely Gold Medallist Kelli McGroarty lead the line for Essendon.

Ava Groba started out wide for the Royals in an effort to exploit Avondale on the counter, but the first half was a tightly contested match, with few good chances on goal.

When the goal did arrive, it was a unique one. Rewatch after rewatch does not really explain what happened. If Keane did it on purpose it was genius, if she did it by accident it was genius improvisation. Either way, it was another special goal from the Avondale winger.

Beattie Goad pushed forward from fullback and sent a low, dangerous ball in behind the Royals defence. Keane ran onto it, but slightly overran the ball and slid to trap it under leg, almost sitting on the ball to control it.

Zara Board in the Essendon goal had moved to the near post, logically anticipating a first time finish, and closed the angle, but when Keane stopped that pass, it stopped time for a second and everybody paused. Before anybody could react, she sprung to her feet and curled the ball into the far post.

It was a special goal, and may have been as good as either of her two net busters in the first final. Keane had her third goal in two games, and Avondale had the upper hand away from home.

Essendon did not wilt after conceding and looked to have gained control of the game when they were hit with a sucker punch on the counter-attack.

Taylor Ray’s long, looping ball away from the defence bounced into the path of Sloane Young and the American winger outpaced her maker to finish calmly  and make it 2-0 in the 64th minute.

The result looked sealed, but Essendon gave themselves a lifeline. Mikaela Jurcic’s long ball bounced in favour of McGroarty and her half volley was perfectly hit to evade Brooke Bennet and make it 2-1 with 15 minutes left to play.

Akeisha Sandu and Amy Parkinson both had long range efforts in the closing minutes, but Avondale were able to hold on and are through to the big dance on their first attempt.

In Appreciation of Bulleen Lions and Essendon Royals season’s

Bulleen have high standards and Essendon have big ambitions. although both teams will be disappointed in the immediate aftermath of the preliminary finals, they both had seasons to be proud of.

Essendon are in only their third season of the NPLW and although they reached the finals in their first season, they have sought to improve each season. Under coach Jaiden van her Heijden, 2026 was thier best one yet.

Essendon recruited very strongly. Bella Sewards, Akeisha Sandu, Bronte Peel and Kelli McGroarty were among the new arrivals, and all were among the best players in the league. Sandu’s role as some sort of hybrid marauding playmaker/fullback made her one of the most impressive and improved players of the season. Peel was an ever present menace and Sewards’ guile and finishing meant that her impact was instant and lasting.

In McGroarty, they have the recruit of the season. 34 goals in 26 appearances meant that Essendon had a weapon that no opposition could contain. To this impressive squad, they added Grace Maher and Maggie Jenkins. One of arguably the best midfielder in the A-League Women, the other a New Zealand international.

Essendon were highly watchable, highly effectively and very consistent. In most other seasons they would have finished top, and the vibes at Cross Keys Reserve were always welcoming and fun. You could hear the team song being belted out from the carpark after a win, and it seemed to be a club that people really enjoyed being a part of.

Essendon were a joy to watch this season, it is one they can build on. They are a destination club now. One that can provide the chance of winning multiple trophies and a potential path to the A-League Women.

Bulleen finish the season empty handed, but once again they reached the final four. Under Caitlin Freind, they have always made finals, and although they were knocked out of the semi finals in the league and Nike FC Cup, they were contenders and with a little more luck and a couple fewer injuries, things could have easily fallen their way.

In some ways, this was a different looking Bulleen side. Sarah Cain was joined by Olivia Bomford in midfield, Catherine Renehan excelled in defence and Ash Jordan returned to her junior club.

Maja Markovski was once again spectacular in attack for the Lions. The striker scored 19 goals in 25 matches across the campaign and lead the attack brilliantly. Bomford and Cain formed an energetic and dangerous midfield duo, able to rapidly turn defence into attack with footwork as fast as their decision making.

Compared to the teams that finished above them and previous seasons, Bulleen had fewer A-League Women players. Of the starting lineup in Round One, only Alyssa Dall ‘Oste had played in the professional league the season before. But their standards did not drop, and they stayed within a touching distance on the premiership until the last three games. This is a club with a winning culture, that develops players as effectively as they attract them.

Dall ‘Oste’s performances earned a return to Perth Glory this season. It will not be a surprise if a few more Bulleen players have been noticed by A-League recruiters. This will be looked back on as part of a very strong era in the club’s history.

