Manchester United forward Grace Clinton will be the club’s most important player this season.
There are 23 United players who’ve been involved in the 2024-25 WSL season so far and none of them have scored more than Grace Clinton.
After an outstanding season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, in which the 21-year-old was voted PFA Young Player of the Year and named in the PFA Team of the Year, Clinton has made sure United have taken notice of what she can deliver on the domestic stage.
Her goal contributions have been worth four points to her parent club already this term. Manager Marc Skinner is still tinkering with his midfield composition with Brazil international Geyse returning from injury and Ella Toone struggling for form in front of goal, it makes sense that Clinton has been deployed further forward than we’re used to seeing her.
Clinton’s smartly timed runs proved fruitful against West Ham and Brighton whilst her frontfoot pressing brought about the winning goal against her former side Everton. As things settle down, we’ll likely see her moved back into a more familiar central-midfield role. This shift could see United have one of the most well-rounded midfield talents in Europe on their books.
So far this season, Clinton has had more touches in the final third (92), made more ball recoveries (35), had more shot-creating actions (15), won more tackles (12), completed more take-ons (8), won more free-kicks (7), played more through balls (4) and scored more goals (3) than any of her teammates.
Clinton is also responsible for carrying the ball into the final third (9) and the penalty area (4) more times than anybody else in the side. It’s worth saying that this is not a ‘best of a bad bunch’ set of numbers.
In fact, Clinton ranks in the top five players in the entire WSL in the majority of those metrics. Any player who can score more goals than Chelsea striker Mayra Ramirez whilst winning more tackles than Arsenal’s Katie McCabe is alright by us!
The most telling data point is the one concerning carries. Players who can carry the ball into the penalty area are very useful, but players who can carry the ball from deeper areas into the final third and from the final third into the penalty area are worth their weight in gold.
Clinton is one of those rare players and Skinner needs to find a system that allows her to get on the ball in deeper areas to support build-up play, while maintaining her influence in the final third.
United have other players who can go 1v1, beat defenders and create openings in the final third often enough for them to win the majority of the games that they would expect to win. But they don’t have other players with Clinton’s ability to orchestrate moves from deep and create a platform for the side to generate repeatable attacks.
Whether it’s playing a “free eights” system with Toone and Clinton dovetailing with a destroyer-type behind or a double pivot which allows Clinton to play as a deep playmaker with a more physical presence alongside her, finding a way to stretch Clinton’s influence through as much of the pitch as possible is key.
Doing this will go a long way to defining United’s season. Clinton’s three goals have come from just 8 shots and an xG of just 1.2 – she’s the second biggest overperformer in the division so far behind only Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Based on those numbers, and the fact that she scored just four across the whole of last season, we might expect Clinton’s goal scoring to slow down a little as the season goes on. However, other characteristics of her game (the ability to carry through pressure, to force turnovers and enact defence-splitting passes) are much more sustainable.
United’s summer signing Elisabeth Terland got off the mark in style against Tottenham just over a week ago and she’s currently running at 0.51 xG p90, so there’s little doubt that United will still have firepower as Clinton’s role in the side evolves.
There will be some level of temptation from Skinner to keep a player who is scoring most weekends as close to the goal as possible, but United have to be smart. They have a serious chance at UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification this season but utilisation of Clinton will play a pivotal role.
Stats provided by RBREF.
Check out our exclusive interview with Alex Scott here:
The WSL is taking a minute so this week’s Top 5 Moments features the best bits from across the international stage.
Here’s some of our favourite moments, so you can stay to up to date with the action!
Lionesses U17’s secure a spot in the World Cup Semi-Final
The U17 Lionesses have narrowly made it through to the World Cup semi-finals, hosted by the Dominican Republic.
Their match against Japan last night went to penalties after a 2-2 draw, with England securing the victory (penalties: 4-1). Watch the winning penalty here…
The win means they’ll face Spain in the semi-final on Thursday (11pm on the FIFA website). In the other semi-final, the US take on North Korea on Wednesday.
The final takes place on Sunday 03 November. Good luck to the semi-finalists!
McCabe doing McCabe things
It was a confident 6-0 win for the Republic of Ireland who faced Georgia in Tbilisi this weekend.
