England continue their unbeaten run with a 2-1 victory over Italy

Yesterday England played their second game of their Arnold Clark cup game this time against Italy, a team that honestly disappointed me in the Euros, we just didn't seem to see their full capabilities so this game was always going to be a good one, could they cause an upset against England? Would England go all out attacking? No-one really knew but in the end England continued their unbeaten run with a 2-1 victory however, Italy didn't just sit back they had some quite good spells throughout the game especially at times when they were on the counter attack.

Going into the game Wiegman made plenty of changes to her starting line up and we saw Earps & Williamson being among the players getting a rest so it makes you wonder if game time management was a big factor going into the tournament or if it was a case of using these games to try out options within the line up to see who works best in each position and what area needs the most improvement. The best new of the day for me though was seeing Daly starting up front, finally England are using her in the position where they will get the most benefit from her as we know she can score goals. 

England definitely started the game much better than their opener as they seemed to be attacking a lot more and moving the ball around much better, England definitely perform better with fast paced football so this was great to see and they just looked a lot more threatening throughout the opening minutes rather than just sitting back. Italy did show us they weren't just going to sit back though as they forced Roebuck into an early save off the back of a counter attack, something that caused pressure for England throughout the game. 

The game was a bit scrappy for both teams at times with England putting the pressure on Italy you could expect the mistakes and scrappy play from them however, for England the scrappiness just seemed to come from players not used to playing together and trying to find their rhythm as a team. What was good to see though is Italy putting up a fight which led to the game actually being quite end to end at times with both teams pushing for the goals with the belief that they can get them. 

It took until the 32nd minute for England to finally get on the scoreboard and it was no other than Daly who opened the scoring showing us just why she should be considered for an attacking position rather than just defensive, the goal came in from Robinson and Daly's positioning was perfect to send a header into the back of the Italian net. Italy managed to get a rare goal past England in the 62nd minute though when Cantore just managed to get the ball over the England goal line, if goal line technology was in the competition would we have seen this goal stand? Who knows as the ball possibly went out before the cross and then did the whole ball cross the goal line? It was a rare goal conceded for England though and made the game that bit more interesting with the game level. The game didn't stay level for too long those as in the 71st minute Daly got herself on the scoreboard once more with another header goal. The ball into the box was brilliant and found the perfectly positioned Daly who nodded the ball passed the Italian 'keeper once again, the ball was really well worked in the build up to the goal and Daly's positioning once again stood out as she knew exactly where she needed to be.

The first half of this game was definitely a lot better than Thursday's with England starting with much more pace and threat. It was nice to see the rotation of players too as it really give those fringe players the chance to shine and make a case on why they should be on the plane to Australia in the summer, I really don't know how Wiegman is going to pick 23 players too take as the English talent just keeps getting better and better. It was also nice to see Nobbs getting some minutes in an England shirt as she is doing fantastic since her move to Villa and is definitely deserving of the chance to show Wiegman why she should be going to the World Cup in the summer, I just hope this is the start of her very own revenge tour and she stays injury free as she can bring so much to the England team.

England are currently sitting at the top of the table for the Arnold Clark Cup on goal difference and on Wednesday they take on second place Belgium in what is bound to be a good game. Will Belgium cause an upset and win the tournament in this game or will England go all out and comfortably retain the Arnold Clark Cup trophy? I guess we will have to wait and see but all I know is I am looking forward to Wednesday's game a lot as I love watching Belgium play.

England kick off their Arnold Clark Cup campaign with a 4-0 victory over Korea Republic

 

Yesterday saw England take on Korea Republic in their first game of 2023 and the game that saw them kick off their 2023 Arnold Clark Cup campaign. I think a lot of fans feel the same and see the Arnold Clark Cup win last year being the start of England's insurgence that saw them going on to end 2022 unbeaten and as European champions so fingers crossed we see a similar fate with the World Cup fast approaching. The first game definitely showed us that England are looking to pick up right where they left 2022 however, it took them a while to settle into this game before finally hitting the form we are now so used to seeing from them. England eventually came out of the game 4-0 winners with 4 different scorers on the night but Korea republic made them work for it especially in the first half of the game. 

