Furphy seals Melbourne’s Victory over the Jets

Melbourne Victory 2-1 Newcastle Jets

by Callum Logie (7/2/26)

Above: Emma Dundas and Sofia Sakalis (5) battle for possession. Photo:Newcastle Jets

John McEwan Reserve in Shepparton hosted a Saturday night mid-table clash between two teams looking to leap into finals contention. Victory got back to winning ways after a close contest in windy regional Victoria.

Coming off of an away defeat to Canberra United, Melbourne Victory made a few tweaks to their line-up with Chelsea Blissett getting a start at centre-back in a 5-3-2 formation. Rosie Curtis moved to right wing back with Sofia Sakalis dropping into the left wing back position. Rachel Lowe and Holly Furphy dropped to the bench in favour of Rhianna Pollicina and Ella O’Grady.

On the Newcastle side of things, the Jets came in off a thorough home defeat to Wellington Phoenix. Josie Wilson dropped to the bench with Emma Bates taking her spot at centre-back. Charlotte Lancaster returned to the line-up with Libby Copus-Brown dropping to the bench and Alexis Collins got a start up front.

Melbourne Victory started off playing a deep defensive line, looking to mitigate the pace of the Newcastle forwards. Josie Allan in particular was busy in the opening moments, winning possession high up the pitch on a few occasions to put pressure on the Victory defence.

Courtney Newbon denied an early opener with Alexis Collins driving a shot from just behind the penalty spot to the keeper’s left. Newbon got down to make the initial save and Melbourne were able to clear. The passing of the Jets was sharp early on, as was the pace. Newcastle peppered Newbon’s goal throughout the first 10 minutes.

Allan would routinely test Curtis on the dribble and almost capitalised after a curled shot at 13 minutes forced Newbon’s best save of the day. Despite controlling the possession, Victory were not able to create any meaningful chances, mostly passing between defence, midfield, and Newbon herself.

Melina Ayres and Allan elected to switch sides they were attacking from around halfway through the first half, hoping that the pace of Allan could test Blissett on the right side and the experience and awareness of Ayres on the left would allow for more opportunities to be created.

After over 30 minutes of play, Melbourne finally had a period of play in their attacking third. While chances were scarce to come by, Taylor Ray did get a shot on goal during the more positive period.

At half time, Newcastle would likely feel unlucky to not take the lead while they were on top and allowed Melbourne to start putting together some attacks of their own, Kennedy White getting a few good looks at goal.

The second half started off rather even, with both Victory and Newcastle moving forward with urgency in order to break the deadlock. Melbourne held the territory advantage in the first few minutes of the first half, Sofia Sakalis hitting the crossbar after a long range effort in the 52nd minute.

17 year-old Georgia Ritchie was being tested a lot more in the second half, the Victory forwards firing away from distance. A Pollicina strike forced a good save out of the teenager in the 58th minute of the match.

It was a very physical battle, with six yellow cards brandished between the team in the first 62 minutes, five of which went to Melbourne Victory players.

In the 64th minute, Victory finally broke the deadlock off of a set piece. A bouncing ball was looped in by Alana Jancevski and what initially looked like an olimpico was credited as a Claudia Cicco own goal.

Newcastle looked to push for the equaliser with their energy and pace. In the 73rd minute Allan went down in the penalty area after contact from Curtis and Claudia Bunge. Newcastle were awarded a penalty and Kelli Brown converted clinically from the spot, tying it up for the Jets.

Off the bench, Jancevski and Saveska were lively, creating several opportunities in the late stages for Victory. In the 82nd minute, a spectacular Holly Furphy strike curled from inside the right edge of the box restored the lead for Melbourne who played a really strong second half.

The win puts Victory into finals contention at sixth place but with a game in hand, the Central Coast Mariners will be looking to restore their position in the table when they play next round.

Teams: MELBOURNE VICTORY (5-3-2): Newbon, Sakalis, Blissett, Morrison, Bunge, Curtis, Pollicina, Ray, Lowe, White, O’Grady. Substitutes: Furphy, Jancevski, Pickett, Saveska, Teninson Maher, Woodward.

