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Badawiya on call to seal the Glory for Perth

Perth Glory 1-0 Adelaide United

by Ben Gilby (21/12/25)

Above: Want a goal? Call me! Rola Badawiya celebrates after hitting her third of the season for Perth Glory today. Image: Paramount+

Perth Glory earned their second straight victory with a clean sheet after condemning an Adelaide United side who dominated possession and territory to a fourth defeat in six matches.

Last weekend, the Western Australian outfit had to see off a Wellington Phoenix side who created a stack of goalscoring chances. This time round, despite Adelaide having over 70% of the ball for at times, Glory keeper Teresa Morrissey had very few shots to save.

Perth boss Stephen Peters made one change to his starting line-up with Onyi Zogg missing due to a quad injury, with Julia Sardo coming in. Tijan McKenna moved into centre back. The Western Australians also had the luxury of a bench stacked with attacking potential.

Adelaide United, whose midweek game at Melbourne City was postponed due to a flu outbreak made two changes from their starting XI from their last outing at Melbourne Victory last weekend as Matilda McNamara came in along with Emily Condon for Holly Murray and Isabel Hodgson out.

Despite what is, on paper, a team with gifted attacking weapons, the South Australians came into this game having scored only three goals all season – they would have been hopeful of improving this record against the league’s leakiest defence, but it never really worked out that way due to a combination of Glory’s set up and organisation and poor passing at times from the Reds.

Indeed, it was the visitors who created the first chance of the encounter as Adriana Taranto used dancing feet along the right to beat her defender and let fly with an angled shot that only just cleared the bar.

Perth looked to respond, and Rola Badawiya broke through just before the quarter hour mark and turned Zoe Tolland, but just as the former Central Coast Mariners hot-shot was about to pull the trigger, a combative tackle from Ella Tonkin slammed the door shut.

As the half advanced, whilst the visitors remained in command of the possession, they never really showed any likelihood of breaking through the Perth backline. Clear cut chances dried up as Adelaide’s passing accuracy dropped off as the Glory looked to up the ante on their press.

The home side needed to get their foot on the ball, and find time to get the creativity of Georgia Cassidy into the game, something which would be key to calling Claudia Jenkins into action. If truth be told, neither goalkeeper had much to do in the opening 35 minutes.

However, Adelaide paid the ultimate price for failing to turn their domination into a scoreboard lead. With 37 minutes played, Perth were awarded a free kick after Healy fouled Johnston on the right, almost 30 yards out.

Cassidy floated the ball in, it was initially cleared, but turned back in by Sardo on the left – again, the visitors couldn’t effectively get the ball away, allowing Bronte Trew to touch on for Badawiya at the back post slot home.

The visitors looked to hit back immediately as Healy broke through, but Morrissey made a superb save with her leg.

Just as they did last weekend, Perth sucked up all the pressure and made their opponents pay the price for failing to turn a colossal possession share of 70.7% into goals. The character and attacking potential in this Western Australian side is there to bite you on the backside when you least expect it.

Perth started the second half strongly as Trew burst through and fired a powerful shot just over the top. Whilst it was a confident effort, a combination of a touch taking her further away from goal and Badawiya unmarked to the left, a pass could have been a better option.

Adelaide struggled to get any true foothold in an attacking sense again. The closest they came was with 20 minutes remaining when Adriana Taranto’s low shot from outside the box was easily held by Morrissey.

Perth had a chance to double their lead with seven minutes remaining when substitute Susan Phonsongkham, the scoring hero in last week’s Distance Derby success over Wellington, raced up the right and curled a shot wide of the left-hand post.

Then, deep into the four minutes of stoppage time, a final chance for the visitors. Badawiya was adjudged to have brought down Healy a few yards outside of the box to the right – but Paige Zois’ free-kick flew over the top.

This was an exceptionally frustrating game for Adelaide. Despite the fact that they are recovering from a flu bug that ravaged the squad, the Reds had more than enough possession and territory to have put this game to bed comfortably. This and their poor scoring record means there is a lot to work on as we move towards 2026 with the South Australian side bottom of the ladder on goals scored from Western Sydney Wanderers.

Perth now move up in the top six, having recorded back-to-back wins without being anywhere near their potential best. It’s a big few months ahead for both these sides.

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

Scorers: Badawiya 39′.

ADELAIDE UNITED (4-2-3-1): Jenkins, Tolland, McNamara, Tonkin, Hodgson, M. Taranto, Zois, A. Taranto, Healy, Condon, Dawber. Substitutes: Bowler, Dewey, Gooch, Melegh, Murray, Rossi.

Scorers:

Referee: Sophie Allum.

Attendance: 825.

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Late leveller earns Canberra a point against Mariners

Canberra United 1-1 Central Coast Mariners

by Callum Logie (20/12/25)

Above: Michelle Heyman leading the way for Canberra United against Central Coast Mariners today. Photo: Canberra United.

