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New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Athletic's end-of-season awards, 2024-25: Women's football
The English domestic season finished on Sunday with Chelsea beating Manchester United 3-0 in the FA Cup final to secure a treble in Sonia Bompastor's first season as head coach. Chelsea swept all before them domestically, going unbeaten in the Women's Super League (WSL) and winning the League Cup. With Arsenal versus Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final on Saturday, now seems like a good opportunity to reflect on some of the campaign's outstanding performances. Advertisement The Athletic's team of experts have been voting for their 2024-25 award winners, covering the WSL and European competition. We have also announced our winners from the men's game — you can read about those here — but here are the players and managers we are recognising for their achievements this season in women's football… Alessia Russo shared the WSL's Golden Boot award with Manchester City's Khadija Shaw — whose injuries limited her to 10 starts from 14 top-flight appearances — on 12 goals each and, although Arsenal colleague Mariona Caldentey deserves a special mention, this season more than ever highlighted the importance of the collective rather than the individual. Chelsea are the first WSL side to go unbeaten through a 22-game league campaign but with Sam Kerr yet to return from her January 2024 knee injury, they only had four players among the league's 25 leaders for goal contributions (goals and assists) — Aggie Beever-Jones (13th on nine), Guro Reiten, Catarina Macario and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (joint-18th on eight). They were a classic example of a team being greater than the sum of its parts. Russo had a good mid-season run of form (seven goals in six games, five of them wins), helping turn around Arsenal's fortunes after a disrupted start to the campaign. Charlotte Harpur The story of the summer will be whether Olivia Smith remains at Liverpool or gets poached by one of the WSL's 'big four' (Chelsea, Arsenal and the two Manchester clubs). It is a remarkable narrative arc for a player who only arrived in England as a teenager last summer and was relatively anonymous outside Canada. But Smith, now 20, has a knack for showing up and lighting leagues on fire, having done it back home for North Toronto Nitros in 2022 and then in Portugal. Advertisement The WSL was always going to be her biggest test, having been signed after a single 16-goal season with Sporting CP in Lisbon. Yet, as far as debut years go, Smith smashed the assignment, all while playing out of position (it wasn't until coach Matt Beard's sacking in late February that she was moved out wide) in a team who underperformed massively in terms of creating attacks over the first half of the campaign. As the campaign progressed, Smith showed strength and conviction that belied her age, as well as an ability to produce goals entirely on her own. That has not gone unnoticed, with many now asking: what is Smith's ceiling, if given the proper structure to flourish? Megan Feringa Chelsea's sixth WSL title on the trot felt like a procession, which is precisely why Bompastor deserves to win this category. Before the season started, the narrative was that Chelsea were at their most vulnerable following the summer departure of the hugely successful Emma Hayes, now head coach of the United States women's national team. Bompastor would surely struggle to adjust and conquer, particularly while implementing a new style of play. She has led Chelsea to a treble in record-setting, invincible style, claiming the league with the most wins in a season (19) and becoming the first undefeated champions since Hayes' 2017-18 side, who won 13 and drew five of their 18 league games. To not only maintain Chelsea's winning DNA but to, in almost every way possible, augment it is a triumph. Megan Feringa Chelsea's collective strength is second to none, as their sixth successive league title shows but the top-four sides produced some cracking individual displays this season, and our WSL Team of the Season reflects that. Phallon Tullis-Joyce helped Manchester United record 13 clean sheets across the 22 matches, the joint-best record this season alongside Chelsea's Hannah Hampton. The 28-year-old United States international curated a stellar highlights reel as she seamlessly replaced England No 1 Mary Earps in the United goal. Of the 77 shots on target Tullis-Joyce faced, she boasted an 83 per cent save rate. Comparatively, Hampton saved 79 per cent of 62 shots on target. That United will play Champions League football next season is in many ways down to Tullis-Joyce. Advertisement Emily Fox and Katie McCabe regularly stood out at full-back for Arsenal, with the latter particularly displaying her quality in attack as she finished the season with the league's highest expected assists number, a measure of the quality of chances a player makes (7.3). The player next in line behind McCabe for that metric? Arsenal team-mate Caldentey (6.0). The Spain international enjoyed a standout season on and off the ball, finishing joint-fifth in goals scored (nine) despite often being deployed in a far deeper midfield position. She is arguably unlucky to lose out to colleague Russo in our Player of the Season vote. Further back, Chelsea's Millie Bright and Laia Aleixandri of Manchester City both produced solid seasons in their respective defences, while Erin Cuthbert and Wieke Kaptein were influential figures in midfield for the champions. Despite injuries ultimately hampering her season, Shaw still finished with 12 goals from her 14 matches, level