Scorers: Cicco (og) 64′, Furphy 82′.

NEWCASTLE JETS (3-4-3): Ritchie, Bates, Prior, Cicco, Lancaster, Dundas, Hoban, Brown, J.Allan, Ayres. Substitutes: L.Allan, Boertje, Breier, Copus-Brown, Marie Johnson, Wilson.

Scorers: Brown 74′.

Referee: Georgia Ghiradello

Attendance: TBC.

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Unearthing the next generation of Indigenous talent

7/2/26

Above: Youngsters part of John Moriarty Football’s program, including Miley Shipp (centre back row), who Impetus sponsored for three years. Photo supplied to Impetus by: JMF.

In the year of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026, John Moriarty Football (JMF) will shine the spotlight on young Indigenous football talent in an Australian first at JMF’s National Talent Showcase in Sydney on 30-31 May. 

Impetus has been a supporter of JMF’s work for many years, and is proud to spread the word about this groundbreaking event.

The National Talent Showcase will be an opportunity for the talents of female and male Indigenous footballers aged 12 to 16 from all over Australia, to demonstrate their skills to the professional football community. 

Participants’ travel and accommodation costs will be fully funded by JMF and they will also receive financial assistance to support football related expenses for the showcase. 

Yanyuwa man John Moriarty AM, JMF Co-Founder and the first Aboriginal footballer selected to play for Australia, said “The talent pool is deep, and JMF’s coaching methodologies are geared to activating natural speed, gifted coordination and creativity to optimise the X Factor that Aboriginal children bring to the game. The next step is the opportunity to be scouted and channelled through pathways – this is where JMF is changing the game by taking this step.”

The JMF National Talent Showcase will be led by former Chelsea FC Academy Director, UEFA A license holder and JMF Program Manager – Performance and Coaching, Jen Wicks. 

“This experience will be life-changing. In addition to having the opportunity to showcase their talent, participants will also benefit from weekly mentoring in the lead up to the showcase, athlete workshops, opportunities to hear from professional athletes and access to future elite pathways.” 

“We are asking players interested in being involved to send us videos of them playing. So far we’ve been blown away by what is coming in. There has been some really impressive talent, which is very exciting,” added Ms Wicks.

According to former A-Leagues player and JMF Ambassador, Allira Toby (Kanolu/Gangulu), it’s not enough to place young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players in representative teams for one-off matches.

Above: Miley Shipp, who Impetus sponsored for three years. Her footballing journey has taken her from Dubbo to Sydney, and recently to experiences in England. Photo supplied to Impetus by: JMF.

Toby adds, “The fact that we have so few Indigenous professional players is disappointing. There are just too many barriers for them. This opportunity will open up pathways to new opportunities and could kick start some incredible football careers. This is what JMF is all about.” 

Showcase participants will also be in the running to secure several 12-month JMF Scholarships which will include wrap-around personalised support including mentoring and technical performance.

JMF inaugural scholarship holder, Shadeene (Shay) Evans, is a testament to the pathways JMF creates. 

All the way from the remote community of Borroloola in the Northern Territory, Evans was awarded a JMF Scholarship at 13 years of age after being scouted by former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic. 

In 2019 Evans debuted with Sydney FC and was selected as a Young Matilda and named vice-captain. She went on to play for Adelaide United and the Central Coast Mariners, and was part of the 2025 premiership-winning team. In 2025 Evans secured her first international signing and played with Thai club BGC-College of Asian Scholars in the qualifying rounds of the 2025/26 AFC Women’s Champions League.   

Expressions of interest for the JMF National Talent Showcase close 5pm AEDT Friday 27 February 2026. 

JMF is an award-winning program that uses football to positively engage over 5,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth aged 2 to 18 years of age annually, with groundbreaking impacts on health, education and wellbeing. JMF delivers to 16 communities and 18 public schools in NT, NSW and Qld. 

JMF is delivered by Moriarty Foundation, an Indigenous children’s charity that is creating a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive. 

For more information visit www.jmf.org.au 

Above: The talent pool in Indigenous communities is growing. Photo: UNICEF Australia, supplied to Impetus by: JMF.

