Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur: a vital WSL clash

By Rachel Gore (13/12/25)

Above: United celebrating last season’s 1-0 win. Photo: Matt McNulty / Getty.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will meet this weekend in the WSL as they fight to keep their places in the top three and top five respectively.

With both sides having won their last WSL fixtures after losses and draws, they are hoping to start a new winning streak in the league.

United are currently in third place in the table, they hold a one point lead on Arsenal and Spurs and trail slightly behind Chelsea who sit in second. In fifth, Spurs have the same number of points as Arsenal with goal difference dragging them down.

The Reds are striving to keep their place in the top three with Spurs aiming to score goals and stay in the top five.

Ahead of their clash this weekend, Impetus heard from both clubs’ managers.

Marc Skinner: United need to be “aggressive”

Coming off the back of a Champions League loss, United’s manager, Mark Skinner, hopes to take “learnings” from playing against this top side into Sunday’s match against Spurs.

Skinner recognises that these lessons from the loss to Lyon “will be immense in the future” and is proud of the way his team moved the ball during key moments in the match.

Taking this pride in positive moments of play with them, Skinner’s side aims to “be really aggressive with and without the ball” when faced with Spurs this weekend.

United know that they must be “alive” with Spurs having been in “good form” this season.

The focus will be on defensive solidity with Skinner emphasising the need to keep a solid backline.

Facing criticism for his squad rotation against Lyon, Skinner was keen to clear the air.

“I see the players day in and day out. I see who’s physically at it, who’s mentally at it,” said Skinner.

He uses these observations to decide who he will choose to play stating that he does not think his “job is to necessarily make the players happy”.

Rather it is to “keep them focused and ready so they can make their impact when they get the opportunity”.

It is this focus and alertness that will allow the Reds to be “aggressive with and without the ball” this weekend.

Against Spurs they will “not be passive in any moment” and remember that as a team they “can hurt anyone”.

Tomorrow’s match will be “a tough task” for United but one that they are “looking forward to”.

Martin Ho’s “full focus” has been on this game

Spurs’ manager, Martin Ho, knows that United are “competing for the title”, that they “have word class players and they’re playing the big stages of the Champions League”. However, he also knows that “with the right attitude” and correct application his team could take away a win.

This league game has the team’s “full focus”, and he will not “rest or rotate players for the sake of it”.

Ho want to win every game and recognises that his job is “to put out the team most competitive to start the game”.

Coming off a big with last weekend against Aston Villa was “huge” for Spurs. In this fixture the side had excellent “attitude and resilience” while being faced with adversity from international break injuries.

One of the squad’s recent injuries was to Jess Naz, a strong and dependable forward. Ho said that her ACL injury is “disappointing and frustrating, especially when she has done one before, but she’s been in good spirits the last few days”.

Even with the injury to Naz, and other long-term injuries to his players, Spurs “can be competitive” – Ho has “full faith in the group” who will “go in with confidence and the belief” that they can win.

If Spurs to get the win tomorrow, they will see their best ever start in the WSL after eleven games.

This is exciting for Ho, but his focus is on development with an emphasis on improving “every week, every session, every game”.

There is a focus on the players and the staff and if that elicits points and is “written in the books” then that is “brilliant” for all involved.

This week, focusing on the players and staff involves keeping a strong mentality and remembering that the team have the capability to beat United.

Aiming to control the game on and off the ball, Ho’s side are feeling prepared for tomorrow’s fixture.

Manchester United v Tottenham kicks off at Leigh Sports Village at 14.30 UK time and can be watched on YouTube.

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Victory return to winners list with hard fought win

Melbourne Victory 1 – 0 Adelaide United

By Alyce Collett 13/12/25

Above: Melbourne Victory (blue uniform) celebrates with Rachel Lowe (centre) after she scored against Adelaide United. Photo: via A-Leagues

The Melbourne Victory have returned to the winners list in the A-League Women’s, downing Adelaide United 1-0 thanks to a second half goal from Rachel Lowe. Although the match at times was relatively even between the sides, Victory capitalised at key moments and Adelaide come away from this match with plenty to think about if it wants to resurrect its season.

The Victory were on the front foot early, not wasting much time before beginning to test the Adelaide defence, with the likes of Holly Furphy and Rhianna Pollicina asking some serious questions of the defence of the visitors.

The Reds responded pretty quickly with some dangerous attacking play of their own, with Emily Hodgson in particular giving the Victory defence plenty to think about out on the wing.