with Russo, who made seven more appearances. Smith's inclusion in this team is evidence of her rising stock. Megan Feringa One of those goals you could watch on repeat. Centre-back Bright looks up and sails a long cross towards the back post. From some angles in videos of this screamer, Bright seems to have thumped her pass into the no-man's land of Spurs' defence. But then Rytting Kaneryd arrives, leaping mid-air with her right leg in full ninja power mode to meet the ball with perfect, volleyed precision. It's a stunning goal that epitomised Kaneryd's standout performance in a 5-2 Chelsea win — 10/10, no notes. Megan Feringa Aitana Bonmati continues to be the benchmark for Barcelona, who are determined to prolong their great run of success both domestically (it's now six titles in a row) and in Europe (they go for a third straight Champions League title against Arsenal on Saturday in Lisbon). She is the team's compass, setting the tempo of a game and orchestrating every move. Advertisement Winner of the past two Ballons d'Or, Bonmati is a player who always rises to the occasion in big games. In this season's Champions League, she was instrumental in the semi-final against Chelsea, who are proving to be her favourite victims —after a 4-1 win at home, she scored the first goal of the second leg at Stamford Bridge to squash any remaining hopes of a comeback. Laia Cervello Herrero We have known for a while that Melchie Dumornay has the potential to become the world's best player, and Lyon had snapped her up even before she impressed for Haiti at the World Cup two years ago. After a decent first season with France's biggest club, she exploded into a top-class attacker in this one, scoring at a rate better than a goal every 90 minutes. Her sensational dribble and finish in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal was a good example of her directness. At her best, Dumornay seems unstoppable and the 21-year-old will surely continue to improve. Michael Cox When Pere Romeu accepted the position of women's head coach at Barcelona, the challenge was considerable. Jonatan Giraldez left the club last summer at the top, winning the second treble in their history — four 2023-24 titles if you count the Supercopa de Espana. Taking over the team that achieved all that was not easy. If you continue with the project, you do not create the impression of someone achieving success for the first time, and anything less than matching the extraordinary achievements of the previous season will be seen as a failure. Sure enough, the start of Romeu's tenure had its sticky moments. The 2-0 away defeat against Manchester City in their Champions League group-stage opener in October set alarm bells ringing. The fear is not so much that Barca will struggle in Spain, where they have no rivals, but about losing momentum in Europe against WSL teams collectively stepping up their game. Advertisement La Liga losses against Levante and Real Madrid in February and March brought the critics out again but the end of the season and, especially, the team's performances in the Champions League knockout rounds against Wolfsburg and Chelsea, have vindicated a coach who has Barcelona back in the Champions League final and is close to a second straight treble after winning La Liga and qualifying for the Copa de la Reina final on June 7. Laia Cervello Herrero (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Out of Europe, out of ideas? Manchester City women face big summer rebuild
Even as the party anthems blasted out under sunny Manchester skies and the home fans showed their appreciation after a seven-goal thriller, the celebratory mood could not fully mask the undertone of disappointment at the Joie Stadium, for a club wondering what might have been. On the season's final day 12 months ago, Manchester City missed out on the title only on goal difference. This time, they finished 17 points off the runaway champions Chelsea. Worse still, City dropped outside the European places. It is only the third time City have finished outside the top three in 11 years in the WSL. There can be no mistaking it – this season has been a failure for a club with greater expectations and, more worryingly, their third consecutive campaign without a trophy. City have dropped 11 points from winning positions and, having missed out on Europe by one point, will rue the last-gasp equaliser they conceded at West Ham in March. There can be few arguments about the cause of their slump: injuries. City enjoyed a run of 10 consecutive wins in all competitions between late September and mid-November when most of their first-choice players were fit, including a victory over the European champions Barcelona that demonstrated City's prowess at full strength. However, long-term knee injuries to Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood as well as spells on the sidelines for the Khadija Shaw – who still ended up sharing the WSL's Golden Boot despite only playing 14 of 22 league games – and Vivianne Miedema took their toll. Mary Fowler's anterior cruciate ligament injury merely added to their woes. Their rivals have seen injuries too, and coped admirably, not least Chelsea with Sam Kerr out for the entire season – but City's injury toll has cost them dearly. 'There'll be a review process, a reflection process for the organisation and for the people involved,' City's interim head coach, Nick Cushing, said. 'There are many things that need to be fixed, but that process I'm sure will happen. I don't know how it'll happen or when it'll happen or who will be involved, but there is a huge desire in the staff, in the leadership and in the players, to get this team back to competing [for] trophies.