Manchester City lead Chelsea in the WSL by six points. They have won all 11 games since defeat on the opening day to their title rivals. The perennial champions are their only rivals. @meganferinga.bsky.social on a top-four race split in two. bit.ly/4aVF4W3

“When we’re in the Champions League.” An ambition that’d be filed under delusional if Wrexham weren’t so deft at these kinds of grand plans. Next up: Wrexham Women in Europe. The first big step - owning their own ground - has been taken. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...

A farcical League Cup draw: the latest example of why a blind obsession for women’s sports’ growth at all costs is abandoning the very audience and soul that built it. But hey, at least we can all eat footlongs. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Excl: Hannah Forshaw to step down as Everton Women CEO at end of 2025/26 season, despite starting in Sept. Exit is mutual + amicable. Review ongoing on what leadership will look like for future. Details below @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Tottenham Hotspur Women have completed the signing of Norway international Signe Gaupset for a club-record fee of £378,000. More from @meganferinga.bsky.social ⤵️ 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/682...

Fantastic piece. Full of background detail. By @meganferinga.bsky.social who is always excellent on Spurs Women. www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

5th in WSL. Level on pts w Arsenal. 2nd from bottom last season. Inside Tottenham's revival: ▪️Last season's toil ▪️Ex-Arsenal chief Venkatesham appt ▪️Martin Ho's 4-day recruitment ▪️Casey Stoney’s phone call ▪️Koga Hail Mary ▪️Ho's reset @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Wout van Aert is one of cycling’s superstars; his win over Montmartre one of the year’s top moments. We spoke about post-injury doubts, managing his own demanding nature, and his big offseason adventure in the USA. www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Choose your avatar. #TeamHannah. #TeamMary. Community Note: There’s only one right answer. But maybe this can also be sad, a reminder of how easily we exalt humans to heroes + how precipitous the inevitable crash down is. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...

Jarrad Branthwaite is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday after suffering what Everton described as a “complication” in his return from a hamstring injury. More from @paddyboyland.bsky.social and @meganferinga.bsky.social ⤵️

Jess Park is very good at football. Apparently the only way to stop her is by kicking a football into her face, That’s after coming off the bench + scoring two goals. Given the freedom to invert, to carry the ball, to roam, Park is thriving. Man Utd are better for it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

“You don’t have a period but that’s fine. You’re an athlete.” A caveat accompanying countless medical results, despite inevitable danger, lines being drawn between sacrifices periods + sporting success. A piece for my sister + those challenging the system. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

“You don’t have a period but that’s fine. You’re an athlete.” A caveat accompanying countless medical results, despite inevitable danger, lines being drawn between sacrifices periods + sporting success. A piece for my sister + those challenging the system. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

Great article.👍🏻

A very good article. A critical part of this is listening to the fans. I have a good feeling about this. Everton can be the next Arsenal.

Good read, tremendous opening.

6,473 at Goodison Park for Everton Women yesterday. Nearly 6x average of WPH. Some expect Everton (& the wider game) to have all the answers now or it's a hoax. Goodison is a reminder that ambition & patience are not mutually exclusive. This is a work in progress. www.nytimes.com/athletic/662...

Pre-season vs Juve, Everton’s Hayashi advised Rion Ishikawa in Japanese. Martina Fernandez assumed it was words of encouragement. “I ask, ‘Hono, what did you say?’ She says, ‘We need to f***ing win’.” Fernandez on leaving Barca + Everton’s new mentality. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Olivia Smith interview. On that goal. On Renee Slegers. On Arsenal being her first long-time home. On being glad Beth Mead didn’t leave. On being scared to say hi to Katie McCabe - then becoming bffs. On being the first £1m women's player. On not caring about that. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

'We already made Anfield our training pitch,' Brian Sorensen told 40k at Goodison Park in May. There's cheek + there's having faith in circumstances. Everton W are 6/6 at Anfield, Sunday's win the result of planned, meaningful investment. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 on Friday — and offered a timely reminder that their domestic hegemony has never boiled down to just one facet. @meganferinga.bsky.social

🚨 THURSDAY POD! 🚨 @acjimbo.bsky.social's got @oilysailor.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social & Natalie Gedra with him for... ✅ Deadline day chaos ✅ World Cup qualifiers ✅ A brand new WSL season w/ @meganferinga.bsky.social ✅ High altitude in La Paz/ West Bromwich pod.fo/e/324da0

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Angel City to sign United States international Alyssa Thompson, sources with knowledge of the deal told The Athletic. 📝 @david-ornstein.bsky.social, @meganferinga.bsky.social and @charpur.bsky.social 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Chelsea reach verbal agreement with Angel City to sign #USWNT's Alyssa Thompson. Transfer fee of just under £1m, five-year contract, medical completed. @theathleticfc.bsky.social @david-ornstein.bsky.social @meganferinga.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

“Don’t give up on Ruby.” So said Mace's brother to their parents. Yesterday they watched Mace pose for photos at Goodison Park as Everton's club-record transfer on a 3yr deal. Piece w Mace & parents on a "stressful" transfer tug-of-war + how they never gave up. www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Chelsea in advanced talks to sign USWNT’s Alyssa Thompson from Angel City. Fee likely to break the $1million mark. @charpur.bsky.social @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