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Champions Cup win “fuels Arsenal” as they look to close City gap – Slegers

By Chloe Reynolds 6/2/26)

Above: Viviane Miedema on her return to the Emirates last season Photo: Manchester City FC

Renee Slegers says success like their Champions Cup victory last weekend is what fuels Arsenal to keep pushing, as they host WSL leaders Manchester City at the Emirates, aiming to hold on to their slim title chances.

Last weekend Slegers and Arsenal won the Champions cup, a new tournament which sees champions around the world compete to be the ‘best of the best’, and Slegers explained what it meant to win the first ever trophy in this tournament “we love winning. We love winning trophies and this was a special one. We made history, the first team in history to do it and it’s not easy to make history because so much history has been made already in the club. We’re very proud, and it fuels us.

As well as Anneke Borbe, Taylor Hinds will also be absent from this fixture, but Leah Williamson could be set to make her return.

“the swelling had to go down, so she had an ankle injury, swelling has gone down really well and so we’ll have to see how she keeps on progressing, but in the first couple of days, the first week it’s gone really well.”

“But I can’t give you a prognosis yet. And so she’s close (Leah) and she was available for shorts bulk of minutes. We chose to not do it. 
We had other players ready as well. And of course, with another week of training, she’s ready for more minutes so she’ll be available soon.”

The 37 year old also spoke on the fans and how vital they are going to be during the big game “It was amazing because I think we had to be resilient. We had to deal with the circumstances, with the different phases of the game, the late equaliser and then going into extra time. But the fans had to be resilient as well and they were with us. They were just as mentally strong as the players on the pitch and I think they fuelled the players. I’m so happy that we won the game and could give them the goal and the win and then celebrate in the rain afterwards where everyone was staying and we had that special moment with the fans again. It’s so special and it’s so important for us, so let’s bring all that energy again on Sunday together.”

Sundays fixture will also see Arsenal continuing the ‘Defend Your Tomorrow’ campaign that helps protect against cervical cancer and Slegers explained how important this campaign is “I think we can make an impact  from who we are and who we can reach out to in society, so we want to stand for this and we support the campaign it affects a lot of people Its affected  players and staff as well. So we know what it means and we want to do everything to support a campaign.”

Vivianne Miedema is a player that Slegers knows well, and this is what the Dutch coach had to say “I think she’s always been, when I played with her, she was a false nine, she would always play in the 9, I actually played behind her in the 10. She’s such an intelligent player, the way she sees things and spaces.”

“It was a pleasure for me to play with her, I learned a lot from her. Even though she was younger than me when we played together in the national team, I think that says something about Viv. I think she does really well in the 10 role, I think she picks up spaces really well, she has so much quality on the ball to be able to set other players up so I think she’s performing really well for City.”

Slegers also confirmed when the Australian Trio of Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney- Cross will be leaving for the Asian Cup “we have our last game of the block against Bristol and after that they will travel”

Arsenal host Manchester city in a thrilling clash at the Emirates Stadium. Kick off is at 12:00 on Sunday 8th February.

Jeglertz previews crucial test against Arsenal

By Chloe Reynolds (6/2/26)

Above: Andree Jeglertz after City’s league tie with Newcastle Photo: Manchester City FC

Manchester City head coach Andree Jeglertz has praised his sides togetherness before an important WSL clash with Arsenal, in his pre match press conference.

He said “looking at the players that every time we score, uh, it’s looking at the players coming together, you can almost see that it’s a team that is enjoying playing football together at the moment. And when we are celebrating the goal, we are not only running to the goal scorer, we’re also running to keeper, because she’s Yama is doing great action just before one of Karolin’s goals. And that’s the one where Alex Greenwood is running towards her and celebrating with her, I think that’s shows something about enjoying every moment.”

Mary Fowler made her return from Injury last weekend after being out for almost a year with an ACL injury and Jeglertz gave an update on the Australian.

“Yeah, of course it’s it’s not easy to come in and play, but it’s also for her to find the right timing or how much do we push her, when do we modify her? And I think the medical team is important in this one also to find a great balance for her in that. So it’s not becoming, we can’t just go in and have the same as everybody else. just been away for a long time. 
Uh, and she’s she’s now back, but at the same time, it takes time to get to the same level, both physically uh, and as a player, she’s in a good way.”

