W.S.L - Results, England and Other Related Women's News

SAT 14th JAN 2023 - THE FA WOMEN'S SUPER LEAGUE..

Aston Villa 2 (Dali 34, Daly 38) Tottenham Hotspur 1 (England 28)

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Rachel Daly (centre) has scored nine of Aston Villa's 15 WSL goals this season

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Aston Villa won the first Women's Super League match of the year to inflict a fifth consecutive loss on Tottenham.

Spurs took the lead through star signing Bethany England on her debut, but Villa had come from behind just 10 minutes later.

Kenza Dali equalised with a 20-yard strike before Rachel Daly turned home a Kirsty Hanson cross.

This match was the first for 31 days in the WSL, with Spurs losing the final game of 2022 and the first of 2023.

Defeat leaves Spurs in eighth with nine points from 10 games, while Villa rise to sixth having won five and lost five of their matches.

SUNDAY 15th JAN 2023 - THE FA WOMEN'S SUPER LEAGUE..RESULTS.

Everton 3 (Snoeijs 9, Park 32, George 61) Reading 2 (Vanhaevermaet 60, Cooper 68)

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Everton were pushed all the way before beating Reading in an entertaining Women's Super League game at Walton Hall Park.

First-half goals from Katja Snoejis and Jess Park put the hosts in control before Reading rallied after the break.

Justine Vanhaevermaet and Deanna Cooper scored for the visitors, either side of a beauty from Everton captain Gabby George, to set up an exciting finish.

Brian Sorensen's team held on to move up to fifth in the table.


Leicester City 3 (Whelan 45, Tierney 48, Robinson 69) Brighton 0

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Leicester City picked up their first points of the Women's Super League season with an impressive thrashing of Brighton at King Power Stadium.

Aileen Whelan slotted them into the lead against her former side just before half-time after some intricate play on the edge of the area.

Sam Tierney then bundled home a second three minutes into the second period.

Substitute Monique Robinson then ran on to a blocked cross, opened her body and found the corner from 16 yards.

Brighton remain 11th after Jens Scheuer's first game in charge, four points clear of bottom side Leicester.



The FA Women's Super League Table

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/womens-super-league/table

Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir wins landmark football maternity pay ruling..

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Iceland captain Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir says winning a claim against former side Lyon for failing to pay her full salary during pregnancy is a "wake-up call" for clubs.

In May 2022, a Fifa tribunal ordered French side Lyon to pay unpaid salaries of more than 82,000 euros (£72,000).

Player's union Fifpro called it a "landmark" case.

"This is not 'just business'," said 32-year-old Gunnarsdottir after the ruling was made public on Tuesday.

"This is about my rights as a worker, as a woman and as a human being."

Writing in the Player's Tribune, the midfielder, who is now at Juventus, added: "The victory felt bigger than me. It felt like a guarantee of financial security for all players who want to have a child during their career. That it's not a 'maybe,' or an unknown.

"But I want to make sure no one has to go through what I went through ever again."

She also tweeted: "This story is bigger than me! It's a wake up-call for all clubs."

Gunnarsdottir joined Lyon in 2020 and won two Champions League titles at the club before leaving for Juventus in July 2022.

Since January 2021, Fifa rules state female players are entitled to a minimum of 14 weeks' maternity leave at two-thirds of their salary.

The player, who fell pregnant in early 2021, agreed with Lyon she would return home to Iceland for the final stages of her pregnancy after she was told by doctors that she should stop playing football.

Gunnarsdottir said she intended to return to Lyon but found that her payments stopped coming through when she was in Iceland.

"I was entitled to my full salary during my pregnancy and until the start of my maternity leave, according to the mandatory regulations from Fifa," she added.

"These are part of my rights, and this can't be disputed, even by a club as big as Lyon."

Fifpro supported Gunnarsdottir in her claim and said: "We are pleased to have assisted her in achieving the first ruling of its kind since Fifa's maternity regulations came into force in January 2021.

"It is extremely important for women footballers and the women's game that these mandatory maternity regulations are both implemented and enforced at national level."

Lyon said they "put everything in place to support" Gunnarsdottir during her pregnancy and return to top-level football, but added that they were following French law, which they "have sometimes found too restrictive on these subjects".

The club said they are "proud" to have welcomed her back to Lyon after maternity leave and that they "separated for purely sporting reasons".

Lyon must pay Gunnarsdottir 82,094.82 euros - around £72,139 - plus 5% interest a year from 10 September last year until the debt has been cleared.

World governing body Fifa warned Lyon that if they did not pay within 45 days of the decision then they would be given a transfer ban.

Women's League Cup quarter-finals: All quarter-final ties are scheduled for 25th-26th January.


Arsenal v Aston Villa

Bristol City v Manchester City

Liverpool v West Ham United

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea

Lydia Williams: Brighton sign PSG goalkeeper..

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Brighton have signed former Arsenal goalkeeper Lydia Williams from Paris St-Germain until the end of the 2023-24 season.

The 34-year-old has previously played at Melbourne City, OL Reign and Pitea.

"I am sure Lydia will have a big impact," said Brighton coach Jen Scheuer. "Hopefully, we will see some of her wonderful saves."

The Australian has played in two World Cups and three Asia Cups, winning her 100th Matildas cap in June.

"Now we have three good goalkeepers, the competition will be a lot stronger and that's good for the team," said Scheuer.

"Well done to everyone involved in making sure Lydia is a Brighton player, we're delighted to have her."

Williams, who joined PSG last summer on a one-year-deal, was part of the Arsenal squad that finished second in the WSL last season having won four A-League titles with Melbourne City and Canberra United.

