Women's Super League

Ciara Fleming
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Reuters

Sonia Bompastor's side arrived at King Power Stadium aiming to set a new record with 10 wins from 10 in the Women's Super League but old foe Amandine Miquel proved one opponent too many as the sides played out a 1-1 draw.

Having met frequently during their time managing in France, Bompastor was wary of Miquel's ability to "surprise."

The Foxes boss kept true to form, setting up her side to frustrate the league leaders and in the main reduce them to long range efforts and speculative set pieces.

It was a truly outstanding rearguard performance with centre halves Sophie Howard and Sari Kees rock solid at its core. Wieke Kaptein's second half equaliser was the only blot on their pristine copy book.

With Chelsea picking up just one point their lead at the top now stands at six, instead of the expected eight, which hands title rivals Man City the opportunity to cut it down to just three with a win at Everton on Sunday.

At the bottom the point takes Leicester level with Aston Villa and Everton on six, and one clear of bottom side Crystal Palace.

How important could the result at King Power stadium prove to be? Only time will tell. For now it certainly sparks extra intrigue at both ends of the table.

Chelsea's 100% start to the season was ended by Leicester City after a battling 1-1 draw from the home side at King Power Stadium on Saturday. Here is what the managers said after the game.

Leicester's Amandine Miquel: "We were willing to give them a lot of trouble, it went very well because we scored on a rare occasion that we had, we have to be honest, we didn't have that many, but to be able to lead against this type of team and hold it so long is very important mentally for our team to move on from here.

"We tried to come out from the back, we wanted to attract them and it worked well with our different combinations that were to move up the pitch. And for once we had a bit more technical quality, which allowed us to get close to the goal and to keep the ball more. It's all down to technical quality sometimes."

Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor: "Really frustrated about the performance today and the result. When we talk abut ambitions we need to turn our words into action and I need the players to be ready from the start of the game.

"I give credit to Leicester because they were strong defensively. It was mentally tough. We have more talent than that and we should be able to beat this team today. If you have ambitions to finish at the top of the table then you cannot drop points like we did today.

"It's good now to see how we react from that and we analyse the performance to see how we move forward. We will stay together no matter what as that's really important."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton manager Dario Vidosic says there is "still a long way to go" but he is "proud" of how his players have performed so far this season.

Vidosic joined in the summer and oversaw a busy transfer window as Brighton invested to help their ambitions of breaking into the WSL's top three.

The Seagulls currently sit fifth in the table with five wins from nine matches as they head into Saturday's match against Tottenham (17:30 GMT).

"We maybe sometimes forget it's only nine games. From where we were at the start to where we are now…" said Vidosic.

"We went to the home of the champions last week and I was very proud of our efforts and the way we played. We put the fight to them.

"We are trying to figure out different ways that we can be effective. That's something we can be proud of. The players deserve their flowers.

"They have done really well but we know it's only nine games in. A long way to go, much for us to improve but we have to be very thankful for their efforts."

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Vidosic says he is "satisfied" with where Brighton are at this season despite some disappointing performances in the Women's League Cup.

• He says the squad have faced "hurdles and been challenged" at times this season and are learning to cope with the "new pressure" of being near the top.

• Tottenham have "lot of facets of their game they are very good at", says Vidosic and he expects a tough encounter.

• All teams are looking to finish on a "positive note" before the winter break, so Brighton have to be ready for that, insists Vidosic.

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Gareth Taylor said Manchester City are still waiting for the results of Alex Greenwood's scan on a knee injury suffered on Thursday.

City's captain was taken off on a stretcher in the first half of the 2-0 Champions League win over St Polten after an awkward collision with St Polten's Melanie Brunnthaler.

"The game was really late by the time it finished and late before I made contact with Alex," Taylor said. "She was ok but we are awaiting the results of her scan and are continuing to assess her.

"Hopefully she is ok because she has been crucial to what we have done not just this season but seasons past. Our thoughts are with Alex and we hope it's a speedy one."

Here are more key lines from Taylor's news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Everton (kick-off 12:30 GMT)

• Bunny Shaw has seen a specialist and "needs more extensive investigation" on a lower leg injury after missing Thursday's game. "Similar to Alex, we are waiting for more medical information before we can hatch a plan," Taylor said.

• Taylor said he will not use injuries as an excuse despite City's growing injury list: "We are missing big players. I have not hid away from that. We are having a tough time at the minute with injuries but there is no whinging about it at all from anyone."

• He praised Lily Murphy after scoring her first senior goal on Thursday and added: "She was exciting to watch, had really good opportunities and probably could have scored a hat-trick. Really pleased she got a goal because that will give her a lot of confidence."

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace boss Laura Kaminski said "there is positivity" heading into the second half of the season.