The Swedish head coach also spoke about the team confidence and what he knows his girls can do. “Yeah, it gives both me and the team a good confidence that no matter what’s going to happen in the game, we always create chances.”

“We have been able to find different ways winning games and no matter if the opponent is controlling the game in part of the game, we still feel need to be able to feel comfortable in that and finding the right way to attack. So I think definitely being able to win tight games against this great opponent is always building a confidence and belief, that no matter what, we will definitely give ourselves a chance to win.”

Jeglertz also praised Arsenal for winning the Champions Cup last weekend “they won that title, and of course, they should claim that definitely. And I congratulated them because that’s a great achievement for them, but also for our league, because it shows that our league is on a special level that we, they are there, but they have a couple of teams ahead of them in the league at the moment. 
So, definitely, interesting to see how that develops the coming years, but, uh, if that’s that’s the way they they want to proceed with, um I definitely I think it’s a good thing.”

Once again Jeglertz has been nominated for manager of the month and Kerolin for player, and this is what the he had to say about this honour “Yeah, the team doesn’t care about me, but I’m sure they happy about Kerolin and happy about that one of our players is nominated. I think that’s should always be something for me and for the players also, it’s, we should be honoured every time when there is something like this and our players or the staff is nominated for something. It’s, isn’t anything that we ever, ever should take for granted.

Manchester City travel to the Emirates stadium to face Arsenal on the 8th February, with kick off at 12:00

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Martin Ho: Chelsea have “wonderful players and a wonderful manager”

By Chloe Reynolds (6/2/26)

Above: Martin Ho. Photo: Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Martin Ho has highlighted the midfield battle as crucial and praised Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea ahead of a pivotal clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ho began his conference by providing an update on team news and revealed that there are no major changes from the previous fixture against West Ham.

“The same as it was for the West Ham, apart from, obviously, Drew or Maika through suspension. There’s a lot of good progress from all the other players who are still long term.”

Tottenham will be without key figure Drew Spence for the fixture, and Ho shared his thoughts on her absence in such a high-profile match.

“I think she’s been a standout throughout the season. What she brings to us is in terms of a calmness and an experience with the ball and a really dynamic approach with the ball,” he said, adding that the midfielder “sets the tone and the bar for how we want to defend on the front foot and really wearing a Spurs shirt with pride and compassion and really kind of puts forward how we should approach games.”

The Liverpool-born coach also spoke highly of Chelsea, despite their recent results.

“Yeah, they’re a wonderful team and if anyone thinks that them losing two games turns them into a bad team, then you’re very mistaken. They’re a wonderful team.”

Expanding on his praise, he noted that the Blues “have wonderful players, a wonderful manager and yeah, they played Arsenal and Manchester City — two top teams — and in those games it’s kind of nip and tuck who takes the chances at that level.

And unfortunately Chelsea have been on the back end of that and you expect the response. You know they’re going to be dangerous. And we know what the threats are going to be like — very dynamic players in the front line, very good players in central areas.”

The Tottenham boss singled out the midfield battle as an integral part of the game plan.

“They’ve got some of the most decorated central midfielders in world football. So we need to be aware. We will be, but what that doesn’t do is we have to show no fear in that. We have to apply ourselves correctly and focus on ourselves and what we want to do.”

This will be Ho’s first match as head coach at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he expressed his excitement about managing at the iconic venue.

“Really excited because it’s my first game as a head coach at the stadium and I’ve said that before, I feel it’s the best stadium in world football. It’s authentic, it’s iconic. And when you’re stood there, you feel like when you stood inside.”

He explained that he hopes his players focus on performance rather than the occasion of playing a London derby at such a stadium: ‘You have to remove all the emotion attached to the game and just focus on performance, which is easy for me to say because I’m not one of those players that steps out onto the pitch and plays.

But I’ll do my best to remove that pressure as much as possible and just give them really key focus points on what they’ve delivered so far and what we’ve done so far.”

