Chloe Kelly believes the record attendances in the Women's Super League (WSL) this season are down to the standard of football that is being played.
The attendance record for a single WSL game has been beaten twice this season, while the average number of spectators inside the grounds are also growing across the division.
Kelly Simmons, the FA director of the women's professional game, pointed to England Women's victory at Euro 2022 as the key reason for the rise in attendances.
Manchester City Women's Kelly, who scored the winning goal in the final of Euro 2022 against Germany, credited the increase in standard as spearheading the rise of women's football.
Speaking at the launch of the first ever Panini Barclays Women's Super League sticker collection at the National Football Museum, Kelly said: "[It is] definitely the football that the girls are playing.
"I think every club this season has shown exactly what they're about and I think to hit record attendance just shows the work that we're doing on the pitch but away from the pitch as well.
"I think we're showing great personalities and we want as many people to come and watch us and it's about what we do on the pitch that brings them to the stadiums."
Manchester United Women's Nikita Parris was also part of the Euro 2022 success, and she agrees with Kelly that the level of play is the main attraction for fans.
Parris highlighted the recent 4-1 victory for Arsenal Women over Chelsea Women, which broke the record for attendance at a WSL match with its crowd of 59,042, as an example of the high calibre of play.
When asked what she thought the key reason for the increased attendance was, Parris replied: "I think ultimately the standard of quality in the game.
"You've seen the game against Arsenal and Chelsea, a great spectacle, quality on both sides and goals. Goals bring spectators, goals bring games and the more goals you score in the game definitely the more exciting it is."
Rachel Brown-Finnis, now a pundit after a long playing career, is delighted with the growth in the women's game and is hoping its rapid rise continues, explaining: "Where the women's game is now, it's unprecedented.
"We're successful, we've won the European Championships, we've got to the final of the World Cup, we're seeing crowds that we've never ever seen before.
"People want to attend domestic games, people clearly want to attend Lionesses' matches which is why most of them are hosted at Wembley, and sell-out Wembley's. That's on an upward trajectory, that I don't see anything really dipping that."
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw continues to enjoy an outstanding individual campaign for Manchester City, and, as such, will end the year atop the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) scorers list.
The towering Jamaican striker has so far tallied 21 goals in a mere 10 games played so far in the 2023/24 season, and her feat has positioned Manchester City in second on 22 points, three behind leaders Chelsea.
Shaw’s rich vein of form puts her ahead of Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly (18), Bethany England (12) of Tottenham Hotspur, and Brighton Hove and Albion’s Elisabeth Terland (12) in the race for the Golden Boot, heading into the New Year.
The colourful exploits of the 26-year-old Reggae Girl should come as no surprise, as she merely picked up where she left off last season when she broke new ground by notching 31 goals in all competitions, a record across a single campaign for City’s women’s team.
During that season, Shaw was named Women’s Player of the Season in a fan vote, while she was also shortlisted for the Barclays Women’s Super League’s equivalent award.
Shaw finished the 2022/23 season with an astonishing 31 goals in all competitions, surpassing Nikita Parris’ previous highest total of 25 for a Women’s player across a single season. She achieved that tally in just 30 matches, meaning she found the net at a rate greater than once per game.
When you add nine assists onto that total, her overall goal involvements for that campaign stand at an incredible 40.
Shaw scored 20 of those goals in the WSL, two in as many UEFA Women’s Champions League matches, two in two Continental Cup fixtures, and an astonishing seven in three FA Cup appearances.
And by all indications, there will be much more records and scoring feats to come for both Shaw and Manchester City, as her impressive journey will continue at the club until at least 2026.
Chloe Kelly believes it's still all to play for in the Women's Super League title race, warning Manchester City's rivals: "It's not how you start the season, it's how you end it."
City went into the mid-season winter break three points adrift of reigning champions Chelsea, ahead of third-placed Arsenal by virtue of their superior goal difference.
