Women's Super League

Image source, West Ham

West Ham have appointed former Leicester City academy coach Stephen Healy as a first-team coach.

Healy will join manager Rehanne Skinner's backroom staff having worked as a development officer at New York Red Bulls and Northampton Town as well as as a Boys Centre of Excellence coach.

"I’m delighted to be joining West Ham United,” said Healy. “I was excited to be given the opportunity to present to Rehanne and the team recently and felt energised and enthused by the long-term vision of the club.

"I’m now looking forward to being part of this project and I hope I can use my experience to develop the current crop of players at West Ham United."

The Hammers currently sit 11th in the Women's Super League after two losses and a draw.

"I’m really pleased to have Steve join us,” said Skinner.

"Steve has a wealth of experience working across different levels of the game, including within the women’s game. Steve will help us to build confidence around our attacking play whilst also managing and enhancing our players’ individual development programmes.

“He has a proven track record in improving the performances of senior players, as well as transitioning youth players into the first team."

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal and England captain Leah Williamson spoke to the media following the Gunners' 0-0 draw with Everton at Goodison Park.

She discussed the result, Arsenal's midweek Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich, hopes for the season and more.

On the result: "I think we played good football and we looked a threat, it’s just getting the ball over the line.

"I think at the start of the game, we could’ve played with a bit more intensity and urgency. I think that would’ve helped us more as the game went on and would’ve helped break them down a little bit more. I don’t know. At the end, you’ve basically got their whole team in the box and they are a strong team, just throwing themselves in front of it. That’s football. Their keeper had a worldie.

On dropping points the how competitive the Women's Super League is this season: "I think if you asked me a couple of seasons ago, I think I would’ve said it felt like we’ve lost the league even now because the points weren’t being dropped elsewhere. Maybe, I’m hoping that that is the case this year but from our [view], we don’t expect to have many games like that and for it to come so early in the season is disappointing."

On the importance for squad depth: "Go back seasons ago, there’s no way our squads would have been able to deal with this workload. It’s important that there’s rotation, there’s tactical decisions that go into it. It’s not my job to do that, I’m glad. The schedule is unforgiving so we have to be ready. It’s not about reserving energy, we have to energise ourselves by playing at that intensity."

On her concussion enforced absence: "It’s something you have to take seriously which is very frustrating but now, I feel good. I feel really good and actually, I’ve had a great week training in terms of the way I feel and today, I felt good as well. Just need the results to start coming now as well."

On facing Bayern Munich and the differences in the squad from that faced them in 2023: "I think we’re a more mature squad than we were then. I think in terms of the way that we play the game and go into games, but I think the intensity is still the same. You are playing two really high intensity teams against each other. I know that they are in form, but I think so are we, I know we’ve dropped points today but we are. I’m really looking forward to this one."

On the importance of being back in the Champions League: "Massive. Qualifying for the Champions League, that’s the most important week of our season until the last in my opinion. This football club has to be in the Champions League. We’ve got 25,000 here today with no crazy advertisement or pushes to sell tickets, that’s how many people want to come and watch us and they deserve Champions League nights as well."

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa have confirmed captain Rachel Corsie has undergone knee surgery and will be sidelined for eight weeks.

The Scotland captain will miss the Euro 2025 play-off with Hungary this month.

The first leg against Hungary takes place in Budapest on 25 October (17:15 BST), before the return on 29 October at Easter Road (19:35).

She made 26 appearances last season and was in Robert de Pauw's squad for the opening-day defeat by Chelsea, but has not yet featured this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton Women are set to play back-to-back home fixtures at Goodison Park for the first time in November.

The Blues will play against Chelsea at Goodison on 3 November before hosting the Merseyside Derby against Liverpool two weeks later on 16 November.

Everton were watched on by 9,457 fans when they last played in the stadium in an uneventful 0-0 draw against Liverpool in March.

This is Everton's last season at Goodison Park, with the club set to move into a new 52,888-capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against West Ham at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 13:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Eidevall criticised the WSL for not being "proactive" with fixture scheduling in regards to Women's Champions League games after Chelsea's league game against Manchester United was postponed, calling their behaviour "amateurish".

• Laura Wienroither will miss Sunday's game with a "minor injury", but both Leah Williamson and Steph Catley "have the potential" to make the squad.

• Eidevall said there were "a lot of positives" to take from the 1-0 win over Leicester on Sunday but also "things we should be doing better as well".

• On Frida Maanum, he said: "We worked a lot with her and she has worked a lot on the training pitch. She is very ambitious."