In the 67th minute, McCabe saw the Georgia goalkeeper off her line and fired an effort from around 40 yards out. The result….well, take a look.
Post-match, manager Eileen Gleeson was complimentary of the subs who made a “real impact” for the side as they head into the second leg of the play-off at Tallaght Stadium tomorrow night as the Girls in Green look to qualify for a first Women’s Euros!
The Reggae Girlz’s new recruit
Liverpool’s Taylor Hinds made her senior debut this weekend for the Jamaica Women’s National Team.
The 25-year-old, who has previously been a part of the England U17 and U19 squads, walked out with the Reggae Girlz in a friendly against France.
The match ended 3-0 to France with goals from Clara Mateo, Wendy Renard and Sandy Baltimore.
Hinds has made over 80 appearances from Liverpool since joining the side in 2020 from Everton. They currently sit 6th in the WSL on six points.
She’s A Keeper
The South Africa Women’s National Team played Eswatini on Friday, but this moment went viral with goalkeeper Jessica Williams scoring the second goal from the edge of the centre circle.
It was a big responsibility for Williams who is back in the national team after being in and out of the squad over the past couple of years.
South Africa take on England tomorrow night in a friendly in Coventry. This free-kick may well form part of the Lionesses analysis…
Bayern delivered at Wembley
The Lionesses took on Germany in a friendly at Wembley on Friday night but things did not go to plan…
German striker, Giulia Gwinn scored in the 4th minute, pouncing on a defensive error, but the goals didn’t stop there.
Gwinn doubled the lead in the 11th minute and teammate Klara Buhl scored in the 29th, leaving England in a state of shock with only half an hour played.
It ended 3-4 to Germany with five of the seven goals scored by members of the Bayern Munich team (Georgia Stanway, Klara Buhl and Giulia Gwinn).
Despite Sara Dabritz currently being at Lyon, she also spent a four year period at Bayern between 2015-2019 too!
We’re back again after another spicy WSL weekend. Another historic and record-breaking weekend for the players and the leagues!
Here’s some of our favourite moments, so you can stay to up to date with the action!
Perfection from Parris
Take a look at this header.
You’d be forgiven for missing Parris’ part first time round, but take a look at the slow-motion replay. Watch the specific moment as Parris times her diving leap perfectly to catch a rapid strike from outside the box, redirecting the shot past Tullis-Joyce.
Parris, who was United’s top goalscorer last season (8) and currently sits fifth in the WSL goalscoring chart, has the highest goals per 90 minutes (0.56) out of any player in the top 5.
Roord Really Returns
Manchester City’s Jill Roord scored in the 70th minute against Aston Villa yesterday to secure the Citizens all three points (2-1).
It was Roord’s first goal after returning two weeks ago for the first time since suffering an ACL injury last season.
Lauren Hemp, who scored 12 minutes before, got the assist, delivering from the left wing for Roord who slotted home past Sabrina D’Angelo. Hemp picked up the Barclay’s Player of the Month.
City have now won their last seven games in all competitions.
Little’s BIG Achievement
Arsenal captain Kim Little recorded her 350th appearance for Arsenal this weekend against West Ham.
The 34-year-old midfielder, who retired from the Scottish Women’s National Team in 2021, marked the occasion with a fresh pair of special-edition adidas F50 boots which were printed with ‘Congratulations Kim’ and ‘350’.
Little is the fourth-most capped player ever, just seven games behind Jayne Ludlow. Emma Byrne and Ciara Grant lead the way with 459 and 403 appearances respectively.
Arsenal teammate Lia Walti also hit a milestone, making her 100th appearance for the Gunners. Walti becomes the 8th Arsenal player to achieve this.
Le Tissier is feeling 22…
Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier became the youngest player ever to make 100 starts in the WSL.
22-year-old Le Tissier lead her side out on Saturday to a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion. United currently sit 3rd in the table with 10 points, behind Chelsea on 12 and City on 13.
Only United have conceded just one goal this season – Le Tissier runs a tight ship.
JRK’s GOAL of the season?
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur delivered some incredible late Sunday night drama with seven goals between them both.
We initially thought the biggest talking point was going to be the re-ignition of the goal line technology debate, after Spurs’ Amanda Nilden scored a controversial long-range effort against Hannah Hampton.
