Impetus had writers in five WSL media conferences this week ahead of another vital weekend of action. Their club-by-club reports of who said what is below (15/12/23).
Arsenal
by Beth McCowen
Arsenal are full of fight and ready for the North London derby tomorrow for the second time in three days having met with rival club Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday in the Conti Cup.
The thrilling mid-week clash between the two teams finished 3-3, with Arsenal snatching an extra point through a penalty shootout victory.
Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall’s assessment of Tottenham is that their manager Robert Vilahamn has “changed the way they have been playing” for the better, and “they have a very clear identity.” Reflecting on the short turnaround between the two matches, Eidevall said: “both teams learn from when they play each other” and “it’s like a longer half-time break.”
In terms of team news, captain Kim Little is the only doubt for Saturday’s game. Eidevall said there is currently a “question mark” over the midfielder following a knock sustained during the Chelsea match last Sunday.
In relation to the big occasion of the North London derby, the head coach maintained that “we prep the same way for every game” and the attitude is always that “the next game is the most important game.”
Questioned on whether he has concerns regarding Katie McCabe’s disciplinary record and reputation, Eidevall made it clear that “I don’t think referees have missed many opportunities to try and caution Katie.” He said of the Chelsea game that there were “a lot of situations defined by small margins.” The manager also declared that if the Women’s Super League had VAR, there would be “so many potential stoppages.” He appeared to praise the way the game flowed, saying this “is a nice way to experience a high-level football.”
On summer signing Alessia Russo, Eidevall praised the forward’s work both on and off the ball and highlighted the importance of relationship-building in football. He went on to explain that the team need to work to allow her to get on the ball in front of goal more frequently.
Against Spurs on Wednesday, Vivianne Miedema made her first start following her ACL injury. The head coach said it was “really nice seeing her able to start a football match” and described her performance as “good.”
When asked about Beth Mead’s impactful return also from an ACL injury, the Gunners’ boss stated, “you will never be the same player again, but hopefully for the better of it.” He was full of praise for the “accumulation of a lot of hard work” which has gotten Mead to this point.
Star of the Matildas, Kyra Cooney-Cross, has been a recent standout for the club. The head coach described her Player of the Month award as“well-deserved”, adding that the midfielder is “developing her defensive play” along with her many other good qualities.
Regarding squad depth, Eidevall confessed that he is already having difficulties with both team and squad selections, but he said, “That’s how it should be”, describing it as a “nice problem” to have. He elaborated that the team is in a “much better and stronger place” than last season.
Declining to comment on individuals regarding the upcoming transfer window, Eidevall declared that “the squad is not permanent, and I can see us both having players in and out in January.”
Aston Villa
By Emily Brown
After Aston Villa’s midweek win in the Conti-Cup, which saw the side beat Durham 5-1 at home, they look towards the weekend to turn things around once again in the WSL.
Villa will take on Melissa Phillips’ Brighton and Hove Albion this Sunday at Bescot Stadium and look to improve their home performance record and gain their first win at home in the WSL this season.
Although Brighton is a place above Villa on the table in ninth place, when the two teams last battled in the WSL, Villa’s midfielder Jordan Nobbs scored a hattrick against the Seagulls which led to Villa winning 6-2 with goals also from Kirsty Hanson, Rachel Daly and Lucy Staniforth.
Both teams have only won two out of nine matches as it stands so far this season, the only difference in points coming from Brighton’s two draws with Manchester United and Leicester City putting them two points above Villa.
Big news came from the West-Midlands side today with the club revealing they have been forced to make an emergency loan for a goalkeeper ahead of the weekend. After a heavy collision with Villa’s centre-back Anna Patten in the final stages against Manchester City last weekend, first-choice goalkeeper, Daphne van Domselaar, will sit out this Sunday with a concussion.
In other news, once again Villa seem to be struck down with multiple injuries with question marks surrounding the availability of Alisha Lehmann and Dan Turner. Turner being of course the unlikely source of Villa’s only goal against City last week, scoring a powerful strike from inside the box.
