Kit Shepard

Michelle Agyemang on Euros heroics, injury, God and finishing her degree England star, who was crowned The Sunday Times Young Sportswoman of the Year a day after a turning 20, reflects on her breakout 12 months with the Lionesses

⚽️ Michelle Agyemang interview

🏆 Recalling her Euros heroics - and
the sliding-doors moment that led to it all
✝️ Using football to share her faith
📚 Studying at King’s
🎶 Musical exploits
🖊️ Arsenal’s crossword club
🛣️ Road to ACL recovery www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Sonia Bompastor has distanced herself from claims she's unhappy with Chelsea's depth, and that feels wise.

If all fit, #CFCW could field two separate XIs of established internationals.

The "depth" issues are down to poor injury prevention and/or bad luck, not a lack of signings

Inside Chelsea slump: thrashed by rivals, player dissent and title run over With hopes of seventh straight Women’s Super League crown in tatters, Chelsea Women — and their frustrated manager Sonia Bompastor — face an uncertain future

Damaging defeats, head coach lamenting lack of transfers then citing language barrier, player frustration, captain denying she scapegoated the goalkeeper.

Chelsea are victims of their success, but their dip has been sudden.

What's going on? www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Chelsea’s title race is over, admits Sonia Bompastor after Arsenal defeat Chelsea 0 Arsenal 2: Renée Slegers’ side win at Stamford Bridge for first time with fluid performance, denting champions’ hopes of seventh straight WSL crown

Sonia Bompastor has conceded Chelsea’s title hopes are all but over after they lost to a rejuvenated Arsenal.

Report from Stamford Bridge #BarclaysWSL www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

FWIW...

- Arsenal got about $1.5m for winning the Champions League last season.

- Winning the FA Cup final this season will earn £430,000 (about $590,000).

- San Diego Wave got $2m for winning the most recent edition of World Sevens Football

💰 Fifa has announced the prize money for the Women's Champions Cup:

Winners: $2.3m (about £1.7m)
Runners-up: $1m
Semi-finalists: $200,000

Jess Carter: Chelsea were always looking for the next big thing Defender is one of the few England internationals playing club football overseas after leaving WSL champions, where she feared becoming just another number

⚽️ Enjoyed chatting with Jess Carter, and the Lioness was in typical straight-talking mood:

❌ Not wanting to be “another number in and out the door at Chelsea”
🗣️ Why she’ll keep speaking out against abuse
🇺🇸 Life with Gotham ahead of the Champions Cup next week
www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Hannah Hampton: England No1 who defied doctors then ousted Mary Earps Hannah Hampton, who had three eye surgeries before age of three and came through at Villarreal, on text she sent Mary Earps and ‘whirlwind’ season with Chelsea

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Hannah Hampton, the new #Lionesses No 1, spoke candidly to the media on several tricky topics this week:

👀 Navigating the spotlight after Mary Earps's retirement
💪Battling through a dark period
😲 Overcoming vision issues to become a GK

www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

How women’s teams can learn from Chelsea and Arsenal to reach next level From attracting female-specific sponsors to finding outside investment, Kit Shepard looks at options clubs have to take control of their economic fate and avoid reliance on men’s teams

After the Blackburn/Reading/Wolves episodes, how can women's teams control their financial fate?

🧠 Change mindset towards men's team
💰 Attract investment
🔝 Learn from leaders

With insight from Rachel Dugdale, Maggie Murphy and @cphilippou.bsky.social‬ www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

The Game Podcast The Game Football Podcast is the thinking fan's podcast for the debate, the tactics, the personalities, injuries, goals and analysis. From The Times and Sunday Times, it's the place for nuanced discus...

Made my debut on The Game podcast to discuss the recent #Lionesses madness and where they stand as Euro 2025 approaches. Has Sarina Wiegman ridden out the storm of retirements/withdrawals?

The team also covered England Men's travails and the Club World Cup.

Listen here! podfollow.com/the-game

Who’s in England’s Euro 2025 squad? Meet Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses Lauren James, Lotte Wubben-Moy and teenager Michelle Agyemang among 23 players who will lead defending champions’ title defence in Switzerland

Proven winners, world-class talents, and some hugely exciting young players.

