Women's Super League

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 are at the Arsenal training ground catching up with Alessia Russo and Lotte Wubben-Moy, who share an insight into what it's been like since Renee Slegers has been in charge and how that has helped on the pitch.

Russo and White discuss the pressure that comes with wearing the England number nine shirt, plus the team talk North London derby this weekend and playing at the Emirates.

Listen here.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor said Bunny Shaw's goal against Leicester City in the FA Cup will give her "a lot of confidence".

Shaw, 28, came on as a half-time substitute a week after receiving racial abuse following the4-3 defeat to Arsenal in the Women's Super League.

The abuse led to Shaw withdrawing from City's squad for their 1-0 win over Arsenal in the League Cup on Thursday night.

The Jamaica international took less than 15 minutes to score on her return, heading in Aoba Fujino's cross to put City 3-0 up.

"I think that will give her a lot of confidence," said Taylor.

"She's coming out of a team in a time where you don't really want that to happen, particularly when she's coming back from injury as well."

Shaw has scored 87 times in 100 appearances for City in all competitions since arriving from Bordeaux in the summer of 2021.

Image source, Everton

Jennifer Foster has joined Brian Sorensen's backroom staff as women's senior team coach.

Foster previously worked at Leicester City as assistant manager and was interim manager from March 2024 until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

During that time, Foster lef the Foxes to the semi-finals of the Women's FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

"Having spoken with Brian at length – and looking at the quality of players who were brought in last month in addition to the recent takeover – it's a really exciting club to join," Foster said.

"With the progress that's already been made, and with what's to come, it was a no-brainer for me to join.

"Having attended a couple of games, the January signings have been huge, and we've already seen the impact of that.

"Now it's about how far we can finish up the table. I think that's probably the most exciting part. Then it's about getting to the summer and seeing how we can build on that."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United forward Ella Toone has been voted the Women's Super League player of the month for January, while Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor has won the manager of the month award.

Toone scored in both WSL games in January, netting a hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Manchester City and scoring once in the 3-0 win over Brighton.

She won the vote ahead of Nathalie Bjorn, Millie Bright, Bethany England, Vivianne Miedema, Olivia Smith, Elisabeth Terland and Julie Thibaud.

Bompastor has won the manager of the month award for the third time this season.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor meanwhile has been named as Manager of the Month for the third time this season.

Chelsea won both of their matches in January, beating West Ham 5-0 and title rivals Arsenal 1-0.

Bompastor beat Marc Skinner and Robert Vilahamn to the award.

Elsewhere, Vivianne Miedema's strike against Aston Villa won the goal of the month award.

One English club is guaranteed a place in the Women's Champions League semi-finals after Manchester City were drawn against Chelsea in the last eight.

It means City and Chelsea will play each other four times in the space of 12 days. They meet in the League Cup final on 15 March and again in the WSL on 23 March, with the two Champions League ties scheduled for 18/19 and 26/27 March.

Arsenal will play Real Madrid.

Should the Gunners progress to the next round, they will avoid meeting an English team until the final as they have been drawn against the winners of Bayern Munich versus Lyon.

Chelsea or City will face the winners of the tie between two-time German winners Wolfsburg and current holders Barcelona.

Here is the Women's Champions League quarter-final draw in full:

• Real Madrid v Arsenal

• Manchester City v Chelsea

• Wolfsburg v Barcelona

• Bayern Munich v Lyon

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool striker Natasha Dowie said players need to be protected from abuse as the women's game grows.

Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw pulled out of Thursday's League Cup semi-final win over Arsenal to protect her mental wellbeing after she was subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse at the weekend.

"It's really disappointing," Dowie told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Millie Bright a few days earlier had come out saying she had some abuse from fans at a Chelsea game. I think it's sad because it's never really been that way in the women's game and I think it should never be.

"The way the women's game is now growing, bigger crowds, more publicity on TV - these players are becoming now like celebrities and they need to be protected. I think it's something that should never happen in the women's or men's game and it's just so sad to then see a player - one of the star player's within the women's game that everyone loves and everyone loves to watch - not play because of that.

"I hope she can focus on herself, get herself right and then something definitely needs to be done because we don't want to see that in the women or men's game. Or in sport full stop."

Image source, Getty Images

It's that time of season when talks of Chelsea winning a potential quadruple start to ramp up.

The Blues have gone unbeaten in all Women's Super League and Women's Champions League games this season and booked their place in the Women's League Cup final with victory over West Ham on Wednesday.

"That's the aim," Bright said when asked if a quadruple is on the cards this year.

"Every trophy we want, we want to lift them all. That was something that really stood out from when Sonia first came in. She's not afraid to say she wants every trophy and she wants to win everything we compete for. Putting it out there is, there's nothing wrong with that and it sets the tone really high."

Chelsea scored twice in the opening 30 minutes against the Hammers but dropped off the tempo in the second half and Bright said there is still room for improvement.

"We still want more from our performances," Bright added. "Yes, we're in the final but again, that's the competitive side where we're coming off a little bit frustrated, a little bit disappointed because we want more from ourselves."

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

In this week's podcast, Ellen White, Jen Beattie and Ben Haines digest the ins and outs of January 2025. From Chloe Kelly to Keira Walsh, it was one of the biggest Women's Super League transfer windows in history.

