Women's Super League

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton midfielder Maisie Symonds said there was a "complete shift" in mentality at the club this season after signing players who knew what it took to win.

Among those to join in the summer was England internationals Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris, who were part of the squad that won Euro 2022.

Symonds also named Michelle Agyemang, her England under-23s team-mate who joined on loan from Arsenal, as a strong aquisition.

"In the last few years, we have been really building. This year, when our coach Dario Vidosic came in and big players, it showed we were attracting top [talent]," said Symonds.

"They have that win-at-all-costs mentality. You can feel it in our training sessions and in matches.

"It was a complete shift this season, at the beginning, that you could feel straight away."

Brighton have had a strong season overall, sitting fifth in the Women's Super League table - but they have dipped in form.

They have not won in their last five league matches and were knocked out of the Women's FA Cup this month.

"We've had a really tough period since Christmas. We've been wanting to pick up momentum but things have fallen against us," added Symonds, who is currently on international duty with England's under-23s, preparing to face France on Tuesday.

"We're still in a great position and we want to keep looking up. We need to find the mojo we had at the start of the season again."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City defender Naomi Layzell was on course for the perfect evening when she scored a goal and assisted another on her Women's Champions League debut, helping her side stun defending champions Barcelona.

But 20-year-old Layzell, who had not scored a goal in her career prior to that night in October, was forced off with an injury right at the end of the match.

She is back fit again now and on international duty with the England Under-23s team for Tuesday's game against France, hoping to regain the form she had shown prior to her injury.

"Straight afterwards, I didn't know what the injury was and I was so happy with the performance," said Layzell.

"But when I had a few setbacks with my injury afterwards it was tough to go through that. I expected to come back a lot earlier and it just kept being put back.

"That was really frustrating. You can never really predict when injuries will come. I was hoping to build some momentum.

"I've been fortunate with injuries mainly in my career. It's the first injury that's been more difficult in that sense. I had moved clubs so it was a lot to tackle at once."

Manchester City's Women's Super League game against Chelsea will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer.

WSL leaders Chelsea got the better of Gareth Taylor's side in November's reverse meeting, winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

The match on 23 March is the second of four matches inside 12 days that the two sides will meet, with the League Cup final on 15 March and Champions League quarter-finals scheduled for 23 and 27 March.

City are currently fourth in the WSL, 12 points behind Sonia Bompastor's side.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw performing the Black Power salute was an "incredibly powerful image" in response to the racist abuse she suffered, says her former City team-mate Ellen White.

Shaw returned to City's starting line-up on Sunday for the first time since withdrawing from the League Cup semi-final against Arsenal earlier this month after receiving abuse online.

After scoring the first of her two goals against Liverpool, she stood with her right fist raised and her head bowed.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast, White said: "Taking herself away from the game must have been a horrible moment and feeling but obviously she needed that time.

"And then to come back and perform and do the thing that she loves – phenomenal finishes by the way - shows the type of person she is, the type of player she is. I've just got real love for her to be honest.

"It's real strength of character – to have to go through something like that and then go back on the football field, which is something that you love and just show everyone I'm here to stay - just an incredible person."

Former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie added: "We all pride ourselves in the women's game about how progressive it is and then things like this [abuse] happen and you realise 'no, we're nowhere near as far forward as we think we can be and we should be'."

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 reflect on the last weekend of the WSL before the international break.

White gives an insight into what makes Bunny Shaw such a prolific striker and what a huge player she is for Manchester City.

It was a massive weekend for Arsenal in the North London derby, while the team also discuss England with Chloe Kelly being called into the squad to replace injured Beth Mead.

Listen here.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo "is like a new signing" for the club, according to former Gunners defender Gilly Flaherty.

The England international has scored eight goals in 10 Women's Super League games since Renee Slegers took charge in October, finding the net again in the 5-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

Under former manager Jonas Eidevall she failed to score in the opening four league matches this season.

"She is just looking so much more confident," Flaherty told the BBC's Women's Football Show.

"I think it's important for Arsenal that they keep her central because she's such a livewire in there. She's so dangerous with her head, with either feet.

"She has got the bit between her teeth and she is full of confidence."

Russo, who will join up with the Lionesses this week for games against Portugal and Spain, told BBC Sport she was enjoying her football under the Dutchwoman.

"There's a lot of work that we're doing in the background but it's really fun, as forwards we're getting lots of finishing [practice], so it's nice to see it come to fruition."

For more analysis and highlights from all six of Sunday's WSL games, watch the Women's Football Show.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport journalist at Joie Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

With their talismanic striker back fit and firing, Manchester City looked like their old selves once again.

Liverpool were the unfortunate side in the firing line - they have now lost eight of their previous nine league games at City, who in turn have beaten the Reds in 10 of the last 12 WSL meetings.

For City this was do or die. Four defeats in six league games have killed their title hopes, another loss might have ended their Champions League qualification bid.

And they found that win thanks in large part to Khadija Shaw, who after two months of injury recovery and half-fit sub cameos was fit and firing tonight.

The goals she scored were classic Shaw, both controlled with back to goal before pinpoint finishes taken on the turn.

And the celebration afterwards, raising her first aloft in a 'black power' salute, was just as important.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Fran Kirby made her much-awaited return from injury but could not stop Brighton from falling to a 3-1 defeat at West Ham in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

It was the England international's first appearance for the club since scoring a late winner to down the same opposition at the Amex Stadium back in November.