But then…up stepped Johanna Rytting Kaneryd with a VERY early contender for goal of the season. The commentators described the goal as “utterly exceptional” and that it was. Watch this…
The 27-year-old set Kingsmeadow alight with the most perfect volley, but her entire night was pretty much flawless, bagging a further goal in the 90+1 minute too.
Needless to say, she picked up the Barclay’s Player of the Match.
Un-Bag-lievable
Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley put in a performance of a lifetime to keep her side in the game against a fierce United side on Saturday.
The Seagulls helpfully put together a montage of the 27-year-old’s best bits…
United registered seven shots on target with Baggaley putting in a shift to keep six good chances out.
Baggaley is one of the most experienced keepers in the WSL, having had spells at Birmingham City, Bristol City, Manchester United and Brighton since 2014. Baggaley was also a part of the England U23 set-up until 2019.
Introducing our new series: Fandom.Is.Everyone x Arsenal Edition.
We wanted to capture the beautiful and very real essence of women’s football fandom.
It’s young and experienced. It’s scarves , beanies and concourse catwalks. It’s pints, Jamaican patties and burger vans.
It’s community, safety and acceptance. It’s family, friends and solo-adventurists. It’s all the cultures, languages and identities in one house.
It’s all abilities and taking care of one another. It’s new and old friends.
It’s heartbreak and heart-felt joy. It’s stadium games and new chants. It’s long journeys and local clubs. It’s banners and cardboard signs.
It’s fierce rivalry and supporting both. It’s advocacy, campaigns and finally celebrating the winds of change.
It’s football fandom. It’s you.
Check out our beautiful collection below.
We’re back again after another spicy WSL weekend AND the Women’s Championship. Another historic and record-breaking weekend for the players and the leagues!
Here’s some of our favourite moments, so you can stay to up to date with the action!
Tooney becomes an all-timer
Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone became the first outfield player to appear in 93 consecutive WSL games for the same club (credit: Opta).
And what a 93rd game it was, with Yaanited securing all three points against Tottenham Hotspur in a confident 3-0 win.
The 25-year-old has been with United since 2018, making over 120 appearances and scoring 40 goals. Toone also spent five years with United’s youth team between 2007 – 2013.
It’s fair to say, she’s United through and through and those stats prove it!
From one Blue’s boss to another…
Former Chelsea manager and USWNT boss Emma Hayes was spotted in the stands this weekend, watching on, as her former side defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates.
Post-match, Hayes and current manager Sonia Bompastor took one of the most iconic selfies of the season so far…
Following the game, Bompastor was asked about Hayes’ presence at the game. She said: “We have a good relationship. She came because she had some players from the US. She’s maybe happy with the win because she feels like a Chelsea fan. She has a new job so maybe she has some advice for me?”
The Blues have won all three WSL games under Bompastor so whatever the advice, it’s working!
The Championship made waves
We’re six games into the Women’s Championship but this weekend delivered something special.
The Sunderland v Newcastle fixture, which took place at the Stadium of Light yesterday afternoon, attracted a record-breaking crowd of 15,387.
Newcastle picked up the points (2-1) much to the disappointment of home fans, but both sides provided a feisty battle.
The attendance figure smashed the previous 11,137 Women’s Championship record created in November 2022, during the Sheffield vs London City Lionesses fixture.
It’s Ramirez’s world. We’re just living in it.
Mayra Ramirez set the Emirates alight this weekend with a strong contender for Goal of the Month.
In front of 45,860 fans, the Colombia international pulled off a beautiful bicycle kick in the 4th minute to set the Blues fans alight.
Feel free to watch that again… To celebrate, Ramirez pulled off one of the coldest celebration so far this season.
Needless to say, Ramirez picked up Chelsea’s Star of the Match.
Bunny bags a brace
Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw dominated headlines yesterday, bagging two goals against Liverpool to secure a vital three points for her side.
After going 1-0 down before half-time due to a beautiful strike from Olivia Smith, Shaw went two better in the second-half, scoring in the 58th and 90+2 minutes.
Bunny picked up the Barclay’s Player of the Match award and ensured she maintained joint top spot in the WSL top goalscorer list with three goals and one assist in four games – on par with Brighton’s Kiko Seike and Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly.
We’re back again after another spicy WSL weekend. It was a pretty historic and record-breaking weekend for the players so we simply had to an extra moment!