As the half progressed though, things became very free flowing and very even, with the ball moving from end to end with relative ease and both sides getting their fair share of attacking final third time.

Kennedy White and Erin Healy both had promising shots on goal, but just could not quite get their shots exactly where they wanted them to get them in the back of the net.

The problem Victory were facing was that their final passes into the box just were not working, so as good as the home side’s build up play was, it ultimately meant nothing as the final passes were not reaching their target.

Meanwhile for Adelaide, the issue for the Reds was that they were unable to get close enough to goal to really put up any overtly dangerous shots, preferring to shoot regularly from even outside the 18 yard box.

In the end neither side were able to find the back of the net in the first half and both sides went into the half time break with plenty to think about.

The first half stats were as even as the on field play would have suggested.

Melbourne Victory had only two percent more of possession and only one more shot than their visitors did, but both sides had the exact same number of shots on target.

Although both sides had chances on goal in the early minutes of the second half, but it was the Victory who were ultimately able to make the most of one of those chances, as Lowe – who had been a little bit on the quiet side up to this point – found herself the recipient of a cross from Furphy to the top of the box, and all Lowe needed was one touch to strike perfectly and catch the Adelaide defenders napping.

Although Lowe’s goal proved to be ultimately the only one of the match, the Victory continued to pile on the shots in the second half (eight shots to Adelaide’s four) and they had the only two shots on target for the second half.

It was the little things that ultimately cost Adelaide in the end. These included things like lapses of concentration in defence and the inability to break through the centre of Victory’s defence to really challenge the Victory goal on a consistent basis.

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

Scorers: Lowe 50’

Adelaide United (4-2-3-1): Jenkins, E Hodgson, Murray, Tonkin, Tolland, Zois, M Taranto, Healy, I Hodgson, A Taranto, Dawber. Substitutes: Makris,Condon, Rossi, Gooch, Dewey, Melegh.

Referee: Isabella Mossin

Attendance: 2,004

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Jets take full points in defensive masterclass

Newcastle Jets 3-0 Brisbane Roar

By Alice de Koster-Kitto 13/12/25

Above: Newcastle Jets (large group on right) celebrate during their 3-0 win over the Brisbane Roar Photo: via A-Leagues

The Newcastle Jets has picked up an impressive win over the Brisbane Roar, picking up an action-packed 3-0 victory. The match was a crucial one across the pitch, with both sides looking to maintain a strong start to the season, while missing crucial players, but ultimately goals to Melina Ayres, Kelli Brown and India Breier saw the Jets get the job done.

Things were fairly even at the top of the match, with no side asserting real dominance in the first few minutes, and the ball fairly evenly distributed through the middle of the pitch.

Libby Copus-Brown made a good pass toward Ayres that could have opened the scoring for the Jets in the 8th minute, however Ayres could not quite make the ball in time to convert it into a real chance.

Roar responded as Grace Kuilamu attempted to play the ball forward, before being intercepted by Tash Prior.

Brisbane continued to take the majority of the opportunities and managed to keep the ball in their attacking end during the first quarter of the match with good attempts following from Bente Jansen and Sharn Freier, however the Jets’ defence managed to hold off the attacking threat.

The hosts got extremely close to opening the scoring as Ayres attempted to skip the ball past Chloe Lincoln in close range, before Lincoln intercepted it at just the right time.

The response from Roar was aggressive, with a dangerously close attempt from Freier in the box, which was saved by Anna Leat. The attempt was followed up by Kijah Stephenson’s touch, which was intercepted by the Jets’ defence.

While play remained strong at both ends, it seemed increasingly likely that the first goal would be scored by Brisbane, as they remained in the attack, and the Jets struggled to move the ball forward in their favour.

Despite Brisbane’s attacking dominance, it was the home side who opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when Ayres netted her second goal of the season, finishing a long-range cross from Olivia Page as she skated past Momo Hayashi to strike the ball straight past Lincoln to the back of the net with ease.

Brisbane responded towards the break, putting dangerous pressure on the Jets inside the box that was ultimately intercepted by Leat, who booted the ball across the pitch, allowing Jets to regain possession.

Newcastle Jets were awarded a penalty after a foul on Brown by Leia Varley. Brown took the free kick that swung directly into the top of the net, extending the Jets’ lead, and leaving them ahead 2-0 at the break.

There was a number of halftime substitutions, most surprisingly from Roar, with Jansen making way for Zara Krueger, despite a characteristically strong performance in the first half.