• Asked whether the WSL is getting stronger, Eidevall said: "Every team is strengthening year after year. You compare Leicester's squad to two or three seasons ago, there is a massive difference. It's such an evolving league. That is why it is so exciting to be a part of the league."

• With five games in the 15 days, he said it is going to be "crucial" to manage the squad properly.

• Eidevall said Kyra Cooney-Cross has "developed really well", adding: "Kyra is still a young player. She has parts in her game that she should develop but she is working really hard on it."

Leicester City boss Amandine Miquel has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Crystal Palace (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• Shannon O'Brien is "weeks rather than days" away from a return from injury.

• Miquel insists Leicester City will not underestimate Crystal Palace just because they have not picked up any points or scored yet this season.

• Changes are still being made at Leicester and Miquel says it will take time for her management style to be implemented.

• "If I could change a team in three games, then maybe I would be receiving a lot more coins from different clubs! No, it will take some more time. I’m not a magician. We have seen already things changing - but it takes time to adapt," she adds.

• Miquel was pleased with the performance of the team in the Women's League Cup as she was able to see different players and formations, including plenty of youngsters, in their 1-1 draw with Bristol City.

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against West Ham (kick-off 13:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Leila Ouahabi is back in contention after sustaining an injury in City's season opener against Arsenal.

• On Jill Roord's return from an ACL injury, Taylor said they need to manage her minutes but that "she looks better than I've ever seen her".

• Going into a Champions League week is "exciting", but Taylor says his "full focus" is against West Ham rather than Barcelona.

• He said City will be "under no illusions" that West Ham will be "difficult to play against".

• Asked whether Yui Hasegawa is one of the best midfielders in the world, Taylor said: "When you're talking about holding midfielders, she is certainly in that ballpark".

• Taylor said the football calendar was starting to become "a bit dangerous" and if he was in the same position as Chelsea, with a WSL game scheduled on a Sunday before a Tuesday-night Champions League match, that he would also want the WSL fixture to be postponed.

Crystal Palace boss Laura Kaminski has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Leicester City (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• On-loan defender Brooke Aspin returns to the Crystal Palace squad after serving her suspension against parent club Chelsea last weekend.

• Kaminski was pleased with Palace's performance on Wednesday despite a 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa, with goals conceded in the last 10 minutes.

• She says it shows "progression" as they were able to "compete for longer periods" and they still remain new to the league.

• Despite not scoring a goal yet this season, Kaminski says her players are still "confident" and "hungry to score".

• She adds: "It is a matter of time. It’s a good balance between being frustrated and motivated. That’s key on the pitch. If you’re not creating chances, that’s when you get concerned. But in every game we are creating chances."

• Kaminski says Leicester look "organised" under new manager Amandine Miquel and is expecting "a very tough afternoon".

• She also insists not every performance needs to be "beautiful football" but results will come if her team continue to improve.

West Ham boss Rehanne Skinner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Manchester City (kick-off 13:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• Defender Kirsty Smith remains absent as she continues her recovery from a shoulder issue. She is expected to return to full training next week.

• Skinner says West Ham need to be "more compact" and "defend collectively" to stop Manchester City's threatening attacking players.

• "You have to stay concentrated and be alert all the time," she added. "We know one opportunity might be all it takes [for City]. We have to be on it."

• Skinner says Wednesday's 6-1 win over Portsmouth in the Women's League Cup has helped give West Ham "more confidence" and they were "ruthless".

• On switching to a back three this season, Skinner says it "plays to the strengths" of the team.

• She adds: "It has felt like the better fit for us. That isn’t to say we won’t play in a back four. It just gives us a little bit more flexibility in how we want to play."

• Skinner says West Ham's slow starts in matches "has to stop" and they need to be more pro-active against Manchester City.

Liverpool boss Matt Beard has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Tottenham (kick-off 14:15 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said Manchester United had an "unfair advantage" heading into Wednesday's League Cup game after their WSL game against Chelsea was postponed.

• Beard said "we only have one fit goalkeeper going into the weekend" and that the club have had no joy bringing a player in via emergency loan because "there is just no one available".

• On Eva Spencer and Zara Shaw's England call-ups for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup: "It’s great. It shows the good work that’s done within our youth system here."

• Overall he said his side are playing catch up and are "a little bit behind where we should be".

• However he stressed: "There are still 20 league games to play, so I am not concerned or worried."

• On Tottenham, he said: "Robert [Vilahamn] did a great job last year. They are a lot stronger this year."

• While he praised Spurs' improvement, Beard said: "We have improved ourselves if you look at the squad depth we have now. It’s so early in the season. Yes we are ambitious and want to break into the top three, so does every other club in the WSL."