Women’s Super League

REBEKAH STOTT vowed to bounce back even stronger after undergoing reconstructive surgery on her ankle. The Brighton defender underwent the operation ahead of Brighton’s Friday night WSL season-opening clash with Arsenal.
Rebekah Stott has undergone an ankle operation following her return to Brighton in JulyCredit: Getty

The New Zealand star returned to Hope Powell’s team this July which is a year and six months after receiving treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma.
The Ferns ace was diagnosed with stage three of the cancer – which affects the body’s lymphatic system – last February.
And she went into remission last July following four months of treatment which she received after returning home.
Reflecting on her ankle operation in a tweeted message, Stott wrote: “Absolutely shattered that I had to undergo an ankle reconstruction on the eve of returning to football in England.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the best people possible to bounce back even stronger.
In the post which included an image of a smiling Stott with her ankle bandaged, the defender added: “I know it won’t be as soon as I desperately wanted.
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“But I’m well into my rehab and I can’t wait to get back to doing what I love.
“I appreciate all the love and support from my family, friends, team-mates and my club over the past month. I’ll be back.”
Stott’s ankle op comes nine months on from the defender’s return to match action when she played for Australian club Melbourne City last year.
And the WSL ace returned to the international stage after being named in Zealand Women’s squad in February this year.
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Brighton, who host Reading next, hope to pick up their first win of the season after falling to a 4-0 loss to the Gunners last time out.
The Seagulls were reduced to ten players in the seventh minute of the game after Emma Kullberg was shown a red card.
The Sweden player was sent off for clipping the heels of Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius with the striker through on goal. More

KIRSTY HANSON says Aston Villa will not be pushovers for their opponents after their season-opening win against Manchester City.The midfield ace – on loan from Man United – praised the efforts of her team-mates who take on Leicester this Sunday.  
Villa loan ace Kirsty Hanson is targeting a defeat of Leicester at the King PowerCredit: Alamy
And getting a second win under their belts before the international break is the top priority for Carla Ward’s side who scored just once in their final four games last term.
Hanson, 24, said: “The (4-3) result against Man City shows we are not a team to be walked over.
“We’re not a team that’s just there in the league, we’re there to fight.
“We’re there to get points off the top three and if we keep going and take each game as it comes, I think we can do really well. 
“We’ve got to just keep working as a team, removing our errors and keep doing what we do best – scoring goals and working together as a team.”
On Villa’s performance and her contribution to the winning goal, Hanson added: “We stuck to the way Carla asked us to play and I think it really paid off. 
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“We didn’t give up even though we let some goals in we shouldn’t have, but we dug deep and we knew we could come back.
“Our link-up play was really good. I really enjoy playing with Kenza and Rach (Rachel Daly) and I saw Kenza and I thought she was going to shoot, but I said, ‘Kenza wait!’. 
“I didn’t really have a shot in the game so I thought I may as well try
“And although I fumbled luckily Rach was there and she was phenomenal. I’m so glad she was there to get her second goal.”
Villa were one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window following a number of departures and player injuries and the retirement of WSL heroine Anita Asante.
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The club started their season without the services of Remi Allen and summer signing Simone Magill with the duo currently out of action due to ligament injuries.
And Wales forward Tash Harding, who joined Villa from Reading in July, was unavailable due to illness.
Some shrewd business in the transfer market saw Carla Ward strengthen with the signings of Daly, ex-Everton aces Danielle Turner and Kenza Dali in addition to swoops for Harding and Magill
The clubs also sealed loan deals for the services of Arsenal defender Anna Patten and Hanson who has made 65 Red Devils appearances since her 2018 move from Doncaster Rovers Belles.
There are teams in this league competing for Champions League spots. They’re going to be difficult to play against and we beat oneRachel Daly
The moves are paying off with the team impressing against the Citizens.
And the high-scoring result against City was in stark contrast to the club’s 6-1 pre-season loss to Spanish side Sevilla.
Villa forward Rachel Daly said: “We didn’t get the results we wanted in pre-season but Villa are a great club, a great organisation, and they put money into the players that they wanted to get. 
Hanson impressed on her league debut in midfield for Carla Ward’s sideCredit: Getty
“There are teams in this league competing for Champions League spots.
“They’re going to be difficult to play against and we beat one.
“That’s a big win for us and a big win going into the Leicester game as well. It puts us in a positive mindset.”  More