The start of the second half remained just as action-packed as the first, with close attempts at both ends. An attempt from Freier was intercepted by Leat and then was quickly followed up by a strike from Brown at the other end, which was shot over the crossbar.

Kuilamu made an excellent run and attempt that should have converted to a goal for the Roar, if not for the clever interception of Claudia Cicco. Both Cicco and Kuilamu were standouts for their respective sides and made major contributions to the intensity and unpredictability of the match, especially in the second half.

Possession and attacking dominance remained in favour of Brisbane, but Newcastle continued to take the lead and shut down the continuous attempts from the visitors.

Kuilamu made an excellent through ball to Freier that looked as though it should’ve given Roar their first score of the match, but a well-timed interception from Prior kept the ball out.

Breier extended the Jets’ lead in the 71st minute with a powerful shot from distance that flew past the Roar’s defence, and could not be stopped by Lincoln.

A 74th-minute substitution saw Daisy Brown make her Ninja A-League debut for the Roar, as Alicia Woods made way for the 19-year-old.

As stoppage time approached, the match did not slow down. Despite Newcastle holding the heavy lead, Brisbane continued to look for the back of the net, but were still not able to make it past the impeccable defensive performance from the hosts.

After 5 minutes of added time, there were no further goals to be found despite tireless efforts at both ends, leaving the scoreline 3-0 to Newcastle Jets.

Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (4-3-3): Leat, Page, Cicco, Prior, Bates, Copus-Brown, Davis, Dundas, Brown, Ayres, Breier. Substitutes: Ritchie, Adams, Lancaster, Allan, Karipidis, Collins

Goals: Ayres 32’, Brown 45+1’ (Pen), Breier 71’

BRISBANE ROAR (3-4-4): Lincoln, Hayashi, Varley, Medwin, Miller, Stephenson, Woods, Freier, Meyers, Kuilamu, Jansen. Substitutes: Kruger, Studer, Piazza, Brown, Kinsella, Franco

Referee: Sophie Allum

Attendance: 1,166.

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Leaders Canberra condemn City to first defeat

Canberra United 2-1 Melbourne City

by Ben Gilby (13/12/25)

Above: Michelle Heyman (facing camera, centre) celebrates her goal that put Canberra United 2-0 up at a wet McKellar Park today. Photo: A-Leagues.

Canberra United extended their winning run to four games, with a second successive victory against a potential title challenger at home in the space of just four days.

Goals from Michelle Heyman and Emma Hawkins in seven second half minutes ensured that the capital city club followed up Wednesday’s impressive 2-0 win over Sydney FC with this success over a City side who were condemned to their first defeat of the season as a consequence, as Holly McNamara’s penalty with 19 minutes remaining eventually counted for nought.

The visitors made a fast start, and came close twice in quick succession with seven minutes on the clock as first McNamara hit a low shot from the edge of the area that bounced back off the left-hand post.

With 24 minutes played, Canberra had their first opportunity of the game when Heyman sent a shot that was heading in all the way before Rebekah Stott got a block in.

Just after the half hour mark, McNamara was causing chaos again and let fly with an effort from around 20 yards, but James held on.

The home side had another half chance before the break with Heyman denied again as Malena Mieres got down to grab the ball.

Canberra started the second half on the front foot with Mieres forced into a save from Hawkins straight from the kick-off as the Canberra defender was played in beautifully with a slide-rule pass that dissected the City back-line. The low shot was dealt with by the diving City keeper.

Canberra took seven minutes of the second half to get the game’s first goal. Tegan Bertolissio chested the ball down right of centre for Nanako Sasaki, stationed just outside the box who lifted a teasing ball in for Hawkins towards the back post to head home.

Just before the hour mark, the hosts doubled their advantage with a sweeping move that went end to end. James made a clearance to Sasaki who was positioned just inside her own half on the right. The former Adelaide United midfielder swept a cross field pass out to Hayley Taylor-Young who played a ball into the box for Heyman to send a classy half volley into the net for her fourth goal of the season.

Canberra could have had a third shortly afterwards as Hawkins’ effort from just outside the box was stopped by Mieres.

Melbourne City were though granted a lifeline with 19 minutes of normal time remaining as Bertolissio brought down Aideen Keane in the area and referee Jack Quartermain pointed to the spot. Up stepped McNamara to dispatch a powerful low shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

The visitors pushed for an equaliser and saw an effort from Karly Roestbakken saved by James, and one from Chinaza Uchendu denied by offside as the game moved towards the last five minutes of regulation time.

Seven minutes into stoppage time saw City’s final chance as Danielle Turner’s effort was blocked by Sofia Christopherson.

