Women's Super League

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn says it is "not total darkness" but it has been a "tough" season for the club due to a lack of consistency.

In Vilahamn's first season, Spurs reached the Women's FA Cup final and finished sixth in the Women's Super League table.

But they have struggled to regain momentum this year, winning just five of their 16 WSL matches and suffering heavy defeats by Manchester City and Arsenal.

"Consistency is what you need to break into the top four. If you always have ups and downs, you will always be in the middle of the table," Vilahamn told BBC Sport.

"I don't like to lose but if I want to win a lot, I have to deal with those bits. When you have these feelings you need to find a way to move forward.

"It's not total darkness, we are still mid-table and what we want to do with Tottenham means there is still a big step to go."

Spurs have been clear about their ambitions to get Champions League football and Vilahamn admits it is an important few months for the club to lay foundations.

"We have to make the right decisions in the club to make sure we can take those steps next year. That will be the third year with me," he added.

"The first year was really excellent and everything is 'wow', this year is kind of the same in the league so next year we have to take steps forward to close the gap.

"I want to make sure that we are looking the way we want to look when we play football and have the identity we want to have when we play out from the back.

"I'm not saying we will win [our last] six games but I want to make sure everyone speaks about Tottenham and knows the way we want to play."

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Liverpool and Scotland defender Jenna Clark has signed a new contract with the club.

The 23-year-old has made 46 appearances for Liverpool since joining in the summer of 2023 from Glasgow City.

"It feels amazing," she said. "Liverpool to me feels like home, in the club, in the city and I've enjoyed a good year and a half here already. I'm looking forward to the future.

"For us as a team, we just want to finish this season on a high and as strong as we can.

"For me individually, it's just to carry on and try and help the team as much as I can."

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Brighton manager Dario Vidosic says he is paying no attention to the Women's Super League table as the end of the season approaches.

The Seagulls find themselves fifth, 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.

Asked whether there's a competition between Brighton and Liverpool, who are a point behind in sixth, to finish in that fifth spot, Vidosic said his only focus was on getting a maximum of 18 point from their six remaining games.

"We don't want to just feel that we're in a competition with Liverpool only. That sort of disrespects everything, and there are good teams around us," he said.

"We know we've still got a lot of tough games to go. There's no easy games until the end of the season.

"Doesn't matter what the table says where you are, because anyone can beat anyone on the day if you're not prepared, if you're not ready."

He added: "We're going out there to worry about the performance, worry about how we apply ourselves each day in training and just try to do the right things. When you do that, then you give yourself the best opportunity."

Here are more key lines from his news conference before Sunday's trip to Leicester (kick-off at 15:30 GMT):

• Vicky Losada and Jelena Cankovic are close to making their returns, while Bex Rayner is back in training.

• The trip to Leicester comes too soon for Bruna Vilamala.

• Vidosic said Brighton took a lot of learnings from their League Cup meeting against Leicester, which they won on penalties, earlier in the season.

• He said Leicester "can be very dangerous" and are likely to have more motivation after Crystal Palace's win last weekend.

• Vidosic is "curious" to learn more about the new seven-a-side women's football series that was launched on Thursday, but he has not talked about it with the club.

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Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo says her side were "too nervous" in their defeat against relegation rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Villa fell to a 3-1 defeat which left them just a point above bottom-placed Palace with six games remaining this season.

"Probably we were too nervous in that game, too much in a rush, too much wanting to win from the first minute," Arroyo said.

"We were playing the game they were waiting and wanting to play."

Arroyo, who took charge in January, said her side needed to manage their emotions better.

"This wanting, this willing, this going for the win - we need to manage it properly," added Arroyo before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Manchester United (kick-off at 16:30 GMT).

Here are more key lines from her news conference:

• Lucy Staniforth is back in training and will be part of the squad, but Noelle Maritz is suspended.

• Arroyo and her players "absolutely" believe they can turn things around and stay in the WSL.

• She expects a "difficult game" against a "super physical" and "super aggressive" Manchester United.

• Arroyo added: "We need to be focused every time, because they don't give you one second to breathe and we need to be ready for that."

• The Spaniard said she has had to be "patient" as Villa navigate a difficult period, adding: "I need to be flexible. I have my ideas very clear, but sometimes you cannot bring them now."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Everton want to make sure they "don't have to look down" in the table by picking up a victory over bottom club Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Manager Brian Sorensen says that is "really important" to relieve any lingering concerns about relegation in the Women's Super League.

The Toffees currently sit eighth in the table - seven points clear of Palace.

"It is really important, we know that. It is 90 minutes of football and anything can happen," said Sorensen.