Here’s some of our favourite, so you can stay to up to date with the action!
The Eagles have landed
WSL debutants Crystal Palace made club history, securing their first ever WSL points. Palace beat Leicester 2-0 with both goals coming from forward Annabel Blanchard.
Take a look at the first goal here in the 55th minute…
Blanchard didn’t stop there. She converted from the penalty spot in the 68th minute to seal the deal.
Following the game, manager Laura Kaminski addressed the group stating that she was proud of them for coming together, especially off the back of three previous defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa (in the League Cup).
Kaminski reminded the team: “Not too high with the highs and not too low with the lows”.
Nobbs hits the WSL history books
WSL legend, 31-year-old Jordan Nobbs created history on Saturday as she became the new all-time Barclays appearance record-holder with 193 appearances. Nobbs overtakes Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle, who is currently sidelined for the foreseeable future with an ACL injury.
The midfielder started her career at Arsenal back in 2010, playing 12 out of the 14 games of the first WSL season. Nobbs is the only player to play in all 15 seasons of the WSL.
Fast forward to this weekend – Nobbs made her record-breaking appearance against Brighton. Unfortunately, the appearance itself didn’t go exactly to plan, with Aston Villa losing 4-2 to Brighton.
The Villains go again next weekend against 10th placed Leicester City.
Hobinger’s free-kick humdinger
Hot off the heels of Barclays announcing the September goal of the month nominees last week, Liverpool’s Marie Hobinger has given the bank something to think about for this month.
The 23-year-old Austria international scored this absolute worldie in the 75th minute. Take a look…
The goal would prove to be a huge one at the final whistle, with Liverpool securing three points against Spurs in a 3-2 win.
Feel free to watch that goal again. It’s a work of art.
Two Seagulls soar
Brighton secured their second win of the season with both 18-year-old Michelle Agyemang and 30-year-old Nikita Parris getting their debut goals with the club.
Both Parris and Agyemang signed in summer hoping to get more game time at very different stages in their careers.
The goals would prove invaluable in securing the 4-2 win against Aston Villa, with Agyemang picking up her first Player of the Match award. Agyemang secured 38.4% of the fans vote, beating Fran Kirby, Nikita Parris and Pauline Bremmer.
Agyemang reflected on the team’s win here:
Three out of Three for Daly
The 32-year-old Rachel Daly won the WSL Golden Boot in 2022-23 and she seems intent on winning another this year with a ridiculously strong start to the season.
Despite Villa’s defeat to Brighton, Daly scored both goals which were also significant in that she reached her 100 club goal milestone.
Daly recently stepped away from the international stage to focus on club football and that she definitely has!
We went out to our audience to see who thought Daly would be picking up the Golden Boot this year. 22% said yes. 60% said maybe…
City’s young-gun
Lauren Hemp made history this weekend by becoming the youngest player to score 50 goals.
Hemp, who is 24-years-old and 60 days, reached the new milestone with her opening goal against West Ham yesterday.
Hemp scored in the 10th minute and her goal was followed by Mary Fowler’s in the 71st, helping City take home three points, propelling them to the WSL table top-spot (in front of Chelsea who have a game in hand).
For many people, makeup can form a key part of their identity. That appears to be no less the case in women’s football where roughly a third of people wear makeup to play.
We surveyed over 1,500 audience members (women, men and non-binary people) and found that 14% of those playing football always wear makeup, while a further 18% sometimes do.
Makeup, and more importantly self-expression, has become a visible aspect of women’s football culture. Whether it is 28-year-old Lioness Katie Zelem’s iconic eyelashes or the copious number of Il Makiage x Arsenal tote bags to be spotted around London.
For the players who do wear it, makeup can often be a confidence boost that helps them express their identity through football as much as they express their identity through their mascara application.
In fact, 54% agree with the statement, “wearing makeup makes me feel confident and fierce, both on and off the pitch.”
In the same way some players might pull on a pair of lucky gloves or socks to take to the pitch, makeup can be a form of armour for others as they prepare to represent their team to give a further confidence boost on the field.
That breaks down to reflect that 52% of respondents quoted “look good, feel good, play good” while a further 35% said confidence was a factor in wearing makeup. The remaining 13% indicated they are already wearing it after work or school before heading straight to training.