This was another hugely impressive outcome for Canberra who showed offensive quality, desire, grit and defensive ability as they confirmed that they will end the weekend top of the ladder.

This was an undoubted set-back for City, but they only have four days to wait to try and put things right when they host Adelaide United in the first of their three games in hand on the top two sides in the competition.

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

Scorers: Hawkins 52′, Heyman 59′.

MELBOURNE CITY (4-1-4-1): Mieres, Turner, Apostolakis, Stott, Otto, McMahon, Jackson, Butros, Davidson, McKenna, McNamara. Substitutes: Barbieri, Keane, Jugovic, Roestbakken, Uchendu, Wilson.

Scorer: McNamara (pen) 71′.

Referee: Jack Quartermain.

Attendance: 978.

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Phonsongkham Olimpico wins it for Glory

Perth Glory 1-0 Wellington Phoenix

By Emma Burke 13/12/25

Above: Susan Phonsongkham scores. Photo: Ninja A-League

A goal scored directly from a corner by Susan Phonsongkham secured Perth Glory their first home win for the 25/26 campaign, defeating Wellington Phoenix 1-0 in the distance derby.

While the game was wholly dominated by Wellington Phoenix, who maintained 60% of the possession and had 16 shots to Perth’s five, they were unable to convert those numbers into a win, for the second week in a row.

It was an increasingly physical game as it progressed between the two sides, with both teams clearly desperate to find win.

Glory’s goalkeeper, Teresa Morrissey, played an immense role in holding the visitors scoreless. One of her many saves of the night included doing just enough to push the ball over the crossbar with the tip of her fingers after a well place shot from Lara Wall.

Wellington were relentless in their attack, spearheaded by their Nepali international Samba, who brought not only a major threat to Perth’s clean sheet, but a horde of supporters in the Sam Kerr Football Centre all clad in Nepali national team gear, who roared wildly every time she came near the ball.

Though it looked as if nothing was going to break the deadlock between the two sides, a substitute and a corner managed to make the difference.

Having entered the game only 15 minutes beforehand, Phonsongkham’s corner kick fell right through the hands of Wellington keeper Victoria Esson. Phonsongkham did later admit in a post game interview that the wind may have helped the ball on, something the visiting side have personal experience with considering the conditions at Porirua Park.

This win sees the Glory snap their four game losing streak and break their goalless drought of three games.

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

Scorers: Phonsongkham 75′

WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-4-2): Esson, Bott, Barry, Walker, Jale, Samba, Elliot, Leon, Van der Meer, Wall, Nunn. Substitutes: Danieli, D. Brazendale, Main, Vlok, Benson, Bartlett

Referee: Mikayla Ryan

Attendance: 1,069.

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Bunge Confident Victory Can Bounce Back Against Adelaide

Above: Claudia Bunge speaking to the media. Image: Melbourne Victory.

By Isabelle Campbell (13/12/25)

Melbourne Victory centreback Claudia Bunge believes the team is close to finding its rhythm despite a challenging start to the season. After a difficult defeat to Canberra United last weekend, the squad has responded with an intense week of preparation.

Coach Jeff Hopkins also confirmed that Nicki Flannery will be included in the squad for the upcoming clash against Adelaide United. Having missed the first six rounds due to injury, her inclusion could be a key factor in unlocking the full potential of Victory’s lineup as the team looks to regain consistency and build momentum.

“It was a tough game for sure. I think Canberra are really strong this year. We’ve had a bit of a shaky start and we’ve highlighted that and worked really hard at training this week. We’re looking forward to going up against Adelaide, who are also going to be strong, and start implementing some of the things we did in training.”

Leaving the Canberra loss in the past, Victory now look ahead to Adelaide United in what is widely known as the ‘Original Rivalry’, a fixture Bunge knows well.

“We’ve got a bit of a rivalry with them. We’ve been in finals football with them, probably ever since I’ve been at the club and it’s always a really competitive and close match against them. We definitely don’t like each other, but I think that’s going to bring the best out of both teams. We’re really excited.”

This season has presented new challenges for Victory, with Bunge attributing much of the inconsistency to changes in the squad and the time required to form new combinations.

“We’ve got a lot of new players this year, I think probably about half stayed from last season. So we do have that foundation, but losing our entire midfield and losing Gielnik, I think we’ve had to reshape our attacking identity a bit. I think that’s taking a bit of time for us to settle. We’re seeing really promising things and people are starting to come back from injury now, I think that’s just gonna help our team and make positions more competitive.”