RACHEL DALY is urging fans who flocked to the Lionesses’ Euros games to fill the stands at WSL clashes.The Aston Villa ace, 30, was speaking after her side stunned Manchester City on Sunday in front of a raucous Villa Park crowd.
Like her England team-mates Rachel Daly hopes match goers who watched the Lionesses will head to WSL gamesCredit: Getty
Fan showed up in record numbers to watch the Lionesses and other team competing at this year’s EurosCredit: Gary Stone
Daly was among the stars who dazzled as Carla Ward’s side clinched a memorable 4-3 win having lost the previous four league encounters against City.
The forward, who bagged a brace in front of a crowd of more than 6,000 said: “After the Euros I said I don’t want these fans to just come and show up for England.
“I’d like them to keep supporting the WSL and they (Villa fans) absolutely did that. 
“They were brilliant, the noise was wild and when the goals when in it was just a joke to hear them.
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“It was a real pleasure to play in front of them and meet a lot of them.”
Fan turnouts at top-flight games have been an ongoing talking point since the WSL’s creation in 2011.
On Sunday Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat of title-holders Chelsea attracted a record Prenton Park crowd of more than 3,000.
And more than 5,000 punters watched Manchester United trounce Reading 4-0 at Leigh Sports Village at this term’s curtain opener.
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On Saturday Arsenal are expecting more than 45,000 spectators for their Emirates derby battle with Tottenham.
This figure would see them shatter the record for the highest attended WSL match.
The record currently stands at 38,262 – the number who turned out to see the North London opponents at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November 2019.
This Sunday Villa, currently third behind the Gunners and United, take on Leicester City at King Power Stadium.
Last term Villa sealed home and away wins against the Foxes registering 2-1 results in both matches.
Ward’s side will be pushing for three points following their efforts last time out.  
And the Villa boss is keeping her feet firmly on the ground in terms of the club’s league ambitions this term.
Ward, 38, said: “We don’t want to get carried away as this was the first game of the season.
“We turned up, we performed and got a result, but we have to focus on making sure that we continue to look for a top eight spot.
“If we finish above that, we’ll be delighted.
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“Everyone knows I’m ambitious and so are the players that we’ve brought in.
“We brought in experience that can allow our youngsters to step up and we want to keep improving.”
Aston Villa hope to finish in one of the WSL’s top eight spots this seasonCredit: Getty More

RACHEL DALY lauded Aston Villa’s big game mentality as they dealt an early blow to Manchester City’s title hunt in a seven-goal thriller.A classy brace from the WSL ace helped Carla Ward’s battlers seal a 4-3 win on a disappointing afternoon for City.
Rachel Daly got her Aston Villa career off to a stunner with two goals on her club debutCredit: Alamy
Kenza Dali also opened her account for the club during their home win against CityCredit: Alamy
Villa fans who followed the Lionesses’ Euros heroics and are used to seeing Daly as a full-back, were given a glimpse of her deadly prowess in attack.
And the former Houston Dash striker did not disappoint with Ward’s battlers on song as they dispatched giants City.
After the match, Daly said: “I’d have been happy to take the one goal but two was obviously nicer,
“Most importantly, we got the win on our home turf and defended the lead.
“It was a stressful bit of a period when we went down 3-2 but then we came back in a big game with a big win and that’s a difficult thing to do.
“It took strength and character and resilience to come back from going down after being ahead.
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“City are a fantastic team and we knew it wasn’t going be easy.
“But we wanted to be brave, take risks and make it a difficult place for them to play.”
Before the game, Villa had lost their four previous top-tier battles with City conceding 17 goals in total.
But this time around their team – which included summer signings Kenza Dali, Danielle Turner and loan aces Kirsty Hanson and Anna Patten – brought an end to that run.
Hanson, on loan from Manchester United, proved to be a problem for her markers with her powerful drives towards the box.
The Scotland ace’s seventh-minute drive on the counter led to Mayumi Pacheco’s cross finding Daly with the forward heading the ball off target.
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The deadlock was eventually broken when Alisha Lehmann, in one of her best shifts in a Villa shirt, fired the hosts in front in the 22nd minute.
Later Villa doubled their lead close to the half-hour mark with Daly curling in a superb top corner strike.
City looked to hit back with Chloe Kelly testing Hannah Hampton from distance in the 34th minute.
And skipper Steph Houghton, returning to WSL action after a lengthy injury absence, saw her shot saved moments later.
Laura Coombs gave the visitors hope pulling a goal back close to half-time after an error from keeper Hannah Hampton.
The second spell saw City take a dramatic 3-2 lead with two goals in two minutes.
Laura Coombs helped Gareth Taylor’s side mount a comeback with her brace for the visitorsCredit: Alamy
First with Khadija Shaw levelling proceedings in the 53rd minute before Coombs struck again powering a high shot home.
But Villa refused to give in with Dali latching on to a sloppy pass from Houghton and thumping in an equaliser.
And Daly wrapped up a dream debut and home win sealing her brace with a tap-in following a blistering counter.
Ward, whose side play Leicester next, said: “Rachel played as a nine at Houston.
“I’ve actually seen a bit of criticism with questions of can she play there? Absolutely she can.
“If she can do that against Manchester City, she can do it against any team in the league.”
We’ve got to roll our sleeves up and go again because this will be nothing if we don’t go and get three points this weekendCarla Ward
Following the win, Ward added: “It will only be a statement victory if we can back it up.
“I said to the group at the end, I’ll give them the plaudits.
“But then I very quickly said, ‘look, you can enjoy it tonight. But Tuesday morning, we’ve got to roll the sleeves up and go again’.
“This will be nothing if we don’t go and get three points next week.
“We’ve got to make sure that it’s not just one big performance. We’ve got to continue to kick on.
“We’ve got to roll our sleeves up and go again because this will be nothing if we don’t go and get three points this coming weekend.”
Carla Ward wants Villa to capitalise on the win by defeating Leicester City who they play nextCredit: Getty
City, who are in transition with several new players arriving this summer, face a stiff test away against champions Chelsea this Sunday
Club boss Gareth Taylor said: “We know as a team we’ll score goals.
“To come away from a game after scoring three and not take anything is frustrating.
“But this is football, and it happens, you see results like this and it’s sometimes it’s difficult to control, but we need to be better in controlling those moments.” More