A Sasha Grove equaliser in the final minute of regulation time ensured Canberra United would share the points with Central Coast Mariners in a match that endured several delays for both the heat and lightning.

This was a battle between two teams looking to create more momentum for themselves as they head toward the middle of summer. Canberra United made one change from their win over Melbourne City, bringing Jazmin Wardlow into the defence and dropping Tegan Bertolissio to the bench. Central Coast tweaked their starting shape from their 2-1 victory at Western Sydney, but kept the same personnel.

Canberra United created an early chance at five minutes in the game after a delivery from Josie Aulicino found Hawkins for a free header which was directed wide of the Mariners goal. The home team started positively, looking to continue their path to the top of the ladder.

A couple of minutes later, Michelle Heyman showed some great hold-up play which created an opportunity for Sasha Grove. Grove’s shot from about 20 yards was well collected by Annalee Grove who was the starting keeper for Central Coast this week.

At 10 minutes, Bethany Gordon burst forward into the box after an excellent first touch on the edge of the box and drove a ball across goal. Grove was able to push the ball out, but it was the most promising attack the hosts had put together up to that point, with Gordon and Grove regularly pushing forward to support Heyman in the middle.

Many players for Canberra United were peppering the goal of Central Coast in the first half, with Emma Hawkins directing a shot on target from yet another Heyman initiated attack. She did not connect well with the shot at 12 minutes, and Grove was able to keep her team level in what was a Canberra dominated 15 minutes.

The match was disrupted at a few points in the first half, with heat and lightning predicating regular breaks in play. After an hour off the pitch, the game resumed play an hour and a half after kick off time. With the scores being level, it was effectively a 65 minute game rather than the full 90 if you discount the first 25 minutes of play.

A minute after play resumed, Josie Aulicino won a free-kick after making a run inside. She often drifted wide to help support the attacking full backs and Heyman up front. Nothing came from the resulting free kick from Bethany Gordon, but it did mark that United intended to continue where they left off.

After a period of back and forth play and physical challenges. Nanako Sasaki created an opportunity for Canberra United with a well weighted cross directed toward Michelle Heyman landed at the edge of the six yard box. Greta Kraszula was able to spoil the efforts of Heyman and deflect the ball safely into the arms of Grove.

Central Coast were on the back foot for the entire first half, only managing one shot on goal and one corner. The tackling of the Canberra United defence and the physicality of the midfield made it difficult for the Mariners to create anything meaningful when pushing forward.

In order to create advantages on the flanks, the home side elected to tweak their formation, having a back three, while Hawkins and Sasha Grove were free to roam forward into attacking positions. The tackling of Hayley Taylor-Young and Wardlow along with the solid positioning on the defensive side of Emma Robers and Elizabeth Anton allowed for the team to continue deploying their attacking wide players forward.

This is a part of what has made Canberra United such a dangerous team this season, their ability to rotate players around and continue to play at a high level. On the other side, it was the physical defence of Elizabeth Barwick-Gray and Taren King that prevented Canberra from getting open in the box and in attacking options, so while they had the majority of the chances, Annalee Grove had quite a clean game in goal thanks to the efforts of her defenders.

Sienna Dale was introduced in the second half, the exciting youngster looking to bring some energy to the Canberra attacks. The second half was characterised by a lot of physicality in the first ten minutes, neither team able to create any major advantage.

It took 59 minutes for the Mariners to get their first meaningful chance, and it was seemingly out of nothing. A physical run from Isabella Coco Di-Sipio lead to her taking a snapshot from just outside the box that forced a save out of Sally James.

In terms of territory and possession, the Mariners did seem to have a stronger showing through the first portion of the second half, having more touches in Canberra United’s half. For United, the inclusion of Dale and the energy of Aulicino saw them pressing the Mariners defenders more when they were not on the ball.

Against the run of play, a long hopeful ball forward from Isabel Gomez found its way to Annalise Rasmussen who ran forward into the box and tucked away a great effort at the near post from about 14 yards. The Mariners had to wait 67 minutes for their first shot on target, but Rasmussen delivered with a goal.

Canberra started playing with a sense of desperation after falling behind, but were again having trouble breaking down the defence of the Mariners. Central Coast were able to maintain a fair potion of possession while continuing to frustrate their opposition.

The capital city side piled on the pressure, particularly in the final 10 minutes, looking to create that chance to get them back into the game. Another lightning delay was called at 85 minutes through the game, the weather doing its best to keep this game from finishing.

Finally, the game resumed with Central Coast creating an early chance, substitute Tiana Fuller directing her shot off target.

