Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola admitted man-of-the-match David Brooks came up with the perfect answer to being left out of his team during the 5-0 FA Cup thrashing of Swansea.
Wales international Brooks made the most of a rare start this season by scoring one goal and making two more as the Cherries cruised into round five on Thursday night.
Iraola said: “The wing position is where we have more options and they are all playing really well.
“Sometimes it is difficult to leave players out. David played really well tonight.
“We were really clinical and started very strongly. It was strange to score five goals in the first half.
“We did not want to start slowly as we have in other cup games this season and were really impressive.
“Our number one priority was to be in the next round. We needed a very good performance after Sunday’s game against Liverpool, where we didn’t finish well.
“We have done our job and we are in the last 16 so let’s see what we get in the draw.”
The Cherries took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Lloyd Kelly came up from the back and found himself unmarked to hook Brooks’ free-kick into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later Brooks broke free down the right before pulling the ball back for Alex Scott to make it 2-0.
Kyle Naughton hit the post for the visitors before Luis Sinisterra scored Bournemouth’s third goal with a confident finish into the far corner, after Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher had passed the ball straight to Scott.
Brooks had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time to get the goal he fully deserved after keeping himself onside to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s slide-rule pass before side-footing past the helpless Fisher.
Top scorer Solanke, who had already fired wide from another Brooks free-kick, grabbed the home side’s fifth a minute before half-time after more dreadful defending from the visitors.
Sinisterra played in a teasing low cross from the left wing and Solanke was left with the freedom of the penalty area to side-foot his 14th goal of the season from 10 yards out.
Swansea manager Luke Williams said: “It was a horrible night for us.
“I apologised to the players because I tried to set the team up to give a problem to the opposition. It is a cup game and we have to try to find a way to win.
“But I put the balance wrong, with too many players in advanced positions and then in the turnover there is not enough bodies to stem the flow of the attack, and the opposition were very good.
“In the second half we had more bodies back, but then it was very difficult for us to get near their goal. We tried to limit the damage because the scoreline was too heavy.”
Pep Guardiola backs England for Euro 2024 success
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes it is only a matter of time before England get over the line at a major international tournament and gives them every chance of triumphing at Euro 2024.
England are among the favourites to win this summer's Euros in Germany along with the host nation, France, Spain and Portugal.
The Three Lions were runners-up at Euro 2020 after losing in heart-breaking fashion on penalties to Italy in the final at Wembley.
They have also come close in the last two World Cup tournaments, making the semi-finals in 2018 and the last eight in 2022.
Guardiola, who has England stars like Phil Foden, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish in his Man City squad, drew comparisons his side knocking on the door in the Champions League for many years before their eventual continental success in 2023.
He would also have closely watched many of his former Barcelona players play a key role in the Spain team at Euro 2008, which would prove to be the first of three straight major tournament successes after many years of near misses for La Roja before that.
With Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham among England's options for the tournament, Guardiola likes what he sees.
"The national team? Really good. But it's not just the talent of the strikers, it's the whole package, the whole group. Gareth [Southgate] knows perfectly what he has to do," Guardiola told reporters.
"I have the feeling, everyone has the feeling, that the England national team, in the last events, the World Cup and European Championships, they made steps.
"They are on the verge, they are really close. They lost a final and got to a semi-final.
"When you arrive at these stages every two years, it's going to happen.
"It's quite similar to us – we were close and, in the end, we lifted it. Just believe it. If they believe it they can do it, believe it and they can do it."
The Euros begin on June 14 and England will be expected to top a group that also contains Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia.
Man City tantalisingly close to WSL glory ahead of huge Arsenal clash
Manchester City could become Women’s Super League champions for the first time since 2016 if they can overcome Arsenal on Sunday at the Joie Stadium.
However, results would need to go their way for this to happen and Chelsea, who meet Bristol City in the late kick off, will have to lose or draw for City to be crowned champions this weekend.
Arsenal, who have already secured a Champions League qualification spot, will want to spoil City's party with a victory that would take a tight title race right to the final game of the season.
The Gunners have been formidable this season against top opposition and they have won more points in games involving the top three teams in the WSL this season (6 points) than both Man City and Chelsea (4 points each).
Recent history between the two sides shows City will need to muster a performance worthy of champions to beat an Arsenal side who already have silverware to their name this season. Beating Chelsea in the League Cup in Emma Hayes’ last season is a feat they want to replicate against City.
Arsenal have won their last two games against City in the WSL by a 2-1 scoreline and could become just the second team to win three in a row versus the Citizens in the competition after Chelsea, who did so between November 2021 and September 2022.
Gareth's Taylor's squad, however, shows no signs of letting up this season, with their consistency worthy of a championship-winning season.
Man City have won 14 straight league matches this season, with last week's 4-0 win at Bristol City moving them a step closer to the title. Arsenal, meanwhile, have won four, drawn one and lost one in their last six.
Hosts City have been almost flawless in front of their own fans this season with eight wins, one draw, and just one loss in 10 home Women's Super League contests.
City are hoping to extend a seven-match home winning streak dating back to November 2023, when an emphatic 7-0 win over Tottenham started this streak.
