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    England Lionesses hero Alessia Russo brutally BOOED by fans ahead of crunch Man Utd vs Arsenal WSL clash

    ALESSIA RUSSO has been brutally booed on her return to Manchester United.The England hero started for Arsenal in their Women’s Super League clash with United on Friday night.
    Alessia Russo was booed on her return to Manchester United with ArsenalCredit: Reuters
    It was the first time she has faced her former club since joining the Gunners on a free transfer this summer.
    Ahead of the match, the crowd at Leigh Sports Village booed Russo’s name as it was read out as part of the visitors’ line-up.
    The Lionesses star was on the pitch warming up with her team-mates at the time.
    Russo started as part of Arsenal’s front three alongside Kim Little and Stina Blackstenius.
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    Jonas Eidevall’s positive approach paid off just 14 minutes in as Blackstenius opened the scoring.
    However, the hosts did pull themselves level before half-time through Leah Galton.
    United then appeared to have won the match after Melvine Malard completed the turnaround inside the final 10 minutes.
    The Gunners avoided a second defeat in a row in stoppage time, though.
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    Cloe Lacasse’s dramatic late leveller prevented her side from hitting an unwanted record of four losses in a row.
    The League Cup winners have also already crashed out of the Women’s Champions League after losing to Paris FC.
    Their French opponents emerged from the first qualifying round victorious, with Russo scoring twice in a 3-3 draw after extra-time.
    She went on to miss her penalty in the resulting shootout, though, as the Gunners were eliminated. More

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    Alex Scott sets pulses racing in elegant outfit as awestruck fans say ‘your beauty never fails’

    ALEX SCOTT set pulses racing with her latest social media post. The Match of the Day host often shares glamorous posts to her Instagram page.
    Alex Scott set pulses racing with her latest Instagram postCredit: INSTAGRAM @alexscott2
    Scott usually steals the show at red carpet eventsCredit: Getty
    She recently attended the premiere for David Beckham’s Netflix showCredit: Getty
    She has gained a following of 1.8 million followers on the platform.
    Scott’s latest post saw many adoring fans flood the comment section in awe.
    The former Arsenal women’s footballer posed without a bra in a brown top to celebrate Autumn.
    She also shared a follow-up snap of a yellow leaf which had fallen to the floor, captioning the post with a trio of emojis that referenced the time of year.
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    One fan responded: “A beauty inside and out 🤩.”
    A second said: “Omg super gorgeous 💞👌✨.”
    A third declared: “Most attractive woman on television 😍.”
    Another joked: “You look leavely 😍🍂😉.”
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    Scott is a presenter on Match of the DayCredit: Getty
    Scott is dating pop star Jess GlynneCredit: Rex
    While a fifth added: “Your beauty never fails ❤️🔥.”
    Earlier this week The Sun exclusively revealed Scott is dating pop star Jess Glynne.
    A friend said: “Alex and Jess have been a slow burn and they didn’t want to rush things or go public too soon. But they’re officially an item now and seem really happy.
    “They are both strong, independent women with a shared passion and respect of their respective careers, supporting one another from the sidelines.
    “It’s still early days for them, but they’ve met one another’s mates and everyone is super-happy for them.”
    Scott’s life story is nothing short of inspirational, overcoming domestic abuse and being a pioneer for women’s football to become a household name.
    Scott has 1.8 million followers on InstagramCredit: Getty
    She used to play for ArsenalCredit: Getty More

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    Inside Alex Scott’s inspirational life after bravely overcoming domestic abuse hell to become much-loved BBC presenter