Your guide to the 23 players in England's Euro 2025 squad @TimesSport #Lionesses www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

How Lionesses can make most of talent at Euros: attack, attack, attack The 6-0 win against Portugal was reminder of where England’s strengths lie after drama of Mary Earps’s retirement and recent defensive issues

England have as many as seven options up front, but the first-choice front three still feels obvious. So how does Wiegman make the most of the depth?

🎨 Use ABJ's versatility
🧪 Create the complete winger
🃏 Gamble on the wildcard

#Lionesses www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson's hotly-anticipated press conference today proved an unusually emotional one.

The prevailing message? That they needed Mary Earps to stick around #Lionesses www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Players pulling out and fears over morale — are Lionesses in crisis? With Mary Earps retired, Millie Bright exhausted and fitness concerns over star players, England’s preparation for Euro 2025 is looking shaky

What's up with the #Lionesses?

We know about Mary Earps, but there's also Millie Bright's exhaustion, fitness fears, and questions over morale.

Sarina Wiegman needs some off-field certainty before she can solve England's on-pitch problems @timessport.bsky.social

Arsenal stun Barcelona to win Women’s Champions League Arsenal 1 Barcelona 0: Stina Blackstenius combines with Beth Mead to score winning goal and secure first Women’s Champions League title in 18 years in Lisbon

Slegers's strategy, Blackstenius's winner and Kelly's s***housery give Arsenal an incredible Champions League final victory over Barcelona. A stunning end to a whirlwind season.

Report from Lisbon for @timessport.bsky.social #UWCL www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Mariona Caldentey: The Arsenal player who’d walk into Barcelona’s team Spaniard on swapping Catalonia for north London, facing her former club in the Champions League final and why her brother must switch allegiance for one night

🔴 Mariona Caldentey interview @timessport.bsky.social

Arsenal’s ex-Barcelona star on:

🏆 Facing her old club in the #UWCL final
🤔 Knowing ‘nothing’ about Renée Slegers when signing
✍️ Why others could follow her out of Barca
👀 Her family’s conflicting loyalties www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Vic Akers: Thierry Henry said Kelly Smith could have played for men’s team Arsenal icon juggled job as kitman for men’s team with managing the women’s side to Champions League glory and watching rom-coms with Dennis Bergkamp

🔴 Vic Akers interview @timessport.bsky.social

Pleasure talking to Arsenal's only Champions League-winning manager (for now):

🏆 Memories of '07
🗣️ Thierry Henry on Kelly Smith
📽️ Rom-coms with Bergkamp
⚖️ Vieira v Rice
👕 Flamini's error
❓ How to beat Barca #UWCL www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Marc Skinner unsure why Sir Jim Ratcliffe missed Women’s FA Cup final Head coach left puzzled by latest Wembley no-show, which fuels accusations that the Manchester United co-owner is neglecting women’s side

Marc Skinner unsure why Sir Jim Ratcliffe missed Women’s FA Cup final

...before Sonia Bompastor extols the power of having owners watching in the flesh

#AdobeWomensFACup @timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Sandy Baltimore strikes twice as Chelsea complete domestic treble Chelsea 3 Man United 0: A Sandy Baltimore double and goal from Catarina Macario in front of tennis great Serena Williams rounds off perfect season at home for Sonia Bompastor’s team

Game, set and match as Serena Williams watches Chelsea seal treble. One of the great domestic seasons.

Manchester United? A day defined by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's no-show and Ella Toone's omission.

Report from Wembley @timessport.bsky.social #AdobeWomensFACup www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Dominant at home, falling short in Europe: how do Chelsea take next step? Sonia Bompastor’s side can complete a domestic treble in the FA Cup final on Sunday but must make adjustments to challenge for elusive Champions League title

As they end a brutally binary season at today's FA Cup final, how can this incredible Chelsea side ensure there is no Barcelona-induced poignancy this time next year?