While it may seem a trivial issue to some, players can often end up receiving hate or feeling diminished for their seemingly insignificant act of self-expression.
England cricketer Sarah Glenn said in a TikTok on International Women’s Day: “The amount of men who are triggered for women being themselves in sport is beyond me.
“Girls will simply put on false lashes in their sport and men are commenting, ‘Why are you wearing that? You should be focusing on the game. Blah, blah, blah.’”
In women’s football, Juventus’ Alisha Lehmann has received abuse for taking to the pitch in makeup. Often this comes with accusations of wanting attention or detracting from her focus on the sport.
For a footballer with over 50 international caps and over 100 WSL appearances at the age of 25, the comments represent a remaining misogyny as the appearance of women playing sport continues to be policed.
It is important, then, that women, and anyone else competing in sport, feel confident to dress and express themselves in whatever way makes them feel good without receiving abuse about their decision.
Yet what also stands out from the research is that 68% of people do not wear makeup to play football compared to only 46% who do not wear it in everyday life.
Given that many of the factors cited for players choosing to wear makeup referenced confidence, this would indicate that, away from online abuse, women’s football promotes an environment where people can feel confident however they choose to dress and present.
Of course, there can be other factors such as comfort and a tendency to sweat that lead to fewer people opting to wear makeup while playing as a practicality.
However, wearing makeup can still represent a societal beauty standard that many feel the need to live up to.
So, the fact that over two-thirds of players do not feel the need to conform to this standard while at football training or matches indicates that women’s football can act as a liberating environment away from the conventions of everyday life.
Within such an inclusive environment it remains just as important to include those who opt to wear makeup as a form of self-expression as those who choose not to.
Hopefully, however, women’s football can provide a space to break free of the shackles of society’s arbitrary beauty standards and one day, wearing makeup will no longer have to be linked to confidence at all.
There’s been so many games to watch across the weekend, spanning from Friday night under the lights to Sunday afternoon, around the same time you’re tucking into your roast.
We know it’s hard to keep up sometimes, so we’ve put together some of our favourite heart-warming moments, so you stay to up to date with the action.
Jill Roord returns from injury
Manchester City midfielder Jill Roord returned from injury yesterday, stepping onto the pitch for the first time in 249 days.
Roord sustained an ACL injury in January 2024 and has been sidelined since then. But this weekend, she replaced Vivianne Miedema in the 80th minute against Brighton to a huge round of applause from both sets of fans.
After the game, Roord paid special thanks to the medical team for all their help in getting her back to what she loves doing most.
Clinton’s 100% scoring record
There’s been a lot of hype around 21-year-old Grace Clinton since she was loaned to Tottenham Hotspur last season. This season, she returned to her parent club Manchester United and in two games has shown why she deserves to be back in the fold.
As starts to the season go, things could not have been better for Clinton who has scored in both WSL matches. Last weekend, she scored against West Ham (53rd minute). This weekend she scored the team’s only goal against Everton in the 4th minute, securing three points. And what a goal it was…
Chelsea v Man Utd postponed to allow for Champions League preparation
Scheduling is one of the hottest topics in women’s football. Time and time again we hear (understandable) complaints from players and clubs about how little preparation they have for games when three fixtures come within the same week.
The conversation becomes even more charged given the spate of recent ACL injuries, with overloading thought to be at least one of the factors in this career-halting injury.
But the WSL has spiced things up this year and given a huge nod to the approach they will be taking going forwards – putting player welfare front and centre.
The Chelsea v Manchester United WSL fixture scheduled for 6th October has been postponed to give Chelsea players enough time to prepare for their Real Madrid UEFA Women’s Champions League group-stage game on the 8th October.
It’s not ideal for those fans who may have already made plans or spent money to attend the fixture, but it’s a welcome move to ensure the UWCL stays as competitive as possible and that every effort is taken to ensure injuries are reduced.
Olivia Smith gets on the score sheet
Twenty-year-old Smith was one of Liverpool’s hottest signings this year. She was also a record-breaker. Liverpool sealed her transfer from Portugese side Sporting Lisbon for almost €250,000 (£210k).
The forward has started for Liverpool in both games this season. First against Leicester last weekend (1-1) and this weekend against West Ham (1-1).