There was definitely a sense from this game that Wiegman was experimenting a bit with the team to see what options she available and what was going to be best. We saw Williamson slipped into a midfield role and Carter getting some game time which made a nice change however, it just didn't seem to click for England this way. The opening 15 to 20 minuted just looked scrappy from England and they weren't playing the type of football we are used to seeing from them, they just seemed to be sitting back and really slow paced compared to what we are used to seeing.  It also felt at times like they were panicking when the ball fell to their feet as it was very hit & hope some points as though it was just a case of getting the ball down the pitch a bit quicker even with no thought behind it. They did have the chance at a few shots in the first half but they just couldn't hit the target, that was until Russo fired towards goal and saw the ball hit the inside of the post and bounce away from goal, it basically summed up England's night up to that point. The Korea defence was doing really well though to isolate Russo and made it hard for her to get into the game, I have to say even despite the final result the Korea defence impressed me for a fair bit of this game, they did well for a period of marking players out of the game and put up a fight especially in that first half. It took until the the 40th minute for England to finally get themselves on the score sheet after being awarded a penalty for a clear foul on James in the penalty area, Stanway stepped up to the penalty and with the power behind it there was no way she was missing and England went in at the break 1-0 up.

At the break Wiegman made her first change of the game with Manchester United captain Katie Zelem coming into play in place of Carter, the move saw Williamson back in her centre back role and you could see the difference in the team straight away as they started the second half of the game so much better. They started that much better that they doubled their lead under a minute into the second half, Chloe Kelly opening her international account for 2023 with a goal from distance which took a nice little deflection to take it past the Korean keeper, I think this goal could be the first of many for Kelly this year with her recent form. In the 50th minute Russo got herself on the score sheet with a brilliant little piece of play that saw her in the perfect position to flick home a brilliant cross in from Greenwood. England definitely picked up pace after the 3 goals and kept pressing for more whilst looking like England we are now so used to seeing, attacking and threatening, we saw Stanway show us why she is such a threat with another distance shot which unluckily ended up just a bit too high and rattling the crossbar. 

Even at 3-0 up England were now playing with more of a threat and the substitutes showed that as we saw Hemp, Charles and Daly come on to replace Kelly, Greenwood and Russo. All 3 players were replaced with players who just add more of an attacking threat to the team and we saw them keep pushing for more goals. It was certainly nice to see Daly in an attacking roll for the Lionesses at long last just showing what impact her move to Aston Villa is actually making for her in the long run, I definitely prefer attacking Daly as opposed to defensive Daly. We even saw Manchester City's Laura Coombs enter the field after an 8 year wait as she replaced Stanway, again Coombs recent fine form for Man City is finally paying off and getting her a well deserved call up. 

The final goal of the night came in the 78th minute with Lauren James opening her international goal account with a well struck goal to seal England's evening with a 4-0 win. James played really well throughout the game and definitely deserved to get herself on the score sheet. Not long after though we saw James making way for Robinson who was very close to also opening her own international account but unfortunately she just couldn't get the ball in the back of the net. 

England definitely redeemed themselves in the second half after what felt like a disappointing first half, the changes definitely helped with the game and I am looking forward to seeing just how the team progresses throughout the tournament and how Wiegman continues to experiment with the team as the summer approaches, it is definitely going to be interesting to see what happens with the team as it is definitely the right time to be trying out new things and seeing what works and what doesn't. I am just really hoping that we see Jordan Nobbs getting some game time this tournament as she definitely deserves it with how she has been playing lately, I really hope Wiegman gives her the chance to prove herself. 

England have definitely started the tournament as they mean to go on and I am looking forward to seeing how their next game on Sunday against Italy plays out, us England fans could be in for a treat. Now is it Sunday yet? 

Manchester City take what could be a crucial 3 points from Arsenal...

On Saturday we switched things up a bit and headed to the blue side of Manchester once again to watch Manchester City vs Arsenal. It had been a long time coming but we were back at the Academy Stadium once more and I can honestly say I think it was our first visit since pre-pandemic, this game though was long awaited as it should have been played in September as the season opener, with how the teams have been playing this season though the excitement to head to this game has only just been building and we were looking forward to finally seeing how it played out. It is safe to say the game didn't disappoint and provided us with a 2-1 win in Manchester City's favour, a result which could make it even tighter at the top of the league as the season progresses.

