Women's Super League

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Former Manchester City players Ellen White and Jen Beattie, who both played under Gareth Taylor, have questioned the timing of his sacking as head coach on Monday.

City are fourth in the Women's Super League, 12 points adrift of defending champions Chelsea, but are still competing in three cup competitions.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast, White said: "Very odd timing I would say - it's super strange.

"I feel a bit sorry for him because [he had] a lot of injuries. But you've got to throw it back to the club at the same time to be like - are you invested into this team, where do you want this team to go?

"He could have gone months ago, last year potentially. I don't think they're in that bad a position at the moment. It's just the weirdest timing ever."

Beattie said it was the players she felt for most and the impact it has on their cup final preparation.

"It's the timing for me, absolutely wild, five days before a cup final.

"I understand the decision making, but I do think the timing was really, really unfair on the players."

Nick Cushing, who left the club in May 2020, has returned as interim boss until the end of the season.

Both White and Beattie worked under Cushing in his previous spell at City and believe he is the right choice to take the club forward.

"He understands what Man City is about, he understands the club, the expectations and he is a figure that a lot of people will know," said White.

"I think he's got some great ideas. He's very diligent, he's very tactical, he's good at communication and he loves being on the grass. He's a very, very good coach."

Beattie played under Cushing for four seasons at City and was part of the WSL-winning side in 2016 and won two FA Cups and two League Cups under him.

"In my experience under Nick, Nick had this unbelievable ability to make you focus on the task in hand and to be able to shut out the noise," she said.

"He will be able to take this chaotic time for the team, simplify it, and allow them to focus on the games."

The latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly is now available on BBC Sounds.

Ellen White, Jen Beattie and Ben Haines discuss the sacking of Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor days before the League Cup final against Chelsea.

White and Beattie share their insight on interim boss Nick Cushing, who they have both played under, and why he is the right fit. City's Vivianne Miedema also talks about the departure of Taylor heading into a crucial run of fixtures.

Plus hear from Lucy Bronze as she prepares for her first final with Chelsea as Sonia Bompastor's side go for the quadruple.

Listen here

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Sonia Bompastor is hopeful that injured Chelsea duo Naomi Girma and Keira Walsh will be available for the League Cup final against Manchester City on 15 March.

Speaking before the FA Cup quarter-final tie against Crystal Palace, the Blues manager, however, confirmed that Sunday's cup tie at Kingsmeadow comes too early for Girma and Walsh.

"Naomi and Keira won't be available for the game on Sunday, but we have a chance to have them next Saturday for the cup final," said Bompastor.

World record signing Girma made her Chelsea debut at Brighton earlier this month but the United States defender was forced off on the hour mark because of an injury.

Walsh, who joined from Barcelona in January, also has not featured since the Women's Super League leaders' 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Bompastor also provided an update on striker Sam Kerr, who has been sidelined since sustaining an anterior crucial ligament injury in January 2024.

"Sam is still working hard to come back," the Chelsea boss said.

"She was again with us in training sessions this week, still being protected. We don't have a timeframe for her to come back in the squad."

Callum Matthews
BBC Sport journalist

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Chelsea's 3-1 win over Leicester City extended their lead at the top of the Women's Super League and continued their charge towards a quadruple.

However, it may have created some questions for boss Sonia Bompastor and was a reminder of the significant hurdles that they face in the remaining weeks of the season.

She made five changes from their 2-2 draw with Brighton on Sunday and the former Lyon boss admitted pre-match that she has one eye on what is to come in March.

An FA Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace is next on Sunday before four successive games against Manchester City in the League Cup final, Champions League last eight and WSL.

The period will define Chelsea's season and Bompastor's first campaign in England.

They will have to improve drastically if they want to win all - or at least the majority - of those trophies.

Against Leicester, who are one of only two teams to take a point off Chelsea this season, they were disjointed in attack and lacked energy and tempo until three second-half substitutes.

Those changes came after Leicester pulled a goal back to trial 2-1 and Bompastor, who cut an agitated figure throughout, kicked a chair in the dugout in frustration.

They improved for the changes but were wasteful in front of goal and often lacked the necessary bodies in the box to really put Leicester under pressure.

Bompastor admitted that her changes are causing the team to be "less fluid".

"I don't think it's confidence," she said to Sky Sports. "We have been rotating the squad a lot and sometimes we are less fluid than in the beginning of the season.

"I think we've missed a little bit of chemistry at times in the team.

"I'm not too worried, I know the quality of my squad and the talent in my team.

"I have depth in my squad and it is nice to rotate because it gives the opportunity to every player in my squad to show the qualities that they have."

Chelsea went eight points clear at the top of the Women's Super League after a 3-1 win over Leicester on Wednesday. Here is what the managers said after the game:

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor: "Really important. This result means a lot. When you just dropped points it's really important to win the game after and the reaction was good from my players, but I was expecting that."

On the performance: "We were able to score really quickly. We had a lot of opportunities. We could have been more clinical in the box. When we were 2-0 up we cannot concede the goal we conceded. When you are winning 2-0 you need to control more things and we gave the goal to Leicester. We need to control the game in that aspect."

On big games coming up: "We are ready mentally, physically and in all the aspects. We are really looking forward to those moments. It is in these big games you can win titles."

Leicester boss Amandine Miquel speaking to Sky Sports: "We played well in and out of possession. The attitude and character we showed tonight is important. We did give them some trouble and that's the most important thing."

On if she is making steady progress with Leicester: "When you take a new club it is a new way of organising and a lot of changes and it takes time. Now we are doing a bit better and the players are understanding what we want to do."

On how Ruby Mace is after she was taken off on a stretcher: "We don't know. We prefer not to say anything until we have a scan and more information. We hope she will be fine."

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

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It was a tale of substitutions on Wednesday evening as West Ham and Manchester City drew 1-1.

For the second time in three days City relied on second half substitutes to spark them into life, only this time they couldn't hold out for victory.

Khadija Shaw extended her lead at the top of the WSL scoring charts with her 12th goal of the campaign to put City ahead, the third of four shots she took in just 25 minutes on the pitch.

City looked set to leapfrog Arsenal into third place, albeit having played a game more, but West Ham substitute Manuela Pavi popped up on the left side of the penalty area and bent a shot past Ayaka Yamashita to earn the hosts a point.

A draw was the least the home side deserved, after pressing City relentlessly all evening and preventing them from finding any real rhythm.

A trip to Chigwell Contruction Stadium is now one of the toughest assignments in the WSL; West Ham have won four of their last six home league games.

City will be four points adrift of the final Champions League qualification place if third-place Arsenal win their game-in-hand, so Taylor's side really cannot afford any more slip-ups if their want to return to Europe's top table next season.

That's easier said than done; with four meetings across three competitions with Chelsea this month, Taylor's squad is set to be tested to their limits.

Image source, Brighton & Hove Albion

Midfielder Olivia Johnson has signed her first professional contract with Brighton.

The 18-year-old joined the club from Crystal Palace in 2021 and has since made 35 appearances for the Under-19s.

She made her first-team debut in March 2024 against Bristol City.

"We're really excited Olivia has signed her first professional contract," said women's and girls' academy manager Perry Northeast.

"She's a talented young player who has shown fantastic growth in her four years at the club. She has had valuable opportunities to train and play alongside our women's first-team in the last two seasons, including making her debut in the WSL last season.

"We're eager to see how she develops for the remainder of the season and in the years ahead."