Smith made her mark this weekend with a beautiful debut goal…
Smith was unfortunate not to be selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics squad but she’ll be working towards building a few excellent WSL seasons to secure her spot for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. In the meantime, she’s showing Liverpool why she was worth her fee.
Click here for more on Olivia Smith: https://shesaballer.co.uk/wsl-young-ballers-on-the-rise/
Millie Bright’s one year captaincy anniversary
The 31-year-old captain celebrated her one year anniversary as Blues captain this weekend. Bright took over the reigns from Magda Erikkson who left Chelsea to join Bayern Munich in summer 2023.
Bright, who also celebrated her ten year anniversary with Chelsea this season, has overseen a hugely successful time for the club. This year, she captained the club to a 7th WSL title and has helped the team overcome the turbulence of Emma Hayes’ departure.
Chelsea have made a strong start to the season, beating Aston Villa 1-0 in the opening game and Crystal Palace 7-0 on Friday. There’s a long way to go but Bright is well-versed in long seasons, determination and maintaining high standards.
One of the many joys of women’s football is the fan culture that is shared by supporters across the world. The inclusivity remains a key attraction of the game and that extends off the pitch to the stands, concourses and bars where fans congregate.
These facets culminate to create an environment which is unique to the women’s game. Featuring data from our Women’s Football Fandom Insights Report (download a free copy via our insights page) , we outline the aspects of fan culture that make it so special.
A shared commitment to activism
Women’s football has always relied on a level of self-advocacy. From the pioneers who continued playing through the 1972 FA-imposed ban, to the women who came after and forged a path without any visible role models, it has sadly been a necessity.
Women have faced unending barriers to accessing competitive sport. For years, just to lace up your boots and kick a ball has required subverting expectations of ‘femininity’.
But, through those years of struggle, such a necessary tradition has also found a home among the fans who remain willing to fight for the hard-fought rights of the pioneers before them.
It has led to an extremely informed fan base, where 59% of fans feel that negative press about a club would weaken their support.
It is the reason why the plights of former WSL side Reading and Thornaby FC provoked such a strong response from the community. It is the reason why, when a player crowdfunds for ACL surgery due to the lack of financial support from their club, fans rally to repost and donate.
Reading provoked a moment of reflection on the state of the women’s game after the main club issued a statement in June confirming that they were withdrawing from the Women’s Championship and moving to Tier 5 of the pyramid. Reading cited that financial difficulty meant they could not afford to commit to the investment required to stay in the league.
Further down the tiers, Thornaby FC had decided to drop their women’s team until public and media outcry convinced them otherwise.
It is perhaps unsurprising that 86% of women’s football fans do not believe there is enough support for failing women’s clubs.
But what is certain is that fans will stand up for injustices in women’s football, whether it is happening to their club or not.
Kit culture
Football and fashion have never been too far apart. Clubs are releasing new kits yearly making the most of collaborations with high-end fashion houses e.g. Labrum x Arsenal to provoke conversation, educate audiences and generate hype.
Women’s football kit culture is part of the conversation now. The explosion in the popularity of the women’s game has been accompanied by a boom in shirt sales and memorabilia as fans seek to own a piece of the action.
Interestingly, our audience insights found that 39% of fans would buy another team’s kits because they love it – which subverts the narrative around tribalism in the women’s game.
From the growth of women’s football kit brand Foudy’s to TikTokkers making ‘matchday ‘fits’ content and interest in the fashion of players themselves, football shirt fashion is blossoming.
In fact, just under half of female, women’s football fans consume content on footballer fashion, while that figure still sits at over a quarter of male women’s football fans.
Just walking around the Emirates concourse on the opening day of the season, the passion for accessorising kits was clear. Fans dialled down in Levi’s or scaling up with jewellery, scrunchies and bows – it was a concourse catwalk – a pre-match show of the best dressed in the community.
Women’s football culture is celebrating different points of entry into falling in love with the beautiful game and it’s something we love to see.
IRL watch-alongs are winning
As society in general grapples with a decline in third places (social spaces away from home and work), in women’s football, they only seem to be becoming more available.
Watching football at a pub may previously have been seen as the domain of an exclusive masculine core, where knowledge of obscure facts about Chelsea’s third-choice keeper in 2005 and willingness to shout abuse at a projector screen, qualified your acceptance.
