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      Eidevall demands mentality change from Arsenal in Emirates duel with Barcelona after ‘hurtful’ FA Cup final loss

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      JONAS EIDEVALL wants a mentality shift from Arsenal against Barcelona after claiming it was ‘hurtful’ to watch their FA Cup final loss to Chelsea.And the Gunners chief reckons less defending, and more possession could help his side in their clash with Europe’s football queens this evening.
      Jonas Eidevall reckons Arsenal can ‘defend better by defending less’ against Barcelona and having more possessionCredit: Getty
      The WSL leaders will play the Catalan giants for the second time in the Champions League Group stages, just four days after their disappointing 3-1 defeat at Wembley.
      Eidevall, 38, said: “What was really hurtful against Chelsea is that I think if you would have put another jersey on the team and re-watched it, you could never recognise it was Arsenal that was playing the game.
      “We didn’t do the things we do and that normally you would associate with us.
      “And that means that we’re coming off from that game, and we didn’t even try to play the way we wanted to play. And losing like that, that just feels pointless.
      “From a mentality perspective, that is what we need to change going into the Barcelona game.
      “If you don’t try you will never succeed, and it’s about doing that.
      “I’m not going away from any other game this season or any other season not trying.
      @font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-stretch:semi-condensed;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:normal;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:condensed;font-display:swap;}.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-zkaekv{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-zkaekv::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -1px);}.css-zkaekv::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Champions League.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
      “It starts with that, it has to, and that’s how you build a winning mentality.”
      Arsenal’s duel with Barcelona will take place at the Emirates home of the club’s Prem side with the team facing the Champions League winners at the ground for the first time ever.
      However, the WSL aces will be without the services of Tobin Heath with the USA star currently battling to overcome a muscular problem.
      The LaLiga Women’s champs come into this clash with 12 wins from 12 games in Spain’s top-flight including a 10-1 demolition of Sevilla last month.
      Barcelona have won four of their four of their Champions League group stage gamesCredit: Rex
      And the club have conceded only TWICE in their last 10 matches across all competitions since their 4-1 trouncing of the Gunners at the Johan Cruyff Stadium in October.
      Nevertheless, Eidevall is confident of his side getting a result if they follow their game plan to the letter.
      The Gunners boss added: “Barcelona are very mature as a team in choosing the right tool at the right time. That makes them very difficult to play against.
      “But I believe in our game plan and we learned things from playing against them last time and studying them.
      “It’s the world’s best club team that we’re going to play against. It’s a really exciting challenge.
      A win for Arsenal would see them leapfrog Barcelona to the top of Group C in the contestCredit: Getty
      “We need to have a really good game plan, but we need to be excellent at executing it.
      “We need to defend better and we need to defend less. By defending less, we need to have the ball more.
      “Against Chelsea, we didn’t have any dangerous possession. That’s the thing we need to change
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      Chelsea 0 Juventus 0: Emma Hayes issues player safety call after Sam Kerr is cautioned for pitch invader push