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Cushing returned to the club in March after Gareth Taylor's sacking and said on Friday that the club have had 'no conversations' with him about next season. So not unreasonably he assumed Saturday's game would be his last, although he will remain in post for the inaugural World Sevens Football event in Portugal later this month. Asked about his future again on Saturday, Cushing added: 'I'm contracted until 1 June, so once June 1st comes, I'll be back where I was in December, January, February, I'll be putting the bins out. I have a huge desire to have a team and develop that team into playing a really attacking style and compete for trophies. Where that will be, I'm really open to conversations.' The club's search for a new coach will soon be over. City's managing director, Charlotte O'Neill, and the director of women's football, Therese Sjogran, have a huge decision to make as the club seeks a way of responding to Chelsea's dominance of the women's game in England. This City team undoubtably has potential. In Saturday's 5-2 win over relegated Crystal Palace they rallied from 2-1 down at half-time to score a flurry of second-half goals, inspired by Aoba Fujino, whose arrival last summer shows City's eye for a good player has not changed. City also possess the best winger in the division in Hemp, who finished the campaign with the highest number of assists in the WSL despite playing in fewer than half of City's league games. They will now have to replace Laia Aleixandri, the gifted centre-half who bade farewell to City after the final whistle. She is understood to be on her way to Barcelona. A busy summer of investment in the squad is sure to follow. To have the strength in depth to challenge consistently the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, City will need it.
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Alessia Russo Voted Women's Player Of The Year By Football Writers
DECINES-CHARPIEU, FRANCE - APRIL 27: Alessia Russo of Arsenal celebrates scoring her team's third ... More goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal second leg match between Olympique Lyonnais and Arsenal WFC at OL Stadium on April 27, 2025 in Decines-Charpieu, France. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Alessia Russo has been voted the Women's Footballer of Year by her country's journalists representing the Football Writers' Association (FWA) of England. Russo is enjoying the best season of her career, helping her side reach the final of the UEFA Women's Champions League with her goal away to eight-time Champions Olympique Lyonnais last month. She is the second Arsenal player to receive the prestigious award after another forward, Vivianne Miedema in 2019. The Arsenal striker finished ahead of last year's winner, Khadija Shaw of Manchester City. The forwards are currently tied as the two leading goalscorers in the Women's Super League this season with twelve goals each going into the last round of games tomorrow. In third place was Mariona Caldentey, also of Arsenal, and in fourth was the Chelsea captain Millie Bright. In total, 39 different players received votes from the members of the FWA. The FWA Men's Footballer of the Year award was first handed out in 1948 to Stanley Matthews. A women's award was created 70 years later in 2018 with Chelsea's Fran Kirby the first recipient. Chelsea Ladies Fran Kirby poses with FWA Women's Footballer of the Year 2018 awards during the FWA ... More Footballer of the Year Dinner at The Landmark Hotel, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday May 10, 2018. Photo credit should read: Steven Paston/PA Wire (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images) Kirby won for a second time in 2021 but, like the men's award, it has been recently been monopolised by the foreign stars in the English league with Australia's Sam Kerr winning for the next two years before the Jamaican Shaw. Russo is therefore the first English winner of the men's or women's award in four years since Kirby. She has enjoyed the best goalscoring season of her career, finding the net 20 times in all competitions in 39 games. She joined Arsenal on a free transfer at the end of her contract with Manchester United in 2023 saying 'I want to win trophies - as does everyone in this club. I can't wait to get stuck in and grow as a player - it's a new challenge and a new environment.' At 26 years of age, many will feel her best years are ahead of her. Russo has scored seven goals in the Women's Champions League this season making her the joint-second top scorer in the competition this season alongside team-mate Mariona Caldentey and behind only Clàudia Pina of Barcelona. That total is the highest by any English player in the 24-year history of the tournament. The record was previously shared by Kirby (2020/21) and former Arsenal forward Danielle Carter (2013/14) who both scored six times in one season. The Chair of the FWA, John Cross said 'Alessia's performances, especially in the Champions League have been the stand-out from the season. She seems to have taken a huge leap since joining Arsenal and her overall game as well as her goals make her a special player." "We're delighted to be crowning her Women's Footballer of the Year but hope that it's not the last honour she receives this season with the Champions League Final at the end of the month.' Elsewhere, Mo Salah of Liverpool was voted the men's Footballer of the Year by the FWA, winning the award for a record-equalling third time, with 90% of the vote, the biggest margin this century. Both players will be presented with their awards at the Footballer of the Year dinner on Thursday May 22 at the Landmark London.
Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS revealed as 97-rated striker headlines squads
The EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS promo squad is now available in Ultimate Team packs, with a Premier League TOTS squad also available. EA Sports has released three TOTS squads in Ultimate Team packs today, with the EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS joining the Premier League TOTS in-game. After week one of the TOTS promo in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team saw Ligue 1 TOTS, Arkema Premiere Ligue TOTS and Eredivisie TOTS squads all released, EA Sports has now replaced them with a new trio of TOTS squads, including the EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS. Being released alongside the Premier League TOTS, the EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS feature the best players from the top division of women's football in England and the best from the Championship, League One, and League Two. Both the EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS squads are now available in Ultimate Team packs until Friday, May 9 at 10am PDT / 1 pm EDT / 6 pm BST, when the Bundesliga TOTS, Frauen Bundesliga TOTS and Turkish Super Lig TOTS will all be released instead. EA FC 25 WSL TOTS and EFL TOTS revealed Khadija Shaw is the highest-rated player in the EA FC 25 WSL TOTS, with the Man City Women's striker rated 97 overall with four PlayStyle Plus'. Leeds United have four players in the EA FC 25 EFL TOTS squad, including Ao Tanaka, who's 96-rated with four PlayStyle Plus' as well. Here are both the TOTS squads in full, along with official ratings: EA FC 25 WSL TOTS ST: Khadija Shaw (Manchester City Women) - 97 OVR* ST: Alessia Russo (Arsenal Women) - 96 OVR LM: Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal Women) - 96 OVR CDM: Sjoeke Nusken (Chelsea Women) - 95 OVR* CB: Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United Women) - 95 OVR* RB: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea Women) - 95 OVR LB: Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) - 94 OVR GK: Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United Women) - 93 OVR RW: Mary Fowler (Manchester City Women) - 93 OVR CM: Grace Clinton (Manchester United Women) - 92 OVR CB: Millie Bright (Chelsea Women) - 92 OVR CAM: Ella Toone (Manchester United Women) - 93 OVR (TOTS Highlights for Moment of the Season) RM: Johanna Kaneryd (Chelsea Women) - 91 OVR (TOTS Highlights for Goal of the Season) LB: Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea Women) - 91 OVR (TOTS Highlights for Newcomer of the Season) *Four PlayStyle Plus' EA FC 25 EFL TOTS CDM: Ao Tanaka (Leeds United) - 96 OVR* LB: Junior Firpo (Leeds United) - 95 OVR LM: Borja Sainz (Norwich City) - 95 OVR GK: James Trafford (Burnley) - 94 OVR CB: Maxime Esteve (Burnley) - 94 OVR ST: Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City) - 93 OVR RM: Dan James (Leeds United) - 93 OVR LM: Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield United) - 93 OVR ST: Charlie Kelman (Leyton Orient) - 92 OVR CB: Taylor Allen (Walsall) - 92 OVR RB: Josh Neufville (AFC Wimbledon) - 90 OVR CB: Pascal Struijk (Leeds United) - 93 OVR (TOTS Highlights) ST: Paul Mullin (Wrexham) - 91 OVR (TOTS Highlights) ST: Michael Cheek (Bromley) - 90 OVR *Four PlayStyle Plus' Alongside the three TOTS squads in packs, more TOTS players from these leagues will be released as SBCs and Objectives, with a few more currently available in-game. TOTS-themed Evolutions and Rush events will also be released, so there's plenty of TOTS-themed content for players to enjoy.
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
What's gone wrong for Man City in trophyless season?