    JUST how did Alex Scott go from women’s footballer to a household name as a respected sports pundit?With 1.8 million followers on Instagram and a penchant for split-to-the-thigh dresses, the former Arsenal player is rightly enjoying a career-defining 2023.
    Alex Scott’s life story is an inspirationCredit: Getty
    Scott is currently a presenter on Match of the DayCredit: Reuters
    She is regularly seen at glam red carpet eventsCredit: Getty
    Ten months in and already the London-born presenter has been constantly in demand.
    She flew to Australia reporting on the Women’s World Cup, Monaco for the Europa League draw and even hit up the Grammys, Baftas and Brit Awards red carpets.
    She’s graced the front covers of mags such as Grazia and Stylist and in her rare downtime holidays in Ibiza.
    Today, football fans know the former professional footballer as a knowledgeable pundit on BBC and Sky Sports.
    READ MORE ON ALEX SCOTT
    The beautiful game
    YET Scott made history as the first female pundit on Sky Sports Super Sunday and was the first female to commentate for the BBC at a Men’s World Cup.
    She has said football – and most importantly Arsenal – is in her blood, having signed for the Gunners in 1992 at the age of eight.
    Throughout her 26-year career, the 38-year-old played mostly for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League.
    Scott signed for Arsenal at the age of eightCredit: Instagram @alexscott2
    She won the Women’s Super League with Arsenal in 2012Credit: Getty
    She has said the sport was her ticket “to get on a plane and go to China” and that football allowed her to learn things about the world.
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    Scott retired from the game in 2018 aged 34 after a glittering career which included playing in the squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
    Life after football
    IN 2016, she appeared on Bear Grylls’ ITV show, Mission Survive, which she won.
    And she said it was appearing on the show that ignited “a spark” about a world outside football and being ready for the “next chapter”.
    Scott had already established her media career while still playing football, appearing on programmes such as Soccer AM with other minor roles at BBC Sport, BT Sport and Sky Sports.
    She also graduated with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting from Staffordshire University while playing for Arsenal.
    She wrote a weekly women’s football column in the Morning Star newspaper and a column in The Independent during the 2014 World Cup.
    Today, Scott is a broadcaster with Match of the Day and Sky Sports.
    Outside of sports, she has participated in the ancestry research programme Who Do You Think You Are?
    In September 2019, she was a contestant on the 17th series of Strictly Come Dancing, paired with Neil Jones. The couple came fifth in the competition.
    Scott earned 140 caps for EnglandCredit: Getty
    Scott appeared for the Lionesses at London 2012Credit: Getty
    Overcoming adversity
    IN 2022, Scott published her memoir “How (Not) To Be Strong” – it went on to become a Sunday Times bestseller.
    She candidly revealed she was beaten with a belt and talked honestly about the fear and terror she and her mum lived in lived with her now-estranged father.
    She said in an emotionally-charged interview on the BBC Women’s Hour Radio show that “all that money will go to help women”, declaring her income from the book sales would go to the women’s aid charity Refuge.
    Scott revealed to Steven Bartlett on his YouTube channel “The Diary of a CEO” that she had a speech impediment growing up and sought help with speech therapy.
    As a child growing up in a house where she witnessed domestic abuse, she disclosed it was easier not to speak – and that her mum didn’t know she had a problem.
    She said that even today there are certain things she can’t say such as cinnamon: “I have to re-word things or memorise scripts so I know that word coming up.”
    Scott also said on the Steven Bartlett podcast that as a result of falling into a daily pattern of drinking alcohol, she sought therapy.
    Scott revealed she was abused as a childCredit: Instagram @alexscott2
    She also revealed she had a speech impediment while growing upCredit: Getty
    She puts her daily drinking habit in part down to the abuse she has received from social media trolls.
    Nowadays Scott keeps her private life just that – yet she does say she loves holidaying on her own and regularly jets off to Portugal to walk in nature.
    Love life
    WHILE she will only say she is “dating” in her memoir, she revealed that she and team-mate Kelly Smith shared a house.
    The former couple were team-mates in America when they played for the Boston Breakers.
    They were together from 2005 to 2013… Scott said she fell “madly and deeply in love” with Kelly.
    Yet today Scott has not explicitly labelled her sexuality and has said she has been in relationships with both men and women.
    Currently, Scott is in a relationship with musician Jess Glynne.
    The Sun revealed the pair have been secretly dating for two months.
    On Tuesday night, the couple partied alongside David and Victoria Beckham at their exclusive Netflix documentary premiere after-party at The Twenty Two in West London.
    A friend said: “Alex and Jess have been a slow burn and they didn’t want to rush things or go public too soon.
    Scott is dating pop star Jess Glynne The Sun can revealCredit: Rex
    The couple have been dating for two months but recently went officialCredit: Getty
    “But they’re officially an item now and seem really happy. They are both strong, independent women with a shared passion and respect of their respective careers, supporting one another from the sidelines.
    “It’s still early days for them, but they’ve met one another’s mates and everyone is super-happy for them.”
    At the 2022 World Cup, seven European nations announced they were asking their captains not to wear the pro-LGBTQ+ One Love armband.
    Scott wore the armband while reporting on the England vs Iran match on November 21 – despite the threat of sporting sanctions from Fifa.
    High honours
    SHE was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to football, taking her mum, grandmother and niece to her investiture at Buckingham Palace.
    Scott is a brand in her own right with paid associations with major names from jewellery brand Pandora to Garnier UK.
    Financial boffins are fuzzy when it comes to her net worth, citing it as somewhere between £1million and £4m.
    Read More on The Sun
    This year she was even awarded an Honorary Fellowship for invaluable contribution to the world of sport, social purpose and inclusion by Queen Mary University of London.
    We reckon we’ll be seeing a lot more of the talented and down-to-earth Scott in the future.
    Scott often steals the show at red carpet eventsCredit: Splash
    Scott has 1.8 million followers on InstagramCredit: Getty More