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      EMMA HAYES wants player safety in the women’s game looked into after a pitch invader disrupted Chelsea’s clash with Juventus.Joe Montemurro steered the Italian aces to a gritty 0-0 draw in the Champions League against his old WSL foe.
      Sam Kerr ended up shoulder barging a pitch invader at KingsmeadowCredit: Prime Media
      Chelsea will be looking for a win against Wolfsburg in their final group stage gameCredit: Getty
      But the match was momentarily paused when a male spectator darted onto the grass at Kingsmeadow with Sam Kerr sending him tumbling to the turf.
      And the Australia ace was cautioned by the ref for shoulder barging the individual who ran on late in the second half and appeared to be attempting to get a selfie with Magda Eriksson.
      Hayes said: “He could have waited until the end to have a photograph if he really wanted one. But jokes aside, we do have to think about player safety.
      “We’ve seen with the growth of the game there is this sense of the players being more in demand.
      “It should serve as a reminder to us all in our stadiums and with our stewards that we’ve got to put player protection first.”
      The scoreless result denied the Blues the win that would have seen them reach the Champions League quarter-finals after five group games played.
      But Hayes is confident her side will be able to get the outcome they need to reach the contest’s next stages after their final group stage game.
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      The Chelsea chief added: “I’m extremely proud of the players playing a game of this magnitude so soon after the FA Cup Final
      “We got a point and we’re in the driving seat going into the last game in the position we want to be in.
      “We know Wolfsburg is a difficult place to go, but we believe in our ability and we’re confident.“
      The Blues flew out of the blocks clocking up 14 first-half shots
      Erin Cuthbert forced Pauline Peyraud-Magnin to tip her fierce right-strike over the bar inside the first minute.
      Moments later Fran Kirby saw her effort smothered by the France stopper.
      One of the best scoring chances fell to Sam Kerr with the forward outmuscling her marker before seeing her 27th minute shot whizz across the goalmouth
      Pauline Peyraud-Magnin pulled off some fine stops to keep Chelsea at bayCredit: Reuters
      And the Australia ace thought she put the hosts ahead early in the second half only to see her goal ruled offside. 
      Juventus had a rare foray forward with Lina Hurtig finding space to unleash a tame shot easily claimed by Ann-Katrin Berger in the 66th minute.
      And Millie Bright blazed a late shot over the bar much to her annoyance.
      Tempers flared late on in the game with Berger getting cautioned after reacting angrily to Barbara Bonansea’s kick on Erin Cuthbert.
      And Kerr went into the book after barging the pitch invader.
      The game finished 0-0 with Chelsea staying top of Group A with 11 points and Juventus third but level on points with Wolfsburg.
      Should Wolfsburg lose to Chelsea and the Serie A leaders beat Servette it would see Juve progress to the competition’s quarters.
      Montemurro said: “We did what we had to do to get the point that we needed and it’s great.
      Joe Montemurro is targeting a win against Servette in Juve’s last Champions League group stage gameCredit: Getty
      “Chelsea are a fantastic team and for them not to be able to score against us shows we’re on the right track
      “I’ve always enjoyed going to Kingsmeadow because you’re going to get a top-quality game.
      “You’re going to get the level of football that I believe women’s football is at.”
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      Chelsea 0 Juventus 0: Hayes issues player safety call after Kerr is cautioned for pitch invader push

