Arsenal through after a win v Bayern Munich and Chelsea beat Lyon on penalties after scoring a penalty in the last minute of extra time to take the game to a shoot out . Good week for the English clubs .
I thought Chelsea were lucky to get that penalty in the last minute of extra time. Just because your leg was touched, it shouldn't automatically be a penalty. Lyon would've deserved the 2:0 away win. Arsenal deservedly through against Bayern. I'm not happy with how our side played, but credit to the gunners for doing well. Wolfsburg edge it over PSG, deservedly, since the Parisians, despite the good first half, completely lost the plot in the 2nd. Barcelona got lucky for the 1:0 away win over Roma in the first leg, but delivered the goods in the 2nd leg. It's Barca to win the Champions' League for me, with Arsenal as alternative favourites.
Stopped watching Chelsea/Lyon at half-time. Wasn't a bad match but couldn't be bothered. Shame that Lyon bottled it on pens. Could only catch the last 20 minutes of Wolfsburg/PSG and the least I can say is that we only have ourselves to blame for bowing out. We managed to create enough opportunities to win the game 4-1 but could only score a solitary goal. This lack of killer instinct is relatively new for our women's team and doesn't bode well for the future.
They looked capable of scoring multiple goals with Diani on, until her shoulder injury forced her off. Then PSG did really look toothless without Diani. Let's not forget Marie-Antoinette who was also out injured. At least in the long term, PSG have two who know where the goal is.
I do hope both of them will be fit for the World Cup. If they aren't might as well not even turn up! The pair of them, along with the past-it Wendie Renard, had to put their international career on hold for the FA to finally get rid of Diacre, the NT manager and the replacement is Hervé Renard, the man who notably managed to beat Argentina with Saudi Arabia. Let's see how it goes but him calling back Le Sommer is disappointing.
I know Renard well from all the African Cup of Nations he's coached in, with his trademark chemise blanche. One of his greatest successes was sensationally becoming African champions with Zambia in 2012. He's had mixed results though, for example, as you've mentioned with Saudi Arabia against Argentina, but also failing to take Cote d'Ivoire past the WC 2014 group stage, with some very dull football at the time. Don't ask me how even Greece beat them. I never expected him in the women's role, but now that millions more fans have started watching, it's certainly an interesting challenge. I still rate France quite highly, although I think England, USA and Spain are still better. Germany are probably of similar strength to France / Sweden at the moment.
Would be interesting to see how Spain fare at the World Cup. Always thought they owned England in that QF but somehow lost it. Sweden looked meh at the Euros but hey things can change!
Arsenal beat Man City 2-1 today to keep themselves in the title hunt. Could still be a historic season for them having made the UWCL semis and winning the Conti Cup too. And all without Beth Mead and Vivienne Miedema who have both done their ACLs. It’s like the men’s team at Man City losing De Bruyne and Haaland at the same time.
massive win by our women today against Reading, gets us off the bottom, 12 minuets of stoppage time due to Reading feigning injuries the entire second half, winner came deep into stoppage time Karma
Title race is shaping up nicely in the WSL. Usual suspects involved but a four way title race going in to the end of the season. Manchester United - 41 points (5 games left) Chelsea - 40 points (6 games left) Arsenal - 38 points - (6 games left) Manchester City - 37 points (5 games left) Manchester United v Manchester City & Chelsea v Arsenal on the penultimate weekend of the season. Could be the weekend the title is decided. Arsenal and Chelsea have the extra game but also have European football to worry about. At the other end.. a four way battle for survival. Spurs - 12 points (5 games left) Reading - 11 points (5 games left) Leicester - 10 points (5 games left) Brighton - 9 points (7 games left) Brighton v Leicester on the final day of the season. Tottenham have important home games v Brighton and Reading, beat Brighton and Spurs should probably be fine.
Aussies getting the better of England. International friendly: England 0-2 Australia - Grant doubles lead
Surprising but a good warm up result for the World Cup for Australia. Might be a good thing for England too after winning the Euros and the Finallisima, perhaps stops them letting any complacency sneak in.
England captain Leah Williamson says her World Cup "dream is over" after her club Arsenal confirmed she has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Williamson went down in the first half of Arsenal's 1-0 Women's Super League loss to Manchester United on Wednesday. "The noise around the situation is loud and I need some quiet time to let it all sink in," the defender, 26, said. England's opening World Cup match with Haiti takes place on 22 July. Arsenal face Wolfsburg in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Sunday (14:30 BST). Williamson added: "Unfortunately the World Cup and Champions League dream is over for me and everyone will think that is the main focus, but it's the day to day of what I am about to go through that is the most draining of my thoughts. "I had my tears and made my peace with it the night it happened and since then I have been following the steps I'm told to, in order to best help myself in the sport and long term." ACL injuries typically see sportspeople sidelined for six to nine months. Arsenal said she would have surgery "in due course". Williamson, who captained England to their European Championship victory in 2022, is the latest injury setback for Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses. England captain Williamson to miss World Cup That's a shame, best wishes to her.
Big effort from the ladies yesterday to come back from 2-0 away to Wolfsburg to take a 2-2 back to the Emirates with them. Currently at over 46,000 sold for that return leg so they'll have plenty of support. All feels a bit pointless though knowing it's probably going to be that ridiculous Barcelona team in the final
