Women's Super League

Brighton boss Dario Vidosic has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Crystal Palace (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Crystal Palace "are getting better and better every week", says Vidosic and he believes it will "100% be a tough game" this weekend.

• Vidosic says the fans will make it clear that it is a derby match and that "adds an extra edge" to the fixture.

• He adds: "We’re excited for it. It was the first game I was told about when I arrived. You love a derby week and we’re ready for it."

• Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor said the way he set up his side to face Brighton was similar to how he approached their 2-0 win over Barcelona, and Vidosic says it is a "huge compliment" to be discussed in the same bracket as the "best team in the world".

• He adds: "A lot of people hold Barca to that accolade - that they are the best and they are the European champions. For us to be so short in our journey and be compared to them, is a huge compliment. I have to be very thankful and appreciative of that."

• Vidosic also hopes his side will "go out and dictate the game" against Palace.

Liverpool boss Matt Beard has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Manchester City (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Midfielder Sofie Lundgaard was "upset and down" after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against Tottenham but is starting to get "back to good spirits", says Beard.

• She was in the gym on Friday morning to see the players despite waiting for surgery on her knee injury.

• "We will support her through that process and keep her involved as much as we can," added Beard.

• Manchester City were "excellent" in their 2-0 win over Barcelona in the Women's Champions League this week, says Beard.

• He adds: "We know where we are. We've beaten Manchester City before and they have beaten us. It will be a tough game. We will concentrate on our game and hopefully that is enough."

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Women's Super League game against Arsenal (kick-off 13:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• Hannah Hampton, Erin Cuthbert and Catarina Macario will be available to face Arsenal.

• Bompastor was pleased with a "good result" against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

• She said her side are "ready for a big game, a derby" against Arsenal, but she is expecting a "tough game".

• Despite it being a "special" fixture, the Blues boss believes it's "three points, the same as the other ones".

• Bompastor said it was nice to collect her Manager of the Month award alongside Enzo Maresca, adding: "That's always a good recognition even though I just want to thank my players because they are the ones doing good."

• "It's part of the job" to play in bigger stadiums and her players are "ready mentally" to play at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Women's Super League game against Chelsea (kick-off 13:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Laura Wienroither is unavailable for a "couple more weeks", while Lina Hurtig is very close to returning to the squad.

• Eidevall said he was "really disappointed" with the last 15 minutes of their 5-2 defeat by Bayern Munich.

• "It leaves us with a bitter feeling but it's a tough learning point," he added.

• On whether Saturday's game against Chelsea has more weight than other games, Eidevall said: "Everything is a must-win game. That has to be the mentality."

• He said Sonia Bompastor has set a "clear trademark" at Chelsea, who "look like a really good football team".

• Eidevall thinks Mariona Caldentey's winning mentality is "one of the best I’ve worked with".

• On interactions between fans and players at games, the Gunners boss said the club are "monitoring the situation".

Aston Villa boss Robert de Pauw has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Leicester (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rachel Corsie and Jill Baijings remain sidelined, while Anna Leat and Georgia Mullett are closing in on a return to team training.

• De Pauw said it is "disappointing" that an appeal to reduce Paula Tomas' impending three-match ban was rejected.

• On Tomas' red card against Brighton, he added: "It's a little bit unreasonable. You get a penalty which is mostly a goal, you lose the game in that moment because you are one player down."

• Despite the defeat, De Pauw thought his team "fought like lions".

• On facing Leicester, he said "it will be two teams battling for a first win".

• "There's quality in their squad so we have to be ready," De Pauw added.

• The Villa boss said "everybody is still hungry to push" despite a tough start to the season.

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Liverpool (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• The club "need a bit longer to assess" Naomi Layzell following the injury she picked up against Barcelona, but that it's "positive news compared to what we anticipated".

• Laia Aleixandri is available despite suffering a dead leg against Barcelona.

• Taylor believes their Champions League win against Barcelona on Wednesday can "ignite us" for the season ahead.

• The City boss said the atmosphere at Joie Stadium was "sensational" and that he hoped that could be recreated in the future.

• He is pleased with his team's defensive record so far this season, adding "five clean sheets in six games against solid opposition is really positive for us".

• Asked whether Liverpool can be WSL title contenders this season, he said: "I don't see why not".

• Taylor added it's a "really good" experience for his players to play at Anfield.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Tottenham (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Anna Sandberg will be out with a knee injury until before Christmas, or just after, Skinner confirms.

• Melvine Malard will also likely miss the next two matches with a hamstring strain picked up in the Women's League Cup win over Liverpool.

• Skinner feels Man Utd "are in a good space" after their first two matches of the season.

• "We’re still learning I can tell that," he adds. "There are parts of our game where we are not smooth. I think you will see similarities, it’s still our style, but we’ve seen individuals do things differently."

• Grace Clinton, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham, has "impressed" Skinner with her off-the-ball "intelligence and intensity".

• On Clinton, he adds: "Forget her having the ball, that’s her super strength. Off the ball, I have been really impressed and that is something I will judge her game on. When she does that properly as second nature, that is when we will really see the footballer she is."

• Skinner says United "won't take Tottenham lightly" and describes them as a "team who can score goals and create chances".

Leicester City boss Amandine Miquel has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Aston Villa (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• There are no new injury concerns ahead of the weekend.

• There isn't any timescale in place for forward Lena Petermann's return.

• Miquel is pleased with two of their three WSL matches so far this season (D1, L2) and said "it's not an overall bad start".

• She said Leicester had used its one 'joker' for an "awful performance" in their defeat by Crystal Palace, adding "you're allowed one, we took it in the third game and now we don't have a joker anymore."