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    Jonas Eidevall expects different Arsenal energy against Manchester United following loss to Liverpool

    JONAS EIDEVALL would have preferred his Arsenal contract announcement had followed a win rather than a defeat at the Emirates. The Gunners chief’s new deal was revealed yesterday four days after his side’s season-opening loss to Liverpool.
    Jonas Eidevall is expecting Arsenal to play with the ‘right amount of energy’ against Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    The Gunners’ boss is targeting a win against the Red Devils a day after extending his reign as Arsenal Women’s bossCredit: Getty
    Alessia Russo is set to face her old club for the first time since her summer move to ArsenalCredit: Getty
    It also comes four weeks after the team were knocked out of the Champions League. 
    However Eidevall, who sealed a three-year deal to remain as Arsenal Women’s head coach, has backed his side to bounce back when they face Manchester United this evening. 
    He said: “We would much rather have won the last game and announced the contract, of course. 
    “But I also think it’s very much about the long term vision that we have, and that we share, that’s the important thing. 
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    “Each one of us wants to push and to get the short term results right. 
    “I feel very much supported by the club. I have always felt that. 
    “And I hope they feel the same for me, that they feel a lot of trust in me in being the right person to drive this forward.”
    Arsenal’s season-opening loss on Sunday means the team have lost their last three Women’ Super League matches.
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    However two of these games includes their final two fixtures of last season. 
    They were also beaten home and away by the Red Devils with Gunners summer signing Alessia Russo netting the winners in both games. 
    But Eidevall is confident his team will show a different energy and attitude following their loss to Liverpool last time out. 
    The Gunners boss added: “We didn’t play with the right amount of energy and attitude and that can never happen. 
    “And that hasn’t happened to us in a long time. One thing this team has been excellent with is playing with the right amount of energy. 
    “Football can be like that, sometimes you can forget the basics or you don’t get them right on the day.
    “But life is about how you respond in those moments. 
    “You’re defined by how you react to those situations. This is what this week (in training) has been about and this is what Friday is about.”
    Tonight’s game, which will see Alessia Russo face her former side, comes five days on from Emma Hayes’ call for the use of VAR-lite in the WSL.
    The Chelsea boss, 46, was reacting to officials failing to spot Guro Reiten’s shot crossing the goal line against Tottenham on Sunday.
    The Blues chief, whose team trialled the system in a pre-season friendly with Roma, called the absence of VAR and goal-line technology in the WSL “embarrassing”.
    Eidevall added: “If we’re talking about VAR, then that has to be with highest quality as well. 
    “It can’t be operated in like a low budget camera system that will only see a limited number of angles or with a limited number of referees with limited amount of training.
    “We see in the men’s game, even when it’s operating on a high level, still the mistakes happen. 
    Eidevall thinks VAR would only be worth deploying in the women’s game if it’s a high quality versionCredit: Getty
    “So then we can understand that a more low budget system will generate even more mistakes.
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    “The quality of the implementation of these things is really important.
    “So let’s take the time and make sure that you have consistent levels in the competitions.” More

