Women’s Super League

GARETH TAYLOR insists Manchester City’s duel with Chelsea will not be a revenge mission in his eyes even if his players see things differently.The Citizens’ home clash with Emma Hayes’ side is one of the biggest matches of Women’s Football Weekend with City eager to make up ground on the Blues.
Gareth Taylor says a win against Chelsea would be an opportunity for Man City to gain ground on their rivalsCredit: Rex
And a win for Emma Hayes’ team could see them reduce the gap to leaders Arsenal to just a point.
The clash comes two weeks after City, who are seventh, were knocked out of this year’s delayed FA Cup semi-finals by Chelsea.
When asked whether City will be out to avenge their Cup semis loss, Taylor, 48, said: “I don’t see it as being revenge, I just see it as being a real opportunity.
“The players might look at it slightly different, but again, our challenge has been to keep them grounded, keep them humble, keep them believing in what we do, because we realise that’s the best possible chance that we have.
“We’re coming up against a very good team who are probably ahead of us in a few transfer windows.
“The strength that they have and the depth that they have in their squad is superior to ours. I think it (a win) would be a real statement.”

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Hayes, whose side are second and three points behind leaders Arsenal, have centre-back Aniek Nouwen absent and could be without Pernille Harder, who is recovering from a muscle injury.
And the Blues gaffer believes the threat posed by City’s own squad quality should not be discounted despite their injury concerns.
Hayes, 45, said: “They do have a lot of international players. I don’t think people realise that.
“They may be missing internationals, but they have a team full of internationals and we won’t underestimate that.”
This season’s Women’s Football Weekend is coinciding with the FA’s drive to draw more fans to attend WSL games. 
Football authorities have set themselves a target of attracting an average crowd attendance of 6,000 at top-flight games by 2024 and 1,000 at matches in the Women’s Championship.
Emma Hayes believes the FA’s target of getting a crowd average of 6,000 at WSL games is achievableCredit: Sportimage
However, Chelsea and two other top tier sides (Arsenal and Everton) currently play at grounds with crowd capacities below 6,000. 
On the FA’s targets, Hayes added: “I think it’s achievable. I also think Covid got in the way, and we have to respect that some people, there’s still not quite ready to go out to big events yet.
“But I think as consumer confidence grows and the public feel that they want to put themselves in those situations in more numbers I’m sure it (match attendance) will grow.”
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VIVIANNE MIEDEMA helped Arsenal snatch a dramatic stoppage-time draw with Tottenham in an enthralling Women’s Football Weekend encounter.The WSL ace’s header cancelled out a Rachel Williams goal to deny Spurs’ boss Rehanne Skinner a birthday win at The Hive.
Vivianne Miedema helped Arsenal come away from The Hive with a pointCredit: Getty
Tottenham’s Rachel Williams opened the scoring in the second halfCredit: Getty
While the result saw Tottenham break their hoodoo of WSL losses to their rivals they were denied a famous win and the chance to leapfrog champions Chelsea to second spot.
Skinner, who turned 42, said: “You come into the game with the players so focused and ready to put in a performance.
“I was just hoping as all managers do, that they pull that together and deliver on that.
“Massive credit to them. I am so proud of their performances and everything they do as a team together. It’s a great point on my birthday.”
Arsenal, who had dispatched their hosts on three previous occasions notching up 11 goals in the process, went on the attack in the opening minutes.
The visitors had some of the strongest chances in the first half hitting the crossbar at least twice in the opening half.
Miedema had an opportunity to open her side’s account following a neat exchange with Noelle Maritz.