Despite their efforts in keeping their clean sheet, Central Coast did end up conceding in the 90th minute, with Sasha Grove striking from a low driven cross to tie it up for the hosts. Canberra continued to press for a winner, but Central Coast were resolute and able to preserve an important away draw.

Considering all the stoppages and disruptions of play, one goal a piece seemed to be a fair result at the end of this game.

Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (4-4-2): James, Hawkins, Wardlow, Taylor-Young, Robers, Sasaki, S.Grove, Anton, Gordon, Heyman, Aulicino. Substitutes: Bertolissio, Christopherson, Dale, Majstorovic, Malone, Stanic-Floody.

Scorer: S.Grove 90′.

CENTRAL COAST MARINERS (4-1-4-1): A. Grove, Baumann, King, Barwick-Grey, Martin, Gomez, Coco Di-Sipio, Quilligan, Kraszula, Trimis, Rasmussen. Substitutes: Buchanan, Clough, Farrow, Fuller, Prakash, Varley.

Scorer: Rasmussen 67′.

Referee: Isabella Mossin

Attendance: 1,152.

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Wellington wallops Sydney to break records

Wellington Phoenix 7-0 Sydney FC

By Alyce Collett 20/12/2025

Above: Grace Jale (centre) celebrates after scoring one of the two goals she scored against Sydney FC. Photo: Ryan Imray for Impetus

The Wellington Phoenix have recorded a monster historic win this afternoon, downing Sydney FC 7-0 to not only record their biggest ever win but hand Sydney FC its biggest ever loss. The Phoenix were in control all afternoon, and goals from Manaia Elliott, Samba Bhandari and Grace Jale, as well as own goals from Tori Tumeth and Sarah Hunter, saw the home side bank the historic scoreline.

After a little bit of a frantic start, it did not even take Wellington even three minutes to get their scoring started. After the initial shot was well saved by Tiarna Robertson, some poor marking of Elliot from the Sydney defence allowed the Phoenix attacker to pounce on the deflection and tap it home into the back of the net.

Pia Vlok went millimetres from doubling Wellington’s lead not even two minutes later, but instead hit the crossbar.

Even with only one goal on the board, momentum was very much in the yellow corner. The Phoenix players had a lot more energy all over the park – particularly from players like CJ Bott, Emma Main and Brooke Nunn – whereas the Sky Blues was just fighting for their lives, doing everything they can to keep the ball out of their defensive net. Riley Tanner was trying hard to generate something out on the left wing for Sydney, but with no one else lifting to her level her efforts were often in vain.

Wellington’s second goal came about 10 minutes after its first when Bhandari found herself at the back post and at the end of a perfectly placed Nunn corner, which she then headed home for her first goal in Phoenix colours.

One intriguing thing about the way the match was playing out, even from early on, was that despite Wellington having less players in its back line compared to Sydney’s, the Phoenix defenders were the more effective back line. Wellington’s defenders were positioning themselves better than Sydney’s and were more alert to everything, which meant the home side’s defenders were able to neutralise any attacking threats coming their way more effectively than Sydney’s.

Things did calm down during the middle period of the half, but as the half progressed towards its final stages it was clear that Wellington were far from done on the scoring front, scoring one more goal before half time.

Wellington had a corner that bounced around off several players as it landed in the box, but it eventually landed at Jale’s feet, who smashed it into the back of the net for her first goal of the season and Wellington’s 100th of its history.

The half time stats were as intriguing as they were at times stark.

Wellington had 12 more shots on goal than Sydney did (and four more than Sydney that were on target), had 18% more of the possession and had more than double the final third entries that Sydney did.

Despite the home side’s dominance in the first half, the second half was even more painful for Sydney than the first half was.

Jale’s second goal of the match – which took her to equal top goal scorer in club history – was another example of Sydney’s shortcomings from set pieces, after Jale found herself on the end of a perfectly placed corner from Main and then headed it straight into the back of the net.

Goal number five came from Bhandari, who after being fed a through ball perfectly from Nunn, guided the ball perfectly around Robertson and into the back of the net.

As if already being 5-0 down was not bad enough, Sydney added to its own pain by conceding two own goals in the final 10 minutes of the match.

The first one was off Tumeth, who was trying to clear the ball but mistimed it and it was a deflection into the back of the net, while the second one was perhaps the most chaotic one of the match, but ultimately bounced off Hunter.

Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (3-5-3): Esson, Bott, Barry, Walker, Jale, Samba, Elliot, Van der Meer, Main, Nunn, Vlok. Substitutes: Danieli, Leon, D. Brazendale, Wall, Benson, Bartlett.

Scorers: Elliott 3’, Bhandari 13’, 69’, Jale 36’, 54’, Tumeth 80’ (OG), Hunter 90’ (OG).

SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Robertson, Tumeth, Fenton, Ayson, Sullivan, Hunter, Lowry, Galic, Ulkekul, Hawkesby, Tanner. Substitutes: Hinz, Cassar, Lemon, Halmarick, Tallon-Henniker, Caspers.