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    Glamorous footballer Alisha Lehmann stuns fans with fresh-faced look as they say ‘is this a different person?’

    ALISHA LEHMANN left fans stunned with her latest post on Instagram.The Aston Villa women’s star has cultivated a huge fanbase of 15.4 million Instagram followers.
    Alisha Lehmann stunned fans with a ‘no makeup look’Credit: Instagram / @alishalehmann7
    She wore a black top and had a ‘PRIME’ necklace in the postCredit: Instagram / @alishalehmann7
    Lehmann has over 15 million followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram / @alishalehmann7
    Lehmann, 24, featured in Villa’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester United in last weekend’s Women’s Super League opener.
    And ahead of the Villan’s next match with Liverpool, Lehmann took to Instagram to share a glam post.
    But fans were left shocked by the fresh-faced look she adopted, later revealing on her story she had gone “no makeup”.
    Lehmann was also seen wearing a black top with a silver “Prime” chain around her neck.
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    Reacting to the snap, one fan said: “Freshhhhh😍🔥.”
    A second said: “Very beautiful ❤️❤️🙌.”
    A third wrote: “You’re so pretty without makeup 😍.”
    A fourth joked: “I refuse to believe this is actually you.”
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    Lehmann stars for Aston Villa in the Women’s Super LeagueCredit: Getty
    She often stuns fans with glamorous snapsCredit: instagram/alishalehmann7
    A fifth asked: “Is this a different person?”
    Lehmann recently revealed her 2024 calendar, but fans were left gobsmacked at the £50 price tag.
    The Switzerland international joined Villa in 2021.
    Lehmann revealed her 2024 calendarCredit: Instagram @alishalehmann7
    Lehmann joined Villa in 2021Credit: Rex More

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    Man Utd vs Arsenal: Marc Skinner’s side host Gunners in a tasty WSL clash – stream, TV channel, team news

    MANCHESTER UNITED Women will host Arsenal in a huge Women’s Super League clash on Friday night.Marc Skinner’s side got off the a winning start on opening day beating Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park.
    Man United got off to a winning start against Aston Villa on the opening day of the new Women’s Super League seasonCredit: GETTY
    Man United came from behind to win last weekend thanks to goals from Lucia Garcia and Rachel Williams.
    Elsewhere, Arsenal made the worst possible start to the new season after suffering a shock defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates.
    The Gunners created chance after chance, but the Reds put on an outstanding defensive display to take the spoils on opening day.
    When is Man Utd vs Arsenal?

    Man Utd vs Arsenal will take place on Friday, October 6.
    Kick off will be at 7:30pm BST.
    A sold-out Leigh Sports Village will host.

    READ MORE IN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
    What TV channel is Man Utd vs Arsenal on and can it be live streamed?

    Man Utd vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
    Sky Sports customers can live stream all the action via the NOW app/website.
    Alternatively, you can keep up to date with all the action by following SunSport’s live blog.