The Dutch ace evaded her marker before cutting the ball onto her left foot and forcing a fine 21st minute save from Tinja-Rikka Korpela with her walloped effort.
And the hosts looked to get forward themselves moments later with Kyah Simon’s long ball aimed for Rachel Williams before the visitors knocked the ball out of danger.
Arsenal, who had 19 shots on target, came close to netting near the half-hour mark with Mead crashing the crossbar with a thunderous free-kick.
And an Ashleigh Neville flicked error saw Miedema twist and turn before delivering a low cross in the box which Tottenham’s defenders managed to clear.
The hosts, desperate to keep a first-half clean sheet, were willing to put their bodies on the line.  
Maeva Clemaron needed treatment in the 36th minute after blocking a shot on goal with her face.
This was followed by Katie McCabe clanging the woodwork and Kim Little forcing a save from the impressive Korpela after unleashing a shot on the edge of the 30-yd box.
Tempers flared momentarily with Katie McCabe and Maeva Clemaron having an angry exchange in the second halfCredit: Getty
The second half saw Tottenham determined to attack but with their ball in the final third letting them down.
And there was an angry exchange between McCabe and Clemaron in the opening moments with the Gunners ace unhappy with a challenge from the France midfielder.
Korpela pulled off some impressive saves to keep the scoreline level including a superb 50th minute stop to deny Mead the chance to get a shot off in the penalty box.
The hosts went on to take the lead courtesy of Kit Graham shot being blocked and the ball ending up at the feet of Williams who bundled it home.  
Later they missed a superb chance to double their advantage with Ashleigh Neville sending her close-range effort over the bar in the 70th minute.
NINTCHDBPICT000693430265Credit: Getty
The league leaders would go on to deny Tottenham the win with Miedema heading home from an injury-time corner.
The result saw Arsenal drop two points ahead of their trip to Manchester United.
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall said: “We should have won the game. We created so many goalscoring opportunities that we should have been able to win three or four nothing at least.
“We’re disappointed when we look at it overall, but we still need to value this point.” 
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RACHEL WILLIAMS is probably the only WSL ace who has had to choose between doing a plastering job or playing in the Champions League.And the genial Tottenham midfielder – who hopes to defeat Arsenal later – laughed as she recalled that moment as a Birmingham player in 2012.
Rachel Williams used to juggle football playing and training with her job as a professional plastererCredit: Alamy
Williams (pictured bending over to right) occasionally receives requests for her plastering services out of season
The Brum side had qualified for the contest for the first time in their history earning themselves a two-legged clash with Italian club Hellas Verona.
Williams, 33, told SunSport: “Back then you didn’t get paid enough (as a player).
“I remember going up to the coach and saying ‘I can’t go to Verona because I’m away for three days. I’ve got a big (plastering) job on’.
And he said ‘what if I could pay you to come away?’ I asked my boss who at the time said to me, ‘I can’t really lose my best plasterer Rach’.
“We managed to come to an agreement where I missed a couple of nights of training so I could get the (plastering) job done and then go to this Champions League game.
“Some days I used to do my plastering work from six in the morning until three or four in the afternoon and then train like a beast.
“A lot of the physical work from plastering actually helped me with stuff that I would do in the gym.
“But you can’t get away with that now with all those little nutrition changes you have to make as a full-time player.

“Now you’re professional, you’re just an absolute athlete.
“I think that’s a credit to all the previous girls and teams that have come before us, that have led the way.”
Williams, who was born in Leicester and manages a plastering business with her partner, has entered her second season as a Tottenham player following her 2020 move to the club from Birmingham City.
This afternoon Spurs, who are currently third, will go with the Gunners at The Hive in the first of six Women’s Football Weekend clashes.
The match will see Tottenham led by their boss Rehanne Skinner, who first spotted Williams’ talents during a trial at Leicester City’s Centre of Excellence when she was 13.
Tottenham boss Rehanne Skinner spotted Williams skills as a footballer when the versatile midfielder was 13Credit: PA
Williams added: “Rehanne saw me playing in the area I grew up in. She was more like a big sister type coach.
“I’ve been around the league a long time, so she knows my attributes and that I can be a bit like all guns blazing, chasing everything down.
“She’s just slowed me down a bit and taught me the game management side of things.
“The relationship we have now is very much that her door is always open.”
Williams has come a long way since those early years where her raw talent as a powerhouse midfielder with an eye for goal was nurtured by Skinner, who is a former England and Arsenal assistant manager.
In 2004 Williams, began her senior playing career at Leicester City Women with two seasons at Doncaster Rovers Belles breaking up her spell as a Foxes player.
And for nine years from 2011, she enjoyed stints at Chelsea, Notts County Ladies and Birmingham City before her 2020 move to Tottenham, who are seen as dark horses for a Champions League spot this term.
The WSL star is part of a group who have played in the division since its creation in 2011.
And she became the league’s top scorer in that historic term netting 14 goals for a Birmingham side narrowly pipped to the title by the Gunners.
This afternoon she hopes to avenge Tottenham’s 5-1 FA Cup quarter-finals loss to Jonas Eidevall’s team in September.
We’d heard a few whispers about teams saying we were going to struggle. We have a big point to prove.Rachel Williams
Williams, who was the team’s only scorer in that encounter, said: “I will reflect on that game and those emotions and the feelings I was feeling,
“I will have those feelings come back to me ready for this game.
“I beat Arsenal a few times (with other clubs) but I think when you come to a club where this is their actual big derby game, you invest in that as well.
“When I took my goal (in the FA Cup) it even surprised me, so I didn’t really do a good celebration.
“I’m saving that hopefully for this game. With our hard work and how we started (in the league) and our belief, there’s no reason why we can’t cause an upset.
“This season is about us just getting on board with the journey Rehanne wants us on.
“We’d heard a few whispers about teams saying we were going to struggle so we have a big point to prove.”
Williams hopes Tottenham can avenge their FA Cup quarter-final loss to ArsenalCredit: Getty
Meanwhile, Arsenal are eager to maintain their unbeaten run in this match which comes in a week in which the FA announced plans to get an average of 6,000 fans attending WSL games.
And Gunners boss, Eidevall, said: “I think our ambitions should be bold and brave in terms of how many people we should try to attract our games.
“I think the product that we have deserves a far wider audience.”
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