These teams faced each other on Wednesday evening in the Continental Cup, where we saw Arsenal progress to the final in extra time, I sat and watched this game and have to say I wasn't impressed with either side especially not City who looked like they were off their game. They definitely made up for it on Saturday though with a fantastic performance where they looked fired up and ready to win which paid off as we saw them victorious on the day. 

City came out fighting from the very beginning and we saw the attitude paying off when Hemp opened the scoring just 4 minutes into the game, even so early on from the stands you were able to identify Arsenal's weak spots on the day and could see where Man City were going to be able to break through and take those chances on goal. The back 3 for Arsenal just wasn't working and City could see this was the case and just kept on applying the pressure getting into some fantastic positions on the pitch and creating plenty of chances. They could have easily added more goals in the opening 30 minutes of the game however, Shaw just couldn't hit the back of the net, something we aren't used to happening often this season as she is normally there on the score sheet. Just before half time though City did manage to double their lead with a goal for Chloe Kelly, she opened her league account the other week and are we now going to see her name on the score sheet more frequently? We all know she is capable of getting those goals. 

Souza managed to make the game 2-1 in the second half of the game but it wasn't enough to get a comeback on the cards for Arsenal, they just never looked like they wanted to level the score or push for a win and the game ended 2-1 to City. In the first half of the game Arsenal just didn't look like they could get going and to be honest they looked a little disjointed, the back 3 wasn't working and Williamson slipped into a midfield role and again it just seemed like the team couldn't keep up with City or even string passes together. They did perk up a little when McCabe & Walti entered the pitch at half time but it still wasn't enough to break down City who were putting in a dominating performance. The game did get a bit heated at times as you could see some Arsenal players getting frustrated with the teams performance but the referee on the day did well to break these moments up before they could get worse. 

This win could definitely be a big 3 points for City as they get back on track after a few disappointing opening games of the season. It is definitely a big 3 points if they are still looking to push for a Champions League spot which if they continue to play as they have been doing they could definitely still see as a realistic goal. On the other hand though could it be a big 3 points lost for Arsenal? Manchester United & Chelsea are starting to open up the gap between them and Arsenal as the fight for the top spot continues. Then there is also the case for staying in the fight for a top 3 finish to head to the Champions League next season, this result closes that gap between Arsenal & City and just makes every point that bit more vital as the season progresses. I know for sure though that I am really looking forward to seeing if this result does have an impact on who is in the top 3 come the end of the season, as the season progresses this result really does make it all to play for. 

Our player of the match for this game definitely has to be Lauren Hemp, from scoring the opening goal in the game she never looked like sitting back and really helped City created some great attacks whilst also breaking up a fair few of Arsenal's attacks. She helped create some brilliant build up play and caused Arsenal plenty of issues for the full 90 minutes. She really is having a great season so far and is going to be a key player as City push for Champions League football next season. 

We head into the first international break of 2023 now with plenty of competitions taking place around the world, let's hope we see player returning to the league injury free and ready to hit the ground running so the momentum of play we have seen across the league isn't broken and we see the season progress nicely with some tough competition. 

Don't worry next time we head to watch a game we will be back on the red side of Manchester.

The points are share between Manchester United & Everton

 

On Sunday we were once again back at the Leigh Sports Village this time to see Manchester United vs Everton in what we had hoped was going to be a fantastic game however, it didn't seem to live up to its expectations. Heading to this game we had very high hopes with Man Utd putting some brilliant performances so far this season and Everton really showing us they are much better than the previous season, the game just seemed flat though with not much atmosphere at times and United just not doing as well in front of goal, the total opposite to the last game we watched them in at LSV. The game ended in a goalless draw and I have to admit I am quite disappointed that I turned down playing in my own cup game to go watch this as the cup game sounded much more entertaining.