Sunday 22nd January Fixtures..

Chelsea v Liverpool - 12.30pm

Everton v West Ham United - 1pm

Reading v Manchester United - 2pm

Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City - 2pm

Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal - 6.45pm

Anouk Denton: West Ham sign former loanee defender from Louisville Cardinals..

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West Ham have signed defender Anouk Denton from Louisville Cardinals, subject to international clearance.

The 19-year-old former Arsenal player has joined on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Denton returns to the club having been on loan at West Ham for the second half of the 2020-21 season.

"Everything is very similar to when I was here before, but you can tell that things have developed and that the club is making progress," said Denton.

"I loved my experience out in the United States and I'm so glad I did it, but my dream has always been to come back and play in the WSL, and I'm delighted to be able to do that and sign professionally here with West Ham.

"The club has some really high aspirations and I'm looking forward to contributing as much as I can to help the team finish as high up the [WSL] table as possible."

Sunday 22nd January Results..

Everton 3 (Holmgaard 3, Finnigan 12, Beever-Jones 70) West Ham United 0

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Everton put in a strong display to see off mid-table rivals West Ham and boost their position in the Women's Super League table.

On a freezing afternoon in Merseyside, which led to a delayed kick-off, the Toffees quickly gave their fans something to cheer about when Karen Holmgaard headed in the opener after three minutes.

West Ham barely had time to settle before Everton doubled their advantage in the 12th minute when Megan Finnigan capitalised from a smart corner routine.

Everton continued to dominate and victory was confirmed in the second half when substitute Aggie Beever-Jones thumped in a superb third goal, adding to a miserable day for West Ham.

The Toffees had the best chances throughout with defender Gabby George having a shot blocked by Grace Fisk after scuffing an effort wide under pressure from Kate Longhurst in a busy first half.

Everton were threatening down the right-hand side in particular, with Nicoline Sorensen impressing and Jess Park causing problems.

Paul Konchesky's West Ham side eventually settled and found Lisa Evans in space out wide but forward Dagny Brynjarsdottir was largely starved of service in a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the Hammers.

The second half was not much better for the visitors as Everton almost scored again within seconds of the restart when Park slid a dangerous ball across the six-yard area and Kirsty Smith had to react.

On-loan Blues goalkeeper Emily Ramsey was tested on set-pieces but was relatively unfazed overall as Everton won comfortably in an impressive performance.

The result sees Everton jump up to fifth in the table, continuing their development under manager Brian Sorensen, while West Ham remain in seventh place.


Reading 0 Manchester United 1 (Williams 87)

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Substitute Rachel Williams scored a superb solo goal to beat Reading and send Manchester United top of the Women's Super League.

After spurning a number of chances, United took until the 87th minute to score as Williams broke down the left and then jinked inside before firing into the top corner.


The FA Women's Super League Table..

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/womens-super-league/table

WSL: Chelsea v Liverpool postponement after six minutes 'embarrassing'..

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The postponement of Chelsea v Liverpool six minutes into their Women's Super League game due to a frozen pitch has been described as "embarrassing".

The game - live on BBC Two - had kicked off as scheduled at 12:30 GMT at Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames following an earlier pitch inspection.

But just six minutes had gone when referee Neil Hair took the teams off, deeming the pitch unsafe.

Reds boss Matt Beard said the decision to kick off risked players' safety.

The sequence of events on Sunday - starting with a 09:30 pitch inspection and ending with players slipping over and disappointed supporters being addressed by Chelsea boss Emma Hayes - was widely criticised by the managers and pundits, as well as players on social media.

Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert said she was "angry and frustrated" about what had happened.

The Football Association and WSL said the referee had initially deemed the pitch unplayable following the first inspection, but changed that decision after a second inspection before the players' warm-up, after a pitch cover and heaters had been used.

"However, shortly after kick-off, the referee made the decision to abandon the match in order to protect the safety of the players, which is paramount," a statement said. "We sincerely apologise to all fans who travelled to the match."

According to the FA, the decision on whether a pitch is safe to play is only decided by the match referee and not the league or competing teams.

Speaking to BBC Sport immediately after the postponement, Hayes said the women's game must be taken more "seriously", while Beard said: "It shouldn't have been played in the first place."

The Liverpool boss added: "Whoever made the decision for the game to be on, it's put players at risk today."

Hayes said it was "time for undersoil heating" at all WSL games, adding: "The game should never have started."

Chelsea had been hoping to extend their four-point lead over Manchester United at the top of the Women's Super League.

"It's not for managers to decide if it's on - it's up to the FA and officials," Hayes added. "We have to say to ourselves that it's time for undersoil heating. We've got to take our game seriously. Yes, we can have our blowers and pitch tents but it's not enough."

The FA's timeline of events

First pitch inspection at 09:30, when the pitch was covered and heat blowers were being used.

Pitch deemed unplayable. However, it was agreed to inspect it again closer to kick-off, following the further use of a cover and heaters.

Before kick-off, the referee then deemed the surface playable.

The pitch continued to improve, and the covers were removed as late as possible before the warm-up.

At the start of the warm-up, the pitch was again inspected and found to be playable at that time. Match kicks off.

Soon after kick-off, with temperatures still around zero degrees, the pitch deteriorated and for reasons of player safety, the referee abandoned the match.

'Not good enough' - reaction
Former England player Fara Williams, who was working as a BBC pundit, added: "It should have been called off before the girls had come on the pitch."

Other big names have been quick to have their say on the abandonment on social media.

England and Arsenal's Beth Mead said the situation was "not good enough", while her Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema wrote: "FA and clubs, please do better."