Referee: Sarah Jones.

Attendance: 1,009.

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“We can be competitive with anyone”: Ho defiant as Spurs face Man Utd in Subway Cup Quarter Final

By Eloise Smallbone (19/12/25)

Above: The Tottenham team before last Sunday’s fixture at United Photo: @SpursWomen on X

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to go one step further in the Subway Cup against Manchester United this Sunday, having given up a 3-0 lead in the same league fixture last weekend.

Martin Ho revealed today that his team will be aiming to “reap some of the same performance” as last Sunday against Manchester United, “but with slight differences”, when the two sides face each other again in the League Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Rivalry with Manchester United

Spurs and Manchester United faced each other as recently as last Sunday, where the two sides left Leigh Sports Village with a point apiece after a thrilling 3-3 draw. Ho described his pride at his side’s performance, as Leigh Sports Village is a “tough place to go and play” and he highlighted that Manchester United don’t tend to concede many goals at their home stadium.

Ho said that he “couldn’t have asked any more from the player” and that at the weekend they hope to “reap some of the same performance with slight differences”, including defending more diligently throughout the game.

Ho also credited the players for their mentality, explaining that: “The difference in the mentality of the group is that they were annoyed coming off the pitch.”

Ho added: “We are now in a space where we expect to win and we want to win” which “shows how far we have come.”

As well as the most recent fixture against Manchester United, Spurs also have the 2024 FA Cup final as motivation for Sunday’s tie, in which they lost 4-0 in front of a packed out Wembley. They also currently sit only one place below Manchester United in the WSL, after finishing sixth last season just behind Manchester United in sixth. This shows how competitive the two teams have become with each other over recent seasons and sets up another exciting fixture on Sunday.

His ambitions and Tottenham’s season so far

At the halfway point in the WSL season, Spurs have already surpassed their total number of points from last season, and Ho credited the players and staff for this. He explained that the club are benefiting from the players and staff working extremely hard, adding they he is “not surprised by their work ethic, commitment to doing things, application and attitude.”

Ho also described his own ambitions for the club, saying:

“I want to make sure I bring success to this club; we want to bring trophies to this club.”

The Spurs Head Coach also explained that he takes all the domestic competitions seriously and that the League Cup is an opportunity for silverware. If Spurs win against Manchester United at the weekend, they could face Arsenal in the semi-final, with Ho saying, “I’m confident no matter who we come up against” and “we can be competitive with anyone”. Ho’s positive mentality and leadership have been crucial to his team’s success so far this season. He explained that the team have built a strong mentality this season, arriving at Leigh Sports Village last weekend with a “quiet confidence that we could be competitive”.

Ho also thanked the fans for being outstanding, both home and away this season; describing them as the “extra spark” who help the team get over the line in tough games.

What to expect from Sunday

Ho also told the media that we can expect the same squad as last weekend. However, he was excited to share that some of the players who were injured on international break have started to return to training this week and a lot of these players should be back on the pitch as we head into 2026.

Tottenham will face Manchester United at 1pm BST on Sunday 21^st December for a place in the League Cup semi-final. The game will be available to watch on the WSL YouTube channel.

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Jets crash back to earth thanks to visitor’s statement win

Newcastle Jets 1- 3 Melbourne Victory

By Emma Burke 19/12/25

Above: Kennedy White (centre) celebrates after scoring. Photo: via the A-Leagues

Despite a late surge, Melbourne Victory were too good for the Newcastle Jets tonight, defeating them 3-1 at No. 2 Sportsground thanks to goals from Kennedy White, Rhianna Policina and Nicki Flannery.

The home side were put to their defensive work early when Sofia Sakalis found enough room at the top of the box to try her luck, but Anna Leat was ready between the sticks for the threat, doing just enough to push the ball over the bar.

It was a header from the American import White in the first half that opened the scoring account for the Victory, delivered off a pin-point free-kick by Alana Jancevski.

The Jets had chosen to leave White completely unmarked in the box, making her job of putting the ball into the back of the net all too easy, on top of being paired with such great service.

Pollicina later continued her incredible first season with Victory scoring a volley early in the second half, an instant contender for goal of the week, aided by Holly Furphy’s assist.

The sheer brilliance of Melina Ayres almost brought Newcastle back into the game when she was able to turn around a difficult cross and get the shot off. It unfortunately clipped the crossbar in the wrong direction, bouncing out of the goal.

Victory continued to pile on the hurt, scoring their third of the night through Flannery, her first goal since her return from injury and a stint overseas in Cyprus with Apollon Limassol.

Lauren Allen was able to find her side a consolation goal late in the game, after her shot on goal spilled through Courtney Newbon’s hands, which did seem to light a spark in Jets, but it was too little too late by that point.