Everton came out strong right from the get go and had a few chances in the early stages but what really stood out was their defensive game. The defensive performance from Everton is probably one of the best we have seen yet this season for a team against United at the LSV, they really stepped up their game and caused problems for the United attack there was no easy slips through on goal like we have seen in previous games. Everton's goalkeeper Brosnan had a fantastic game and was a key part of why United couldn't take all 3 points, her awareness of the ball meant she was well positioned and safely got the ball to break down any United threats. 

United did create a few chances but it just didn't click like in previous games, the chances were either off target in the end or straight to the well positioned Everton goalkeeper. Yes Everton had a strong defensive line but United just didn't seem to be performing like we have seen from them recently and didn't look like a team that were fighting for the top spot in the league. The best chance was probably from a long range that was deflected into the path of captain Zelem, could she have tried her luck with a back heel rather than trying to turn? I guess we will never know now but at the time it looked like the best option available that wasn't taken.

One thing I am loving about United lately and we saw it again on Sunday is the Spanish connection out on the right. Garcia & Batlle are linking up really well together and that seems to be where a big chunk of United's attacking threat comes from when they are playing together. I am hoping we get to see plenty more of this link up play from the two Spanish players as the season progresses as they could be a key piece in getting United the goals to stay challenging for that top spot as the season continues.

As for our player of the match in this game it has to be United's Hannah Blundell. The left back covered a lot of ground throughout the game, getting back defending well when needed however, she also stood out as one of the more attacking players during the game. She worked really well going forward and got into a position to take a few shots herself which was nice to see. She worked the ball out from the back well too with a few great link up plays with the midfield to get United into some good positions which unfortunately they couldn't quite capitalise on. 

Are United going to be looking back at this game at the end of the season and seeing it as 2 crucial points being dropped? Or have they still got what it takes to keep up momentum and put for that top 3 finish, the teams around them are starting to close the gaps now so every point is a crucial one in a very tightly contested league. 

This coming weekend we will be switching our allegiances as we head over to the Academy Stadium to see Manchester City take on Arsenal, a game that we have been waiting since September to attend. We are looking forward to seeing what that game has in store as City have really started to progress since the shaky start to the season and Arsenal are still looking like a very good side who are pushing to close that gap on Manchester United at the top of the table, fingers crossed we are in for an exciting game there.

How the Lionesses are looking as we edge closer to the World Cup

 


2022 was undoubtedly the best year for the Lionesses as they kicked off the year winning the Arnold Clark Cup which set the wheels in motion for a very impressive Euro 2022 win in front of a home crowd at Wembley in the summer. The team ended 2022 unbeaten and are showing the world that as the 2023 World Cup approaches they are a nation not to be written off. The Lionesses had an absolutely fantastic Euro's campaign but what has happened since the 31st of July when they wrote their names in the history books? 

Well the team managed to maintain their unbeaten run, they have yet to lose a game under the management of Sarina Wiegman which is pretty impressive. Granted not all the games have been wins and some have been very close draws however, to go through a whole tournament unbeaten is absolutely fantastic and with the amount of friendlies the team played it really is a surprised that they haven't been beaten at all. I honestly thought they would struggle when the came up against current World Cup holders the USA especially with some key players missing from the England squad but the team held their own and won the game 2-1, which just goes to show how much progress they have made under Wiegman's management. The Lionesses have also got much better in the defensive and goalkeeping sense as they are barely conceding goals, they only had a few put past them in the Euros and since the Euros they have so far played 6 games and only conceded 2 goals and scoring 19, they just seem to be able to keep their heads in the game a lot more and keep their calm. I am loving Williamson as captain and think she has been a key part in getting the defence organised much better and keeping the goals out. 

We saw two big retirements come straight off the back of the Euro victory with Ellen White & Jill Scott both stepping away from the sport. I think it is safe to say it got a lot of us wondering who was going to step up in time for the World Cup to create a new strike partnership and get those all important goals, but when you look at all the current England squad and those just starting to get called up or are almost ready then you see their is a lot of potential and with plenty of friendlies before the World Cup their is time for Wiegman to find White's replacement, who knows we might finally see Daly up front but only time will tell. Since White's retirement though England haven't lacked a threat in front of goal with the 19 goals scored coming from a nice mixture of players. As for who can fill Scott's roll we are already seeing new midfield names making their way into the squad and previously injured players starting to get called back up, Sarina is definitely experimenting in who can fill the rolls and I am looking forward to seeing each call up sheet to see who is getting brought in to get that valuable game time and camp experience before a big summer. 