Gareth Taylor's team suffered back-to-back defeats at the start of November as they went down to Arsenal and Brighton, but they have since responded with a four-game winning streak, which includes a 7-0 rout of Tottenham.
Though Chelsea and Arsenal both boast experience of getting over the line, winning the last six WSL titles between them since City last triumphed in 2016, Kelly fancies their chances.
Speaking at the launch of the first ever Panini Barclays Women's Super League sticker collection at the National Football Museum, Kelly said: "It's been a great season so far.
"I think it's very tight, both at the top and the bottom of the table. There's a lot to play for still. It was still really exciting coming up to Christmas, seeing what the table looks like, but we know there's still plenty of football to play.
"It'll definitely be a close one, it's all still to play for and I think it's about consistency throughout the season.
"We need to make sure that us at City are doing just that and being consistent throughout the season. It's not how you start the season, it's how you end it."
Kelly, who famously scored England's winning goal in the Euro 2022 final against Germany at Wembley Stadium, also heaped praise on City boss Taylor, who has overseen league finishes of second, third and fourth in his three full campaigns at the helm.
"I think I've seen a lot of growth in myself since being at Manchester City, learning from a great manager in Gaz," Kelly said.
"I think from when I came to the club to where I am now, I can see massive growth.
"I try to learn as much as I can and take a lot of information from him and the staff around him as well. We have Shaun Goater who works with the forwards, so the more information I can get off him, the better.
"He was an unbelievable forward and I just try and learn as much as I can from the staff around me, and also the players."
Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps has expressed her frustration at untrue speculation regarding her future.
The 30-year-old capped an incredible 2023 by being voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year on Tuesday night.
She helped England reach the World Cup final and saved a penalty in the showpiece match from Jenni Hermoso. The Lionesses were beaten 1-0, but Earps was voted goalkeeper of the tournament, having been named the best in her position in the world for 2022.
She also kept 14 clean sheets as United finished second in the Women’s Super League, but there are question marks surrounding her club future, with Earps out of contract at the end of the season.
She insisted in the afterglow of her BBC success that the time was not quite right to discuss her future, but she has been angered by reports which claimed she wanted to leave United before the start of the season.
“I don’t really want to talk too much about it tonight because I want to celebrate this win, but what I will say is there is a lot of stuff that’s been put out there that isn’t true,” she said.
“I’ve remained quiet for a reason. I feel I’ve behaved really professionally and with a lot of integrity through this whole situation.
“What I will say is that I play with heart and passion in everything I do and I drive standards.
“A lot of stuff that’s been put out isn’t true. I want to say more, but I can’t at this stage and it’s really hard for me to sit quiet when I see a lot of things that are not right. I think it’s an injustice, but I know the appropriate thing to do is focus on my football and see what happens from there.”
Earps has been linked with following her former United team-mate Alessia Russo to Arsenal and also with a move to Barcelona.
Earps’ BBC award also came in the same year where she successfully challenged Nike to produce replicas of her England goalkeeper jersey.
Asked if she thought other brands would now follow suit, she said: “I’d like to think so. I’ve obviously had that commitment from Nike that it will never happen again.
“For me it’s the principle of making people happy and the messaging that was being sent out was really damaging. Now you don’t have that. People can be whatever they want to be.
“Representation and visibility is so important. The fact that young girls and adults – whoever want the shirts – can have access to them. People might be complaining now that there’s not enough, but I’ll absolutely take that complaint over there being none any day of the week.”
Earps’ ascent is all the more incredible given she was considering her international future after being left out of the England team for almost two years before Sarina Wiegman named her in her first squad in September 2021.
“I made my peace with the fact I would never be an England player again,” Earps said.
“That was where it was for me. It was the facts. It took a while for me to come to terms with that. It’s a hard pill to swallow when it’s all you’ve ever dreamed of.