"We just need to make sure that we are sharp, ready and at our best. I am very confident that we haven't got our last three points of the season.

"We want to make sure that we don't have to look down, and win that game. Palace have the tools to [stay up] but so do the other teams around them. We will see."

Here are more key lines from Sorensen's media conference ahead of Saturday's match (14:00 GMT):

• Clare Wheeler has recovered from illness, while Melissa Lawley picked up a minor injury in training but both are expected to be available for Everton.

• However, on-loan Chelsea forward Louna Ribadeira is set to miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.

• Sorensen says Everton are preparing for a "tough" game but are "ready" to face Palace.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United defender Millie Turner has signed a new three-year deal with the club.

The 28-year-old, who extends her stay until June 2028, graduated from United's academy and has become a key player for them in the Women's Super League.

She has made 167 appearances - the second-most of any player in the squad - since rejoining the club in 2018 when it launched its professional women's first team.

"She is one of the original [players in the squad] so she has a steep history with Manchester United," said manager Marc Skinner.

"I'm so excited. I've challenged Millie to be better. Her next challenge is to win things with Manchester United and get a place in the England squad consistently.

"We are so grateful that she is a big part of our team. She is in our leadership group so that shows how important she is to us.

"I'm looking forward to that growth. Anyone who resigns, sees the future at Manchester United. All the noise is false. It shows a lot about our environment."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner says his side need to take advantage of Aston Villa's "tough" period in the Women's Super League.

Villa currently sit one point above the relegation spot having lost five successive matches in the WSL, including last week's 3-1 defeat by bottom club Crystal Palace.

"With the quality in the squad and the investment they have made, I'm sure they wouldn't want to be where they are in the league," said Skinner.

"Our job is to make them feel that pressure, be us and be aggressive. It has to be our aim. I say that with the utmost respect.

"It has to be the same against every team we play. It doesn't matter if it's against Villa at the bottom or Chelsea at the top. We have got to continue."

Here are more key lines from Skinner's media conference ahead of Sunday's match (16:30 GMT kick-off):

• United defender Gabby George came off with a foot injury in the defeat by Liverpool but will be training fully with the squad on Friday.

• Skinner says the team have six games left in the WSL and the Women's FA Cup semi-final in which to finish the season on a high.

• He does not "fear for Villa" despite their position in the table and believes new manager Natalia Arroyo can get the best out of them going forward.

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Crystal Palace manager Leif Smerud says last week's victory over relegation rivals Aston Villa has brought "a lot of energy" to the team.

The 3-1 win moved bottom club Palace to within a point of Villa with six games remaining of the season.

"It impressed me a lot because high-pressure games like that are not easy," Smerud said.

"This team has had a tough season so far, coming from many bad experiences, especially at the end of games where they have lost some points and victories.

"To manage to ride the storm and perform under those conditions... was very important. Mentally that was a demanding place for a team be.

"Of course it brings a lot of energy, so that's been noticeable during this week. Now, it's about resetting, which we've done, and going again."

Palace travel to Everton on Saturday (14:00 GMT kick-off) for their third game under Smerud, who says he is enjoying the challenge in the WSL.

"The club has been fantastic in bringing me in and integrating me quickly. I felt welcome from day one, and the league is just as competitive as I expected.

"It's a really interesting league with different kinds of games, different teams, different styles. I'm enjoying it, it's really fun, and I look forward to new games and new opportunities."

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Liverpool interim manager Amber Whiteley said she has been open about wanting the permanent position because she believes "that's where my skillset lies".

Whitely has consistently said she wants to be considered for the role after Matt Beard was sacked last month.

She has won all three matches in charge, knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup and defeating Manchester United at Anfield on Friday.

"I've always been quite open about wanting the position because that is a role that I will move into in the future. I think that's where my skillset lies," Whiteley said.

Her side travel to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the Women's Super League on Saturday (17:30 GMT kick-off).

Whiteley said her attention is in on that game and the recruitment process "has got to be put to one side".

"We will see what happens on that front but the focus remains on Arsenal," she added.

Here are more key lines from Whiteley's news conference:

• Liverpool were "really good" against Manchester United at Anfield, but that game "feels like a lifetime ago".

• Players that missed that game because of illness are back in training.

• The Reds "have got to raise our level" against what Whiteley expects to be an "improved" Arsenal.

• She added: "We're definitely in a good place. Confidence wise we go into this Arsenal game in a good spot".

• Whitely said Olivia Smith is "so talented" and has been "brilliant" both on and off the ball over the past few weeks.

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Leicester manager Amandine Miquel says she has "lost count" of the number of injuries her side have as they head into a crucial point of the season.

