Women's Super League

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Steph Houghton has returned to Manchester City, taking up off-field roles as club ambassador and a project officer.

Former City captain Houghton retired at the end of last season after 10 years with the club.

She makes history as the first female to become an official representative of the club and joins the likes of Mike Summerbee, Joleon Lescott and Shaun Wright-Phillips in the role.

As club ambassador, Houghton will represent the club at matches and events around the world.

In her role as project officer, the club say Houghton will "liaise and gain valuable experience with various footballing departments at the City Football Academy".

"Everybody knows how much this club means to me," Houghton said. "I'm really excited to be in and around everyone again.

"When you retire you miss that environment and being part of a team. If I wasn't here and part of the club still that would be a massive miss for me."

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Crystal Palace defender Lily Woodham says there is "still a buzz" about the newly-promoted Women's Super League side, who she believes are more than capable of staying in the top flight.

Wales international Woodham joined Palace on loan from Seattle Reign until the end of January.

The Eagles, who became a WSL club for the first time this season, have taken five points from their first seven games, leaving them 10th in the table.

"For every team that comes up it's about staying in the league and I think Palace are so capable of doing that," Woodham told BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast.

"There's a great staff group and some incredible players so I think it'll be fine and everyone’s still excited, it’s still a buzz."

Woodham said there is a "special group" at the club, but she is particularly enjoying playing under boss Laura Kaminski.

"She's such a character, she's so funny," she said.

"She is so kind but when you need to be told, she's ready to be able to give you that advice and information as are all the coaches so it's a real special group being here."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Women's Super League game against Brighton (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from her news conference:

• On-loan Brighton defender Li Mengwen is ineligible to face her parent club this weekend so will not be in West Ham's squad.

• Victory over Leicester on Sunday has "elevated everybody" says Skinner, who was "really pleased" with their in-possession work.

• She adds: "It’s competitive [in the squad]. It makes people work really hard and we can push our levels. That showed with the confidence on the ball we had."

• Skinner says the "aim" is to use that win as a catalyst to move up the table and it can "give us a boost".

• She adds: "We want to try to get on a bit of a roll and keep that momentum going."

• Brighton did "a great job with their recruitment" this summer, says Skinner, who thinks the new signings have settled in quickly for their opponents.

• "They are moving the ball really well and creating problems for people. I think the game will be difficult but that’s not new to us," Skinner adds.

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Erin Cuthbert said playing as much as she has for Chelsea was "beyond my wildest dreams".

The midfielder returns to Scotland on Wednesday as Chelsea face Celtic in the Women's Champions League.

The Scotland international played for Rangers and Glasgow City between 2013 and 2016 before making the move to Chelsea.

Cuthbert, 26, has made more than 130 appearances for Chelsea and is an integral part of Sonia Bompastor's squad.

On how she has developed since leaving Glasgow, Cuthbert said: "I left as a really young, naive 18-year-old girl who was just working in Morrisons and playing part-time.

"This was beyond my wildest dreams playing as much as I have for Chelsea. I feel really lucky and privileged but it’s never about being settled.

"It’s a moment to reflect on how far I have come, but also how much work I have still got to do. I am still learning, I still feel I have got more in my game, I still feel I have got more to come and I want to see where my ceiling is."

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Sonia Bompastor has confirmed four of her first team players have not travelled to Glasgow for Wednesday's Women's Champions League game against Celtic.

Kadeisha Buchanan, Millie Bright, Sjoeke Nusken and Mayra Ramirez have all stayed in London to manage their minutes.

"The squad is in a good place," Bompastor said. "We have a good dynamic and we are full of confidence.

"We have been playing a lot of games and this is a special week because we play three games.

"As a manager it’s important to manage some players. I have some players who didn’t travel to this game."

Playing against Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday is a "full circle moment" for Chelsea's Erin Cuthbert.

Cuthbert joined Scotland internationals Rachel Corsie and Leanne Crichton on the Behind The Goals podcast to discuss Wednesday's tie.