On both likely absentees, Ward explained: “Lehmann is still a doubt, she came back from international break with a knee injury which we’ve been managing and not sure if she’ll make it into the squad or not, same with Dan Turner. She’s been struggling after City with a niggle.”
Another to add to the list of Villa’s injured is young striker Georgia Mullett who signed her first professional contract with the club at the beginning of the season. The 18-year-old has had “a bit of an accident” and is “suffering with whiplash.”
Hope surrounds the availability of Mullett as well as Simone Magill who is still returning from injury with her minutes being managed along with Lucy Parker who made her return last weekend after recovering from an ankle injury.
Despite this, Villa looks forward to their match against Brighton as an opportunity to move up the table and take maximum points before Christmas:
“I think that’s the message very loud and clear, we have to go and win the game, it’s a must-win… it’s a game that we have to be focused for, be prepared for and I think it’s an opportunity to… jump above them in the league and finish the first half of the season a little bit stronger than the start of it.”
On Brighton’s performances so far, Ward stated: “They’ve got quality, they’ve shown that. I think they’ve had some really good performances and some they’ll be disappointed in, a little bit like ourselves and I think both teams will want to finish on a high and that’s why I think it’s going to be a very very interesting game but one that I have no doubt that both teams will go out there all guns blazing.”
Everton
by Jamie Spangher
Everton boss Brian Sørensen believes that his injury-hit side are more than capable of earning points from this Sunday’s tough test against Manchester City at Walton Hall Park.
Despite left depleted by missing players, Everton have managed to pick up successive victories in the Barclays Women’s Super League in recent weeks. This Sunday they come up against a formidable opponent in Manchester City. Everton boss Sørensen spoke about what he expects to see from Gareth Taylor’s side.
“Manchester City are an unbelievable team and squad that I think they have there. I think they’ve been playing really good so, with the amount of players we don’t have available it’s going to be a tough ask but we will do everything in our power to get the team ready and then put in our performance.”
The Sky Blues have seen a resurgence in form since their consecutive league defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal. Now, the Cityzens are out to make it four wins in a row heading into the Christmas break.
Sørensen measured up his upcoming Mancunian opponents, saying: “They’re good, we know how good they are. But, we also played them three times (two during pre-season, and once in the Continental Cup) and we’ve only been losing by one goal, so we’ll take that in and know that on the day we can make a game out of it and that’s our hope to try to do that.”
Injury blows continue for the Toffees with Sørensen confirming: “We have seven, potentially eight we have to assess one today, key players out and that’s a lot.”
Australian midfielder Clare Wheeler has found herself floating between roles for Sørensen’s side, the 25-year-old midfielder often aiding the Blues in the wing-back position this season so far. The Everton manager spoke highly of Wheeler, highlighting the importance of having such a versatile presence amongst the squad.
“She will deliver, she will do her job and she is competitive. As a player I just love to have her in the squad because she is so versatile, she can basically play everywhere and she will put her body on the line and do the job.”
Sørensen added, “She’s been tremendous and hopefully we get players back soon after Christmas and she can go in and perform as she’s best, which I think is in the middle of the pitch but she fills a really good role for us at the minute.”
Leicester City
By Beth McCowen
Following a 3-1 defeat against Manchester United in the Conti Cup on Thursday evening, Willie Kirk’s Leicester City remain hopeful heading into their WSL fixture against Rehanne Skinner’s West Ham United.
Although the team missed out on points in their cup game, they did stop one Marc Skinner’s team from keeping a clean sheet. The Leicester boss explained that the Foxes “Never managed to get a foothold on the game”, describing a “lack of fluidity” in his team’s performance and how this was partly caused by the change in formation based on available personnel.
The head coach emphasised that the team are currently struggling due to the number of unavailable players, saying they are “stretched” but that he was glad everyone got through this match safely.
The manager also said regarding Leicester’s Conti Cup journey, “We want to progress, and we’ve got a real chance if we beat Everton.”