It was always exciting and intriguing to watch both of these sides this season. It did not and they way that they wanted, and it may not be any consolation, but Essendon Royals and Bulleen Lions both helped make this an unforgettable season of the NPLW.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Bulls taken all the way in Championship thriller

Bulls FC Academy 1 University of New South Wales FC 1  : 4-2 on penalties

By Texi Smith 15/9/26

Above: Bulls FC lift the trophy. Photo: Texi Smith

Bulls FC Academy clinched the 2026 NSW NPL Women’s championship on Sunday but only after University of New South Wales FC had taken the grand final to penalties with a dramatic last-gasp extra-time equaliser.

A world-class free-kick from A-League star Sarah Hunter looked to have secured the premiers’ second straight championship title only for a Demi Koulizakis header to delay the celebrations with seconds remaining on the clock. The tie was ultimately concluded with spot kicks, Bulls imperious from 12 yards, Ashley Hughes making two saves to confirm the win and restart the celebrations at Jubliee Stadium.

A beautiful sunny spring Sunday welcomed the two teams to south Sydney, a decent turnout in the only open stand making plenty of noise as the players entered the field, the Bulls inflatable mascot not surviving the line-up, but the players looking primed for action. A-League quality was sprinkled throughout both squads, Hunter joined by Janaya Dos Santos and a host of Bulls players with experience at the top level, while UNSW boasted Abby Lemon, Poppy Channing, Lexie Moreno and Angelique Hristodoulou among their team of stars.

The pace of Daniella Naeimi was going to be a feature today, starting on the right but switching sides to the Bulls’ left to run at the UNSW defence, but with Aya Yamahata and Channing looking comfortable in the centre of defence, the students were not letting anything past. Dos Santos freed Naeimi on the left who cut in to curl a shot just over, but the first half, played in a strong breeze, was punctuated by stoppages for injury. Gemma Ferris expressed her annoyance at the distance of the wall from a free kick on the right for the Bulls, taking the ball back a yard to make the ten, but the shot was too cute and easily saved by Erin Naylor. An exciting half ended with Dos Santos turning sweetly in the box to fire well wide, the Bulls knowing that they had dominated the first 45 minutes but had lacked the killer touch.

The second half was in its infancy when Alexia Karrys-Stahl got away with a high foot on Liz Barwick-Grey to romp down the right for UNSW, and her cross was perfect for Ava Collins, but she completely missed her kick when the crowd expected the net to bulge. Seconds later, Collins was played in for a one-on-one with Hughes, the Bulls keeper happy to smother the shot that was too close to her. Hughes had to be smart to stop Chloe Smith dancing around her to score, grabbing the ball from between the striker’s feet accompanying cries for a penalty in the process. The game had swung with the wind advantage, and Moreno went close when trying an audacious Olimpico free kick from near the corner flag.

Bulls started to change the momentum, Claudia Valetta taking far too long with a shooting opportunity when well placed in the area, and a corner was then headed into the turf by Ferris, the ball bouncing onto the bar, Jade Guichon trying the overhead kick but blazing over. Guichon then made headway up the right to cross for substitute Gracie Bishop to skew a shot wide at the far post. The game had changed complexion; Hunter ran at the defence and offloaded to Guichon but the cross was overhit, Dos Santos showed good skill to cut inside, her dangerous cross unable to find a teammate, and it was Dos Santos again who stepped inside to curl in an effort after good approach work, but the shot lacked conviction. When Valetta again took a split-second too long, the rebound fell invitingly for Petria Phillips to fire just wide. The four additional minutes couldn’t deliver the goal, despite substitute Olivia Vanderlaan beating Yamahata and firing a shot across goal in the final move of regulation time.

There was a hint of tiredness as extra time wore on – UNSW wasting a corner into the side netting, and the referee having to intervene to untangle Bishop and UNSW’s Skye Casacchia, whose laces were tangled in a coming-together. The Bulls pushed, Dos Santos turning well to shoot, the resulting corner dealt with well by Nayler with the sun in her eyes. The game was open, flowing and exciting now, and when Jennifer Kokoris lifted in a dangerous cross shot that Bulls keeper Hughes saved, she had no idea that her next contribution would be to concede the free kick that would lead to the opening goal. It looked too far out, surely Hunter wouldn’t try her luck from here, but she connected perfectly with the ball and the shot flew past Nayler into the top left-hand corner of the goal for a world-class grand final strike. The manner of the celebration made some fans think that this was golden goal, but we still had another half of extra time to come.