The match at Celtic park is Cuthbert's first Champions League game in Scotland since playing against Chelsea for Glasgow City in the 2015-16 campaign.

Hear the full interview on BBC Sounds

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

Ben Haines is joined by Jen Beattie and Tom Garry, who stands in for Ellen White.

The team discuss how tight things are at the bottom of the Women's Super League table and a deep dive into the teams that could find themselves in a relegation fight.

There plenty to talk about with Chelsea and Manchester City meeting in the top-of-the-table clash, plus, hear from Wales international Lily Woodham on her time on loan at Crystal Palace, the "buzz" around playing in the WSL and how it compares to the NWSL.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

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Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

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Manchester City players know they "have to put on a good performance" when selected due to competition in the squad, says midfielder Laura Coombs.

The 33-year-old has not started a game this season with City sitting top of the Women's Super League table and their Women's Champions League group.

"We’ve not always had a great start," said Coombs. "We’re feeling really good at the minute and that’s being reflected in the WSL and other competitions.

She has come off the bench in recent games and Coombs says she wants to give as much energy on the pitch as a substitute, as she would if she was starting.

"The competition in the squad is super high. Every week players go out knowing they have to put on a performance. Everyone wants to start. Everyone wants that.

"But if that’s the role [as a substitute] I have at the minute, I just want to do it to the best of my ability.

"Of course it’s disappointing not to play [as much] but everyone wants that. There’s only 11 players who can start."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor says the club's new women's director of football Therese Sjogran will "really help" them in the January transfer window.

The former Sweden international will lead recruitment, as well as first team coach and player development at the Women's Super League club.

Sjogran, who spent 10 years as sporting director at Swedish champions FC Rosengard, starts her role on 1 December.

"I'm looking forward to working with Therese. We have had conversations already, discussing the positive results Rosengard had this season," said Taylor.

"We need someone with the experience she has having been a player and having been in the director's role for a number of years.

"That's what we need. The January window is around the corner. Therese is going to really help us in that space."

Sjogran knows the Swedish market well from her time at Rosengard and it has proved to be a talent pool for WSL clubs in recent years.

Asked if she may help the club sign Swedish talent, Taylor said: "Maybe, who knows? She has real strength in that area and knows the league really well.

"We have had discussions already around certain players and of course we have a plan going into that January window."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

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Tottenham have identified Swedish goalkeeper Jennifer Falk as a target for the January transfer window.

The 31-year-old is currently at BK Hacken and she worked with Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn between 2020 and 2023 before his move to Spurs.

Last week, Spurs announced goalkeeper Becky Spencer had signed a new contract that will run until June 2026.

However, the club were looking for a goalkeeper during the summer transfer window after Barbora Votikova left to join Slavia Prague.

They brought in West Ham's Katelin Talbert on a short-term loan until the end of the year but Falk would be seen as an experienced addition should the club make a move for her in January.

Chelsea have won the last five Women’s Super League titles and, under new manager Sonia Bompastor, they have started the season in commanding form with a perfect record in both league and European competitions.

Their latest victory was a 3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday in the WSL, which leaves them a point behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand.

Former Tottenham captain Jenna Schillaci told the BBC’s Women’s Football Show: “Eight wins out of eight games in all competitions – it’s a perfect start in their new era.

“When you look at the team and the depth of the squad that they have got, the players they have still got to come back in – Sam Kerr, Mia Fishel and Lauren James - they are only going to get better.

“I can only see them getting better and better so I think it’s going to be difficult to stop them.”

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

Emma Smith
BBC Sport journalist at Villa Park

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Three points from seven games is well below what most expected from Aston Villa, even as they adjust to life under new manager Robert de Pauw.

Their season so far has been littered with missed opportunities for that maiden win, and a few below-par performances.

That win is still elusive, but their performance at Leigh Sports Village shows that there is some hope and direction for Villa under de Pauw.

They pressed United high, forcing defensive errors and misplaced passes all through the first half.

And after the break they sat deeper, effectively keeping Marc Skinner's team to half-chances and snap shots.