      by

      EMMA HAYES wants player safety in the women’s game looked into after a pitch invader disrupted Chelsea’s clash with Juventus.Joe Montemurro steered the Italian aces to a gritty 0-0 draw in the Champions League against his old WSL foe.
      Chelsea will be looking for a win against Wolfsburg in their final group stage gameCredit: Getty
      Sam Kerr ended up shoulder barging a pitch invader at KingsmeadowCredit: Prime Media
      But the match was momentarily paused when a male spectator darted onto the grass at Kingsmeadow with Sam Kerr sending him tumbling to the turf.
      And the Australia ace was cautioned by the ref for shoulder barging the individual who ran on late in the second half and appeared to be attempting to get a selfie with Magda Eriksson.
      Hayes said: “He could have waited until the end to have a photograph if he really wanted one. But jokes aside, we do have to think about player safety.
      “We’ve seen with the growth of the game there is this sense of the players being more in demand.
      “It should serve as a reminder to us all in our stadiums and with our stewards that we’ve got to put player protection first.”
      The scoreless result denied the Blues the win that would have seen them reach the Champions League quarter-finals after five group games played.
      But Hayes is confident her side will be able to get the outcome they need to reach the contest’s next stages after their final group stage game.
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      The Chelsea chief added: “I’m extremely proud of the players playing a game of this magnitude so soon after the FA Cup Final
      “We got a point and we’re in the driving seat going into the last game in the position we want to be in.
      “We know Wolfsburg is a difficult place to go, but we believe in our ability and we’re confident.“
      The Blues flew out of the blocks clocking up 14 first-half shots
      Erin Cuthbert forced Pauline Peyraud-Magnin to tip her fierce right-strike over the bar inside the first minute.
      Moments later Fran Kirby saw her effort smothered by the France stopper.
      One of the best scoring chances fell to Sam Kerr with the forward outmuscling her marker before seeing her 27th minute shot whizz across the goalmouth
      Pauline Peyraud-Magnin pulled off some fine stops to keep Chelsea at bayCredit: Reuters
      And the Australia ace thought she put the hosts ahead early in the second half only to see her goal ruled offside. 
      Juventus had a rare foray forward with Lina Hurtig finding space to unleash a tame shot easily claimed by Ann-Katrin Berger in the 66th minute.
      And Millie Bright blazed a late shot over the bar much to her annoyance.
      Tempers flared late on in the game with Berger getting cautioned after reacting angrily to Barbara Bonansea’s kick on Erin Cuthbert.
      And Kerr went into the book after barging the pitch invader.
      The game finished 0-0 with Chelsea staying top of Group A with 11 points and Juventus third but level on points with Wolfsburg.
      Should Wolfsburg lose to Chelsea and the Serie A leaders beat Servette it would see Juve progress to the competition’s quarters.
      Montemurro said: “We did what we had to do to get the point that we needed and it’s great.
      Joe Montemurro is targeting a win against Servette in Juve’s last Champions League group stage gameCredit: Getty
      “Chelsea are a fantastic team and for them not to be able to score against us shows we’re on the right track
      “I’ve always enjoyed going to Kingsmeadow because you’re going to get a top-quality game.
      “You’re going to get the level of football that I believe women’s football is at.”
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      Mjelde unlikely to feature in Chelsea clash with Juventus as Hayes eyes tactical duel with Montemurro

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      MAREN MJELDE looks set to miss Chelsea’s Champions League duel with Juventus this evening.And Emma Hayes revealed fans are unlikely to see the right-back in action before Christmas with the club wanting the player to boost her strength.
      Emma Hayes says Maren Mjelde could return to play for Chelsea after Christmas
      Mjelde, 32, made her long-awaited return in November in Chelsea’s 7-0 thumping of Servette after suffering a painful knee injury during their Conti Cup trophy win in March.
      Blues chief Hayes, 44, whose side host Juve at home, said: “Maren has still got a little bit of work to do on developing her strength.
      “We’re taking that time to do that so I don’t think Maren will play this side of Christmas.”
      Hayes hinted fans may also have to wait until after Christmas to see Lauren James return to first-team action.
      The England starlet, 20, made a cameo appearance in the 85th minute of Chelsea’s 1-0 home win against Servette coming close to nabbing a debut goal.
      The Kingsmeadow boss added: “Lauren is building back progressively, and we saw with the minutes we gave her last time that she has good quality.”
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      One starting 11 regular likely to be back in action after the Blues’ FA Cup win is vice-captain Millie Bright.
      And the centre-back picked up a few scratches after she appeared to accidentally headbutt the trophy during the Blues post-match celebrations.
      Hayes joked: “Thank God it hit her head because it’s made of Sheffield steel.”
      The WSL champs face Juventus one month on from their 2-1 win against the Serie A club in Turin.
      There were probably one or two projects that would have given me the excitement to find my mojo. This (managing Juventus) was one of themJoe Montemurro
      And the clash will see Hayes renew her tactical duel with Juve boss Joe Montemurro following their rivalry during his four-year reign at Arsenal.
      The Australia-born coach, 52, has led Juve on an unbeaten run in Italy’s top-flight
      And he steered his side to a shock 2-0 away win against two-time Champions League winners Wolfsburg
      The former Gunners chief revealed he is enjoying life in charge of the Serie A league leaders and talked of getting his mojo back.
      Joe Montemurro says working at Juventus has helped him find his ‘mojo’
      Montemurro told reporters: “Leaving Arsenal was a difficult decision.
      “There was a little bit of fatigue and a little bit of burnout and the whole idea was to take a bit of a break. That’s the honest truth.
      “But the reality is that there were probably one or two projects that would have given me the excitement to find my mojo, and this (managing Juventus) was one of them.
      “The club have been fantastic and the players have been amazing. Hopefully, together we can build something special.”
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      ‘It’s not just about stopping us getting relegated’, says Leicester boss Bedford as Foxes plot fightback