The Victory now have a quick turnaround as they face their cross-city rivals in the Melbourne Derby on Tuesday, while Newcastle will play hosts to Canberra United next Saturday.

Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (4-3-3): Leat, Cicco, Prior, Bates, Breier, Copus-Brown, Davis, Dundas, J. Allan, Brown, Ayres. Substitutes: Hoban, L. Allan, Adams, Wilson, Ritchie, Page.

Scorers: L. Allan 82’

MELBOURNE VICTORY (3-4-1-2): Newbon, Morrison, Ray, Bunge, Jancevski, Pollicina, Sakalis, Pickett, Lowe, White, Furphy. Substitutes: Maher, Flannery, O’Grady, Curtis, Woodward, Techera.

Scorers: White 25’, Pollicina 57’, Flannery 77’

Referee: Mikayla Ryan.

Attendance: 1,145

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“We’re a Great Team” Morrison Confident Ahead of Newcastle Clash

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

By Isabelle Campbell (17/12/25)

Melbourne Victory captain Kayla Morrison says her side must use last week’s gritty win over Adelaide as a platform for consistency as they prepare to face the Newcastle Jets in Newcastle on Friday night.

Victory bounced back from a disappointing loss to Canberra with a hard-fought Original Derby win, and Morrison said the response across the group had been encouraging.

“I think we had, obviously not our best game against Canberra, but that led into one of our better weeks of training, which in turn led to maybe not our best performance against Adelaide. But what I said to the girls was it was a performance that we’re known for, get a goal and then hold on to the lead, do what needed to be done to win. So we walked away pretty happy.”

The challenge now, according to the skipper, is ensuring that performance becomes the standard rather than an exception.

“It is going to be hard with the short turnaround to the game, but I think now that we’ve kind of felt what it is to kind of grind out a match, we can take that into the next match, hopefully get goals and then not let them score. I do think they’re a good team this year, but I think we’re a great team, so hopefully we can get the win there and then prep for the next quick turnaround.”

Despite a season marked by fluctuating form, Victory remain toward the top end of the table, a position Morrison believes reflects how tight the competition has been.

“I think everyone’s kind of been up and down, which helps us. It’ll be what team can find that consistency and who can find it the quickest, and hopefully that will be us.”

Victory have recently been boosted by the return of key players, including Nicki Flannery and, earlier, Taylor Ray, something Morrison feels will be an important factor in their attacking play.

“We were struggling to find goals. So I think getting in as many attackers, or people who want to play the ball forward, get forward, like Taylor, like Nicki, I think that will really help take the pressure off the other girls up there. So it will be great, if anything, it just kind of drives competition as well.”

That internal competition, Morrison says, can also help refine decision-making in front of goal, an area where Victory have created chances but not consistently capitalised.

“I think that is a mentality thing from us. It’s hard to get those opportunities, but then who’s going to have the hunger to put it in the back of the net? I think competition will make people think, ‘I want to be the one scoring the goals. I want to be the one assisting.’

I thought Holly kind of showed that on the weekend with Adelaide. She was up and down the line, she was getting crosses in and maybe, knowing that other people are coming back in the squad, it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to be the one that’s playing 90 minutes. I will not be the one to get subbed’”

Morrison had nothing but praise for young winger Holly Furphy, who has been a standout player for the side so far this season.

“I’ve known Holly for a long time, and I’ve always thought she was an incredible player. She went away to America, and she came back a great player. I think she struggled maybe a bit mentally before, but she gained a lot of strength and dealt with adversity while she was over there. So I think we’re seeing Holly really try to kind of find herself now. I think she knows what works for her, and I think the people around her need to help amplify that and help play to her game, because she is someone who will win those games.”

With significant changes to the squad over the offseason, including numerous departures in attack and midfield, Morrison acknowledged the side is still refining its on-field chemistry.

“There’s been a really big change with the starting 11. So we are still learning what each other needs, but I think it’s been long enough now we should know, and it’s got to start clicking for us.”

The upcoming fixture list leaves little room for error, with short turnarounds, the Melbourne Derby and the busy Christmas period all looming.

“If it goes well, it will accelerate us, but if it doesn’t, it puts a damper on things, because there’s a lot of points to be won here. You just hope everyone’s in good spirits, you hope that it’s more exciting to be playing this amount of games than it is daunting. I look at it and think, it’s a good turnaround.

If you feel, ‘Oh I should have scored that goal’, well you can do it in three days. So I think it will be an exciting period for us. We’re a fit team, we have a great S&C and they’ll make sure that we’re fit and we’re ready and we’re recovered. We’ll be raring to go.”