Bunge’s recent international experience with New Zealand in their two game friendlies series against the Matildas, saw her go head-to-head with striker Sam Kerr. Speaking on the experience of marking one of the games best, Bunge shared:

“She’s obviously such an incredible player, she’s someone you have to always know where she is. She loves living off your back shoulder. So I’m constantly just checking ‘Where is she?’ But those are the types of players that I want to be playing against. I’m hoping that if I can get a bit more time with the ferns, I can come up against players like Sam often.”

With a short turnaround of just three days between playing for the Ferns and returning to the pitch with Victory, Bunge shared how the process of managing the physical load between games has become increasingly important.

“I think it’s just about making sure my body feels right, so if I need to do a little less at training, spend a bit more time doing recovery, ice baths and stuff, then I’ll do that. I’m getting a little bit older now, only 26 still, but I feel like I’m starting to figure out what works for me and if that means less time on the grass and more time on the physio bed, then that’s what I’ll do. But honestly, not too much changes other than that.”

Looking ahead to Adelaide, Bunge is fully aware of the challenge the team presents. Despite their similar inconsistency in results so far this season, she expects them to be a formidable opponent. 

“I think the league in general this year, everyone’s really competitive. Adelaide have kind of had a bit of a similar start to us, a bit inconsistent, but on paper, I would say they’ve got one of the strongest teams in the league. So we’re definitely not underestimating them. I think eventually they will find their form. I think their team’s too good not to. So we are aware of that, but we’ve been a bit inconsistent, but I think when things start gelling with us, we’re gonna be pretty hard to stop.”

With several crucial players slowly returning from injury, the squad is poised to become stronger and more competitive. 

“They’re really important players in our team and really good additions. We’ve been riddled with a few injuries at the start of the season, but it’s really exciting to have them back and they’re only gonna boost the squad, boost the competition within the squad. So I’ve got full faith that things will just start gelling.”

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Analysis: Brick Wall helps take down giants

by Alyce Collett (12/12/25)

Above: Courtney Brosnan was crucial in helping Everton defeat Chelsea and end its undefeated run. Photo: via Everton FC.

Last weekend saw a historic result in the Women’s Super League (WSL) as Everton caused what might just end up being the upset of the season in knocking off Chelsea 1-0 and ending the Blues’ historic run of undefeated matches in a row.

As much as Honoka Hayashi’s 12th minute goal was important in ensuring the result, there was another player that had an even bigger role in helping the Toffees get over the line – their goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.

Brosnan is a goalkeeper who sometimes gets forgotten about in mainstream media because she does not play for a big club like Arsenal or Manchester City, but has been the absolute bedrock of the Everton side since moving across from West Ham and her performance against Chelsea last weekend was another example of why she should be more talked about as one of the best goal keepers in the competition.

In this analysis piece we take a deeper dive into Brosnan’s efforts against the reigning champions, explain why she was so important to Everton getting the huge result, and try and delve deeper into what this might mean for Everton’s upcoming challenge this weekend.

Courtney Brosnan stats vs Chelsea

Minutes: 90
Shots on Target Against: 6
Goals Against: 0

Chelsea recorded 30 shots against Everton last weekend, and although only six of them were on target, that is still a lot of relentless pressure on the Everton defence. With Brosnan at the heart of the Everton defensive team, she was able to provide the defensive surety that allowed the rest of the defensive group to confidently stand up to the relentless Chelsea attack.

One of the biggest positives of Brosnan’s game and the way she plays as a keeper more broadly Is her strong agility and her strong ability to read the ball through a crowded 6 yard box. In situations where some keepers would get caught off guard, lose the ball in the crowd and have the ball sneak past them into the goal, Brosnan is able to react with precise timing and tap away shots others would have not been able to reach.

A perfect example of this from last weekend’s match was in the sixth minute when Catarina Macario put up a shot that nutmegged through several sets of legs and was looking primed to go into the bottom corner of the back of the net, but Brosnan was able to read the path of the shot perfectly and tap it away and out of bounds.

Brosnan is also a very strong goal keeper, both in a physical sense and in a mental sense.

On the physical side of things, she can strongly mark the ball in a packed box – particularly in corner situations – and it is unlikely that the ball is going to be dislodged from her hands.

On the more mental side of things, Brosnan is not afraid to put her body on the line, and come out to stop shots and even potential shots. There was a prime example of this against Chelsea when she came out wide and perfectly timed a potential Lauren James cross that could have also just as easily been a kick straight to Brosnan’s face.

