The WSL is back and the FA Cup is underway too this weekend!

Here’s some of our favourite moments, so you can stay to up to date with the action!

Thornaby FC: From Axe to achievement

Thornaby FC, a club which announced in June that it had voted to drop its female teams following a “difficult year” reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time.

Thankfully the decision was reversed following uproar on social media, with a new board voted in to ensure better decision making at the top.

Just five months later, the women’s team took on Liverpool Feds, who are three divisions above. They lost the game 7-2 but what a huge achievement for a club on the brink of collapse over summer.

Manchester United milestones

It was a big weekend for Manchester United, facing Arsenal after the international break. United, who managed to keep their unbeaten run this season, finished the game 1-1 after a last-minute goal from Melvine Malard cancelled out Alessia Russo’s 63rd minute strike.

But it was a historic game for two other reasons. United manager Marc Skinner celebrated his 100th game in charge of the Red Devils and records a 62.6% win percentage.

Going 50 better, Millie Turner celebrated her 150th appearance for the club and picked up a Barclays Player of the Match award to top off the day!

Leah faces a tough part of her history

Arsenal’s Leah Williamson returned to Manchester United’s home ground, Leigh Sports Village for the first time since tearing her ACL there last season.

No doubt mixed emotions for Williamson who started the game yesterday. It was a beautiful moment to see her come full circle and appreciate how far she’s come since that fateful news just before the Women’s World Cup.

Khiara Keating’s first WSL start

There have been some big questions over the goalkeeper situation at Manchester City this season with new signing, Japan international Ayaka Yamashita being Gareth Taylor’s first choice keeper for all of the WSL fixtures so far.

Despite Yamashita’s impressive credentials, it’s had a lot of us wondering why Taylor had chosen to change things up when Khiara had secured the WSL Golden Glove and obtained her first England call-up last season.

But, Keating finally got her first league start of the season AND kept a clean sheet too!

Bompastor’s reign continues

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor joined an elite team of managers last night as her side defeated Everton 5-0. The win, which is the 5th win on the bounce, means Bompastor joins one of only three managers to win five games at the start of the season in a row.

Only former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall and former Birmingham City manager David Parker share this accolade.

There were a few concerns when Emma Hayes’ era came to an end but Bompastor has put all those concerns to bed.

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.

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.

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

It’s been a BIG summer of global football – Euro’s qualification, some incredible WSL x Aus x NWSL collabs and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now we’re moments away from the first stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League first stages and the start of the WSL on 20th September…

It’s set to be the most well-attended WSL campaign in history with big ambitions to beat the 717,721 people who turned up for clubs last season.

So, whilst we have a brief moment, let’s get organised and figure out where we need to be and when to catch a bit of the main stadium action…

Arsenal: The Emirates

It’s always a vibe at the Emirates and it’s pretty much always a sell-out. Last season, Arsenal secured back-to-back sellouts and made history by encouraging 60,160 fans to their 1-0 win against Manchester United (Feb 2024). The Gunners average league attendance was an 31,428.

If that wasn’t incredible enough, Arsenal now hold the top three highest attended WSL games in history: 59,042 (Arsenal v Chelsea in Dec 2023) and 54,115 (Arsenal v Liverpool in October 2023).

This season, they’ve promised us 11 games at the Emirates; eight WSL and three more depending on UEFA Women’s Champions League progression. Meadow Park (4,500 capacity) will only host three home games against Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Ham.

• Manchester City: 22 September
• Everton: 06 October
• Chelsea: 12 October
• Brighton: 10 November
• Aston Villa: 08 December
• Spurs: 16 February
• Liverpool: 23 March
• Manchester United: 11 May

Aston Villa: Villa Park

In a historic move for the women’s side, Villa announced this summer that Villa Park will now host all of their WSL home games; a significant increase compared to the five played there during the last campaign.

The remaining home fixtures, including the Adobe Women’s FA Cup and FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup ties, will be played at Walsall’s Poundland Bescot Stadium.

• Tottenham: 29 September
• Leicester: 13 October
• Liverpool: 3 November
• Crystal Palace: 17 November
• West Ham: 15 December
• Manchester City: 26 January
• Chelsea: 2 February
• Everton: 2 March
• Manchester United: 23 March
• Arsenal: 27 April
• Brighton: 11 May

Brighton: American Express Stadium

No main stadium fixtures announced yet. All the women’s games will take place at the Broadfield Stadium.

Chelsea: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea will play three home games at Stamford Bridge. The rest of their fixtures will be hosted at the much-loved Kingsmeadow. Despite having a capacity of only 4,850, it’s the perfect place to still get that up close and personal feel, sitting meters away from Lauren James and new manager Sonia Bompastor.

Last season, the UWCL semi-final second-leg against Barcelona was played in front of a sellout crowd (39,398) at the Bridge. The Blues will be looking to beat that this year and we expect more UWCL fixtures to be announced depending on how the club get on in Europe.

• Manchester City: 17 November
• Arsenal: 26 January
• Liverpool: 11 May

Crystal Palace: Selhurst Park

The Eagles have landed in the WSL for the first time in the club’s history and they have quite the list of top tier fixtures to show case at Selhurst Park.

Last season, they made club history by selling over 5,566 tickets to watch them lift the Women’s Championship trophy. This year, with fixtures like this, we have no doubt another record will be smashed.

• Chelsea: 27 September
• Manchester City: 03 November
• Arsenal: 30 March

Everton: Goodison Park

Only one fixture has been announced at Goodison Park and what a fixture it is – just the Mersyside Derby – one of the most fiercely competitive red and blue fixtures in the WSL.

• Liverpool: 16 November

Leicester: King Power Stadium

These guys are main stadium OG’s. The women’s side have used the King Power Stadium as their home ground since 2021. This season is no different – all 11 WSL home games will feature here. We love to see it.