Ho also emphasised that a London derby often goes beyond football, with bragging rights across the capital at stake.

“I think when you play a London derby, maybe a lot of your form and those sorts of aspects go out the window because it’s more of a, it’s more bragging rights and a battle.

But we just need to focus on what we’ve been doing. I think against the top teams, if you want to call it, we’ve had some good performances and we’ve built on those performances.

We maybe were unfortunate with some of the results, the back ones just before Christmas against United where we drew, but we’ve actually performed better in those games.

It takes time to build the team back to where you want it to be and it takes time to build confidence and momentum in a group. And I’d certainly done that and the players are now relishing the opportunity to play against Chelsea at the stadium.

That will definitely bring an edge to us. It brings excitement, definitely, because you’re playing in front of your home fans at the stadium. And we just want to make sure that the performance backs up what we’ve been doing.”

The London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea kicks off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 8 February at 2:45pm UK time.

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Wellington waltzes to top of table after Waitangi Day win

Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Perth Glory

By Alyce Collett 6/2/2026

Above: Emma Pijnenburg (left) and Makala Woods (right) celebrate after Woods’ scored against Perth Glory. Photo: Ryan Imray for Impetus.

It has been a Waitangi Day to remember for the Wellington Phoenix, who move to the top of the A-League Women’s table after a 1-0 win over Perth Glory.

Although Makala Woods’ first half stoppage time goal was all that split the teams on the scoreboard, it was really the ability of the respective forward groups to work together and pickpocket their opponents’ defence that ultimately made the difference.

The start to the match was not as fast as Wellington and its fans have become accustomed to in recent weeks.

The Phoenix did have some really good chances about 10 minutes into the match, but some strong goal keeping and well timed deflections kept Wellington at bay.

However, this was nothing in comparison to the performance of the Phoenix defensive line up the other end, who continuously outnumbered the Glory attackers so even if Perth managed to get a shot away, it was not really threatening.

Woods, Pia Vlok and Brooke Nunn were all causing plenty of headaches for the Glory defenders, while up the other end Bronte Trew was the only Glory attacker really threatening or causing much danger, but Teresa Morrissey’s goal keeping was certainly keeping the visitors in the match.

Just as it looked like the first half was going to be scoreless, Woods pinched the ball off Onyinyechi Zogg and carefully guided the ball into the bottom corner of the net and the home side into the lead.

Woods’ goal was reward for a Phoenix side that had three times the number of shots on goal than their visitors did in the first half, despite finishing the half with 16% less of the possession.

Perth almost had a spectacular equaliser 10 minutes into the second half, but after some confusion it was confirmed that the whistle from referee Anna-Marie Keighley was in fact for a foul on Victoria Esson, not for the Olympico the Glory players thought they had scored.

Although Perth continued to dominate possession in the second half, the Glory’s lack of ability to navigate around Wellington’s defensive line and get shots away continued to hamper them, and ultimately they were unable to find an equaliser. Wellington managed to record double the number of shots that the Glory did in the second half alone.

Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-4-2): Esson, Barry, Walker, Jale,León, van der Meer, Nunn, Vlok, Woods, Pijnenburg. Substitutes: Danieli, Elliott, Brazendale, Main, Benson, Anthony.

Scorers: Woods 45+4’

PERTH GLORY (4-3-3): Morrissey, Sardo, McKenna, Zogg, Johnston, Tathem, Dalton, Tovar, Trew, Phonsongkham, Badawiya. Substitutes: Skinner, Anderson, Hollar, Lincoln, O’Donoghue, Wainwright.

Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

Attendance: 3,800.

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“We Know What We’re Capable Of” Morrison ahead of Victory’s trip to Shepparton

Above: Kayla Morrison talks to the media. Image: Melbourne Victory.

By Isabelle Campbell (6/02/26).

Melbourne Victory are set to face Newcastle Jets on Saturday in Shepparton, with the fixture standing as a pivotal moment in a challenging stretch of the season.

Speaking to the media this week, captain Kayla Morrison outlined how the group has narrowed its focus as the campaign has progressed.