Villa have a lot of catching up to do this season already, but the groundwork under de Pauw seems to be there.

Manchester United remain unbeaten in the Women's Super League while Aston Villa are still searching for their first win of the season after the sides played out a goalless draw on Sunday. Here's what both managers told Sky Sports after the game.

Man Utd boss Marc Skinner: "We weren't good enough in the first half. We weren't tight enough so then in transition Villa were able to pick up the spaces. We couldn't get enough pressure on. We needed to be way more compact, vertically and horizontally, so we could apply more pressure.

"We are still a new team believe it or not. We have a brand new midfield, brand new forward, lots of different changes to adapt to. But, we are still unbeaten."

On high expectations: "I've never once been in a game where there wasn't pressure at Man Utd, never once. Everybody expects this, this, this and this, but sometimes you fall short."

On remaining unbeaten: "And another clean sheet. Villa's results and position in the table are false, they have improved over the summer. We did not find the level tonight but in future games we will."

Aston Villa manager Robert de Pauw: "I am a little bit sick of good performances without the three points. That frustrates me still. But I am proud of the way the girls played, they showed fire and determination from the beginning."

On growing pressure on his job: "We are doing everything. We leave no stone unturned each week but still it doesn't happen. We have to keep believing, keep the faith as Jurgen Klopp once said. We showed against Chelsea, City and here at United that we can do something, we can fight and play good football. It is time to reward ourselves."

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

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At long last, West Ham's winless run in the WSL is over.

On Sunday Rehanne Skinner's side beat Leicester City 1-0 at Chigwell Construction Stadium, their first league win since February.

The Hammers were better than the narrow scoreline suggests, with Riko Ueki, Viviane Asseyi and Katrina Gorry particularly impressive.

Now that West Ham have got the proverbial monkey off their backs, Skinner and her players know the focus is now on making this campaign a successful one.

"It’s important to keep chipping away. It changes the landscape when you get more points," Skinner said before Sunday's game.

"We want to be more attack-minded and positive on the ball. I’m pleased with the progress we have made and the performances we have had but we all know it’s about winning."

Despite winning just once in their opening seven games this term, the top four is only seven points away.

Given the quality in their squad, West Ham really should be targeting wins against Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa before Christmas.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

It is very rare in football that a team takes almost seven full matches to score a first league goal of the season courtesy of one of their own players.

Everton did exactly that against Crystal Palace at Gander Green Lane when Honoka Hayashi headed in Veatriki Sarri’s cross to earn a 1-1 draw 18 minutes from time.

The Toffees have three points from their seven matches so far, all via draws. Hayashi's header was Brian Sorensen's side second goal of the season, the first of which coming via West Ham's Camila Saez who inadvertently earned Everton a point last month.

While no wins and one goal from your own players is far from ideal, Everton have only lost four of seven games despite their struggles in front of goal.

Via Hayashi's header, not only did they bolster their own position, but the Blues also stopped hosts Palace moving five points clear of them, keeping the WSL debutants in close proximity.

With three of their next four WSL matches at home, Everton have a good chance to get that all-important first win for the division's lowest scorers.

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

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Chelsea's nemesis had become Liverpool in recent years as their 4-3 defeat at Prenton Park in May threatened to rob them of a fifth successive Women's Super League title.

Instead, Chelsea ended the season with their hands on the trophy and they arrived in St Helens on Sunday - a new home for Liverpool this year - to put behind their recent disappointments against Matt Beard's side.

Liverpool were no different. They were still well-organised, physically strong and robust, and they presented a threat on the counter-attack.

But Chelsea were prepared to battle it out and their quality shone through as they were ruthless in front of goal.

Beard said Chelsea are "100% even better" than they have been after strengthening again in the summer and this latest result will make bleak viewing for their rivals.

Just a point separates Chelsea and WSL leaders Manchester City - but the Blues have a game in hand which goes in their favour.

The two go head-to-head next Saturday in what could be the biggest match of the season - and Chelsea could not be in a better place going into it.