Increasingly, however, we are seeing those less inclined to enter that hyper-masculine environment benefit from the success of women’s football watch-alongs.
They provide a far more inclusive space to be equally as passionate about the team you support, so much so that 96% of women’s football fans would be keen to consume football in this way.
It is an exciting aspect of women’s football culture that inclusive spaces are being embedded as go-to spaces to consume sport, diverging from the well-trodden path of men’s football.
LGBTQ+ inclusive culture
Inclusivity is not restricted to watch-alongs in the game, as women’s football culture, in many respects, has also found itself intertwined with queer culture.
There are many explanations and theories for the perception that women’s football is home to a high proportion of LGBTQ+ people. It’s a fact that has been reclaimed by the community and whatever the explanation or truth, it has contributed to creating a welcoming space for all.
Outspoken and visible role models in the elite game as well as inclusive LGBTQ+ grassroots football clubs have all ensured that, for the LGBTQ+ community, women’s football has developed into a space where you can be yourself.
While under a third of LGBTQ+ people feel safe at men’s games, at women’s matches that increases to nearly all LGBTQ+ fans feeling safe (96%).
However, there remains work to be done to include all backgrounds and cultures into the women’s football space, as Black, Asian and mixed heritage fans and those from a lower socio-economic background remain underrepresented in crowds.
(Photo credit: Arsenal/adidas)
The WSL kicked off last weekend, so we picked our top young ballers to watch this season
Choosing just seven up and coming ballers in a season which is inundated with young talent was tough, but we had to start somewhere…
In no particular order, we wanted to profile the under 25’s continuing to create magic and reassure us that the future of the game is in very safe hands.
Michelle Agyemang (Brighton (Arsenal loanee) & Eng U19’s)
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign Agyemang joined Women’s Championship side Watford FC on a dual-signing in September 2023. This experience proved the making of her, bagging six goals for the club – with one coming against her parent club in an FA Club tie. That’s one way to show Mum & Dad.
She’s won two Championship Player of the Week and one Championship Player of the Month awards during her short time at the club. These performances earned Agyemang her first professional contract with the Gunners and they’ve just sent her on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion to gain WSL minutes.
And she found a couple…being subbed on in the 88th minute against Everton in the weekend. We have no doubt she’ll be making earlier starts shortly.
Agyemang would have had tough competition at Arsenal with so many attacking options available: Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenious, Beth Mead, Rosa Kafaji and Caitlin Foord to name a few, but manager Jonas Eidevall will be keeping a watchful eye on her from afar.
Having bossed the Championship, this Young Gun(ner) has a huge opportunity ahead to build, develop and maybe twinkle the eye of England boss Sarina Wiegman as we head towards the Euros next year…
Grace Clinton (Manchester United & Eng Seniors)
Age: 21
Position: Midfield
Last season, Clinton went on loan to WSL’s team-on-the-rise, Tottenham Hotspur, making 20 appearances, scoring four goals and bagging four assists for the North London side. She was a key figure in the club reaching their first FA Cup final at Wembley, despite not being able to play in the final (due to being conflicted)
On the international stage, Clinton made her England debut in February against Austria (and scored of course) and to top off a stellar season, this young baller just picked up the PFA’s Young Player of the Year Award.
Ahead of this season, despite Spurs boss Robert Vilahamn singing her praises (and wanting to keep her), Clinton returned to parent club Manchester United whom she is expected to play a key role for this season. Vilahamn gave Clinton more freedom to express herself on the wing but as her experience has grown, so has her presence in the No.10 or No.8 role. She admitted that she is “quite an aggressive player” and the middle of the pitch is where she can “do most harm”. Bring on the damage.
With a current transfer market value of £101k (credit: SoccerDonna) and already on the score sheet for United last weekend, she is certainly a talent on the rise, and one to keep an eye on this year.
Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa & Eng U23’s)
Age: 23
Position: Midfield
Having been with Liverpool since she was eight, this young scouser was the embodiment of a ‘Reds’ fan – so it was a surprise to see her move to Villa this summer.