Palace are currently bottom of the Women's Super League, level on points with Leicester and only one point behind both Everton and Aston Villa.

"We are really happy with the players we brought into this journey," Kaminski said. "We know there have been opportunities to get more points on the board and that is what is so frustrating and disappointing. But there is light, there is positivity.

"The players deserve a lot of credit because they have come a long way and grown. As the second half of the season approaches us, fingers crossed we can put those lessons into good use.

"We are in and amongst it. Nobody is promoted or relegated right now. We are the newly-promoted side and the expectation was for us to be around the bottom. We are still with the pack, we are amongst it and there are positive signs."

Here are more lines from her news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Manchester United (kick-off 14:00 GMT)

• She said playing Marc Skinner's side is "a big challenge, but we are certainly up for it".

• She added: "This game closes the league before Christmas so the group are really confident around giving it their all. We have worked so hard and had some tough lessons."

• She said Palace "feel very comfortable" with both of their home venues and "really want to pick up points at home because that's important for us".

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Matt Beard said he and his players had a "heart-to-heart" on Monday to look at how they can move forward.

The Reds lost 4-0 to Manchester United on Sunday and currently sit seventh in the Women's Super League, nine points off the top four.

They bounced back with a 4-0 win over Everton in the League Cup on Wednesday.

"We had a bit of a heart-to -heart on Monday," Beard said. "We were saying we can't feel sorry for ourselves with the position we have had this year with injuries. It has happened, we have to get our heads down and get on with it.

"I just reminded players of basic fundamentals, the DNA of what has made us successful. I have been back here four years, this is the first time that we have had a bit of a blip.

"We went from the Championship to the Women's Super League where we finished seventh. We then finished fourth. We are not a million miles away from that top group. If we can finish sixth that would be an unbelievable achievement. We overachieved last year. We are doing a good job for where we are."

Here are more key lines from his news conference before Sunday's game against Arsenal (kick-off 14:30 GMT)

• Beard said the winter break "is coming at the right time for us and said in the new year he should have "pretty much a full squad to choose from apart from Sophie Lundgaard".

• He said it was a relief to get the first win at St Helens: "It was important we got that win done and dusted and hopefully we can move forward now."

• It was "the best news we could have got" with Leanne Kiernan's scan and Beard said she will be back in the new year.

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Rehanne Skinner said West Ham are "moving in the right direction" heading into the winter break.

The Hammers had a difficult start to the season but are full of confidence after three successive wins in all competitions.

Victory over Aston Villa will see West Ham head into the winter break five points clear of Sunday's opponents.

"We have dropped points in a couple of games we should have had more out of so we are a fraction behind where I wanted us to be at this point.

"They were tough games but across the board we have reduced the volume of goals we have conceded in comparison so last year. Our goal difference going the other way is improving game on game.

"We are moving in the right direction. We are going to go into this Christmas breakin a very positive place."

Here are more key lines from Skinner's news conference before Sunday's game (kick-off 14:00 GMT)

• On the current momentum, she said: "That is testament to the players. For us moving forward we want to make sure we stick at it consistently."

• Making it four successive wins "is the ultimate goal" and Skinner said "it puts us in a position we would have liked to be in by Christmas if we can do that".

• On facing Aston Villa in their first game since Robert de Pauw's departure, she said: "We know their attacking threat going forward and that can be a problem. We just have to make sure we are more diligent on the road."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester manager Amandine Miquel hopes to "spice it up" against Chelsea in this weekend's Women's Super League match.

Miquel spent seven years at French club Reims where she became familiar with Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor, who was in charge at Lyon.

The two Frenchwomen go head-to-head again on Saturday and Miquel hopes to live up to Bompastor's expectations of throwing surprises.

"It's true. Over the years in France when we played Lyon we tried to spice it up a bit and throw some surprises to make it not nice for them. With Chelsea, why not?" said Miquel.

"We will see. We have a few strange ideas and we will see if we try them or not. We have some options.

"[Bompastor] is a manager that I know well because I played her a lot in France and before she was manager at Lyon, she was the head of the academy.

"It doesn't make it easier. To prevent [Chelsea] from having a very good day will need us to give 200% and to be running a lot."

Here are the other key lines from Miquel's news conference:

• Miquel says the players will be given a "long time off" over the winter break to recover "physically and mentally"

• She admits it has been a "hard" period with one win from nine matches, which leaves them level on points at the bottom of the WSL table

• Leicester have been hit hard with injuries and Miquel says in an "ideal world" all her players would be fit in January but that will not be the case.

• She hopes her side can show their qualities against Chelsea and come away having "no regrets and feeling that we gave everything".

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham boss Robert Vilahamn said Saturday's Women's Super League game against Brighton is a "deal breaker" if his side want to finish in the top five this season.