MARC SKINNER hopes WSL duels will ‘be sunshine in winter’ for fans tempted to swerve games in the season’s coldest periods.A record 6,500-plus crowd is set to watch the Manchester United gaffer’s stars take on Reading at Leigh Sports Village today.
Marc Skinner’s side are targeting a top-three finish this seasonCredit: Getty
Man United are due to play Reading in front of a record crowd of more than 6,500 at Leigh Sports VillageCredit: PA
And it will be the first league game for both sides following the Lionesses’ Euros triumph which was watched by a record 87,192-strong Wembley crowd.
But some of the game’s followers and influential figures fear high attendances at women’s games could dip.
They include Brighton chief Hope Powell, who spoke earlier this month of the challenge of sustaining high spectator numbers during the coldest times of the season.
The former Lionesses manager, 52, remembers how crowds rose when England hosted the 2005 Women’s Euros, but then dwindled during the domestic season.
Skinner, 39, admitted: “Weather can always have an impact.
“But I think once everybody realises from what they’ve watched over the summer, how strong our league is becoming, once they feel fully part of it, I believe attending won’t be a choice.
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“There’s a responsibility on the teams to produce and perform, to show high quality.
“And on the league to continue to grow and allow us to invest in talent, so that we have the best within this country, but also for us not to make excuses.
“What’s brilliant about our fans is that we will break our record this weekend.
“We’ve sold over 6,500 tickets already, so for us, we’ll break our own record in terms of a game at Leigh.
“I know we also have the responsibility to perform — our fans love what we do and keep coming back.
“Of course, we want to be very successful, so that also helps.
“With English winters, who knows how harsh it will be this year.
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“But let’s almost try to be the sunshine in the winter, to make sure people turn up and watch what we’re doing.”
United finished fourth last term, but go into the new season minus Jackie Groenen.
The Dutch midfielder, who made 16 WSL appearances last term, left on Thursday to join French side Paris Saint-Germain on a three-year deal.
The Netherlands international described it as a “big step” in her career.
The switch for a player with 92 international caps has left some Red Devils fans dismayed.
But Skinner insists his squad has the “numbers and qualities” to support their top three push.
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The United gaffer said: “What I’ll assure our fans is, even though Jackie has left, our plans are bigger than this moment.
“So, it feeds into the bigger and the broader plan going forwards.
“In midfield, we also have more controlling players like Katie Zelem, Hayley Ladd and Jade Moore.
“We also have expressive players like Lucy Staniforth, Vilde Boe Risa and Ella Toone.
“So, we can mix the way we build, the way we play, the way we progress — whether we play a traditional system, or whether we play a different shape altogether.
Skinner insists Man United have enough quality midfield players despite the departure of Jackie GroenenCredit: Alamy
“We have the numbers and the qualities that offer different variants so for us, we have always got that in mind.
“I understand our fans’ frustration at this moment, but we have plenty of players that have the opportunity to step up and show their qualities.
“We were not expecting Jackie’s departure to happen — but it was good business for everyone involved.” More