Karrys-Stahl tried to emulate Hunter from a free kick in a similar position, the shot flying handsomely over the bar, and Daniela Naccari couldn’t throw a boot at a cross to divert the ball in. Karrys-Stahl had already hit a corner disappointingly into the side-netting, but this time goalkeeper Nayler was up for the corner kick. The cross was perfect, Nayler was there, but it was Demi Koulizakis who got the head to it, and she sent the ball past Hughes with 119 minutes on the clock. What drama, such emotion on the field and on the bench, but more was to come as UNSW won another corner within seconds. Nayler wasn’t game to come up for this one, but in an almighty scramble in the Bulls’ penalty area, a suggestion of a handball and a last-ditch goal-line clearance kept the score at 1-1 and the game was destined to be settled on penalties.

While penalties are often considered a lottery, this shoot-out was only going to have one winner. With the impending men’s grand final, and warm-ups taking place behind the goal, the Sydney United players were invited to vacate the area, a win for women’s football! The supreme confidence of the Bulls, with Hunter powering in the first penalty, wasn’t matched by Yamahata who placed her shot too close to Hughes who saved well. Two more superb penalties from the Bulls sandwiched a drilled penalty by Channing that just crept in, and by the time Naccari stepped up, she knew she had to score to save the game. Her short run up and placed shot offered a simple save for Hughes and the celebrations could now resume for the Bulls, taking out the Championship grand final in dramatic fashion. The celebrations were lengthy as the trophy was hoisted, and the wins continued as the celebrations totally overshadowed the entrance of the men’s teams for the second game of the double-header.

Congratulations to Bulls FC Academy for securing a second straight premiership and championship double, but they did it the hard way today, taken right to the end by a spirited UNSW team. NPL Women’s football in NSW is over for 2026, and with a number of these players in A-League action, we should expect the quality of the women’s game to be on the surge. Special mention to Liz Barwick-Grey for a commanding performance at the heart of the Bulls defence, and also to Aya Yamahata of UNSW who will be disappointed to have missed her spot kick in an otherwise flawless display.

Bulls FC Academy :  Hughes, Phillips, Ferris, Barwick-Grey, Valletta, Souza , Naeimi Meli, Jynaya Dos Santos, Hunter , Guichon Substitutes: Vanderlaan, Hawkins, Bishop, Simonsen, Franklin, Surjan, Harpur.

Goals: Hunter 105’

UNSW FC : Nayler, Karrys-Stahl, Puxty, Yamahata, Channing, Koulizakis, Moreno, Smith, Collins, Lemon, Hristodoulou. Substitutes: Singh, Casacchia, Hammond, Kokoris, Burton, Naccari Vais, Kokoris, Naccari.

Goals: Koulizakis 120’

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Trailblazers: The Arsenal Women’s Column

By Roberto Revilla (13/9/26)

Above: Renee Slegers with her players after a training session. Photo: Arsenal FC

Arsenal v Crystal Palace: Gunners must turn control into goals

Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday 13 September at 2.45pm in the second weekend of the Women’s Super League season, with both sides seeking to build on opening-day victories.

Arsenal began their campaign with a 1-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion, where Lisa Baum scored the decisive goal just 10 minutes into her competitive debut.

It wasn’t a spectacular performance, and there were moments when the match became more uncomfortable than necessary, but Brighton had prevented Arsenal from winning on their previous two league visits. Keeping a clean sheet and returning to London with three points represented a significant start.

There was also plenty in the performance to encourage head coach Renée Slegers as Arsenal’s new players began to settle.

Georgia Stanway offered a different route through the first line of pressure from a deeper midfield position, Ona Batlle moved into some intriguing areas from full-back and Baum looked remarkably comfortable combining with Alessia Russo and attacking the space ahead of her.

The frustration was that Arsenal enjoyed enough possession and reached enough promising positions to make the afternoon considerably easier. Too many attacks slowed around the penalty area or ended without forcing Brighton goalkeeper Chiamade Nnadozie into a meaningful save.

When a team lead by only one goal, it doesn’t particularly matter how much of the match they have controlled because one deflection, set piece or unfortunate decision can undo an otherwise good performance.

