🎧 A Chelsea special on Women's Football Weeklypublished at 09:42 GMT 9 March
09:42 GMT 9 March
It's League Cup final week!
So in a special episode of Women's Football Weekly, we go inside the Chelsea camp to find out how they are shaping up for Sunday's game against Manchester United.
Listen now for interviews with boss Sonia Bompastor, England midfielder Keira Walsh and US striker Alyssa Thompson.
🎧 Women's Football Weekly hosts international specialpublished at 09:43 GMT 5 March
09:43 GMT 5 March
The latest episode of the Women's Football Weekly has landed.
Former Scotland defender Jen Beattie and England's record goalscorer Ellen White are with host Ben Haines as usual, this time to reflect on the first round of international games this week.
They also reveal who they believe is the unsung hero of the women's game.
Chelsea appoint sporting directorpublished at 16:11 GMT 27 February
16:11 GMT 27 February
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Phil Radley as women's team sporting director.
Radley will start work next month following nearly a decade at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.
He replaces Paul Green, who was head of women's football at Chelsea before leaving the club earlier this month after 13 trophy-laden years.
"I'm very proud to be joining Chelsea FC Women," Radley said. "This is a team filled with talent and tenacity, that has an incredible record of success and an exciting future.
"I look forward to working closely with Sonia, the players and the rest of the football staff across the club to play a part in writing the next chapter of this club's great success story."
Chelsea say Radley's role will include performance strategy, squad planning and succession planning as well as overseeing player recruitment, contracts and all negotiations with players' agents and representatives.
Man City trigger option in Miedema contractpublished at 08:29 GMT 27 February
08:29 GMT 27 February
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City have triggered a one-year option in the contract of striker Vivianne Miedema to keep her at the club until 2027.
The Dutch forward has been exceptional this season, scoring eight goals to help City pull clear at the top of the Women's Super League.
She has also supplied five assists and forged a formidable partnership upfront with league top scorer Khadija Shaw.
"There is no place I'd rather be right now than at City," Miedama told the club website, external. "The steps we've made this season have been really good and I am really excited about what that will lead to.
"Since the day I walked in here, I've felt really welcomed and appreciated and that is now always a given.When I look at way we play, why wouldn't you want to join that right now."
The 29-year-old is currently on international duty with the Netherlands before games in Poland on Tuesday (17:00 GMT) and against the Republic of Ireland next Saturday, 7 March (19:45 GMT).
Which WSL players have been called up, and which club is most affected?published at 17:03 GMT 26 February
17:03 GMT 26 February
Twenty eight players spanning every club in the WSL will be at the Asian Cup, though they all play for either Australia (12) or Japan (16).
Any player whose nation reaches the final will miss matchdays 17 and 18 of the WSL season.
The final is also scheduled two days before the first leg of the last eight in the Women's Champions League for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Given the strength of both Australia and Japan, it is highly likely the players listed below will not be available for their clubs at a crucial stage in the season.
Some have proactively taken steps to counter this, with Manchester City moving in January for US star Sam Coffey to bolster their midfield in the absence of Yui Hasegawa.
"It's definitely a tough one," former Scotland and Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said on the Women's Football Weekly podcast. "The travel is pretty insane and even when the players come back they will take a few days to re-calibrate.
"But it is part of football. Clubs that sign these players know they will be missed when called up so have plans in place."
Australia: Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord (Arsenal), Charlize Rule (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ellie Carpenter, Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Clare Wheeler (Everton), Emily van Egmond (Leicester), Alanna Kennedy (London City Lionesses), Mary Fowler (Manchester City), Clare Hunt (Tottenham Hotspur), Katrina Gorry (West Ham).
How will break affect different teams?published at 10:09 GMT 25 February
10:09 GMT 25 February
The Women's Football Weekly team have been discussing the impact of the international break on teams in the Women's Super League with a two-and-a-half week gap until the next games.
Former Scotland and Arsenal defender Jen Beattie and England's record goalscorer Ellen White highlighted London City Lionesses and Everton as sides that could be most affected.
"When you get a new manager like London City have, all you want is time," explained Beattie. "You want more moments on the training ground, especially if a lot is being changed and I have heard quite a lot has done in terms of methodologies and day-to-day processes.
"This will give them more consistency with the manager and more time on the pitch.
"At the same time, after that loss to Tottenham [on penalties in the FA Cup], the first thing you want to do is play another game to erase that memory!"
Meanwhile, Everton have won three in a row in the WSL to escape from danger at the bottom of the league while some of their rivals have slipped back since the start of the year.
"They might be frustrated to lose momentum," said White. "Others such as Aston Villa and Leicester might value the chance to regroup."
A reminder of what finishing positions mean this season in the WSLpublished at 10:10 GMT 23 February
10:10 GMT 23 February
Image source, Getty Images
The WSL champions and runners-up will enter the league phase of the Women's Champions League, with the third-placed side entering in the third round of qualifying.
If an English team wins the Champions League but finishes outside the top three, they will qualify for the league phase.
The bottom-placed WSL team will face a play-off against the third-placed WSL 2 team. With the WSL expanding to 14 teams for 2026-27, the top two teams in WSL 2 will earn automatic promotion.