They also discuss whether anyone can stop Sonia Bompastor's team and what the side needs to achieve in order to reach their potential.

Listen here

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea striker Mia Fishel is in a "really good place" as she continues her recovery from her long-term knee injury, says manager Sonia Bompastor.

However, the Blues boss added that it was not possible yet to give a date for her return.

The 23-year-old USA forward, who joined the Blues in August 2023, has not played since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in February last year.

"Mia is doing well," Bompastor told a media conference ahead of her club's League Cup semi-final with West Ham.

"She is not participating fully with us yet but she has been with us for part of training sessions. She is also practising with our under-18 team.

"I think she is in a really good place – mentally, physically. She is doing well. So really positive news from her even if it is difficult for me to give you a really precise date for her return."

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea goalkeeper Zecira Musovic will not feature for the remainder of this season after announcing she is pregnant.

The 28-year-old Sweden international has been with the Blues since joining from Rosengard in January 2021.

Musivoc has featured four times for Sonia Bompastor's side this season, with each of those appearances coming in the Women's Champions League.

A statement from Chelsea said: "Musovic will continue to be supported by the club's staff. The goalkeeper will not feature for Chelsea for the rest of the season as she prepares for her new arrival.

"Everyone at Chelsea would like to congratulate Zecira on her happy news and we are all excited to welcome a new addition to the Blues family."

Other Women's Super League clubs need to follow Chelsea's example and invest in their teams, according to former England midfielder Rachel Yankey.

The league leaders spent more than £1m in the January transfer window, adding USA defender Naomi Girma and England midfielder Keira Walsh to Sonia Bompastor's squad.

"[Chelsea] are setting the standard," said Yankey on the BBC's Women's Football Show. "If you're Sonia Bompastor you must be rubbing your hands together because you're building a team [and] someone's actually investing.

"The club are believing in your vision and getting you the players that you want and [are] prepared to put money behind it. That sets the standard for the league and it's for other teams to follow.

"Other clubs need to look at Chelsea and actually invest in the women's team and support the women's team… but the proof will be in the pudding because you have to win the Champions League when you get all these big players so the pressure is on."

For more analysis watch the Women's Football Show, where you can catch all the highlights from the weekend's six matches.

Tim Oscroft
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

United's 1-0 win at Tottenham will not linger long in the memory, but it could prove to be vital if they are to retain any hope of catching Chelsea or seal qualification for the Champions League.

They are the tightest defence in the WSL, having conceded just five times this season and not at all in over four-and-a-half hours of play since Rebecca Kraak's goal for Man City in the Manchester derby.

But the game's outstanding moment was when Elisabeth Terland latched onto Jayde Riviere's cross to clip home a superb volley for the game's only goal after six minutes.

United could have had more, with Ella Toone going the closest when her chip shaved the post later on in the first half.

Spurs improved after the break, but weak efforts from Jessica Naz and Clare Hunt were as close as the home side got.

Image source, PA Media

Elisabeth Terland's sixth-minute volley was enough to give Manchester United a 1-0 victory over Tottenham as they returned to second in the Women's Super League. Here is what the managers had to say after the game:

Man Utd manager Marc Skinner, speaking to Sky Sports: "No not really, [it wasn't close]. I think it wasn't an exhilarating game by any means. Some of the games haven't been this weekend. For us it was just about control, I felt we had quite a lot.

"Tottenham had a couple of moments but that was all they had in the game really.

"Second half they probably started a little bit better than us but we changed up, got a little bit more energy in the team and then I felt again we had control right to the end."

Tottenham head coach Robert Vilahamn, speaking to Sky Sports: "If you sum up the whole game we competed with them, they had a few chances, we had a few, quite even, even if they are the better team.

"They started much better than us. They scored the goal, really good pressure on us as well. That's what has made them win the game but I think the second half showed we are competing with them.

"I actually think the second half shows we are closing the gap, even if there's still a gap.

"If you look at box defending and how we concede goals sometimes, obviously we don't win the duels, the opponents have really good players but if you don't win those duels they score that goal and that's the goal they won the game with."

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton boss Dario Vidosic thought Maisie Symonds' 48th-minute sending off "killed the game" and fatigue from fixture congestion also played a part as his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace.

Symonds was shown a straight red card on her 22nd birthday for a high challenge on Aimee Everett, with Brighton leading 1-0 at the time. Palace equalised in the 88th minute.

"I thought that killed the game a bit, that red card," Vidosic told BBC Radio Sussex.

"We still had a couple of good opportunities at the end but I think the accumulation of the fatigue as well made it quite tough.

"Probably one we'll look back on and think it's two points dropped but that's football."

Vidosic added that their recent run of fixtures - which has seen them play five games in 16 days - made it "tough" for his team to compete when down to 10 players.

He said: "We still tried to play. Probably towards the end with the fatigue it was a little harder, they were committing more to the attack trying to get their equaliser.

"Even with a player less I think we defended well. We still played well, could have done better at times. I think for the girls this was tough.

"Already it was tough with the fatigue from the lack of training and the schedule but then to go down basically with a player less made it that little bit harder."