Palace will arrive at the Emirates with the same number of points after beating Everton 1-0 in their first match back in the WSL, so this won’t simply be Arsenal welcoming a nervous newly promoted side.

The central question is whether Arsenal can combine the control and defensive security shown at Brighton with the speed, precision and ruthlessness that were sometimes missing in the final third.

Palace may not expect to dominate possession, but their opening victory demonstrated that they don’t require much of the ball to win.

Potter’s Palace return with momentum

Crystal Palace’s previous attempt to survive in the WSL lasted only one season.

They finished bottom with 10 points, won twice, and conceded an average of three goals per match, suggesting the gap between the top two divisions had been too large for the squad they had assembled.

The Palace side returning to the WSL are considerably different.

Jo Potter took charge in June 2025 following two seasons with Rangers, where she won four trophies and established a strong reputation for developing young players.

Palace began last season slowly, but Potter’s ideas gradually took hold, and they produced an exceptional run during the closing months of the campaign. They climbed the table and secured the second automatic promotion place on the final day, finishing level on points with champions Birmingham City.

This wasn’t a team that drifted into the WSL because the competition expanded. By the end of the season, Palace were producing sustained promotion form under a manager whose influence had become increasingly clear.

The club have since retained much of the core that earned promotion while recruiting several players who already understand the demands of the top division.

Bethany England is the most recognisable addition. She brings goals, leadership and considerable WSL experience, while former Tottenham Hotspur defender Molly Bartrip adds similar knowledge at the back.

Palace have also signed France international goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin on loan, an ambitious piece of recruitment for a newly promoted side.

Lexi Lloyd-Smith joined from Bristol City after finishing as the leading scorer in WSL2 with 11 league goals. She scored the winner against Everton on her Palace debut, requiring only 34 minutes to demonstrate that she could carry her threat into the top division.

Shannon O’Brien, Teyah Goldie and Fuka Tsunoda have also arrived, while captain Aimee Everett, Annabel Blanchard and Ashleigh Weerden remain from the promotion-winning squad.

My Cato’s anterior cruciate ligament injury was a significant setback before the campaign began, but Palace appear much better prepared for the WSL than they were two seasons ago.

An administrative issue hangs over their opening victory after Palace used four separate substitution opportunities against Everton when competition rules permit only three.

The breach remains under investigation and could result in a sanction. Whatever is eventually decided, it doesn’t change what Arsenal must learn from the performance itself.

Palace were organised, carried an attacking threat and found a way to defeat an established WSL side. Arsenal must therefore prepare for a proper contest rather than a ceremonial welcome back to the division.

Possession alone won’t be enough

Palace recorded only 40 per cent possession against Everton, but produced 10 shots and placed six on target.

Everton had more of the ball and attempted 14 shots, but only two were on target. Those figures suggest Palace were comfortable letting their opponents have possession without letting that control become especially dangerous.

Potter’s starting side had a strong defensive structure, with Everett, Bartrip and Jamie-Lee Napier providing experience at the back, but Palace didn’t simply retreat towards their penalty area and hope to survive.

They selected moments to press higher and when possession was recovered, they attempted to turn those moments into attacks before Everton could reorganise.

Lloyd-Smith offers pace and movement across the front, Blanchard can find useful pockets around the attacking line and England provides a focal point who can occupy the centre-backs and receive early passes when Palace need to escape pressure.

O’Brien attempted to catch Courtney Brosnan away from her line during the first half, while substitute Abbie Larkin struck the crossbar after Palace recovered possession through a high press.

Arsenal can’t assume every Palace attack will begin with a deep defensive block and a hopeful pass towards England.

There were moments at Brighton when Arsenal’s attacking shape left space behind the first line of pressure. Leah Williamson was booked after stopping a Brighton counterattack and Palace have players capable of exploiting similar situations.

If Arsenal commit numbers forward, lose possession in a poor area and leave space behind their full-backs, Lloyd-Smith and O’Brien can turn one loose pass into a significant chance.

England’s role will also be important even if she isn’t carrying the ball herself. Her movement can occupy Williamson and Steph Catley, or whichever central defensive partnership Slegers selects, while creating room for runners around her.

The experienced forward also cleared an Everton attempt from the goal line during stoppage time, demonstrating the defensive contribution Potter expects from her senior players when Palace are protecting a lead.

