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We’re still a week away from the re-start of the Women’s Super League (WSL) after the long Christmas break, but the FA Cup fourth round was in full swing as WSL and Women’s Championship sides entered the tournament.
There were big ties for teams such as Luton —the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, sitting in tier five — who hosted top-flight Brighton, while fourth-tier Moneyfields FC went to London City Lionesses, from two divisions above. Neither of those sides could get a shock win, but there were still a couple of upsets and surprises across the draw.
Main story
In one of the few all-WSL ties of the weekend, Chelsea showed that life without striker Sam Kerr could prove about as hard as they expected.
The Australia international striker ruptured an ACL during Chelsea’s recent January training camp in Morocco and is now in for a lengthy lay-off. With West Ham visiting Kingsmeadow, all eyes were on how manager Emma Hayes’ side would fill that huge Kerr-shaped hole up front.
Hayes’ decision to play Lauren James as the No 9 caught many by surprise. There is no doubt of James’ talent but her most positive attributes tend to come when she is in the middle of the pitch and can get on the ball to drive forward. It was particularly bemusing given Mia Fishel — the USWNT striker signed for $250,000 (£318,000) in the summer — was named on the bench.
With West Ham going ahead on 18 minutes thanks to Viviane Asseyi’s calmly taken finish from goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s long ball, Chelsea were fighting against their opposition’s low block. The visitors’ new signing Katrina Gorry looked exactly like the one-woman midfield whirlwind fans would be familiar with from watching Australia at last summer’s World Cup, and Chelsea struggled to sustain possession.
Gorry slides in to challenge James (Charlotte Wilson/Offside via Getty Images)
Unable to play any kind of intricate build-up style, Chelsea were reduced to aimless shots from outside the 18-yard box and whipped in crosses with no one waiting to turn them in. James was more commonly spotted outside the West Ham penalty area than in it.
That changed when Fishel came on to replace Fran Kirby in the 59th minute. The American’s ability to hold up the ball allowed other attacking players to get up and around her. It was that skill which led to the equaliser in the 70th minute as Fishel chested the ball down before swivelling and shooting, leaving Arnold powerless.
Even then, Chelsea required extra time to find the goals from Erin Cuthbert (101st minute) and Aggie Beever-Jones (107th) that made the 3-1 win look far more comfortable than it was. The match will send Hayes back to the drawing board in terms of how this team reformulates their attack without Kerr.
Understandably, it is a big adjustment to play without your talismanic striker. But with fixtures coming thick and fast — Chelsea have four more games (against Manchester United, Real Madrid, Brighton and Paris FC) in January alone — time is running out.
What you might have missed
The standout result in the FA Cup this weekend was Wolverhampton Wanderers’ comeback victory over Reading, winning 2-1.
Wolves, fifth in the Women’s National League North (the game’s third tier), went behind in the 35th minute away to Championship Reading via a Madison Perry goal. But Beth Merrick equalised on 72 minutes and Destiney Toussaint won it with three minutes of the 90 to go, ensuring they are one of the two sides from that level to make the last 16. Nottingham Forest — third in the same league — comprehensively beat hosts Plymouth Argyle, 10th in the third division’s southern section, 6-1 to achieve the same feat.
Wolves celebrate beating Reading to progress to round five (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC/Wolves via Getty Images)
There was to be no upset for Sheffield United, despite going 2-0 up at Tottenham Hotspur by the 51st minute through Sophie Haywood and Jess Sigsworth.
In their first match since manager Jonathan Morgan’s return to the dugout, the Championship visitors looked set for an unlikely win over WSL opposition until goals from Bethany England in the 69th and 80th minutes (the latter a penalty) and Rosella Ayane in added time spared Spurs’ blushes.
Player of the week
Top-flight Manchester City made light work of what could have been a difficult tie away at Championship side Durham. Manager Gareth Taylor put out a strong team, with summer signing Jill Roord stealing the show as she roamed freely around the midfield.
Netherlands international Roord’s growing relationship with the players around her is making it increasingly easier to find pockets of space, with her movement coasting into the penalty area a useful decoy alongside the battering ram front three of Lauren Hemp, Bunny Shaw and Chloe Kelly.
Roord was Taylor’s only signing for City last summer (Stu Forster – The FA via Getty Images)
Roord’s two goals in their 4-0 win perfectly showcased her different skills. The first, in the 38th minute, saw her receive the ball on the edge of the box before shooting into the top corner; the second, in the 69th, featured a one-two on the edge of the area to get herself in behind the defence. Laura Coombs and Mary Fowler also got on the scoresheet.
Moment of the week
If your academy players are scoring against you, it probably suggests you are onto a winner.
So it seems with Michelle Agyemang, the 17-year-old striker dual-registered with Watford and Arsenal. Agyemang is one of three players from top WSL side Arsenal (alongside Katie Reid and Laila Harbert) currently playing for second-division neighbours Watford, and they all featured in Sunday’s FA Cup tie against their parent club.
Agyemang has long been very highly thought of and after missing most of the first-half of the season through a knee injury sustained in September, she has wasted no time getting back among the goals. Against Arsenal, she benefited from a Lotte Wubben-Moy error when passing out from the back to pull a goal back for Watford, making it 3-1 in their eventual 5-1 loss.
Agyemang pounced on a Wubben-Moy error to score against her parent club (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal youngsters had a strong weekend generally, with 18-year-old Freya Godfrey scoring a penalty for Charlton Athletic in their 4-1 fourth-round win away against Ipswich Town, and Kathrine Kuhl looked to have immediately settled in for her loan spell at Everton with an assist as they beat hosts Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday to make the last 16.
What’s next?
The draw for the Women’s FA Cup fifth round will take place tonight (Monday) at 7.30pm, on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The WSL returns next weekend, with the standout match being fourth-placed Manchester United’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to play leaders and defending champions Chelsea.
(Top photo: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
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