Ruby Mace, Lena Petermann and Jutta Rantala are among those currently sidelined for the Foxes, who are just three points above bottom side Crystal Palace.

Speaking at her media conference ahead of their game at home to Brighton on Sunday (15:00 GMT kick-off), Miquel said: "We're at our highest level of injured.

"Some might come back for this game, half of this game, the other games, but we'll see on Sunday."

Leicester's only league wins this season have come at home but Miquel does not think that puts added pressure on her side for this weekend.

"We haven't given up on winning away, it's not forbidden, so we are allowed to win away.

"We know it's a tough league so I haven't felt relaxed at any moment even though there were more points difference [between Leicester and Palace].

"I don't think it's the type of league where you can relax until the last minute of the last game. That's how it should be, that's why we came here."

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Tottenham defender Molly Bartrip says the team have to "prove why we should be in this league" in their final six games of the Women's Super League season.

Spurs currently lie seventh in the table having lost their past four league matches in a row, including last weekend's 1-0 defeat by Brighton.

She told BBC Sport: "It's been a bit of a rollercoaster. We've had some really good performances, and some we're definitely not proud of.

"I think you can look throughout the season and see there are lots of things we can improve on. The weekend's result was not good enough. With our standards, we set them a lot higher than that.

"Overall we have six games left so we have to kick on and prove why we should be in this league and prove to each other why we should be fighting for each other."

Her side travels to West Ham on Sunday (12:00 GMT kick-off), while they also face relegation candidates Leicester and Aston Villa in their final six games.

"All the games are winnable," says Bartrip. "The teams we are playing are in and around us. We should be looking at it positively in that way.

"Looking at the quality in the squad, we have it in us. We just have to make sure we are doing it at the weekend."

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist

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Former England striker Ellen White believes Crystal Palace have "dragged" other Women's Super League teams into a relegation battle with their "absolutely huge" 3-1 victory over fellow strugglers Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace condemned Natalia Arroyo's side to a fifth successive defeat to keep their hopes of top-flight survival alive.

"This is absolutely huge. This was a six-pointer for them," White told BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast.

"I think it's huge. The momentum that I reckon it's created in-house will be absolutely massive, and I don't want to say it, but I think that other teams could be dragged into this. All the pressure is now on Villa.

"I think he's [Leif Smerud] made huge changes psychologically for that team, cultural-wise, giving them the belief, desire and fight. And I think that's what they've needed, and they showed that against Aston Villa."

Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Jen Beattie added: "I'm more worried about Villa at this point in time with five losses on the bounce, that's really tough.

"But Palace have to look at key games they know they can pick up points because they've proven that they can do it against Villa. 3-1 is an unbelievable result."

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

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie review Chelsea's win in the League Cup final, and assess where this leaves them ahead of their next three matches against Manchester City between now and next Thursday.

There is an interview with Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor on why results are more important than performances at this stage of the season.

They also look at the complaints about the pitch during Saturday's final at Pride Park, and ask whether the League Cup final should move to Wembley.

Listen here.

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Arsenal's Alessia Russo said her success in front of goal this season is partly down to enjoying her football again.

The England international is closing in on her best-ever club campaign with 15 goals already this season, one shy of last season's tally of 16.

"I'm just enjoying my football," Russo said. "I always play my best football when I'm happy and I'm enjoying the games. At the moment I just can't wait for the games to come around.

"I feel happy and valued within the team which is always nice. I am just trying to get the best out of myself and help how I can get the best out of others too."

Despite her leading the scoring charts for Arsenal, Russo still feels there is room for improvement.

"I always try and work on things throughout the season and throughout time in general," she said.

"I still feel like there is lots I want to work on and lots that I want to keep getting better at.

"In the nine I probably didn't understand to begin with how much work and how much there is to learn in the position. The older you get, the cleverer you get in the position in the sense that it's all tiny moments and fine margins but I am enjoying myself, I'm enjoying learning and I want to keep working hard."

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Fara Williams said "it is not quite happening" for Aston Villa, but believes they have the right structure in place to turn things around.

Villa have lost five successive Women's Super League games and are winless under new boss Natalia Arroyo. They are just one point above the relegation zone after Sunday's loss to bottom club Crystal Palace.

"It's an interesting one," Williams told the Women's Football Show.

"The games I have seen they have dominated possession, they have dominated the final third, they have had numerous shots on target they just haven't been able to put the ball in the back of the net and that has been part of the problem.

"If you think back to two seasons ago when everything Rachel Daly touched went in the back of the net, it's not quite happening for them.

"I don't think it's because they are not structurally set up correctly. I think they are in a good place, they just can't get the result."

Watch the Women's Football Show on iPlayer