Exclusive w @jeffrueter.bsky.social + @meglinehan.com: Kansas City Current have acquired forward USWNT Ally Sentnor from the Utah Royals. 21yo was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. Full story @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

My kid and I finished Bunnicula and that book is as good as I remembered

Me and @meganferinga.bsky.social photobombed the Spain team tonight

Tottenham winger Hayley Raso is in talks over a move to Benfica. More from @meganferinga.bsky.social & Guillermo Rai

Exclusive: Fuka Nagano has committed her future to #LFC as she is set to renew her contract amid interest from WSL rivals. Everton held an interest in signing the out-of-contract Japan international while #MUFC also briefly considered a move. 📝 @meganferinga.bsky.social 🔗 bit.ly/3TSYFMP

🚨BRAND NEW POD!🚨 @acjimbo.bsky.social is joined by Carl Anka, @cdeccleshare.bsky.social, @adrianjclarke.bsky.social & @meganferinga.bsky.social. 🧤That Berger save 💣Rashford out, Mbeumo in 💵Liverpool's spending spree 🇮🇹David Platt in Serie A pod.fo/e/2ff92d

Ann-Katrin Berger saved, dropped to her knees, arms stretched Christ Redeemer style. Same arms that reached into another dimension 30min earlier. Germany are in the semis. Despite hair pulling, gravity, basic human limitations. Bc of AKB @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

Olivia Smith was always going to be women’s football’s first £1m player this summer. But nobody was meant to know. Inside the deal, incl Arsenal’s long-term interest, Smith’s ambitions outgrowing Liverpool + Liverpool’s “Coutinho” gamble. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

Spoke to coaches of Olivia Smith. Their origin stories are the same: a moment of total arrest, time stopped at a pass/shot/hip swivel, her destiny unfurling. More than anything they speak of a contagious smile, zeal to learn, a will to win. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

Fantastic piece on the Olivia Smith signing by @meganferinga.bsky.social:

Olivia Smith was always going to be women’s football’s first £1m player this summer. But nobody was meant to know. Inside Smith’s deal, incl Arsenal’s long-term interest, Slegers' sway + Liverpool’s faith in making this a “Coutinho moment”. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

Liverpool striker Olivia Smith is set to join Arsenal in a world-record £1million deal. All agreements are in place with the deal set to be announced within the next 24 hours. More from @meganferinga.bsky.social ⬇️ 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...

Excl: All agreements signed between Liverpool and Arsenal for world record £1.1m transfer of Canada forward Olivia Smith. Personal terms agreed. Deal set to be announced imminently. History in the making. Full story @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...

Finally home, won't write much 'cos @meganferinga.bsky.social has said it all here www.nytimes.com/athletic/649..., far better than I ever could. #EURO2025

Midnight. Eve of Wales’ final game. Yma o Hyd fills a karaoke bar despite Andrea Bocelli avowing ‘time is up’. Midnight 24hrs later. Wales family section sings Yma o Hyd in an empty stadium. Song is how Wales brace for battle. It's also how they leave it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

Apparently light travels faster than sound. Apologies to Galileo Galilei but the Italian obviously never saw Portugal play football. Portugal are out of Euro 2025. 2 defeats, 1 draw, countless missed chances. But the fans will be missed. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/648...

Piece on a goal. Bc how it was relished: an immortal notch canonised into Wales’ sporting timeline. Wales might go home but they will not go silently into that Swiss night. That is Jess Fishlock’s legacy. A player always, forever, there for Wales. www.nytimes.com/athletic/648...

Gareth Taylor is in talks with Liverpool Women to become the club’s head coach. Discussions between former Manchester City boss Taylor and Liverpool are ongoing, but nothing has yet been signed. More from @charpur.bsky.social and @meganferinga.bsky.social ⬇️

1992: 3 women pen a letter to FAW gen sec Alun Evans lobbying for a women's national team. 33yrs later: Switzerland. No one has seen the letter since. Rumours said Aberystwyth. I convinced @theathleticfc.bsky.social to let me go letter hunting. This is the tale. www.nytimes.com/athletic/646...

Wales team bus involved in road collision on way to stadium in St Gallen. FAW say everyone on bus is okay. Driver of vehicle sustained minor injuries. Rhian Wilkinson + captain James visibly shaken when fulfilling media duties. Full story @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/648...

Lucerne: the perfect setting for Wales' first major tournament game. A city surrounded by imposing, confounding heights that pre-kick-off vs the Dutch felt scalable. Memories of Euro 2016 abounded. It wasn't everything. It wasn't nothing. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

Great read from @meganferinga.bsky.social who was in THAT press conference in Lucerne involving Netherlands boss Jonkers and the "pupper show" allegations. www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

“Muito mais que futebol” a placard read during Portugal’s Euro 2025 Spain in memory of Jota + Silva. Piece from a match where Portuguese song never stopped, where there was pride + love amid loss. where it was much more than football. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...