Friday’s opponents, the Newcastle Jets, have impressed Morrison at this stage in the campaign, who expects a tough contest away from home. When asked what has made the Jets a much-improved opponent compared to last season, the captain shared,

“I don’t know why. Obviously, I want to say because my friend Melina [Ayres] is there, and she’s such a great goal scorer. I think they’re just a hungry team. New coach, maybe he’s kind of sorted out a good way for them to play. But we play better against good teams, you know you have to bring it. You can’t be in the mindset of ‘it’ll be easy’, because this is a good team, it’s going to be hard. So everyone will be mentally switched on from the whistle.”

Stopping former Victory striker Melina Ayres, who spent several seasons with the club and is an opponent the squad knows well, will be a major focus for Victory’s defence. Ayres has long been one of the league’s most dangerous attacking players, with her experience and instinct in front of goal making her a player to watch.

“I don’t know if it’s saying, ‘we’re gonna stop her every single time’. I think it’s just putting her in the worst position possible to shoot. She is known for shooting from anywhere, and always really hungry.

You talk about hunger, she is someone who will score the ugliest goal in the world because she’s just willing to do the ugly stuff. So it will be hard to stop her completely, but we’ll do the best we can to just put her in the worst positions possible.”

As Victory look to turn resilience into rhythm, Morrison believes the coming weeks will define their season. With confidence restored, competition for squad places intensifying and a demanding run of fixtures ahead, the captain is backing her side to rise to the challenge and take another step toward the consistency needed to remain firmly in the running for silverware.

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What will Leicester do in the transfer window? A superfan’s view

By Ben Tattoo (16/12/25)

Above: Leicester’s team talk before the London City Lionesses game this weekend Photo: LCFC_Women on X

Ben Tattoo interviews Charli Parkes, host of the ‘Why Always She’ Podcast, ahead of the January transfer window, to discuss Leicester City’s season so far and how the rest of the campaign could shape up.

Hi Charli, thank you for joining us. What is your history as a Leicester fan?
In 2023 my husband and I decided we wanted to watch more women’s football, and Leicester are our closest WSL team, so we chose them. I didn’t think that I would get into it as much as I have, but I love it. My husband and I started a podcast called ‘Why Always She’ where we talk about it, and I’ve been on Leicester radio to talk about the team.

Rick Passmoor took over from Amandine Miquel close to the start of the season, were you surprised?
Yeah, I was really surprised. We’d got our highest points tally ever under Miquel and there weren’t any hints that things would change. But when the new director of football came in, he did a review of everything at the club, and I guess they decided she wasn’t up to scratch. I wouldn’t have changed things. You can’t fault his commitment, though, apparently he comes to every game.

What did you think of the club’s business in the summer?
It was a strange one, because three players were signed under Miquel and then three players came in under Passmoor. Olivia McLoughlin has been really good, I remember seeing her play for England Under 23’s. She’s come into our midfield and has barely missed a minute. I rate Van Egmond too; she has struggled in some games but has generally been good. (Heather) Payne added some depth at the back but now she is injured. (Celeste) Boureille was signed by Miquel, and she’s looked solid, but she’s also had some injuries.

It felt like some important players left last season, Yuka Momiki and Sophie Howard in particular?
Losing Momiki was not great, but the biggest loss in my opinion was Sophie Howard. She was an absolute colossus for us and a really important leader. Losing Ruby Mace was obviously disappointing, but she’s such a good player, she was going to move on eventually, and we got a really good fee for her.

How do you feel about the season so far?
I think we’re in a bit of a rut, though I think we still have more points than this time last season when we were really struggling with injuries. We seem to be able to beat anybody away in the League Cup, but can’t do it in the league! My husband and I joke about how suffering is a big part of being a football fan! It makes the good times even better. However, I think it’s a tight league, and anyone can beat anyone, as Everton showed recently, so we’ll see how things go.

Where do you think the team needs to strengthen in January?
Playing a back three, we are really reliant on our wing backs. Asmita Ale has been immense down the left, if we could clone her that would be great! Down the right we’ve struggled a lot more. Janice Cayman has been tried there. She is a stalwart and I’d like to get her in the team, but she’s 37 and can’t bomb up and down the flanks. Hannah Cain has struggled in that position too. So we definitely need to invest in that area.

Do you think Leicester will do a lot of business?
We were linked on deadline day with Lucy Parry at Liverpool, and I think she would be good, she hasn’t been getting many minutes but has come in recently due to injuries, and I don’t think Gareth Taylor wants to let anyone go with the thinness of their squad at the moment.

The club are the second lowest scorers in the league; do you think they need to add to the forward line?
Every season I feel like we’re crying out for a striker! One of the interesting things about our system though is our use of a front two. Noémie Mouchon has felt like the answer at times, but the club have been wrapping her up in wool after her injury last season. Shannon O’Brien works really hard and is always trying to get in behind (defences). Jutta Rantala was looking good, but she’s now out for the season again, which is gutting. Rosella Ayane came from Spurs, I think she was a bit maligned there, but I think she’s looked decent coming off the bench.