• Arsenal: 29 September
• Crystal Palace: 6 October
• Everton: 20 October
• Manchester United: 17 November
• Chelsea: 15 December
• Liverpool: 26 January
• Aston Villa: 16 February
• Brighton: 23 March
• Tottenham (30 March)
• Manchester City (27 April)
• West Ham (11 May)

Liverpool: Anfield

Three fixtures will be played at Anfield this season. But fans will have double the fun this year as the club confirmed they’d signed a ten-year lease to relocate from Prenton Park to the 18,000-capacity Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens.

• Manchester City: 13 October
• Manchester United: 16 March
• Everton: 4 May

Manchester City

City will host three WSL games at the Etihad Stadium. Their remaining fixtures will be played at the 7,000-capacity Joie Stadium across the road which sits within City’s elite training ground facility.

• Tottenham Hotspur: 10 November
• Manchester United: 19 January
• Chelsea: 23 March

Manchester United

Yaaanited have three fixtures in the diary for Old Trafford with the remaining games being played at Leigh Sports Village. There have been rumours recently of the women’s side moving permanently to a re-developed OT in the future, with their men’s team re-homing to a new nearby stadium but we’ll wait to see if there’s any legs in this…

In the meantime, United have sensibly chosen two mid/low-table fixtures against the Hammers and Palace, where they’ll be expecting to secure wins but they couldn’t miss the Manchester derby now and with City burned by a near-miss with the title, that last fixture will be spicy as hell.

• West Ham: 21 September
• Crystal Palace: 16 February
• Manchester City: 04 May

Spurs: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

It’s an important season for the club. A million miles away from once being seen as the WSL newbies (entering the league in 2020), they’re strong mid-table warriors with an eye on top four and a love for disruption.

They finished last year strong with a history-making FA Cup run which took them to Wembley in May (defeated 4-0 by Manchester United).

They’re not messing around with the main stadium fixtures this year – just the three biggest and the best opposition to showcase how far they’ve come, with all their remaining games to played at Brisbane Road (capacity of 9,721).

• Arsenal: 17 November
• Manchester United: 2 February
• Chelsea: 4 May

West Ham: London Stadium

No main stadium fixtures have been announced yet. All the women’s games will take place at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

Amid increasing concerns over the safety and sustainability of crowd interactions at women’s football, Chelsea announced their players will no longer engage in post-match selfies and autographs at their home ground (Kingsmeadow).

While women’s football has traditionally offered a strong connection between fans and players, the growth of crowds has led to concerns over the practicality of such close interaction – with reports of some fans being injured by others as they attempt to interact with players at the end of games.

The problem has already reared its head in pre-season as swathes of Arsenal fans were seen filling the walkway before the end of their friendly match with Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium.

It is a sight that has become increasingly familiar in stadiums hosting women’s football across the UK and beyond in recent years.

Chelsea cited safety issues stating: “There were occasions last season that led to concerns about the safety and security of both supporters and players, largely due to the rising numbers who are seeking signatures and selfies before and after games.”

The club have instead said they will hold events specifically organised for fan meet and greets with players.

It is a problem the whole of the WSL is grappling with as Manchester City have opted to introduce an ‘Autograph Alley’ post-match where ‘randomly selected fans’ are granted access to player selfies and autographs.

It might not have been what Women’s Professional Leagues’ CEO Nikki Doucet envisaged when referencing a drive towards engaging a ‘Taylor Swift demographic of fans’, but perhaps a selfie with City strikers Lauren Hemp or Bunny Shaw will become the new ‘22 hat’.

Meanwhile, fellow WSL big-hitters Arsenal and Manchester United have opted not to introduce restrictions. However, both will predominantly play at better-equipped stadiums for fan-distancing in the Emirates and Leigh Sports Village next season.

Neither club will deter fans from rushing to the front, blocking exit routes and the views of spectators behind them, with ‘Can I have your shirt signs?’ and Sharpies at the ready.

It is a trend bringing accusations of entitlement, as the Lionesses experienced after their match against Scotland at the Stadium of Light in September last year. Fans were seen chanting “get off the bus” as the team coach departed the ground.

Cardboard signs expectant of shirts, boots and autographs have become an all too familiar sight in the stands, with players such as former Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps known to have spent up to an hour answering requests.

Earps, in fact, has responded to criticism online labelling her “too busy and important” to stop to greet the poster’s daughter. The reality is, with crowd sizes pushing 60,000 in the WSL players do not have the capacity to greet each individual, nor should fans expect it.

Not only does this put an unreasonable expectation on the players, but it also means they cannot proceed with post-match media obligations or the recovery plans required of elite athletes – recovery which feels even more important now given the increasingly demanding match schedules the players contend with.

Criticism can also often be found tinged with misogyny as players are expected to show their gratitude to the fans for supporting them, as though they have not just exerted themselves for 90 minutes for the crowd’s entertainment.

Of course, for many years, smaller attendances did enable personal interactions and fan relationships with players. Such accessibility became a key attraction of the women’s game with new fans pulled in just as much by personality as well as play.

The boom in crowds since the 2022 European Championship means the days of a gaggle of six or seven people standing by the tunnel after a match are long gone.

Now, women’s football must confront the uncomfortable reality that with a change in attendance, there must also be a change in behaviour.

As Chelsea and Manchester City lead the way on restrictions, it could well spark more teams into similar action across the league and abroad.

While no fan should believe in their own preordained right to ‘meet and greet’ their idol, women’s football also prides itself on inclusivity and must be careful not to alienate those fans drawn in by personality.

Change always takes time to adjust to, and clubs will have to balance pleasing fans, new and old, while most importantly protecting the safety of their players.