Since the Euros we have also seen a whole host of injuries with players such as Williamson and Russo having to drop out of camps to recover from knocks, it does make you wonder if it is due to the workload the players are getting put under with the season starting up after only a short break then friendlies filling in for any would have been breaks in the past. Are the players bodies being put through too much? Post Euros there just seems to be more and more injuries taking place even in camp and with the World Cup fast approaching we are getting to the point where those key players need protecting so they don't get any big injuries. We have already seen Beth Mead pick up an ACL injury and it is a race against time to see if she will be World Cup ready so that is one key player possibly out, how many more are we going to see across all nations? I hope not too many. Post Euros should players have got a bit more of a break? Possibly or even just take out some of the friendlies they had and maybe some injuries would have been prevented. 

I think it is safe to say Wiegman has got the Lionesses playing as they should be and we are finally seeing the potential of a lot of players who have struggled under previous management and we are seeing them become a force to be reckoned with rather than a team that get to the semifinal stage and freeze up like in previous tournaments. As long as we stay fully fit before the World Cup and any new players coming into the squad gel with the rest of the team quickly I think we are going to see even more progress from the squad as we head towards the start of the tournament in July and teams will see we are no longer the underdog but we are in fact a team to be feared, I think the USA definitely found that out when they came to Wembley in 2022. 

It is going to be interesting though in the build up to the start of the World Cup and during the competitions in the build up and those friendlies to see if Sarina does experiment with the squad or if we see similar call up every time to get some consistency before the summer but with the WSL getting more competitive and players transferring for more game time I think we could see a few names sneaking back into the squad. Nobbs and Staniforth are already standing out at Aston Villa and making a big difference where as Beth England is also making an impact already at Tottenham, she was in the Euros squad but didn't get the game time and has since dropped out of favour so are her performances at her new club going to help her get back into the Lioness squad? It is going to be interesting to see if that does happen as she is a player who could be valuable to the squad. You even have the likes of Zelem who is having a fantastic season at Manchester United, could we see her getting the chance in the England midfield? Her addition could definitely work well for the Lionesses.

Post Euros we have seen that the Lionesses and the home tournament have massively helped grow the women's game here in the UK, we are seeing record attendances, improved attendances and even more games being played in the bigger stadiums allowing more people to see the players who inspired them last summer. More and more people are becoming fans of the game and seeing just how good it actually is. I have even had people who have zero interest in football asking me about players and telling me they were impressed by the games and would rather watch the women than the men, I didn't think things like that would happen for a long time if I am honest. The team are selling out games and people are certainly talking about them even months after the Euro victory so let's hope that doesn't drop off anytime soon. The players are definitely becoming household names and I love seeing people with the women's names on the backs of the shirts, which is happening more and more lately, it just goes to show the Euros is leaving an impression on a lot of people. 

We have the Arnold Clark cup coming up very soon and I am really looking forward to seeing if England's unbeaten run will continue and see who stands out the most in the team, it is also going to be a good chance to see if any different players are brought in by Wiegman to give them a chance to make an impression in a tournament pre World Cup. This to me is the tournament that started it all before the Euros, when we saw a change in the team and just how much they could dominate the games so I am looking forward to seeing what happens this time around and if it is looking promising as we head towards the World Cup which isn't too far away at all now. 

Sarina won the Euros with the Netherlands in 2017 and lead them to a World Cup final in 2019 where they were unfortunately beaten by the USA but are we going to see history repeat itself are England going to have won the Euros in 2022 and be finalists in the 2023 World Cup I really hope it does repeat itself in the sense of reaching the final but I am also positive that if the Lionesses play as they did in the Euros and post Euros so far they could go one better than the Netherlands in 2019 and actually win it all. That is if they keep on playing like they have been, key players stay injury free and that semi-final curse has also been broken for the World Cup. I think we are definitely going to be in for an interesting 2023 as Lioness fans.