If you could bring any player to the club. Who would it be?
I love Stina Blackstenius, she’s so quick and she would play great in a front two so would suit our system perfectly. My personal preference is that football should be about getting the ball forward quickly, and I’d love us to get the ball forwards quickly to Stina and she’d score loads of goals!

Any transfer predictions for the rest of the WSL?
I think Trinity Rodman will go to Chelsea, they seem to like their American wonderkids. Arsenal will and need to strengthen. Gareth Taylor has been making a lot of noise about needing recruitment at Liverpool, and I think Manchester United need to invest too. Everton spent big in the summer, and I’m not sure they’ll spend more. London City already have a gigantic squad, but I can see them investing in more.

How do you think the rest of the season will go? What position are you hoping for?
I’d take just staying up be honest (laughs)! We came 10th last season for the second season in a row, and then had another reset! So we’ll go again in the summer (hopefully!) and see where we go from there.

This is the first in a series of 12 articles covering all teams in the WSL, keep your eyes open for more coming in the next few days.

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Slegers calls on Gunners to “play the Arsenal way”

By Roos Schelen (16/12/25)

Above: Renée Slegers during yesterday’s pre-match media conference. Photo: Arsenal website.

Renée Slegers says Arsenal will try to chase a top four position in this UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) league phase.

Arsenal play Oud Heverlee Leuven (OHL) on what is the final day of the league phase in the competition. Arsenal sit eighth and Leuven sit twelfth. Arsenal have already qualified for the knock out phase play off rounds. They could still skip those if they get a top four position and advance to the quarter finals directly, but a lot of results will have to go their way.

Slegers says: “It’s not within our hands, but we try to chase those top four positions. But Leuven will have to go for something as well or they will go for something. So it’s going to be an interesting game. All games will be played at the same time, so scenarios can change in an instance.”

OHL have held Paris FC, Paris Saint-Germain and AS Roma to draws so far in this UWCL campaign. Slegers thinks Leuven are an interesting team. “I think they are very disciplined in everything they do and they defend in certain areas. But they also have the ability to change things in game. They can go higher, they can go lower, they have quite some depth in the squad, so they can make changes that will change the game for them. So there’s a lot of different scenarios for the game tomorrow”, Slegers assesses.

During the weekend, Leah Williamson made her return from injury after more than 4 months out. In her absence, Steph Catley, Lotte Wubben Moy and Katie Reid have held the fort well at centre back. Katie Reid is now unfortunately out with an ACL injury, but Catley and Wubben Moy continue to make an impact on the pitch for Arsenal. Williamson being back however doesn’t give Slegers selection headaches.

“I’m happy that so many are performing at a high level”, Slegers says. “And I’m happy that Leah is back fresh. She got her first minutes against Everton and looked really good, looked like herself. And we always plan, thinking ahead. But like I just said, things change quickly and you need different things at different stages. There’s going to be schedules that are full”, she adds.

She also says she is really happy with the quality that Arsenal has. “I think it’s them taking really good ownership of building those relationships and partnerships with each other. And that’s been on a really high level. So it’s really good to have Leah back and it’s really good to have so much quality in central positions”, Slegers concludes.

The game tomorrow at Leuven’s Stadion den Dreef is sold out, which means a record crowd for Belgian women’s football. Beth Mead joined Slegers in the pre-match press conference and has played in the record breaking 2022 and 2025 Euros finals, a sold out Emirates Stadium, among others.

When Impetus asked Mead whether she’s getting used to playing so many record-breaking matches, Mead suggested that it is still surprising: “It’s fun to play in front of so many people. When you see how far the women’s game has gone, you played in front of a few hundred people, not even that.”

Tomorrow’s match between Oud Heverlee Leuven and Arsenal will be played at 8pm BST and is streamed live on Disney+.

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Mariners earn first away win as Wanderers slip to bottom

Western Sydney Wanderers 1-2 Central Coast Mariners

by Isabelle Campbell (14/12/25)

Above: Central Coast Mariners celebrate at Wanderers Football Park today. Photo: A-Leagues.

In the last game of round seven, the Central Coast Mariners recorded their first away win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers at Wanderers Football Park, securing the result through first-half goals before a late Wanderers response.

Heading into the match, both teams were looking to turn their luck around. Matildas’ Chloe Berryhill was named in the starting lineup and set to make her first appearance and start for the Wanderers after joining during the week, bringing plenty of experience to the side.

The Mariners were still searching for their first win on the road, while the Wanderers had yet to find success at home. With both sides carrying a streak of misfortune, it was clear that one of those runs would come to an end by the final whistle.