Spurs recorded their highest-ever WSL finish last season as they ended the campaign in sixth place under Vilahamn.

Tottenham are currently sixth in the WSL and play a Brighton side on Sunday who sit six points above them in fifth.

"In one way it is a little bit of a deal breaker if we want to compete in the top five or six," Vilahamn said.

"On the other hand there are many games left after this. Even is we lose tomorrow and we are consistent after the new year we can still push for the top five.

"They had a good start to the season so I don't think anyone expects us to go there and smash them. We know if we have a good day we have a good chance to beat them. We want to be higher than Brighton in the table. If we want to compete with them this season we need to have a good result in this game.

"It will be very good if we go into the winter break with four wins in a row but the main thing is we keep growing and developing and the result will come."

Here are more key lines from Vilahamn's news conference before Saturday's game (kick-off 17:30 GMT)

• Vilhaman is pleased with the character shown by his players in their three successive wins. "It's a big thing to show the character and potential of this group. A lot of people thought we couldn't defend but we showed we can do that."

• He added: "When you become consistent that is when you are a top team. This is a journey and to build a team that are going to be a top team you need to go through tough teams. The last three games have shown we can come back from tough games."

• Becky Spencer has returned to training but will "probably not be in the squad" to face Brighton.

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal interim boss Renee Slegers said Alessia Russo's hard work is paying off as the forward is set to make her 50th appearance for the club.

England international Russo has played 49 times for the Gunners since joining from Manchester United in July 2023.

The 25-year-old is in fine form, scoring twice in both of Arsenal's games since the international break.

"Alessia like most of the squad is a player that works really hard," Slegers said. "She is determined to get the best out of herself. You see that in training.

"She works closely with Kelly Smith in training and reviewing games. Players that have this mindset always want to become better. They will eventually become better. I don't think there is any other result.

"Where it is going to end you don't know, but for Less I am very happy for her that all the work she is putting in is coming off."

Here are the other key lines from Slegers' news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Liverpool (kick-off 14:30 GMT)

• On six successive wins in all competitions, Slegers said: "Momentum builds momentum. That is good for us. As a team we are in a flow and that is positive but we need to stay sharp and keep looking at what we can do to stay there and develop it further."

• On Katie Reid's full debut in Thursday's Champions League win, Slegers said: ": We started Katie because we thought she was ready. She has been with us for a while now. She performs really well in training and has the respect of the other girls as well. She has been growing in the group. Her starting debut in the Champions League in a position that is not her first position, I was really happy with how she performed. She was very composed, got a lot of passes and decisions right."

• There is no fresh team news and all players came through the win over Valerenga. Slegers said "everyone is doing their job today to bring the energy again" after a short turnaround between games.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Everton boss Brian Sorensen says teenager Issy Hobson is "better" after being taken to hospital with concussion during their defeat by Liverpool on Wednesday.

Hobson was struck in the face with the ball in the 4-0 loss but returned to work on Thursday and is now following concussion protocols.

The 17-year-old will miss Sunday's Women's Super League clash with Manchester City but Everton are boosted by the news Karen Holmgaard has returned to training.

"We will try and see if we can finish [before the Christmas break] with a good result," said Sorensen.

"Despite the injuries [Manchester City] have, they are playing really well at the moment. Their positional play is second to none, so we will have to be super sharp."

Here are the other key lines from his news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game (kick-off 12:30 GMT)

• Sorensen says Everton need to get "better offensively" and they have been working on that in training.

• He insists it is "hard to score against us" and hope his team can stay disciplined for 90 minutes against City.

• The club remains confident the takeover will happen before the new year but Sorensen says there is "no update" he can provide.

• The takeover may affect their transfer business but they know what their targets are and Sorensen says new additions are needed "throughout the squad" to help long-term injury issues.

• He also stated there will "most likely not" be any players sold in January in order to bring in new recruits, as was the case this summer.

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said forward Lauren James is on track to return to action after the winter break in January.

England international James has not played since the 4-1 win over Arsenal in October after suffering a calf injury.

"LJ is progressing really well," Bompastor said. "We are talking with the staff about her return.

"It's always a little bit difficult because you want them back but you also want to protect them and not take too many risks. For LJ we will see her after the winter break in January for sure."

Forwards Mia Fishel and Sam Kerr are progressing well in their anterior cruciate ligament recovery.

"Mia and Sam are long-term injuries," Bompastor said. "The recovery is really individual. Each player will go with their own rhythm but we hope to have them as soon as possible.

"They are three really creative players, they really impact the game when they come in so as a manager I really hope to have them as soon as we can."

Here more key lines from Bompastor's news conference before Saturday's Women's Super League game against Leicester (kick-off 12:30 GMT)

• On Leicester, she said she knows boss Amandine Miquel "quite well" from their time in the French league and said: "She always tries to surprise me so I am ready for that".