Crucially, CJ Bott is currently out with a calf injury, and Kirk confirmed that she will not be featuring this weekend. He said the squad will remain the same as Thursday’s, with the addition of Aimee Palmer, who will make her return following a suspension.
Reflecting on the team’s turbulent season thus far, Kirk did not shy away from saying “We’ve got what we deserve” in terms of the nine points they have accumulated. However, he also persisted that “We’ll be better in the second half of the season,” and discussed the importance of building a solid foundation to work on after the break. He pointed out that they have “three key areas to work on.”
The manager also alluded to January being an “exciting time”, considering the transfer window as well as Shannon O’Brien’s eagerly awaited return from injury. Additionally, Kirk spoke highly of new signing Saori Takarada, saying he intends to continue to “strengthen the squad.”
On the atmosphere within the team, Kirk admitted that his players are “frustrated” but stated, “that’s a good thing because if we win on Sunday, we’ll be at a point that we are comfortable with.”
The Leicester head coach appeared optimistic that his side could still finish in the top half of the table before Christmas if they put on a good performance against West Ham United. He expressed the importance of securing all three points against Skinner’s side. Ahead of this game, Kirk affirmed that “we look at performance metrics rather than results.”
Touching on the fast-approaching Christmas break, Kirk said: “the squad needs a break.” It has been a difficult period for the Foxes, partly due to injuries. The head coach detailed “we started the season with four wingers and three of them were injured.”
Liverpool
By Ava Marianne Elliott
Liverpool are filled with confidence and ready to face the challenge against Marc Skinner’s Manchester United this Sunday.
Whilst head coach Matt Beard was unavailable for today’s conference, assistant manager Amber Whiteley spoke to the media to preview their WSL fixture and reassured the gathered media that Beard is expected back to be at the touchline on Sunday.
Following the team’s Continental Cup win against Everton in an action-packed Merseyside derby on Wednesday night, there were many positives to take away from both team and individual performances. With Leanne Kiernan being back better than ever in action for the Reds and Lucy Parry’s excellent performance, making decisions on the starting lineup is becoming an increasingly difficult task for the coaching team.
Now the Christmas break is approaching, Whiteley was pleased with how the team have rallied together so far this season, and a win on Sunday could see them go level with United on points. With the WSL being such a competitive league, the Liverpool side have adjusted well to the demand and are pleased with the progress they are seeing now both on and off the pitch.
Despite the fact the winter break could see a swift snap in the momentum built, Whiteley highlighted how important the balance is for the squad and they will “come back refreshed and ready to go” in January against Bristol City.
The fixtures that the team plays against United are never a small matter, and although the rivalry between them is younger, the match still holds a fierce amount of competition. Whiteley gave credit to United’s control of the possession and the goal- threat they can impose; however, Liverpool are ready to give them a difficult time.
Heading into Sunday, they’re expecting a tough test, but the squad as a whole are looking forward to hopefully putting on a good display to make the match a memorable one.
Regarding selection and the shape of the team, everybody is available minus Niamh Fahey, who is still a question due to being managed on a day-to-day basis due to a slightly tight calf. Jasmine Matthews is making good progress, and her current recovery timeline means she is expected to be back after Christmas.
Playing a full 90 on Wednesday night, Keirnan is back and looking sharp again after a serious ankle injury that left her sidelined for a prolonged period of time. The Reds assistant boss praised the forward for the resilience and bravery she showed to make her way back to the pitch, commenting how her direct approach in the final third and ability to go shoulder to shoulder has been missed.
Another player that will be a huge asset for the Reds in Sunday’s game is Sophie Haug, who despite having to work through an injury after her signing, has been in flying form so far. Her all-around capabilities on the field and intelligent movement in front of goal, including her ability to be a massive aerial threat, have helped to set Liverpool on the right path so far this season.
Although the 6-0 loss last season to United was a difficult one to stomach, it was by no means an accurate reflection of the capabilities and qualities the Merseyside team possess. The disappointment from last year has made the side even more determined to put it right on Sunday by causing an upset to the home side in Manchester.
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