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      LYDIA BEDFORD is under no illusion of the huge WSL survival battle facing Leicester City.It is a challenge the England Women’s Under-17 boss is relishing with her secondment underway at the club who are bottom of the table.
      Lydia Bedford is looking to ‘spark Leicester’s confidence’ as they target their first win in the WSLCredit: Getty
      This week Bedford, 34, who is making her first foray into club management, started her new job as Foxes first team manager at Leicester’s Belvoir Drive training ground.
      The facility – one of the most hi-tech in the women’s game – was occupied by the club’s men side for 56 years before their move to a £100million complex in Seagrave.
      The new boss arrives with the team, who face a daunting trip to Arsenal, without a point from eight games in the top tier.
      Bedford said: “I think you have to be realistic. We are at the bottom of the table.
      “But having watched their last two games against Everton and Brighton, the players showed real character.
      “This gave me the confidence to think we have enough here.
      “It’s my job to really spark that confidence and give them structure and an edge.”
      The situation facing Leicester three months into their WSL debut term is in stark contrast to their red-hot streak in the Championship last season.
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      Under former gaffer Jonathan Morgan, the club lost just TWO games in a storming 20-match run that saw them gain promotion to the top tier for the first time in their existence.
      But it has been an entirely different story this term with Leicester becoming the third side in WSL history to lose their opening eight matches.
      It is a run that led Foxes chiefs to drop the axe on Morgan’s reign.
      But Bedford, who recently brought her adorable cockapoo Baxter with her to Belvoir Drive, is confident their current form can be reversed.
      And the team had a boost from a Conti Cup penalty shootout triumph over Manchester United with the Foxes winning 4-3 via the spot-kicks.
      I look at what Hope (Powell) has done at Brighton, and she’s been given time and she’s grown it graduallyLydia Bedford
      “It was brilliant for the girls, and they really deserved it. It’s been coming in the games that I’ve watched up to this point,” she added.
      “They were resilient in their performance and the way that they set up really frustrated Man United.”
      Bedford, who has been working for the FA since 2014, obtained her Uefa pro coaching licence in 2019.
      The coach will have Brent Hills in the Foxes dugout as her number two.
      Hills brings 11 years’ worth of experience as an England senior women’s team assistant stint.
      Leicester’s only win of the season so far has come in a Conti Cup clash with Manchester UnitedCredit: Rex
      Bedford is also taking some inspiration from another top-flight boss with Lionesses expertise who led her side to WSL promotion.
      The Foxes chief said: “I look at what Hope [Powell] has done at Brighton, and she’s been given time and she’s grown it gradually.
      “But she’s been chipping away over three, four seasons to get where they are now where they’re competing with some really good results in the WSL.
      The transfer window opens in January so that’s when we can be active, but I don’t want to make any rash decisions Lydia Bedford
      “When I spoke to the club it felt like a very similar project with a real long-term desire for this women’s team to be competing in the WSL.
      “It’s not just about stopping us from getting relegated but then bumbling around the bottom three for the next three or four years.
      “It’s about the women’s team progressing and moving up the table and that excites me.”
      Bedford’s approach to coaching is themed around a motto she describes as ‘our goal, your role, and team first.’
      And one little adjustment introduced includes encouraging the players to have half an hour of breakfast together.
      Leicester will take on Arsenal away in their first game under BedfordCredit: Rex
      But the Foxes chief will not be making hasty choices when it comes to the squad. This includes any ‘rash’ January transfer moves.
      Bedford added: “My first priority over the next few weeks is to assess where the squad is at.
      “The transfer window opens in January so that’s when we can be active, but I don’t want to make rash decisions.
      “I want the players to have the opportunity to show us what they’re about.” More