One other interesting thing to notice when watching Brosnan is her positioning within the 6 and 18 yard boxes.

She does not stay on her line too long – and often only does this when the ball is nowhere near her goal – but she also does not come out too far from her goal either, which stops opposition players being tempted to chip her and catch her off her line, or the need for her to pedal back at some speed for any reason.

During the game against Chelsea, the average distance from goal that Brosnan was while doing any of her defensive actions was 6.6 yards, or just over 6 metres. By contrast, Chelsea goalkeeper Livia Peng‘s average for the same metric was 25.5 yards, or just over 23 metres.

What does this mean for this weekend?

The challenging match ups keep coming for Brosnan and Everton, with the Toffees set to face Arsenal this weekend.

If the Toffees want to keep momentum going and pick up win three of the season, Brosnan is going to need to have another big game.

Despite the results not always going its way so far this season, Arsenal has scored more goals than Chelsea has so far this season, and the Gunners have a higher shots on target percentage so far this season than their London rivals.

Everton has caused some headaches for the Gunners in recent years, and a huge part of that is the confidence Brosnan provides and the assurances that if an opposition forward does get into a position to be able to shoot, Brosnan is going to be able to not only react quickly enough but in the right direction to be able to stop the shot.

Arsenal’s first choice forwards this season – which most of the time is Caitlin Foord, Olivia Smith and Alessia Russo – particularly tend to like to use agility to get past defenders as opposed to brute strength, so Brosnan’s strong reaction times will be put to the test this weekend.

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Peters and Lincoln preview Perth’s Phoenix clash

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

By Ella McShane (11/12/25)

Perth Glory are set to host Wellington Phoenix this Friday at the Sam Kerr Football Centre in global football’s longest distance derby, as Round 7 of the Ninja A-League resumes following the international break.

Head coach Stephen Peters said the week off came at an important time for the squad. “It was nice to come home and rest a few bodies up, because the three away games in a row took their toll both physically and mentally.”  Ella Lincoln shared the sentiment, noting the busy travel schedule has been “very physically demanding, but we are trying not to make it an excuse.”

Having fallen to the bottom of the table and carrying the burden of the greatest goal difference in the league, serious questions have been raised around the squads overall quality. Peters, identifying the issue as “a mentality and discipline thing…I don’t think it’s a technique thing, I don’t think it’s a tactical thing, I think physically we are good.” He added that he remains fully confident in his group’s efforts in training stating: “I can never fault the players’ training; they always put top effort in.” 

Reflecting on recent performances, Peters noted that Glory showed “good elements” in both the Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC matches, while admitting the team were “poor for parts of” the clash with Melbourne Victory. Consistency, he said, is now the priority. “We need to be consistent, and we need to make sure our mindset is right on the money. We cannot afford to have any lapses in concentration.”

With the team currently on a four-game losing streak, Peters acknowledged the pressure within the club stating: “Four losses in a row is never nice for anybody – not just for myself but the support staff and anyone that has anything to do with the team… so we put that pressure on ourselves to be better every day. 

Above: Ella Lincoln speaking to media. Credit: Perth Glory.

Lincoln provided insight into Peters’ “clear” messaging to the team. Peters’ emphasising “not [letting] the opposition outwork us. We’ve found this league is very tight and the team that usually comes away with the three points is the team that’s put in the bigger shift.”

Turning attention to the opposition, Peters’ emphasised the importance of respect for the opposition and utilising a home advantage. He revealed he watched Phoenix’s recent match against Melbourne City with “great interest,” adding, “In my opinion they were the better team.”

Friday’s distance derby will also mark Peters’ first managerial meeting with Wellington coach Beverly Priestman. “I’m pretty excited. I think she’s a bit of a trailblazer.” Peters further praising Priestman sharing that “I think she’s doing a great job with the team.”

Injury concerns remain for Glory, with Megan Wynne, Natalie Tathem and Emma Tovar among those on the sidelines. Peters declined to confirm who might return this week, saying, “We’ve got a few that are in the window to be selected, but I don’t really want to talk about who they are and where they are until we name the team sheet.”

Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix kicks off at 7:00pm AWST at Sam Kerr Football Centre. Available to stream on 10+ & Paramount+. 

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Renée Slegers hails Chloe Kelly: “She brings that edge on the pitch”

By Chloe Reynolds (11/12/25)

Above: Slegers speaking to the media on Thursday. Photo: Arsenal website.

