An episode from Women’s Football Weekly: WSL title race blown open as City beat Chelsea
Feb 20, 2024
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Faye Carruthers hosts a lively discussion with Suzanne Wrack, Emma Sanders, and Chris Paouros on the Women's Football Weekly podcast. They analyze Manchester City's crucial win over Chelsea, the intense WSL title race, and the challenges faced by managers in the league. The podcast also covers upcoming friendly matches, updates on England's Leah Williamson, and efforts to combat homophobic behavior in football.
Manchester City's win over Chelsea has intensified the WSL title race, making it wide open for multiple contenders.
Arsenal's dominant victory over Manchester United has raised questions about the latter's form and the future of their manager.
Liverpool's first WSL win of 2024 keeps them in the race for a top-four finish, showcasing their progress and resilience.
Deep dives
Manchester City's win over Chelsea shakes up title race
Manchester City's win over Chelsea in the WSL has turned the tables in the title race. With both teams now locked on 34 points, the result has injected further excitement into the competition. Manchester City showcased their ruthless and efficient style of play, with standout performances from goalkeeper Kiara Keating and midfielders Jess Park and Bunny Shaw. While there is still belief that Chelsea can win the title due to their winning know-how, this result has made the race wide open and promises more twists and turns in the remaining games.
Arsenal's dominant victory keeps them in the mix
Arsenal bounced back from recent setbacks with a convincing 3-1 win over Manchester United. The match, played in front of a record-breaking sellout crowd at the Emirates, saw Arsenal display their ruthless side, taking advantage of a defensively poor Manchester United. Although Manchester United managed a late consolation goal, Arsenal's performance showcased their ability to step up in big games. Concerns have now arisen about Manchester United's regression and manager Mark Skinner's future, while Arsenal's victory has solidified their position in the title race.
Liverpool secures first win, remains in contention
Liverpool secured their first WSL victory of 2024 with a 1-0 win over Brighton. Captain Kerry Holland scored the decisive goal, but was later sent off after receiving two yellow cards. Despite their slow start to the season, Liverpool now find themselves just two points behind Manchester United. With the race for the top four heating up, Liverpool's win gives them hope of catching up to the teams above them and challenging for a Champions League spot. Their steady progress and resilience cannot be underestimated.
Tottenham's Tough Run of Fixtures
Tottenham is facing a challenging run of fixtures, including matches against top-level teams like Man United, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, and Chelsea. The speaker acknowledges that it will be an incredibly difficult task for Tottenham to come out successful in these games.
The Importance of Investment and Experience
The speaker emphasizes the need for investment and experience to support young talent and improve team performance. While praising Tottenham's youth recruitment and development efforts, the speaker believes that adding some experienced players would help them progress further. The goal is to enable manager Hope Powell to have the resources needed to build a special team in the Championship next season.
After a bumper weekend of WSL action, Faye Carruthers has Suzanne Wrack, Emma Sanders and Chris Paouros alongside her on our Women’s Football Weekly podcast to discuss Manchester City’s big win over Chelsea and what it could mean for the topsy-turvy title race. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/footballweeklypod
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