But despite Missy Bo’s history with Liverpool saturated with achievements – the youngest player to ever captain the side in 2021-22, Standard Chartered Women’s Player of the Season 2021, Women’s Football Awards Young Player of the Year 2023, Club Player of the Season 2023, Northwest Football Women’s Rising Star Award 2023 AND the 2024 PFA Community Champions Award – the decision was made to move on.
After receiving her first call-up to the Lionesses in May, hoping to earn an England senior debut asap and a place at the 2025 Women’s Euros on the line, Missy Bo is looking for more game time and a chance to impress Sarina this year.
Making her first WSL start with Villa last weekend, she impressed against Chelsea, causing them problems and nearly securing an early opener against the current WSL title holders. Her link-up play with Chastity Grant is going to be an asset for The Villains.
Missy Bo has credentials both on and off the pitch and Villa have snapped up a baller with big ambitions, an eye on Switzerland and a genuine love for the game and its community. Whatever the transfer fee – it’s a bargain.
Aoba Fujino (Manchester City & Japan Seniors)
Age: 20
Position: Forward
What a summer signing for City! Fujino joins from Tokyo-side Verdy Beleza after racking up 24 goals and 17 assists during her 51 appearances for the club. That’s one way to catch manager Gareth Taylor’s eye as he looks to bolster his front line. Was having Miedema, Kelly, Hemp and Shaw not enough?
You might recognise Fujino’s name from the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Yep, she made history by becoming Japan’s youngest ever goalscorer (aged 19 and 180 days), scoring in their group game against Costa Rica.
And her presence on the international stage reigns supreme – Fujino was the talk of Paris this summer after her incredible free-kick against Spain in Japan’s opening Olympics game.
Her three-year deal with City will no doubt start with an adjustment to WSL life, but that won’t take long – she eats up high-pressure situations and has already given us a very big glimmer of things to come. She started for City this weekend and caused trouble for 74 minutes before Chloe Kelly joined the action.
Olivia Smith (Liverpool & Canada Seniors)
Age: 20
Position: Midfield
Last year Smith played for Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino, recording an impressive 13 goals and nine assists in just 18 games. It’s no wonder that Smith attracted interest from Europe’s biggest clubs.
Liverpool eventually sealed the deal for a club record fee of almost €250,000 (£210k). After finishing 4th last season, Liverpool will be aiming to secure Champions League football this season and with a few big names leaving (Melissa Lawley, Shanice van de Sanden, Emma Koivisto and Miri Taylor), Smith is expected to bring the fire power.
On the international stage, Smith is no wallflower, having made her Canada Women’s National Team debut at just 15 (in 2019). She was unfortunate not to be selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics squad but she’ll be working towards building a few excellent WSL seasons to secure her spot for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Smith started for Liverpool at the weekend and looked impressive…
Naomi Layzell (Manchester City & Eng U23’s)
Age: 20
Position: Centre-back
Layzell signed with City this summer from just-relegated side Bristol City who joined the Women’s Championship this season. Despite the club’s downfall, Layzell is on an upward trajectory, securing Young Player of the Season last year.
The transfer fee was undisclosed but the Robins swept it up, confirming that they received a club record sum for this young fledgling fleeing the nest.
The Citizens have secured Layzell on a four-year contract. City’s firepower is world-class but Layzell comes in to lay bricks for that City back-line. The club conceded the fewest WSL goals last season (15) than any other team and they will want to keep it that way.
It’s a big job for Layzell but she brings with her a wealth of experience with Bristol City – a team which came under wave after wave of attack last season. There’s a reason she’s been signed for four years and she’ll be hoping to get City that all-elusive recent WSL title (last won in 2016) and ensure a decent run in the Champions League.
Despite not getting any minutes at the weekend, we’re excited to see her first WSL minutes with the club.
Ruby Mace (Leicester City & Eng U23’s)
Age: 20
Position: Midfield
Mace has already played for a number of English giants, having previously balled with Manchester City, Birmingham City and Arsenal.
This summer, Leicester City made her loan spell from Manchester City permanent, signing a two-year contract with the Foxes. She made 11 appearances for the club last season and was quick to be offered a return by new manager Amandine Miquel.
Speaking ahead of this season, Mace confirmed that ‘minutes were important at this stage of her career’ and that Leicester had that family-feel she needed to really elevate her career at a pivotal moment.
Mace started for Leicester at the weekend, helping secure a very vital point for the club’s campaign this season.