Brighton sit third in the table after that win but three months on, Dario Vidosic's side find themselves without a win in six league outings and occupy fifth place in the WSL table - 12 points behind Arsenal, who are currently third.

Former Chelsea attacking midfielder Kirby, who picked up the calf injury while on international duty in December, was brought on in the 73rd minute to replace Jelena Cankovic.

Vidosic will hope the 31-year-old, who scored three goals and created two assists this season, will help the Seagulls return to the right track with a trip against Kirby's former side Chelsea coming up after the international break.

Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Things seem to be clicking into place for Amandine Miquel.

At the start of the campaign her Leicester side were having major problems in front of goal - netting just three goals in their first 10 matches.

But recently, the Foxes have found their goalscoring boots and for the first time this season they have scored in three successive games.

What will please Miquel even more will be the nature of the three goals against Aston Villa.

The opener and Julie Thibaud's goal were well worked team goals, while Janice Cayman's second - a stunning volley from the edge of the box - is sure to challenge for goal of the season.

They could have had more, too, with new signing Hlin Eiriksdottir coming close twice, while Shana Chossenotte also proved a threat.

While the Foxes pull themselves away from trouble, Villa face a big challenge ahead with games against bottom-placed Crystal Palace and Everton, in ninth, crucial to their fight for WSL survival.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor says her side "missed some freshness" due to their recent run of fixtures, making it difficult as they required a stoppage-time winner to come from behind and beat Everton on Sunday.

Bompastor added that she thought the result showed how her players "really believe anything is possible for us."

Lauren James came to the rescue for the Blues as she netted a 93rd-minute winner. Mayra Ramirez had earlier scored to cancel out Kelly Gago's opener.

"It was a tough performance today. I was expecting that because when you play the same team one week after, it's always more difficult - especially for the team with dominance.

"Maybe today was a little bit more difficult because we missed some freshness in the legs. Probably it was more difficult. If you reflect on all of this block, we've played eight games in six weeks so that's really tough.

"I'm pleased with the result. That's also normal - sometimes the players are just tired and that's difficult."

Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

For Manchester United, only wins will do if they are to keep the pressure on and avoid Chelsea pulling even further ahead at the top of the table.

And as the game at Leigh Sports Village passed the hour mark, even a single point wasn't a guarantee against bottom-placed Crystal Palace.

The visitors had threatened before the break after Mille Gejl's leveller, while they defended resolutely in the early stages of the second half.

Allyson Swaby's goalline clearance had stopped Ella Toone from netting her fifth league goal of the season in the 56th minute.

But eventually the pressure told and Swaby couldn't repeat her heroics when Elisabeth Terland cleverly placed her shot just behind the retreating defender.

Her second of the afternoon and seventh league goal of the season showed the exact composure that Marc Skinner would have wanted when the club signed a new centre-forward - Brighton's top scorer last season - in the summer.

For Palace, they will be disappointed that they found themselves trailing early on after another costly error from goalkeeper Milla-Maj Majasaari.

As games continue to slip by and the threat of relegation looms, Laura Kaminski's side will need to pick themselves up again during the international break before their next WSL meeting with Liverpool.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Emirates Stadium

Image source, Reuters

Tottenham boss Robert Vilahamn understands there are risks when you play out from the back against top opposition.

He has suffered in his persistence that Tottenham will play "brave" football in possession and admitted this weekend it might make him look "stupid" when they lose 5-0.

That scoreline against any opponent is a tough one to take but it was even worse to suffer it against north London rivals Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

While Vilahamn's desire for attacking football is admirable, it is little consolation on days like this when Tottenham's defence is so easily torn apart.

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo made light work of defender Clare Hunt and the Gunners could easily have been 4-0 up by half-time had goalkeeper Lize Kop not produced several saves.

In the end, it was the perfect afternoon for Arsenal and Tottenham barely laid a glove.

Vilahamn admitted he was a "little bit worried" at the ease in which Arsenal carved them apart but it is not the first time it's happened this season - so should he be more concerned?

England international Chloe Kelly came off the bench to make her debut in a second spell at Arsenal as they thrashed north London rivals Tottenham. Here is what the managers said after the game:

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers speaking to BBC Sport: "The way we dominated today and nullified their threat, I'm very pleased with that and a clean sheet again.

"I think the unpredictability that we appear with now - it's hard to defend [against] us because we find different ways to do it and different ways to create chances. The clean sheet is important for us, we have different goal scorers which is part of our versatility at the moment.

"In the second-half we were a bit sloppy on the ball sometimes, yes it was 5-0 and a clean sheet, very happy with that, but we want to bring the game to the next level and I think there's a next level for us still."

Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn speaking to BBC Sport: "Overall, Arsenal were extremely good and better than us. The first 10-15 minutes were the best we had in the game and then they pushed us down and scored that goal. Then they are dictating the game.

"When we did the substitutions in the second half, we got back in the game a little bit. But then they were clinical when they got the chances as well. Fair play to them, they were really good."

"The concern is how we can makes sure we are better in and out of possession and compete better. We are right now having problems competing with top three teams.

"Then if you look at the goals we conceded, we need to fix how we defend our box better. We are working on it and making sure we need to get better on that."