Arsenal’s challenge won’t simply involve breaking down 11 players camped around their own penalty area.

They will need to move Palace from side to side, play more quickly around the box than they did at Brighton and remain properly organised behind the attack whenever possession is lost.

Arsenal should control the ball and create opportunities, but Palace’s performance against Everton suggests they won’t be concerned by losing the possession statistics.

Arsenal’s challenge is to make that possession count before Palace can recover their defensive shape.

Arsenal selection

Slegers may be tempted to use the depth of her squad and make changes against newly promoted opposition, but there is a strong argument for retaining most of the side that started at Brighton.

That team won, kept a clean sheet and included four players making their first competitive Arsenal starts. Allowing those relationships to develop may be more valuable than substantially changing the side after one match.

Baum should retain her place after contributing much more than the winning goal.

She combined intelligently with Russo, carried the ball with purpose and repeatedly attacked the available space. That directness could prove important against a Palace defence attempting to recover into its shape.

Olivia Smith had quieter periods at Brighton, but her ability to receive the ball in a wide position and drive directly at a defender remains one of Arsenal’s clearest methods of disrupting an organised defensive block.

If Palace narrow the spaces through the centre, Smith and Baum can force their defensive line to make difficult decisions about how far it is prepared to stretch.

Stanway’s deeper midfield role also gave Arsenal something different at Brighton. She could collect possession from the centre-backs before driving forward or passing over the opposition’s first line of pressure, while Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey moved into more advanced positions.

Arsenal are likely to have even more possession against Palace and may find less space through the middle, so the midfield must circulate the ball quickly enough to prevent the visitors from simply moving across the pitch and resetting their shape.

The same back four could also continue, assuming everybody has recovered from the Brighton match.

Emily Fox and Batlle offer width and movement from full-back, while Williamson and Catley have the passing range required to shift Palace’s defensive shape before looking for the forwards.

Lotte Wubben-Moy will be pushing for a return and Élisa de Almeida will soon enter the selection conversation, but Williamson and Catley kept a clean sheet at Brighton. There is no immediate need to disrupt that partnership merely to demonstrate the number of options available.

The principal uncertainty is whether Géraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci will be available.

Neither player was included in the squad at Brighton and it was confirmed that their absences weren’t injury-related. Further team news is required before any conclusions can be drawn.

The provisional Arsenal team is Misa Rodríguez in goal, with Fox, Williamson, Catley and Batlle in defence. Stanway, Little and Caldentey form the midfield, with Baum and Smith supporting Russo in attack.

That selection may appear conservative with so many players waiting for an opportunity, but Arsenal should have enough variety among their substitutes to change the nature of the contest if their possession becomes too slow or predictable.

First goal could prove decisive

The speed with which Arsenal score the opening goal may determine the shape of the match.

The longer Palace can remain compact while protecting a level score, the more the afternoon will begin to suit the visitors.

An early Arsenal goal would force Palace to decide whether to continue waiting for transitions or commit more players forward. Once those spaces appear, Arsenal’s attacking quality should become increasingly difficult to contain.

If the match remains goalless after an hour, the crowd could become restless, Arsenal may begin forcing passes that weren’t previously available and Palace’s belief will grow with every attack they survive.

That doesn’t mean Arsenal should start by shooting from distance just because an early goal would be useful.

They must move the ball with purpose, find Smith and Baum before Palace can double up against them and create opportunities from inside the penalty area rather than accumulating possession for its own sake.

Arsenal must also manage the space behind their full-backs, particularly when England moves towards the ball and Lloyd-Smith begins running beyond her.

Palace don’t need to create numerous clear chances if Arsenal give them one very good opportunity. Rodríguez could experience another afternoon when concentration matters more than the number of saves she is required to make.

Arsenal should still win. Their squad is stronger; the match is at the Emirates and a team with serious intentions of winning the WSL must take three points from home fixtures against newly promoted opposition.

Palace won’t arrive merely hoping to enjoy the occasion. They have momentum, have strengthened intelligently and have already beaten an established WSL side.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Crystal Palace, with Russo scoring first, Baum continuing her impressive start and a substitute adding the third as Palace begin to tire.

Roberto Revilla is the founder and host of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, an independent podcast and website providing in-depth analysis and coverage of Arsenal Women. You can find the podcast and Roberto’s latest Arsenal Women writing at Arsenal Women: Trailblazers.

@ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.