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      Chelsea clinch BT sports gong after beating Arsenal with Lauren James honoured ahead of Juventus clash

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      CHELSEA have been named BT Sports Team of the Year after their FA Cup trouncing of Arsenal.Blues starlet Lauren James claimed the channel’s Rising Star prize with her side now eyeing a second win against Juventus in the Champions League.
      Chelsea will play Juventus after their FA Cup and BT Sports award winsCredit: Rex
      James, 20, was among the female stars being celebrated at a ceremony in London that saw tennis ace Emma Raducanu named BT Sports Action Woman of the Year.
      The British number on, who is 19, stunned the tennis world by winning the US Open without dropping a single set in September.
      And Kingsmeadow starlet James, who is the sister of Chelsea full-back Reece, made history after becoming the first woman to score at Old Trafford for former club Manchester United
      The starlet netted for the Red Devils during their 2-0 defeat of West Ham in March.
      The award wins for James and Chelsea comes a day after the WSL champs claimed their third FA Cup trophy.
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      They did so by dispatching Arsenal 3-1 in a dominant display at Wembley watched by a TV audience of 1.3miillion viewers.
      Fran Kirby netted the opener with Sam Kerr bagging a brace just 24 hours after arriving back in England from international duty in Australia.
      And the match saw the Blues exact revenge on their title rivals who beat them in 3-2 on the opening weekend of the WSL season.
      A Champions League clash on home turf with Juventus, managed by ex-Gunners chief Joe Montemurro, is up next for Emma Hayes’s side.
      The last game between the rivals ended in a 2-1 away win for the WSL queens.
      However, the Blues will be wary of the threat by Montemurro’s club who are second in Group A and just three points behind Chelsea who are top.
      The Italian outfit are in pole position in Serie A having won all ten games played so far this term.
      And they stunned two-time Champions League winners Wolfsburg by beating them 2-0 in Germany in November.
      Joe Montemurro will be looking to stun Chelsea following Juventus’s shock win against WolfsburgCredit: Getty
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      Southampton legend Lloyd reflects on tackling sexism 50 years on from winning the first Women’s FA Cup

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      LESLEY LLOYD refused to allow sexist jibes derail her pursuit of playing football for Southampton Ladies.And the former Saints skipper says it is a ‘dream’ to see how far the Women’s FA Cup has come since she won the first trophy 50 years ago.
      Lesley Lloyd made history by leading Southampton to win the first Women’s FA Cup trophy in 1971
      Lloyd, 74, was 24 when Saints made history in May 1971 by becoming the first team to win the Cup following a 4-1 win over Stewarton Thistle.
      That year the FA lifted a ban on women playing football that had stood for 50 years when officials deemed the game as ‘quite unsuitable for females’.
      Lloyd said: “We obviously had this scenario with a lot of men saying, ‘well ladies shouldn’t be playing football, etc, etc, etc’ and that’s how it went on.
      “But then we used to have some come up and watch us and, in the end, we had more men than ladies watching.”
      Today Lloyd will be among a host of Cup final captains attending the delayed final between Arsenal and Chelsea — and it will be quite a culture shock.

