Women’s Super League

HELEN WARD never envisaged her football career would one day lead to her painted in  a giant mural at Vicarage Road. Today the striker, 37, will end her journey as a player by attempting to help Watford return to the Women’s Championship. 
Helen Ward will hang up her boots following Watford’s clash with Nottingham Forest in the Women’s National League play-off finalCredit: Getty
Ward hopes to help her side win promotion to the Women’s Championship
The lifelong Watford fan and her team will battle third tier rivals Nottingham Forest for promotion.
The Women’s National League play-off final at the home of MK Dons’ will see the Golden Girls veteran play her final match before retiring.  
Ward, who is a mother of two and began her career at Watford at 15, said:  “If you’d have asked me if I’d still be playing at 37 I’d have said absolutely no chance. 
“That in itself is an achievement. It just sort of  went from season to season and I’ve kept playing because I loved it.
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For me personally, with this being my last game and my last season, it (winning promotion) would be a magical way to finish 
“To do this with the club where I started it all would be amazing and I’ve got one last chance to lift a trophy. 
“There’s been so much going on behind the scenes and so many people working hard to put us in a position to be competing at this stage in the season.”
Watford’s clash with Nottingham Forest comes six days after the club celebrating Ward’s career by unveiling a mural of her at Vicarage Road’s North-West corner. 
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The artwork created by features Ward in her club shirt and in action for Wales. 
The Brent-born player who retired from international football in March, is Wales all-time goalscorer with 44 goals in 105 appearances. 
Of the mural, Ward adds: “It was a big surprise, a huge surprise. I’d absolutely no idea that it was coming. 
“It’s a bit daunting seeing a big, big version of your own face on the wall
“But it’s something that means a lot to myself and my family and to be up there with the likes of Luther Blissett, Graham Taylor and Elton John.
“Their legendary status is clear for anyone to see at the club. 
“I’m not going to put myself in that category but to be considered as someone worthy of having a mural at the stadium is incredible and as a Watford fan, it’s really special
Reflecting on her career for Wales, Ward said: “There was no vision of what I might or might not achieve. 
“The international stuff sort of came when I was I think I was 22 and I made my debut. 
“Even that came fairly late in the day when you look at how young players are making their debuts now.
“ I’ve just taken everything as it’s come on the way and never really tried to think too far ahead which has probably helped me. 
“I think if you get too concerned with what might happen or what you’re trying to achieve in the future, you can get distracted.
“It’s been a whirlwind and I’m grateful for every moment I’ve lived and for every team that I’ve played for and every club mate that I’ve had.” 
Watford’s duel with Nottingham Forest will see the sides go head-to-head for the first time since Forest’s 3-2 triumph in the Women’s National League Cup final. 
And Ward, who enjoyed spells at Arsenal, Chelsea and Reading before her 2017 Golden Girls return is hopeful of a different outcome this time. 
The striker adds: “In the League Cup (final) it was a tight game.
“We both have learned a lot about each other but I don’t expect much to change in terms of how either team approaches the game. 
“I believe in this squad and I believe we’ve got the players to get us over the line.”
Today’s clash between Watford and Forest will be the last ever Women’s National League play-off final. 
Next season will see the winners of Women’s National League Northern and Southern Premier divisions promoted to the Championship. 
The FA’s promotion and relegation shake-up between the divisions means two teams will be relegated from tier two next term rather than one. 
From next season the winners of the Women’s National League North and South divisions will be promoted to the ChampionshipCredit: Getty
Ward added: “It’s a real shame that whoever doesn’t win isn’t going to get promoted 
“It’s been a shame ever since the play-off has been a thing and thankfully, this is the last one of its kind
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“I think the FA have come to a really sensible decision for next season in terms of making it two up and two down and that’s that’s great for the game.”
Nottingham Forest vs Watford can be watched live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport’s web site from 1:00 pm More