Arsenal head north this weekend to face a resurgent Everton side who are fresh off the unlikeliest of wins against champions Chelsea, ending the London side’s 34-game unbeaten league streak. Ahead of the duel, head coach Renée Slegers was questioned on the Toffees – and the news that winger Chloe Kelly has been nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Team news

Slegers has said that the only two players in doubt are Jenna Nighswonger and Laia
Codina, confirming that the duo “have been managing minor issues.” However, there was a more positive update as the head coach revealed that “I think Codi is a little bit further ahead, so there’s one more session to go. She might be able to travel, so we’ll see how she goes tomorrow. Jenna, I don’t think will travel.”

Chloe Kelly “brings that edge on the pitch” – Slegers

Earlier today, it was announced that Chloe Kelly has been nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year – a hugely prestigious title in the UK and one won previously by Mary Earps and Beth Mead. Slegers praised Kelly as “a big personality for us,” adding that “she brings that edge on the pitch.”

Her club head coach was also keen to emphasise Kelly’s achievements this year, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Arsenal and scoring the penalty that cemented England as back-to-back European champions.

Above: Kelly after scoring for England against Italy in the 2025 Euro semi-final. Photo: Denis Balibouse/Reuters.

“Her last season has been very successful, coming to us, coming back to Arsenal and being really important for us, winning the Champions League,” she reflected, adding that “everything she achieved with England and the role she played for England. She’s had a really good season.”

Why Slegers “highly respects” Everton boss Brian Sørensen

Everton, who had only won one game all season produced a shock win against
Chelsea last Sunday, and Slegers believes that the Toffees could be a threat to the
Gunners. “I highly respect Everton and Brian for the team they are, she said.

“They’re a very unpredictable team. They can do different things, so it’s always, at the start of the game, having a good look at what their plan is and what their structure is and what they try to do. 

Transitions, they’ve been extremely clinical from their transitions, so we have to manage that really well because we know the strength they have with the quality of players that can set it up and the quality of players that can finish it.”

On the specific dangers Everton pose, Slegers praised their “quality and speed up top, so we’ll have to manage that really well. It’s one of their big weapons.”

Whilst focused on their offensive power, the head coach also highlighted the Toffees’ defense: “If you look at the way they defended their last game when they got the 1-0 win, they defended for their lives in the box. The goalkeeper saves a lot of shots and moments, so we expect the same.”

She also added that she expects Everton to have taken “a lot of belief” out of their win at Kingsmeadow last week, and is readying her team for a tough game.

Hailing Arsenal’s “incredible” fans

Arsenal played their last home game of the year on Tuesday night at Medow Park,
and with three away games left, Slegers was keen to show her appreciation for Arsenal’s fans. “I think I can take a moment to thank the fans so far for 2025. There’s three games left to play for us, no more home games, but if you look at it like you say, travelling early, the early kick-off against Liverpool and the amount of fans we get at the Emirates,” she praised.

“I know everyone has been travelling from, or some have been travelling from far to see us so early in the day. So we appreciate it, we don’t take it for granted, I’m very thankful for the support we get as a team.

That’s the home games for 2025 and we have three away games left, but it’s incredible that there will be so many fans (at) Everton away. I take a moment to say thank you to the fans for 2025, they’ve been incredible.”

This will also be the Dutch coach’s first trip to Goodison park since the Toffees’
move back in September, following the opening of the new Hill Dickinson stadium for Everton’s men.

On Goodison, Slegers said “I know it’s a stadium with a lot of history. I haven’t been there yet so it will be my first time but of course great. I think Everton have been part of the WSL for a long time and pushing.

Brian is doing so much as well, on the pitch on a daily basis but also things in the background. It will be a nice moment to go to Goodison Park and play there.”

Arsenal travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday, kicking off at 12 noon UK time.

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Vrouwen Eredivisie Week Ten: Ajax win 8-0, red cards shown at Feyenoord

By Jan-Kees Joosse (11/12/25)

Above: Ajax celebrate their 8-0 win. Photo: Ajax.nl.

This week in the Eredivisie delivered goals, tension and a few big milestones. While Ajax impressed with a big win over FC Utrecht, PSV and Feyenoord fought hard for crucial points to compete at the top.

Ajax 8-0 FC Utrecht

After a big loss against PEC Zwolle (7-1 last time out), Ajax produced an emphatic response at home. On De Toekomst, FC Utrecht were swept aside by 8-0. Some of their big talents like Ranneke Derks and Danique Tolhoek showed off how promising they are. Again they proved their worth of a titlerace contention.