“I think, at the start of the year, we were always looking ahead and we’ve kind of got to a point in the season when it’s one day at a time, one training at a time, and one game at a time. So it is definitely a big game and a must win.”

Victory’s previous meeting with the Jets marked one of their most complete performances this season, offering a glimpse of the consistency the side has been working to reproduce.

“It was probably one of our best performances for the year. and then we played city after, and it felt like that was a really hard defeat for us, going up 1-0, and then we had an own goal, and then they scored right at the end to take it 2-1, and that kind of killed the momentum for us a bit, and it just seems like we’ve been fighting back ever since.”

The run has been made harder by moments that swung games in an instant, most notably the red card shown to Claudia Bunge in the 30th minute of their last match away to Canberra United. Though the card was later expunged, making Bunge available for this weekend’s game, the impact of being reduced to 10 players in that contest can’t be undone.

“It was definitely disappointing, and in the moment, we knew it wasn’t gonna be a red card. The ref didn’t want to hear too much about that, but we knew that looking back, she would be disappointed in her call, and that there was a chance it was gonna get overturned.”

“It’s great that they’re letting her play this game, but it doesn’t mean that they can give us back three points or one point or however many points we would have lost to Canberra with 11 people on the field.”

With the past behind them, Victory’s attention this week has been turned inward as they focus on what they can control.

“We’re at the point where we need to focus on ourselves, less so on the opposition. What are things that we’ve been doing well, what things we need to have? It’s a little bit better. So I think a lot of the focus is just on us for this week.”

That self-assessment has highlighted foundations to build on and areas still demanding sharper execution.

“There’s things that we’ve been confident about throughout the season like playing out from the back. Things we haven’t been as confident in, which may be our set pieces, things like that, and we’re just gonna put a lot of focus on us with the ball and scoring goals.”

Though Saturday’s fixture is technically a home game for Victory, it is being played in Shepparton, serving as an opportunity to take elite football to a regional community outside of Melbourne.

“It seems like a lot of the Shepparton people are gonna get out, and they’re really excited for it, and they’re hungry to have some soccer where they live, so I think there will be a lot of fans, and I think it will be a great atmosphere, and they’ll make it feel like a home game.”

The squad knows what they’re capable of, and a great amount of frustration has come from producing less than that at times this season.

“I think all the pressure is internal. It’s not, can we get in the top six, which is what it’s had to change into, but before that, it was “why aren’t we doing what we should be doing better than this?”

“We have a great team. We have a great lineup every time we go out. It’s more the pressure of fulfilling our own standards.”

Through the winless run, belief has remained a central theme within the group, driven by competitiveness and trust in the squad.

“I’m definitely super competitive, and I know that, at times, I lead very harshly but it does still feel in a weird way, optimistic.”

“It’s hard not to be optimistic when you look around, and you see the girls that you’re with. I do truly believe if we can get one win, then we’ll be fine. Everything feels better when you’re winning. So I still am optimistic, and it does feel like the girls still believe.”

Melbourne Victory meet Newcastle Jets on Saturday in Shepparton, with belief, preparation and urgency converging at a crucial point of the season.

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Aston Villa seek to repeat “perfect game” against Liverpool

By Hope Robinson (5/2/26)

Above:  Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo, coaching training session Photo: bbc.co.uk

Hope Robinson attended Aston Villa’s press conference this week ahead of their Women’s Super League clash with Liverpool at St Helens Stadium on Sunday, with Villa aiming to climb the table as Liverpool arrive shortly after their first league win.

Fixture Overview

Liverpool host Aston Villa on Sunday 8th February at St Helens Stadium, with kick-off at 12:00pm, in a Women’s Super League fixture that could move Liverpool out of last place, and Aston Villa more competitive for a spot just outside the top five.

Aston Villa arrive in the North West following three back-to-back defeats spanning across the FA Cup, as well as the league, showing their need to regain some form and momentum. Liverpool, on the other hand, have won two of three of their last games, with their 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, marking their first league win of the season.