🤕 Address injury issues
🫸 Hold back against Barca
🇺🇸 Capitalise in USA

@timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

A rare success for Man United — but is Sir Jim Ratcliffe bothered? Women’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea would cap promising campaign for likeable team, but coming weeks in boardroom will determine whether season is launchpad or false dawn

After a chaotic summer, Manchester United Women's season has been very solid and may end with #AdobeWomensFACup glory.

Yet will their success, likeability and potential be enough to answer the ultimate question: is Sir Jim Ratcliffe bothered? @timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Lionesses squad: Georgia Stanway included but injured Lauren James absent Bayern Munich star’s inclusion gives Sarina Wiegman huge boost with Euro 2025 on the horizon while Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood are also back in the squad

Stanway, Hemp and Greenwood in. James out. Ful story on the #Lionesses squad for @timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Our WSL awards: best goal, worst gaffe and ‘sod it’ moment Chelsea may have run away with league title again but there was much more to season than great play and superb matches. In fact, some of our ‘winners’ probably won’t want their gongs…

🏆 The @timessport.bsky.social WSL awards:

⚽️ The classics (best goal, best player)
👎 The bad (biggest disappointment, worst gaffe)
🤷‍♂️ The quirky (best "**** it" moment, outstanding commitment to English exceptionalism)

And much more... #BarclaysWSL www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Low crowds and no Lionesses bump — has bubble burst for WSL? Women’s Super League attendances are down and the England team’s galvanising power is waning. But look below the surface and the situation is more complicated

📉 WSL down
📈 Championship up
🔋 Power of Arsenal, Newcastle and LCL
❓ What if there's no Lionesses "bump" this summer?

An end-of-season look at #BarclaysWSL and #BarclaysWC attendances. With thanks to the great @mattcutler.bsky.social.

@timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Women’s Super League scraps plans to remove relegation after fan anger Fan fury forces a U-turn on plans to axe relegation — and a potential league expansion — from Women’s Super League from 2026 but matter could later be revisited

Relegation won't be removed from the #BarclaysWSL in 2026 (h/t to @tomjgarry.bsky.social) but this case isn't quite closed.

The long-term format is undecided and there's no guarantee the relegation debate won't reignite after next year @timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Fair question - I think it's down to semantics. Many WSL clubs over the years have had loose connections to men's teams, be that partial funding, shared branding or facilities access. London City are the first with absolutely no link to a men's side

Michele Kang steals show as London City Lionesses seal WSL spot Birmingham City 2 London City Lionesses 2: Draw enough to secure promotion to Women’s Super League for capital side before owner Michele Kang takes centre stage

Michele Kang’s trophy lift was a bizarre conclusion to a nerve-shredding climax.

But this is London City Lionesses. The WSL’s first women’s-only club aren’t bothered about satisfying tradition #BarclaysWC @timessport.bsky.social

www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Battle of the billionaires trying to shake up women’s elite Birmingham City and London City Lionesses both have ambitious American owners but contrast in their outlook as they go head to head for promotion to the WSL on Sunday

😲 Winner-takes-all for promotion
🇺🇸 Ambitious US owners
☯️ Contrasting identities
❓ Symbolising a sport at a crossroads

In Birmingham v London City Lionesses, the Women's Championship could not have dreamt of a better finale #BarclaysWC @timessport.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Players furious as Wolves fail to apply for promotion Women’s team ‘absolutely devastated’ that club did not submit application to go into second tier, with squad finding out only after final day of the season

Players furious as Wolves fail to apply for promotion (and don't tell the squad until after the season)

@timessport.bsky.social

www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Arsenal stun Lyon to reach Women’s Champions League final Lyon 1 Arsenal 4 (Arsenal win 5-3 on aggregate): Renée Slegers’s side overturn first-leg deficit against eight-time champions — but Chelsea humiliated by Barcelona in other semi-final

Even for a club with as esteemed a women’s football history as Arsenal, this must go down as one of their greatest days

Their crazy season needs one more surprise for immortality (but my word did Barcelona look frightening today)

@timessport.bsky.social #UWCL www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...