Wanderers showed early intent, with the first major chance of the contest arriving in the 11th minute. Forward Kim Soeun drove forward into attacking space, but with limited options available inside the penalty area, she was unable to find a teammate, allowing Mariners goalkeeper Annalee Grove to step in and collect comfortably.

It was an early involvement for Grove, who was making her Mariners debut after being called into action following Sarah Langman’s season-ending ACL injury.

Possession was shared fairly evenly as both sides looked to impose themselves, but it was the Mariners who found the breakthrough. Izzy Coco-Di Sipio opened the scoring with her debut A-League goal, capitalising on the visitors’ attacking pressure and giving Central Coast a crucial lead.

The Wanderers sought an immediate response, pushing higher up the pitch and testing the visitors’ defence. Captain Amy Harrison attempted to bring things level with a strike from distance, though her effort failed to carry enough power to trouble Grove in goal.

Momentum continued to favour the Mariners, and they doubled their advantage through Izzy Gomez, who found the net against her former club to make it 2-0.

As the half drew to a close, Central Coast pushed for a third. Peta Trimis came agonisingly close with five minutes remaining, her effort narrowly missing the top corner by inches.

The halftime whistle followed soon after, with Central Coast Mariners heading into the sheds with a 2–0 lead, while the Wanderers retreated to reassess their approach and search for a way back into the contest in the second half.

The second half began quietly, with few clear-cut chances as both sides battled for control. In the 63rd minute, Soeun again tried her luck but was denied by the Mariners’ defence. A minute later, Central Coast were awarded a free kick in a promising position, though they were unable to convert.

The home side lifted their attacking intensity as the half progressed. Holly Caspers came close to narrowing the deficit after collecting the ball off the Mariners’ defence and firing at goal, but her effort drifted wide. Moments later, a perfectly weighted cross from Talia Younis found the head of Poppie Hooks, yet the Wanderers were still unable to put a goal on the scoreboard.

Late drama followed when Younis found the breakthrough in the 90th minute, scoring her first A-League goal in style. Spotting Grove off her line, the substitute showed composure to deliver a well-taken finish, bringing the scoreline to 2-1 with five minutes of stoppage time remaining and setting up for a tense finish.

Despite the late pressure, the Mariners held firm until the final whistle, securing the three points and recording their first away win of the season, while the Wanderers were left to rue missed opportunities in front of home support.

Teams: WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (3-4-2-1): Khamis, Cerne, Buchanan, Hooks, Matos, Harrison, Chessari, Harada, Berryhill, Yuan, Soeun. Substitutes: Ying, Price, Ng-Saad, Younis, Caspers, Edwards.

Scorer: Younis 90’.

CENTRAL COAST WANDERERS (4-3-3): Grove, Barwick-Grey, Martin, Gomez, Rasmussen, Kraszula, Quilligan, King, Trimis, Baumann, Coco-Di Sipio. Substitutes: Prakash, Levin, Buchanan, Familton, Clough, Varley.

Scorers: Coco-Di Sipio 18’, Gomez 28’.

Referee: Bec Mackie

Attendance: 932.

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Natalia Arroyo: Villa are “in a good place”

By Rachel Gore (13/12/25)

Above: Natalia Arroyo. Photo: @AVWFCOfficial on X.

Eighth place Aston Villa will take on top of the table Manchester City this weekend, straight off the back of a midweek WSL win against Liverpool.

Ahead of their second WSL clash this week, Impetus heard from Villa’s manager Natalia Arroyo who spoke on her team, what Thursday’s win meant and how her team will “find a way of dominating the game”.

All players that were available during Villa’s midweek victory are fit to play tomorrow.

Speaking on this win against Liverpool, Arroyo said that her side “feel a bit relieved” after taking the three points from Liverpool.

Keeping another clean sheet and performing well, Villa came away from Thursday’s game proud. They are however not used to midweek matches and therefore playing this weekend, only days after their last match, is something that could strain their players – having less time to prepare for games can also be a negative.

Despite this Arroyo believes that her side “are in a good place” and are excited to take on City.

As a squad City are “super aggressive when they lose the ball” and “if they put a cross in the box, Bunny Shaw will catch it”.

Their ability to regain possession and effectively attack force opponents “to defend lower and lower”.

Arroyo recognises all these threats that City pose but also knows that this weekend’s fixture against the current league leader is an opportunity to see where her team is at.

She hopes that her squad can make City suffer and trusts her players to perform “in these big games”.

To perform well Arroyo hopes her players will be focused on where the ball is and controlling the match – they need to “stop the noise and focus on performance”.

Arroyo says she hopes her side side will stay “strong” as they have done against other top of the table teams and hopefully will come away with pride.

Villa will face City at the Joie Stadium and kick off at 12:55 UK time. The fixture can be streamed on the Women’s Super League YouTube channel.

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