In league matches away from home this season, Arsenal have earned 17 points from 30 available (W5 D2 L3), so some would consider this the main reason they find themselves out of the title race at this stage.
They have recorded just two clean sheets on the road this season, their worst such total in a single campaign since 2014 (also 2).
A Blue Wall for City
A steadfast defence has made City almost impossible to beat, as they have not conceded more than once in any of their last 15 WSL games since a 2-1 away loss to Arsenal in November 2023. The last team to concede multiple goals in one or fewer matches across a single campaign were Chelsea in 2019-20 (once).
Khiara Keating has had a superb season in goal for City, keeping nine clean sheets in 20 appearances and conceding just 10 times.
Keating has faced 18.6 expected goals on target (xGOT), giving her a stunning goals prevented figure of 8.6 – she has kept out over eight more goals than would have been anticipated based on the quality of her shot-stopping – while she has a mightily impressive 81.8 save percentage.
In comparison, Arsenal’s goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger has struggled for form this term and conceded 16 goals from an xGOT of 14.9, giving her a goals prevented value of -1.1. Essentially, she has conceded one goal more than would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances she has faced.
Zinsberger has recorded five clean sheets, with a save percentage of 65.2 way down on the number of Keating – statistics that prove the importance of an elite goalkeeper if a team is to challenge for the title.
Attack is the best form of defence and City, who knew goal difference could be the difference between themselves and Chelsea this season, have been ruthless in front of goal.
However, they will have to see out the crucial last two games without the injured Khadija Shaw, who despite being ruled out for the rest of the season still looks nailed on to win the golden boot race with 21 goals for the season.
The Jamaican has greatly exceeded her 12.3 xG and has proven herself as one of the best strikers to play in the league's history.
Ones to Watch
Having scored four goals against Arsenal, Lauren Hemp has only netted more often in the competition versus Aston Villa and Everton (5 each); only two current WSL players have scored more times in the competition versus the Gunners: Toni Duggan (7) and Rachel Williams (6).
Behind Shaw, Hemp is City’s next top scorer, with nine goals from 19 games. Those goals have come from an xG of 5.1, proving Hemp’s finishing ability. Indeed, only Shaw (24) has more goal contributions for City this season than Hemp (16), who has also provided seven assists.
It is Chloe Kelly who leads the way for City when it comes to chances created, with 45 – six more than Hemp’s tally (39).
Kelly has now recorded both five goals and five assists for the second WSL season running (5 + 5 in 2023-24, 5 + 9 in 2022-23); since her first season in the competition for Manchester City in 2020-21 the Englishwoman has recorded more WSL assists than any other player (28).
Arsenal's signing of Alessia Russo at the start of the season seems to have paid off in her goal return. Russo has netted on 10 occasions, including three match-opening goals.
The attacker ranks fourth among the league's top scorers and has had 71 shots, more than any other player in Arsenal’s squad this season.
She has scored in each of her last three WSL appearances and, having never previously netted in four straight in the competition, now has the chance to set a personal record. The Arsenal forward has also now matched her goal return from last season at Manchester United by reaching double figures.
Despite being injured at the start of the season, Beth Mead has had another excellent campaign, directly contributing to 11 goals (eight goals, three assists).
The Gunners midfield will be looking to dominate the game. Victoria Pelova, in her first full season for Arsenal, has been the heart of the midfield with Kim Little. When it comes to assists, Pelova leads the way for Arsenal with five, having created 26 goalscoring opportunities for her team-mates.
But all eyes will be on Manchester City, who have won each of their last 14 WSL games, the joint-longest winning streak in the competition’s history alongside Arsenal’s run of 14 victories between March and November 2022.
Man City know a 15th win would not only break that record, but also put them on the brink of glory – they have the opportunity to become champions in their own hands and Taylor’s side are close to wrapping up a historic season.
Atletico Madrid must improve in top-four chase, says Simeone
Atletico Madrid need to step up in order to secure Champions League qualification, head coach Diego Simeone said ahead of Saturday's LaLiga trip to Mallorca.
Simeone’s men are fourth in the standings with 64 points, seven behind third-placed Girona with five matches left. Atletico lead Athletic Bilbao, in fifth place, by three points.
They were knocked out of the Champions League after a 5-4 quarter-final aggregate loss to Germany's Borussia Dortmund and Simeone feels the Spanish top flight is also getting more intense with every year.
"We are thinking about the game, hopefully we can be in the top four as we have been these years, but it is more difficult every day," Simeone told reporters at his pre-match press conference.
"There is improvement in the other teams, so we have to improve."
Atletico have struggled defensively this season, having failed to keep a clean sheet since a 5-0 home win over Las Palmas in February.
"When you talk about defence, people misunderstand and think that it's only the defenders," Simeone said.
"The defence is a team and we have conceded a lot of goals because we haven't been able to work as a team."
The Argentine said his team will have their work cut out to claim all three points against 16th-placed Mallorca.
"We have a tough opponent like Mallorca... they work with a coach who I admire for his calmness and his ability to compete," added Simeone.
"I admire those coaches. We will face a tough and difficult game.
"When the season is over and the accounts are closed, I'll be able to comment on how I feel and what I think about the objectives [since I took charge of Atletico]."
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