MARC SKINNER wants Manchester United to use the hurt of their FA Cup final loss to fuel their bid to beat Man City.A home win against their neighbours on Sunday would see United qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
Manchester United will be pushing for a derby victory to keep their title hopes aliveCredit: Getty
A Man City win could see the race for top three go to the wire should Arsenal drop points against ChelseaCredit: PA
Skinner’s team, who are second could still be in title contention should they beat City and Arsenal defeat leaders Chelsea.
The Red Devils boss said: “The beauty of this season is we’re talking about bouncing back from a final where we’ve done really well and lost 1-0 to Chelsea in our first (FA Cup) final.
“When I talk about Manchester City feeling our hurt, it’s via our energy, our commitment and our spirit.
“Football-wise we can hurt Man City as they could hurt any team including us in the league.
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“For us it’s about using the emotional edge in every action that we make. If we do that then we can beat anyone.”
Skinner revealed his father suffered a heart attack a day ahead of Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat of United in the FA Cup final. 
The head coach  added: “He is ok now. That’s the factor people don’t see, when you go into games.
“I felt we as a collective did well at hiding those things. I’m tough enough to help my team when we need it.
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“That’s how professional we are. We’re here to do a job.”
City, who are fourth and three points behind Arsenal, need a win to keep their hopes of playing in Europe next season alive. 
However a point or more for United from their last two fixtures and four more for the Gunners this term would see both sides claim a top three spot. 
Citizens boss Gareth Taylor said: “We want to be in the Champions League.
“We know we’ll need the three points and that’s what we’ll do.
“There’s no need to instigate fire in the bellies with this one.”
Man City will be hoping to avoid dropping out of the WSL’s top three for the first time during Gareth Taylor’s reignCredit: Reuters
Skinner added: “It’s a heavyweight contest.
“With one big punch, the other one could be knocked out so we have to try and land those punches. 
“If we beat them, not only are we still in contention for the league, but obviously then we can finish mathematically above them.”  More

PERNILLE HARDER and Magdalena Eriksson have called time on their trophy-laden Chelsea spells. Eriksson, 29, announced her exit in a filmed goodbye message with the Blues skipper leaving at the end of this term after a six-years at the club.
Magda Eriksson is set to leave Chelsea at the end of this season with her contract expiring this summerCredit: PA
Pernille Harder will also be leaving club at the end of this termCredit: Getty
The duo are set to play their last two games for Chelsea when the Blues face Arsenal and ReadingCredit: Getty
The centre-back, who has made 183 Blues appearances, will leave as a free agent along with Harder with their contracts expiring this summer.
The duo, have been a key part of Emma Hayes side, have have been linked with Bayern Munich according to reports in Sweden. 
Eriksson, who has been Chelsea skipper since 2019, said: “It’s with a heavy heart and so many emotions I announce that my journey as a Blue will come to an end.
“I see myself as extremely privileged to have played a part in this great club’s history.
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“When I signed for the club the ambitions were clear, Emma’s openness with that really resonated with my own ambitions.
“I quickly realised it wasn’t just all talk either. Winning was at the heart of everything we did, and that competitiveness was contagious. 
“I’d like to thank the club, Emma and Paul (Green) for believing in me and supporting me from the moment I signed six seasons ago.”
Blues chief Hayes added: “There are not enough words to describe the impact Magda has had, not just on this football club but on me. 
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“She has been a wonderful leader, someone who has helped drive the team and it’s standards to the levels that we’re at.
“Chelsea will always be her club, it will always be her home. She will forever remain a legend of this football club.”
Eriksson, who switched from Swedish side Linkopings in 2017, has helped Chelsea win 11 trophies including four league titles. 
She and Harder are set to play their last two games in Blues shirts when Hayes’ side face Arsenal on Sunday and Reading next weekend. 
The duo could see their side secure a third successive domestic double should they win on Sunday and Manchester United lose or draw against Man City.
Eriksson added: “I’d like to thank my team-mates, current and old ones. You are a bunch of winners, a great group of people who truly knows what it takes. 
“My biggest thank you goes to the unbelievable Chelsea fans.
“I felt your power on my debut game at Kingsmeadow and you’ve kept growing in numbers and strength ever since.”
Harder, 30, announced her plans to leave Chelsea hours after the club published an open farewell letter from Eriksson.
The Denmark captain was formerly the world’s most expensive female footballer when she joined from Wolfsburg in 2020 for a record £250,000 fee. 
Since then she has scored 44 times in 79 Blues appearances winning two league crowns, three FA Cups and a Conti Cup.
Harder tweeted: “It’s been a dream coming true playing for this amazing club and I’ve loved every single moment along the way.”
Emma Hayes’ side are close to sealing a third successive double trophy winCredit: Getty
Hayes added: “Pernille is one of the best attacking players in the world and you see all of them qualities day in, day out. 