      A record crowd of around 48,000 is expected at Wembley — a stark contrast to the 1,500 to 2,000 for the 1971 final at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
      A hat-trick from Pat Davies and a goal from Dot Cassell saw the Saints emerge victorious with Rose Reilly netting Stewarton Thistle’s only goal.
      Lloyd added: “I can remember getting there and or manager was walking around saying, ‘they haven’t cut in the grass’.
      “But it was our Wembley because we knew men’s teams around 1910 played their Cup finals at Crystal Palace.
      “My legs were shaking as I walked out of there but as soon as the game started, that was it, the nerves were forgotten. We were very competitive.
      “When I look at the FA Cup now and girls playing at Wembley, I think, ‘Gosh, I wish I was 50 years younger’.
      “We couldn’t have dreamt of the way it is now, the way ladies’ football has taken off. It really does seem like the beautiful game for ladies.”
      Southampton Ladies went on to win the FA Cup eight timesCredit: Getty
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      Kirby hopes for repeat of ‘dream’ FA Final Cup goal at Wembley against Arsenal in trophy duel between title rivals

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      FRAN KIRBY says scoring at Wembley felt like a ‘dream’ – as Chelsea beat Arsenal to clinch the 2018 FA Cup. And the England ace is relishing the chance to repeat that feat when the sides face off at the stadium later today, live on BBC1.
      Fran Kirby hopes to score against Arsenal at Wembley after netting against the Gunners in the 2018 FA Cup finalCredit: REUTERS
      The two WSL title chasers will battle out in this year’s delayed FA Cup Final, with the game pushed back to December due to the Covid pandemic.
      And Chelsea will be hoping for a rerun of their 3-1 Cup win in 2018, with Kirby netting their third goal.
      The Blues ace, 28, said: “Wembley is a stadium you dream about scoring in when you’re growing up.
      “To be able to do it is a dream come true. I really enjoyed that final back in 2018.
      “I recall that moment they scored in the second half and there was a bit of pressure with me thinking are they going to come back and get another one.
      “But I was really pleased to score there, it was an honour.”
      Scoring for the Blues has not been too much of an issue for Kirby of late.

      The playmaker passed the 100-goal mark for the WSL champions in November.
      Her brace in the 5-0 demolition of Birmingham saw her become Chelsea Women’s all-time top scorer.
      And it’s an achievement that the Reading-born forward is particularly proud of following her battles with injuries and the heart condition pericarditis.
      Kirby said: “I think a lot of my time at this club has been cut short because of injury and illness.
      “So for me to be able to score 100 goals is really, really special.
      “I think from everyone’s reaction because you can see how happy people were for me. I was super proud to do it.”
      Among those who will be at Wembley cheering on Kirby and her team-mates is the former Blues skipper Katie Chapman.
      The ex-Fulham, Charlton and Arsenal ace, who played in her first FA Cup final at 14, will be among the Cup-winning captains being celebrated at Wembley later as part of the contest’s 50th anniversary.
      Katie Chapman says it was daunting to play the Cup final at Wembley in 2015Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Emma Hayes’ side defeated Notts County 1-0 with Ji So-yun netting the winner.
      And the London-born Blues star has fond memories of the moment she made history as the first skipper to lift the Women’s FA Cup at Wembley.
      Chapman said: “It was quite daunting, and it was also really exciting because it’s the home of English football.
      “Before then female players had never had the opportunity to play the Cup final there and to have it at Wembley every year now is fantastic for the women’s game.
      “Being the captain, my mindset was, I want to be the one walking up those stairs to pick up the trophy.”
      A win for Chelsea would see them achieve a delayed treble following their WSL and League Cup triumphs earlier this year.
      But a victory for their London rivals Arsenal would see them pick up their 15th FA Cup trophy.
      Arsenal will be hoping to win their first major trophy under Jonas Eidevall at the FA Cup finalCredit: Getty
      It would also be a first under new manager Jonas Eidevall. The club currently holds the record for the highest number of trophy wins in this competition.
      The Swede, 38, spoke about his fear of black cats when asked, ahead of the final, if he had any superstitions.
      Eidevall joked: “I do have some superstitions. I don’t like letting black cats cross my way . . . ever.
      “If Emma Hayes sees us arrive, she will probably buy a thousand cats with all the money they have at Chelsea.
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