• She said there will be no complacency against Leicester despite their position in the table. "Every game matters. If we cant to continue our momentum and our run, the mentality we have to have is to be ready from the beginning of every game."

• She praised Catarina Macario after goal involvements in her last two games and said: "Cat is a really talented world-class player so it's really important for us to have her on the pitch. Now she is in a good place, she was able to play 45 minutes against Brighton and start against Twente. We will see this weekend how we manager her."

• Bompastor confirmed the squad will travel to Portugal for a training camp during the winter break to prepare for the second half of the season.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa interim boss Shaun Goater says the club "needs to get results immediately" following the sacking of manager Robert de Pauw.

Villa are ninth in the Women's Super League table with one win from nine matches and they sit just one point above the relegation zone.

"We need to get results. This is our time. Everyone wants time, but in this situation here, we need to get results immediately," said Goater.

"It's a must-win because of where we are in the table. As a club, the aspirations are to be higher up and we've not had the start of the season we would have liked.

"We use the term 'must-win' and it is because we are better than we are. Therefore we need to show that, play with confidence and start to get results."

Goater said De Pauw's departure came as a surprise on the day but he insists there is a "belief" in the players.

"We are in a business of football where sometimes these things happen. On the day and when things unfolded, yes, I was surprised," he added.

"At the same time, the staff all got together and we made sure the players were right. That has been our intentions ever since.

"I don't know if a change [of manager] was needed, I just think in both boxes it needs to change. The responsibility is now on the players.

"They know that and understand that. All eyes are on them. The belief is in the players and we look forward to this game so we can start to perhaps get some momentum and start winning."

Here are more key lines from Goater's news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against West Ham (kick-off 14:00 GMT)

• Goater says it is "really important" for his senior players to show leadership as they go through this period.

• He will pick Sunday's team against West Ham and will be on the touchline, where Goater hopes to bring "calmness" to the players.

• Experiences as a player and a former assistant coach at Manchester City will help Goater, he says, as he urges his team to "play the Villa way".

• "I have within me, from those experiences, a fight to work until the end. In all fairness, we have that in abundance," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

There were worrying scenes for Manchester City on Thursday when captain Alex Greenwood was stretched off with what looked like a serious knee injury in the first half of their Champions League game against St Polten.

Greenwood immediately went to the ground and signalled for treatment after an awkward challenge with Melanie Brunnthaler.

The England international covered her face as she was stretchered off at Joie Stadium.

After the game boss Gareth Taylor said he did not yet know the extent of Greenwood's injury.

"Not at this stage," he said. "I turned away because I was frustrated we lost the ball in those areas. It was our own doing. We will just have to assess like with all the many other injuries we have got.

"We have two games to get through [before the winter break], we will check in on Alex and see how she is but it takes a lot for Alex to come off."

On how much Greenwood would be missed if it is a serious injury, he added: "Huge loss. We seem to be losing big players. Miedema, Lauren Hemp, Layzell, Bunny Shaw.

"If it's Alex it is going to make it really difficult for us. But the girls are good in that sense. The recovery levels are good and hopefully now once we get this break we have a little bit of time and don't miss these players for too long."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema has returned to training and boss Gareth Taylor expects to see her back on the pitch in the new year.

The forward has not played since the Champions League victory against Barcelona on 9 October and has since had surgery on her left knee.

"Viv is back out on pitch, which is great", Taylor said.

"The reality of it is we won't see her in these next three games before we break, but we're looking forward to getting her back in early January for when we restart.

"That's a big boost for everyone. She's a top player and any team would miss having a player like that."

Taylor said Chloe Kelly - who sustained a concussion on England duty - is likely to return before the winter break, but is "touch and go" for Thursday's Women's Champions League game against St Polten.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Having only joined the club six months ago, it has been a disappointing spell under Robert de Pauw.

Villa showed promise in their opening weekend defeat by defending champions Chelsea but ultimately, one win in nine WSL games, is not good enough for a club who had top five ambitions.

They increased their transfer budget this summer and spent a club-record £250,000 on Brazil forward Gabi Nunes, as well as a fee which could rise to £100,000 for Liverpool midfielder Missy Bo Kearns.

That backing, and raised expectations from previous seasons' success, meant scrutiny on De Pauw's position increased quickly from supporters when results failed to arrive.

Sources told BBC Sport that players had grown unhappy with his coaching methods and he was sent home earlier this week after one training session which may have been the catalyst for his early exit.

BBC Sport has approached Aston Villa for a response.

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

Ellen White and Nedum Onuoha join Ben Haines after the international break to discuss the brilliant form of Bunny Shaw.

Emma Sanders joins the team to talk Dan Ashworth's departure from Manchester United and what it means for the women's squad.

Listen on BBC Sounds