Both sides faced Manchester United in their last two outings, with Aston Villa falling to a 4-1 defeat and Liverpool losing 3-1, underlining the similarities in their recent form. Each team have also strengthened during the transfer window, with Liverpool signing Republic of Ireland international Denise O’Sullivan, who scored on her debut, while Aston Villa’s additions Jenna Nighswonger and Oriane Jean-Francois made positive early impacts in their first minutes for the club.

Form Guide

While both teams have experienced mixed recent form, Aston Villa have been stronger across the season as a whole. Villa sit on 16 league points from four wins, four draws and six defeats, compared to Liverpool’s seven points from one win, four draws and nine losses.

Despite recent results, Villa manager Natalia Arroyo believes progress must be assessed with a wider lens. “It’s difficult sometimes to analyse when you are in the middle, so you have to zoom out and let time talk,” she said. “We are in a better place than we were one, two, three years ago. We are not there yet, but we are doing good things and competing most of the time.”

Previous Meetings

The recent history between the two sides points to a closely matched contest, with three wins apiece and two draws across their meetings. Earlier this season, Aston Villa recorded an emphatic 3-0 home victory, with captain Rachael Daly scoring inside the opening minute before completing a brace.

Reflecting on that result, Arroyo described it as close to flawless. “It was a very good game from us. Scoring an early goal gave us confidence and allowed us to play calmly. It was the ideal game, dominating the match and the score,” she said. “We were lucky and successful, but we are not expecting the same game on Sunday.”

Team news

Aston Villa will be boosted by the return of goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck to training, though several players remain unavailable. “Similar to Everton, it is good to have Ellie Roebuck back, she trained well this week,” Arroyo confirmed. “Lucia Kendall and Gabi Nunes have had some training sessions but are not available yet. They are getting closer. Other players, such as Rachael Daly, are still far from coming back.”

Tactical Battle

Arroyo expects a more demanding test than Villa faced earlier in the campaign, particularly following Liverpool’s activity in the transfer market. “They had a good window and now have key players in different positions, giving them more options and more threats in behind,” she said.

Villa will also be aiming to address moments that have proved costly in recent matches. “We get emotional as coaches and players. If we are conceding from corners, we are trying to follow a bigger plan and develop our game model,” Arroyo explained. “We need to see the situations that are causing us problems. If we think we will concede, then we will. We need to change that mindset.”

Players to Watch

Denise O’Sullivan has already emerged as a key figure for Liverpool, bringing experience from her time at North Carolina Courage and making an immediate impact with a goal on debut. Her presence in midfield has lifted Liverpool’s tempo and composure.

For Aston Villa, Kirsty Hanson remains a consistent attacking threat. The winger’s direct approach, powerful shooting from wide areas and ability to score from distance have seen her register seven goals this season.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Aston Villa’s ability to control matches for long spells has been evident, though sustaining performance levels across the full 90 minutes remains an area for improvement. “We are building a solid base, but we are missing that step of competing for the full match,” Arroyo said. “Not just 70 minutes, but 90 minutes.”

Mental resilience has also been a recent focus. “This game is technical, physical, and mental all in one. There are moments you need to deal with anxiety and bravery. It is part of the game,” she added.

Manager’s View

With Villa sitting eighth and only a narrow points gap separating them from sixth, Arroyo stressed the importance of ambition alongside patience. “It is super important. Our ambition is to be as high as possible, but in a consistent way,” she said. “We finished sixth last time without our best season, which shows what we want every day.”

She also called for greater honesty and competitiveness following recent setbacks. “We failed last weekend. We were not able to copy the good performance. We need to compete better in the details. First competing, then winning.”

Key Matchday Battles

Villa will need to match Liverpool’s physicality while maintaining composure in decisive moments. Arroyo referenced the narrow margins from their draw against Everton as a reminder of the challenge ahead. “We were better in some things, but two moments stopped us from having a clean sheet,” she said. “We cannot just say what we want, we need to dominate everything.”

Despite recent frustrations, Arroyo remains focused on the bigger picture. “We should relax, have fun, enjoy, challenge ourselves and we will get there,” she said. “We will fight with pride until the end of the season, and let’s see if we can repeat the perfect game we had at Villa Park.”