    Team news
    Man United will be without Aoife Mannion and Emma Watson for Friday night’s WSL clash against Arsenal.
    Apart from that, Marc Skinner will have a full squad to pick from.
    For Arsenal, Beth Mead could feature for the first time since December 2022, after being out with an ACL injury.
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    Leah Williamson, Laura Wienroither, Vivianne Miedema and Teyah Goldie will all be unavailable.
    Alessia Russo is in line to face Man United for the first time since her summer move to the Gunners. More

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    Arsenal star casually interviewed by ITV on live TV and dubbed ‘St Albans local’ in Lorraine £100k prize money segment

    ARSENAL star Steph Catley made a surprise cameo on ITV daytime show Lorraine on Tuesday morning.The Australian Women’s World Cup semi-finalist appeared during a competition segment, and was asked by a camera crew what she would spend £100,000 in prize money on.
    Steph Catley made a shock appearance on Lorraine this morningCredit: Instagram / @stephcatley
    Catley (L) stars for Arsenal and the Australia national teamCredit: PA
    She helped the Matildas to the Women’s World Cup semi-finals his summerCredit: Getty
    Catley, 29, responded: “I just got engaged recently so I’d save it up for the wedding for sure.
    “Because that is a lot more expensive than I thought!”
    The presenter, who named the Arsenal star as a “St Albans local”, seemingly didn’t realise who she was talking to at the time.
    And the mini-segment left football fans in stitches.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    One person tweeted: “This is so random 😂.”
    Another added: “That is f***ing brilliant!”
    A third person wrote: “Just Steph being an absolute icon.”
    While a fourth joked: “How did they manage to interview THE Steph Catley.”
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    Catley later took to Instagram to react to the viral clip.
    She joked: “Just a St Albans local trying to have a quiet coffee at their local cafe 😂.”
    The full-back joined Arsenal from Reign FC in 2020 and has since become a fan favourite at the club.
    She has also represented the Australia women’s national team for the last 11 years.
    This summer she helped the Matildas to the Women’s World Cup semi-finals, scoring one of the first goals of the tournament.
    Catley announced her engagement to EFL goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis in January.
    The couple met when they were both playing for Melbourne City in Australia.
    Catley announced her engagement to Dean Bouzanis in JanuaryCredit: Instagram / @stephcatley More

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    Aston Villa women’s captain explains decision to wear controversial ‘wet-look’ kit live on BBC in WSL opener

    ASTON VILLA chose to wear the club’s sweat-heavy home kit in their Women’s Super League opener versus Manchester United despite the controversy surrounding it.The first match of the season was shown live on the BBC with build-up overshadowed by the “wet-look” kit fiasco.
    Rachel Corsie has revealed that Aston Villa players chose to wear the ‘wet’ kitCredit: Getty
    Castore’s product appears to retain sweatCredit: Getty
    Villa stars wore the shirt despite it supposedly retaining sweat and becoming heavy for players.
    Both the men’s and women’s teams have complained about it to manufacturer Castore as they claim it impacts performance.
    With no solution yet found, the kit was on show as Aston Villa lost 2-1 to United due to a 92nd minute winner by Rachel Williams.
    After the game, club captain Rachel Corsie revealed the squad chose to wear the shirt despite their criticisms.
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    She said: “We wanted to wear the home shirt. It’s first game of the season so you want to be in your home kit.”
    Pressed for more on the decision, she added: “It is being dealt with. The club have been really supportive.
    “Obviously there has been a lot of talk about that this week but when you get here and it’s the start of the season everyone is buzzing it’s underway now.”
    Manager Carla Ward said: “It’s up to the football club’s legal team and Castore to discuss that and deal with that.
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    “It’s something I’ve tried to completely ignore, as difficult as that is.
    “The football club are in full control of that. They’ve been excellent with us, myself and the players around it.”
    There have been reports that Villa could terminate their deal with Castore.
    The kit manufacturers said in a statement: “We are working closely in collaboration with the club to address this issue as quickly as possible to meet the standards we expect.
    “We would like to thank the club for their patience and support to date.”
    The men’s team also wore the strip on Saturday as they hammered Brighton 6-1.
    Alisha Lehmann was in action in the shirt for VillaCredit: Getty
    Douglas Luiz and the men’s team wore the kit in the 6-1 win over Brighton on Saturday More