• It "would be nice to win a game at some point" but she is focusing on the performances.

• Miquel said: "I think it brings stress to people to focus on special moments and declare you need points at those moments. It's not a good way of working."

• The Leicester boss said she wants to improve her side's defence before anything else.

• On Aston Villa, Miquel said: "There are areas to exploit that we are working on."

Everton boss Brian Sorensen has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against West Ham (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Elise Stenevik is likely to be out until Christmas with a hamstring issue which Sorensen says is "another blow" to the squad given recent injuries.

• The draw with Arsenal showed the "toughness, resilience and belief" from Everton.

• Sorensen says Everton are a team who need "sharpness to take the chances we get" and that will help them pick up more results.

• He adds: "When we are in control, we always try to win. We never set a team up to draw. That is what we will do against West Ham."

• Sorensen says West Ham could be a tougher match to prepare for than Arsenal at the Emirates given the "unpredictability" they have.

• "They are tough to play against. They have quality up front and can hurt you. They are direct at times and are unpredictable," says Sorensen. "I think it could be an even tougher job trying to control it at West Ham than going to the Emirates because of the unpredictability of their game. They maybe have the same problem we do where they don’t score as much as they create."

Tottenham boss Robert Vilahamn has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Manchester United (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Amy James-Turner, Shuang Wang and Ella Morris remain sidelined.

• Vilahamn said it was "really hard" to have performed well in the second half against Liverpool but still lose in the last minute.

• He thought it was a "very soft penalty", but he added he does not want to "take sides" in the VAR debate.

• Vilahamn said Grace Clinton, who spent last season on loan at Spurs, has "taken last season into this season and performed well" for Manchester United.

• Asked whether Tottenham tried to sign Clinton, he said: "The board wanted to push the button and buy her but they were not willing to sell."

• Vilahamn thinks Clare Hunt can become "one of the best centre-backs in this league".

• He said it will be a "fun game" against Manchester United and that "we know how we can hurt them".

• "If we want to break into the Champions League, Manchester United are one of the teams we need to be better than," the Spurs boss added.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It's been a disappointing week for Arsenal, who fell to a 5-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Women's Champions League last night, after a goalless draw with bottom side Everton in the Women's Super League on the weekend.

Arsenal sit sixth in the WSL table after three matches with just one narrow win over Leicester City on the board.

It means pressure has been building on manager Jonas Eidevall as Arsenal prepare for Saturday's crucial WSL showdown with rivals Chelsea.

Some members of the fanbase are already calling for Eidevall to step down but there is no suggestion a decision from the club is imminent.

They backed Eidevall last season by agreeing a new three-year deal with the Swedish manager in October and they recruited strongly again this summer.

Arsenal have made it known they want to compete for silverware in all four competitions this season, and understand pressure will increase after a slow start, but Saturday's result is unlikely to sway their thinking.

Crystal Palace boss Laura Kaminski has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Brighton (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• Shanade Hopcroft is "progressing really well" after picking up an injury in pre-season.

• Kaminski said it has taken a couple of weeks to adapt to the difference in "intensity and tempo" in the WSL.

• "It was a good feeling" to get their first WSL win against Leicester but "we need to keep our feet on the ground and remember this is just the beginning for us".

• On Annabel Blanchard, who scored twice against Leicester, Kaminski said: "I thought she was outstanding."

• She said it "was only a matter of time" before Blanchard and Katie Stengel started linking up in front of goal.

• Kaminski said Brighton recruited well in the summer and have a "fantastic manager" in Robert Vilahamn, but "I back my team to combat their strengths".

• On improvements to their home stadium's pitch, Kaminski said: "We need a good playing surface to play good football and the club have recognised that and acted. I'm so proud of the investment that has been made."

West Ham boss Rehanne Skinner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Everton (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• Kristie Mewis is out with a calf injury, but Skinner is "unsure" how long the midfielder will be sidelined for.

• Defender Kirsty Smith returns from injury and is available to face Everton.

• Skinner said "game on game we’ve been improving" and more players are becoming "90-minute ready" as the season progresses.

• She described Everton as a "tough, hard-working team".

• On Everton's injury crisis, Skinner said: "They've had a difficult time these last few weeks. You wouldn't wish that on anyone."

• She believes Viviane Asseyi's goal against Manchester City last weekend should have stood, adding: "We've drawn lines all over the pitch, we know that was onside."

• Asked if that decision showed a need for VAR in the women's game, Skinner said there needs to be more investment and resources available to referees first.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa left-back Paula Tomas will serve a three-match suspension after an appeal to reduce her impending ban was unsuccessful.

The 23-year-old was shown a red card by referee Ryan Atkin in the 76th minute of Sunday's Women's Super League loss at Brighton after a challenge on Kiko Seike.

Tomas will now not be eligible for Villa's encounters with Leicester City, Manchester City and Liverpool in the coming weeks.

The Spain international joined Villa in the summer after four years with Levante and had started the first three WSL of the season.

Robert de Pauw's side sit ninth in the WSL table after picking up one point from a possible nine.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa striker Georgia Mullett has signed a contract extension to keep her at the club until 2027.

The 19-year-old is a product of the Villa academy and made her debut in the Women’s Super League in November 2022.

England youth international Mullett has gone on to make 13 senior appearances for Villa but awaits her first goal.

Manager Robert de Pauw said: "We see Georgia as a young prospect with high potential.

"We want to help her maximise the ability she has and we are very happy to have a young striker like her in the team."

"We look forward to watching her develop in the years to come.”

Villa are winless in their opening three WSL games - drawing one and losing two.