With their Women's Champions League qualification hopes hanging by a thread, an interim manager in charge and no silverware - what has gone wrong for Manchester City this season?It is not the way they pictured things after pushing Chelsea all the way in a pulsating Women's Super League title race last year, coming second only on goal difference. But when the full-time whistle went at the Joie Stadium on Sunday, ending City's last chance of winning a trophy this season, they had to stand and watch as rivals Manchester United celebrated reaching a third successive FA Cup final with their 2-0 win. An injury crisis, managerial upheaval and disappointing performances in the biggest moments have all contributed to what has been a season to forget. 'Injury crisis 100% needs to be examined' Any team without Vivianne Miedema, Khadija Shaw, Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood would drop their level. City's extensive injury list, which includes those key players, has severely impacted their campaign and thrust their lack of squad depth into Roord, Aoba Fujino, Rebecca Knaak, Laura Coombs, Naomi Layzell and keeper Ayaka Yamashita have also missed a significant number of games this season as City currently sit fourth in the WSL, seven points adrift of Manchester United in the final Champions League spot with just four games had only four outfield players on the bench in the second leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final defeat by Chelsea, where the Blues overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit, and have ended the season with academy graduates Gracie Prior and Lily Murphy starting almost every manager Nick Cushing admitted the injury crisis "100% needs to be examined" in the summer - but it will not help his side now."With so many injuries, they can't be all bad luck and they can't all be down to bad practise," he said."We have to look at everything. We have to look at why we're sitting fourth in the league, why we've not won a trophy and why we've not got our best players [through injury]. "The review process will be covering everything. I think we should be competing in every competition right until the end."While City's misfortune is clear, they also failed to act, unlike their Chelsea superstar Sam Kerr suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year, they broke the then-British record to bring in Colombian forward Mayra Ramirez. The WSL leaders then splashed the cash in a world-record deal for defender Naomi Girma in January after losing Kadeisha Buchanan, also to an ACL despite a growing injury list, City only signed four players in January, one of which was 20-year-old midfielder Aemu Oyama and allowed England international Chloe Kelly to join Arsenal on loan."Some of those [injured] players would walk into any team in the WSL," said former City and England captain Steph Houghton on BBC Two. "If you take away Shaw, Miedema and Greenwood, that is a spine of experienced players and also good quality players."You've got a 20-year-old in Gracie Prior that has come through the academy and has played a lot of games recently. Should she be in the team? "This is not down to individual performances but ultimately we are trying to build a squad to go and win trophies. "We are missing some key players. That has proved the difference. Without a doubt the strength in depth isn't there and that is something we need to address." Taylor's sacking before crucial period It has been a tough few months for City and underpinning it all has been a managerial change. Having already fallen away in the WSL title race, the dramatic circumstances surrounding forward Kelly's exit in January raised led to divisions within the fanbase over former manager Gareth Taylor - but it was City's underwhelming performances that ultimately proved to be his decision to sack Taylor was a bold one as it came just days before a crucial two-week period in which City would face Chelsea four times in three competitions."Unfortunately we have just not had the rub of the green this season," Houghton added. "The managerial change adds another factor to the performances we have seen over the past few months."Ultimately, this is a big learning curve and it's how we get better as a club going forward."Interim manager Cushing was brought back to the club to try to instil some stability and there were positive signs, but ultimately he did not have enough time to turn things the end of an intense four-game battle with Sonia Bompastor's side, City had lost the Women's League Cup final, dropped further points in the WSL and were knocked out of Europe despite taking a two-goal first-leg was a damaging period which left very little to play for and City's wounds were cut deeper when bitter rivals United punished them in the FA if the semi-final defeat by United had effectively ended City's season, interim manager Cushing said: "In the sense of trophies, it is over. We can't win a trophy."Mathematically we can still get third place [in the WSL]. I said after the game, 'we have to win out now'. We have to win every game."If we do that and Manchester United slip up in a difficult run of games, then we have a chance [of qualifying for Europe]. "We have to play better and win at Old Trafford [in the WSL on 4 May]. We have to embrace the pressure and responsibility of that and fight through it." 'We don't have the toughness and desire' But what is most disappointing, is that City haven't competed with their rivals in the big games this season in the way many had expected. Their sole victory in those matches against Chelsea ultimately proved to be insignificant as it was in the first leg of their Champions League were poor against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final, having already been beaten 4-2 by their rivals in the WSL at Etihad Stadium in at the Joie Stadium in February, with a top-three WSL spot up for grabs, City conceded twice within eight minutes in a 4-3 loss to have nine points fewer in the league than they had at this stage last season, having scored nine goals less and conceding 11 more. "No matter how it looks, you should compete. I would take any 11 players in the world and think we can win in a certain way," said Cushing after Sunday's loss."That might be our problem, that we don't have the toughness and desire to attack the game, however it looks. "There is a lot of conversation nowadays about the beautiful side of the game - tactics and systems. But you have to win tackles, win duels and compete. "We have to go away and figure that out so whoever we play and however we play, we can compete at the level our football club expects." Head here to get involved