“She has always been so driven to succeed, to get to the top and to help the team win trophies. 
“I want to place on record my thanks for her brilliant contributions to the team’s success the past few years and I wish her the best for the future.” More

JONAS EIDEVALL says Arsenal must ‘not be fooled’ by Everton’s hefty loss to Chelsea with the head coach expecting a Toffees bounce back. The Gunners visit Merseyside later in the hope of securing a win that would move them three points behind leaders Manchester United. 
A win for Arsenal against Everton could see them move three points behind Man UnitedCredit: Getty
The Gunners have been boosted by Caitlin Foord’s return to fitness with the forward featuring as a substitute against Brighton last time outCredit: Alamy
Eidevall expects a tough challenge from Everton for Arsenal at Walton Hall ParkCredit: Getty
While their opponents’ last clash saw them thrashed 7-0 by the Blues, Eidevall is expecting a tricky test from Brian Sorensen’s side. 
The Arsenal chief, 40, said: “I tend to look at the way that the teams play.
“You can see that Everton as a team has a lot of good qualities and also some really good players. 
“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us and we can’t be fooled by that result.
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“We have prepared well for the game and we need to continue to do that.”
Of the title chances for his third-placed side Eidevall added: “There are three games left.
“But it’s one game at a time. It’s really important to keep the focus on that to not look too far ahead. 
“We’re going to do our very best and if we do, we’re going to  give ourselves the best chance to finish as high as possible.”
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Arsenal are currently level on points with Man City who are fourth but could move three points with a win on the road. 
The Gunners will be without the services of Lina Hurtig.
Their squad has been boosted by Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley returning to fitness after seeing their ranks ravaged by injuries this season.
The forward and defender could be in contention having recovered from hamstring concerns.
And Foord featured as a second half substitute during Arsenal’s 4-0 defeat of Brighton earlier this month.
The Gunners’ Everton trip comes three days after a record-breaking Wembley turnout for Chelsea’s and Man United’s Women’s FA Cup final clash.
And Eidevall’s side could be set for more big crowds of their own at the Emirates with the team playing five WSL fixtures there next term. 
Eidevall added: “With performances on the pitch, I think it’s the same with attendances in the stadium.
Eidevall says record turnouts for Arsenal Women’s fixtures at the Emirates is the result of club-wide workCredit: Getty
“I don’t think you can ever relax and learn to think that things will be taken care of by themselves. 
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“The reason why we have had so many good crowds and attendances this season is a combination of having a team that are a great advertisement and main attraction. 
“But it’s also the  whole club with a lot of people working behind the scenes with advertising reaching out.” More

EMMA HAYES insists transfer rumours concerning Pernille Harder and Magda Eriksson will not distract their efforts for the rest of this term. The Blues manager reckons transfer rumour debate within the women’s game is not a bad thing for the sport.
Chelsea return to WSL action against West Ham after defeating Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup finalCredit: Getty
The Blues’ duel with the Irons on Wednesday comes a day after the club signing Germany midfielder Sjoeke NuskenCredit: Getty
Hayes says transfer rumours surrounding Pernille Harder and Magda Eriksson has not their focus on the pitchCredit: Getty
Hayes was speaking hours after Chelsea announced the signing of Sjoeke Nusken, 22, from Eintracht Frankfurt earlier today. 
The Germany midfielder, who made 92 appearances in three years for her current club, will join on July 1 on a three-year deal. 
And the Blues are also set to sign Lyon and USA midfield ace Catarina Macario according to The Athletic. 
Nusken’s signing comes a week after reports claiming Harder, 30, and Eriksson, 29, are poised to join Bayern Munich as free agents this summer. 
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And Hayes seems unfazed by transfer rumours concerning the duo. 
The Blues gaffer, whose side plays West Ham on Wednesday , said: “I don’t think it’s a bad thing that we’re talking about players, their futures, whether it’s here, or elsewhere. 
“That’s part of the business. The women’s game needs it so we don’t mind it. 
“But I’m never going to comment on rumours because we could probably bring out 50 of them a day and chat about them.”
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On whether transfer chatter has been disruptive for the duo, Hayes added: “We just carry on with business as usual. 
“They’re great people and great professionals.
“We have worked together long enough to know that none of us get influenced by things that are happening on the outside.”
Nusken’s switch will see her link up with Germany compatriots Ann-Katrin Berger and Melanie Leupolz.
Hayes added: “We’ve been tracking Sjoeke for about three years.
“She has the profile we’ve been looking for and she’s wonderfully gifted.
“She can play as the centre-back but we haven’t brought her in for that. We’ve been watching her for a long time.
“She’s got pretty much everything in the middle of a pitch. She can progress the ball up the field.”
Should Chelsea win two of their last three games this term, and Man United draw with Man City on Sunday, they could become champions this weekend. 
However Paul Konchesky’s Irons, who are eighth, hope to end their nine-game winless run.
West Ham will be hoping to get a result against ChelseaCredit: Getty
Their last victory in the league was back in December against Tottenham. 
And the team are yet to beat Hayes’ side in the league.
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The West Ham boss said: “As much as we need to worry about them (Chelsea), we have to worry about ourselves and trying to get points on the board.
“We’ve had a meeting as a group about what we want to do to make sure we pick up points in the final three games.” More