“Sometimes you give it your all and you’re just not quite good enough, but luckily Sarina Wiegman came in and saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
Mary Earps hailed the part played by her England and Manchester United team-mates as she secured the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year prize.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper was a key part of the Lionesses side which reached the Women’s World Cup final in the summer and won FIFA’s Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
Earps saved a penalty from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso in the final, but the Lionesses were unable to add to their 2022 European crown as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Sydney.
At club level she kept 14 clean sheets as United finished second in the Women’s Super League, and she hailed the part her team-mates had played in her achieving this individual accolade.
“I would not be here without my team-mates with the Lionesses and at Manchester United because we’ve achieved some incredible things over the last couple of years,” she said.
“While individual accolades are great, they only come after team success. This is their trophy just as much as mine.”
Former England cricketer Stuart Broad, who retired at the end of the fifth Ashes Test in the summer, was second in the BBC public vote and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson was third.
But the night belonged to Earps, for whom it was the culmination of a scarcely believable last 12 months.
“(Winning the award) feels pretty great on the back of a couple of big years – 2023 has been wild in ways I never expected, I am really grateful,” she said.
Her international career appeared at a crossroads in 2021 and she acknowledged during the BBC show she felt she had “lost purpose” after losing her place in the England team.
Sarina Wiegman recalled her in the first England squad she named in September of that year after Earps had been out in the cold since November 2019.
“I always committed to myself that anything I would have after that period of time (out of the England team) would be a bonus and it just hasn’t stopped yet,” Earps said.
“I’m just trying to make the most of everything, because when it stops, you miss it.”
Broad announced he was retiring from cricket during the fifth Ashes Test in the summer and bowed out in spectacular fashion. The 37-year-old hit a six off his final ball and took the final wicket as England won the match to level the series, although Australia retained the urn.
Johnson-Thompson claimed the world heptathlon title for the second time in Budapest in the summer after a calf injury wrecked her hopes of Olympic glory in Tokyo in 2021.
Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign was recognised at the BBC awards ceremony on Tuesday night as they won the Team of the Year prize.
Star striker Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals as the Blues dominated at home and in Europe, won the World Sport Star of the Year award and City manager Pep Guardiola was named coach of the year.
England forward Chloe Kelly says women should never let anyone tell them they can't succeed, after Joey Barton sparked controversy with comments about female pundits working in football.
Speaking at the launch of the first ever Panini Barclays Women's Super League sticker collection at the National Football Museum, former Lionesses goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis joined Kelly to call for women to ignore Barton's 'clickbait' criticism.
Former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder Barton made headlines recently over a series of negative social media posts about women working in the men's game.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Barton said women "shouldn't be talking with any kind of authority in the men's game", calling women's football a "different" sport and describing the decision to employ female pundits and commentators as "tokenism".
Chelsea Women's manager Emma Hayes and former Arsenal defender Alex Scott have both hit out at Barton's comments in recent days, and Kelly – the scorer of England's winning goal in the Euro 2022 final against Germany – has now joined them.
"We've broken down barriers throughout our careers, every woman involved in sport, especially in football," Kelly said.
"We've broken down barriers to get where we are today, and we keep breaking down those barriers and not letting people tell us we can't. As you can see today, women can achieve great things.
"I definitely like to prove people wrong. I think every female has done just that along the way, proving people wrong.
"I think we're showing exactly what we're capable of and every woman working in football is showing that they're able to do so."
Brown-Finnis, who has worked as a pundit on men's and women's football since retiring in 2015, suggested Barton's comments were primarily intended to cause outrage, rather than representing his honest views.
"It's one voice on social media that reaches a lot of people's ears and unfortunately, that's the nature of social media," she said of Barton's posts.
"We as women in football, whether it be women's football or men's football, we hear these voices on a regular basis. I think you can choose to listen to them or you can choose to not listen to them.
"I understand that platform is for anybody to have their say. He's entitled to his view, if that is a true view, but in my opinion it's more of a clickbait exercise."
Former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis has described online racist abuse aimed at Chelsea's Lauren James as "disgusting", calling for action to be taken against the perpetrators.