Are you impressed with the Lionesses post Euro victory? 

It is getting even closer at the top of the WSL


We are not that far away from yet another international break so I am soaking up the WSL action as much as possible and with some teams really starting to make good progress in the league is that break going to effect the progress some teams are making or is it going to give other teams the chance to make an impact once the league returns, I guess we will just have to wait and see. Chelsea have found themselves back at the top of the WSL after a close 3-2 victory over Tottenham whilst Manchester United & Arsenal dropped what could be considered 2 crucial points each in their games leaving it all to play for as we hit the second half of the season. With only 3 Champions League spots available Manchester City are now closing in on those spots so every point for those top 4 teams are now becoming crucial and it is making for a very exciting season for us fans. So here how the results looked this weekend...


Leicester City vs Manchester City 

The opening game of the weekend saw Manchester City beat Leicester City 2-0. I managed to watch this game and I have to say Leicester impressed me, they defending quite well at times and although Manchester City were getting plenty of chances they kept them out for quite a while. They had a few chances of their own too but just couldn't find the back of the net. It was nice to see Kelly get her first league goal for Man City at the weekend and of course it was great to see Shaw on the score sheet once again, is she going to win the golden boot this season? Leicester are still bottom of the table however, they are starting to show the potential to pick points it is just a case of who they are going to take them off.

Aston Villa vs Brighton

Brighton held Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw, but there were plenty of chances for Villa to take the full 3 points from what I was hearing on social media. I am quite surprised with this result to be honest as I thought with how Villa had been playing recently they would have taken the 3 points on the day but I guess that just shows that anything can happen on the day in football. 

Manchester United vs Everton

I was really looking forward to going and to be honest I came away disappointed as someone who went to the game with high hopes for Man Utd. Now don't get me wrong United had plenty of chances throughout the game but there was just no way of getting past Everton's goalkeeper Brosnan who had a brilliant game. I would go as far as saying Everton have put in one of the best defensive performances against Man Utd at the LSV so far this season but enough about this game as we have a report coming very soon. 

Tottenham vs Chelsea

Chelsea took the lead in this game with ex Spurs player Jess Carter getting on the score sheet however, just 8 minutes later ex Chelsea player Beth England drew the game level. Not long after though Chelsea regained the lead with a goal from Lauren James before Reiten made it 3-1 to Chelsea, Tottenham never gave up though and pulled a goal back with 2 minutes of normal time left through Karczewska. England is showing us all just how good her transfer to Spurs was as she is making an impact on the squad already, as she settles into the squad even more I am excited to see just how much she helps Tottenham as they look to progress up the WSL table. 

Liverpool vs Reading

Reading are really struggling this season and they are going to have to start picking up points soon if they want to stay clear of the drop, all it takes is for Leicester to win a few more games and Reading are going to find themselves really under pressure. Liverpool came out of this weekends game 2-0 winners and I will be honest Liverpool are one of my big surprise teams this year, I thought they would struggle in their first season back but they have put in some good performances so far and are moving nicely away from the drop zone, granted they have had some poor results too but overall they have been a welcomed edition back into the league. 

West Ham vs Arsenal 

As someone who is wanting Manchester United to do well the 0-0 draw between West Ham and Arsenal was a welcomed result as it keeps Arsenal in 3rd place and still a few points behind United even with them dropping points against Everton. I missed this game however, it sounds like West Ham really put up a fight to keep Arsenal held to the goalless draw although it sounds like Arsenal weren't at their best attacking wise on the day. West Ham have been another surprise team this season and I could see them starting to move up the table in the second half of the season and start picking up the results they deserve as they don't have a bad team at all. 

So there you have it those are this weekends results, we have a few games to go this weekend before the start of the international break where there are going to be plenty of competitions for us to watch including the Arnold Clark cup which as an England fan I am really looking forward to. I have to say though I am really looking forward to the weekends games though as we are finally heading to see Manchester City vs Arsenal, a game we have been waiting to watch since September. 

What do you think to this weekends game results?