ERIN CUTHBERT will never tire of wanting to prove herself at Chelsea and was “raging” after their Conti Cup final loss to Arsenal in March.The midfielder bids to win the FA Cup for a fourth time today since joining the Blues in 2017.
Erin Cuthbert enjoys the spectacle of playing in an FA Cup final at Wembley with a record crowd expected at their clash with Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
The Blues are hoping to win the trophy for the third year on the bounceCredit: Getty
Today’s match will see Manchester United make their first appearance in a Women’s FA Cup finalCredit: PA
Chelsea will face Manchester United at a sold-out Wembley having beaten Arsenal and then Manchester City in the last two showpiece finals.
And victory in front of an anticipated 90,000-crowd would see the four-time winners take a step closer to a WSL and FA Cup Double.
Reflecting on the Blues’ 3-1 league cup final defeat to the Gunners in the spring, Cuthbert, 24, admitted: “I was raging when we lost.
“Every game, every trophy means an equal weight to me.
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“It was a trophy in front of us that we wanted to win.
“But I think the FA Cup occasion is bigger, having 90,000 fans, that’s insane compared to 27,000 or so at the Conti Cup final.
“And the experience of playing at Wembley is certainly a day to remember, it’s a real spectacle.
“It’s a big occasion and my family always comes down for it. They’ve never missed an FA Cup game and, for me, that’s really special.
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“My mum described it one time as one of the best days of her life, so if I can give her that each and every year I’ll be absolutely delighted.
“That’s also my motivation to get there and give my family a day to remember after how much they’ve given me.
“And it’s a great occasion for women’s football and a trophy we want to win.”
Today’s clash comes just over five years after Scotland star Cuthbert played in her first FA Cup final for Chelsea when they beat the Gunners 3-1 at Wembley.
That game came 17 months after Cuthbert’s Blues move when she arrived as a “raw” talent signed from Glasgow City in December 2016.
Former Blues forward and now pundit Eni Aluko has said Cuthbert arrived with “a bit of banter” in training as well as an incredible left foot.
Of her early Chelsea days, Cuthbert said: “I was a bit raw and being a girl from a small town in Scotland was not relatively aware of the challenge ahead.
“There were such high calibre players signing at the time that I kind of fell under the radar when I first arrived.
“Maybe in hindsight, that was probably the best thing for me and I just got my head down, worked hard, and waited for more opportunities.
“Emma Hayes made it clear to me that there might be opportunities to play with the development team when I first joined the club.
“That never happened as I wanted to be in the first team and I wanted to prove myself and to show what I was capable of.
“I think I’ve done that but I certainly don’t get tired of it. Every year I’ve still got something to prove — I know I can be better.”
A triumph for Hayes’ side would see them lift the FA Cup for the third year in a row.
But they face a serious challenge with title rivals and league leaders United looking to win their first major domestic honour.
Cuthbert added: “Of course, winning the FA Cup would give us a great deal of momentum going into the league campaign.
“But we have not let the Champions League campaign or the Conti Cup final defeat derail our season.
Emma Hayes’ Blues are hoping to win the FA Cup for a fifth timeCredit: PA
“We lost the last two years in the Conti Cup final and everyone thought, ‘That’s it, Chelsea are out. That’s it, they’re falling apart.’
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“I think everybody wants to see us fail.
“But I know that the greatest thing about this team is that we bounce back up and show ourselves in the big moments.” More