Ajax started sharply: Van Egmond opened the scoring after just five minutes, before Tolhoek struck the post from distance. A sour moment followed when Isa Colin had to be stretchered off, but Ajax continued in full force.

Through Derks and Van Egmond they quickly extended the lead to 3–0. Tolhoek and Van de Velde made it 4–0 and 5–0, and Tolhoek struck again just before half-time. Even after the break Utrecht could not find an answer. They were completely lackluster like Ajax were against Pec Zwolle. Derks capitalised on defensive mistakes and later completed her hat-trick.

FC Utrecht have shown a lack of sharpness against PEC Zwolle, AZ and now Ajax. They lack match-focus during the start of games this season and are far from what team they were last season. With a game in hand, they are capable to bounce back during the season. 

Feyenoord 1-0 PEC Zwolle

In Rotterdam, PEC Zwolle really proved they have a really good coach and strong team performance in them against every team. After their big win over Ajax, they had an even amount of points as Feyenoord. So there was much to prove. Who deserves to chase the top-teams in the Eredivisie and claim the title ‘Best of the Rest’?

Notably, PEC arrived with confidence – having beaten Ajax 7–1 before the international break – but it was Feyenoord who struck at the key moment after a sharp ball in by Mao Itamura. Who again is a difference maker for Feyenoord. Kirsten van de Westeringh put it home, just before the break. 

The match could have gone either way: another Van de Westeringh goal was ruled out, just like a finish from Akari Takeshige. Tensions boiled late on with red cards for Dechamaily Lont and a PEC player following a confrontation. Feyenoord held on and took three vital points.

Jessica Torny’s Feyenoord have been very consistent this season. They’ve given every team they faced a lot of work to do. When they lost it was only with small margins. Losing with a penalty against Ajax, and a Jill Roord goal to lose against Twente – small margins tell a story. They are very close to the top of the table. 

ADO Den Haag 0-2 PSV

ADO had a better performance under their new management, but PSV survived the new manager bounce with a poor perfomance. In the latter stages of the match they found their form and a couple moments of individual quality secured the win for PSV.

PSV had a much tougher task in The Hague. Bottom side ADO showed character and made life difficult, particularly during a sloppy first half. PSV failed to find their rhythm and repeatedly gave the ball away dangerously, while ADO could not convert their best chances. 

After the break, PSV gradually took control, although the opener came from nowhere. Liz Rijsbergen unleashed a brilliant long-range strike into the top corner, a world-class goal. After that, PSV barely looked troubled again. In the dying minutes, Rijsbergen again made the difference by setting up Lore Jacobs for 0-2.

A major milestone: Renate Jansen played her 300th Eredivisie match, on her birthday, becoming the all-time record holder. And there was more good news with Aniek Nouwen returning from injury.

HERA United 1-1 Excelsior Rotterdam

Lower down the table, HERA and Excelsior both knew how vital the points in this direct clash would be. HERA took the lead just before half-time after miscommunication in the Excelsior defence and for a long time that looked enough.

Excelsior pushed on however and finally got their reward. In the 81st minute Van Spijk stayed composed and lifted the ball beautifully over the goalkeeper. Excelsior even had opportunities to win it late on, while goalkeeper Van der Klooster had kept her side alive earlier with several strong saves.

A draw in the end, but certainly not a quiet match—more like a perfect illustration of how tense things are at the bottom this season.

NAC Breda 0-2 sc Heerenveen

NAC and sc Heerenveen both started the weekend on four points, making this a true six-pointer. With heavy rain turning the pitch into a battle zone, both sides knew that one mistake could decide everything.

Heerenveen looked more dangerous from set pieces and fast breaks, and eventually Aymee Altena broke the deadlock with a precise header just before half-time.

NAC thought they had equalised after the restart, only for the flag to go up late and rule the goal out. That frustration hurt, and Heerenveen continued to threaten before Altena struck again with ten minutes remaining. NAC could not mount a final push and now face an uphill battle to climb off the bottom.

Conclusion

The season is far from over, but this round felt like a turning point for several sides: Ajax rediscovered top form and their easy goal making has to put some fear in FC Twente who have a game in hand against AZ – their match rescheduled due to the Champions League. PSV showed resilience and did what they need to do to stay at the top, the comeback of Aniek Nouwen in defence must be good for PSV’s future in the Eredivisie. Down below desperate fights for survival are already taking shape and the transfer window this winter might be crucial.

Follow Jan for news about Dutch women’s football at  www.fcleeuwinnen.nl. 

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