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From Manchester City to Glasgow City: Codie Thomas heads north

By Gethin Thurlow (5/2/26)

Above: Codie Thomas donning her new colours in her new city Photo: Georgia Reynolds/Glasgow City FC

SWPL leaders Glasgow City have announced the loan signing of young Man City right back Codie Thomas until the end of the season.

Thomas, 19, has Champions League experience for City, playing in that injury-affected 2024/25 season. Struggling for gametime this year, with starting right back Kerstin Casparij in world class form, the youngster, who’s been with City her entire football career, comes to Scotland looking for regular starts to help her into that next stage of development.

Thomas becomes the third Man City player making a loan move to the SWPL this window, after striker Poppy Pritchard and left back Tara O’Hanlon signed for Celtic earlier in January. Their tenures have started positively, with Pritchard displacing starting striker Saoirse Noonan in just her second game, scoring a goal in her first start against Rangers in a crucial cup semi final.

Glasgow’s newest resident told her club “I’m really excited to be here, go out there, get some minutes, and show everyone what I am about. 

“The game in Scotland is really interesting, and every match is going to be tough. It’s a really good league to come into and to play in.”

Thomas’s new Head Coach, Leanne Ross described the defender as “an energetic player who is composed on the ball and works hard out of possession.”In terms of her place within the squad, Ross said “As we enter a crucial period of the campaign, Codie’s arrival adds more competition and quality to the squad, and we look forward to seeing how she contributes during her time in Scotland.”

It is an interesting move, and raises potential questions about the injury status of Lisa Evans, who had to be substituted off in the first half against Rangers in their last league game, and didn’t make the squad for Saturday’s Sky Sports Cup semi final in Edinburgh.

While City’s defence is pretty set in stone – with Amy Muir starting almost every game at left back and the Kimberly Smit/ Lana Golob centre back partnership remaining relatively unbroken, the right back position is generally shared out more. While Lisa Evans is often the starter, Chloe Warrington always enjoys her fair share of minutes too.

Whether this move is a response to an Evans injury or something that City were planning anyway, the Petershill faithful can expect a strong and dynamic right back, who loves to help out the attack in wide areas and can more than hold her own in defence. As both of her clubs fight for titles in their respective countries, Codie Thomas will look to return to Manchester a changed person and footballer.

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Perth Glory’s Stephen Peters and Natalie Tathem Preview Distance Derby Against Wellington Pheonix

Above: Natalie Tathem speaking to media. Credit: Perth Glory.

By Ella McShane (4/2/26).

Perth Glory take on Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand this coming Friday in the infamous ‘Distance Derby’ for round 16 of the A-League. Over five thousand kilometres seperate the two sides geographically, but only four points seperate them on the league table, despite currently being placed second and eighth on the table. 

Head Coach Stephen Peters and defender Natalie Tathem predict a high intensity match-up with the leagues leading goal scorers. 

“We have to be on our guard, we have to be ready to fight. They’re a very physically imposing team.” 

“If you’re wanting to be making finals and competing in this competition, it’s the kind of game you’ve got to be ready for.”

“I think they’ve completely changed since that game to be honest,” Peters said. “I think the introduction of the new strikers has obviously given them a different profile.”

With global football’s longest distance to separate the two teams, fatigue and player loading is also to be considered when going into this round.

Above: Stephen Peters speaking to the media. Credit: Perth Glory.

“We need to make sure that we are in a good space, that we are fresh enough, energetic enough to take the game on. Every decision we are making about away games is making sure that we give the players every opportunity to be the best versions of themselves,” said Peters.

Tathem echoed Peters sentiments from a player’s perspective whilst also highlighting how the extra day provides a chance for players to recover and improve cohesion.

“One of the biggest things we wanted to improve on last year was our away record. Our club, our staff have done a lot of work in the background to see how they can make those away trips better for us.”

“Going a day earlier will make a big difference,” said Tathem.

Looking to the injury bench, Tijan McKenna will be in contention for this week’s squad, whilst Georgia Cassidy is unlikely to make a return this week. 

Round 16 of the A-League kicks off at Sky Stadium at 4:00pm local time, with the match streaming free on 10+ and available to Paramount+ subscribers.

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