Speaking at the launch of the first ever Panini Barclays Women's Super League sticker collection at the National Football Museum, Brown-Finnis was joined by current Lionesses forward Chloe Kelly, who pledged to support her international team-mate after she was abused on social media.
James was subjected to racist comments online after appearing to stamp on Lia Walti's foot during Chelsea's 4-1 Women's Super League defeat against Arsenal last week.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes subsequently said James was "not in a good place" and claimed "racial profiling" by people working in football was partly to blame for the abuse.
Brown-Finnis, who won 82 caps for England between 1997 and 2013 before moving into punditry, believes more must be done to hold those who post online abuse to account.
"Of course, it's not coming from within. People can say what they want on social media and there seems to be little ownership of comments, there seems to be no action taken against people who put what they want on social media," she said.
"It's awful, it's hurtful, it's not representative of what the majority of people think of women, of athletes, of people of colour, of any sort of minority group, and it's disgusting.
"It's something that I would not want my children to see, would want to relate to, would want any part of, so with the fact that it's highlighted, hopefully something can be done about it."
James was also racially abused online while playing for Manchester United in 2021, while a recent FIFA study revealed one in five players at this year's Women's World Cup were subjected to "discriminatory, abusive or threatening messaging" during the tournament.
Kelly – who played alongside James in Australia and New Zealand as Sarina Wiegman's team finished as runners-up to Spain – said the forward's team-mates would now rally around her.
"I haven't seen anything about it, but it's really disappointing to hear," Kelly said of the abuse James has received.
"She's a great young talent, a great young English talent who is doing so well at the minute, but of course, there's so much negativity. I think it's always disappointing with such a talent like LJ.
"Hopefully she's able to block that out and move forward. Everyone around her will definitely support her in this time because she's an unbelievable player and deserves a lot of support."
James was on target as Chelsea returned to winning ways in the Women's Super League on Sunday, netting the opener in a 3-0 victory over Bristol City.
Chelsea bounced back from their thrashing by Arsenal to beat Bristol City 3-0 at Ashton Gate and ensure they went into the winter break three points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League.
The Blues went down 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium a week ago, but Lauren James’ superb effort in the 17th minute set them on their way on Sunday before Erin Cuthbert scored with a volley and Sam Kerr added a header.
The visitors also had Niamh Charles sent off in stoppage time as they took advantage of Arsenal’s shock defeat to Tottenham on Saturday to open up a gap at the top.
Manchester City moved ahead of the Gunners into second place on goal difference after Bunny Shaw’s hat-trick earned a 4-1 win against Everton.
Shaw quickly made amends for having a penalty saved when she put City in front in the ninth minute and she added a second before Jill Roord extended the lead.
Aurora Galli pulled one back with an incredible strike in the second half, but Shaw’s header completed her treble and sealed a fourth straight league win for City.
Liverpool earned their first WSL victory over Manchester United after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Leigh Sports Village.
Ella Toone opened the scoring for the hosts just three minutes in, but the Reds levelled through Millie Turner’s own goal.
Captain Taylor Hinds then found the winner in the 68th minute as Liverpool moved level on points with fourth-placed United.
Honoka Hayashi’s stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a point for West Ham in a dramatic 1-1 draw with Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
The Hammers were left to rue their missed opportunities when Lena Petermann put the Foxes ahead in the 68th minute.
A poor afternoon got worse for West Ham when captain Hawa Cissoko was sent off in added time, but Hayashi struck in the eighth minute of time added on to lift the visitors off the foot of the table.
A Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw hat trick powered Manchester City Women to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Everton Women at Walton Hall Park on Sunday.
It was the fourth win on the trot to Manchester City who now have 22 points for second place in the Women’s Super League as it heads into the winter break. Chelsea leads the table with 25 points from their 10 games this season.
Shaw, who missed a chance to put City ahead from the penalty spot in the eighth minute made amends just a minute later. Played in by Leila Ouahabi, Shaw spotting Brosnan off her line, dinked the ball over the goalkeeper from distance.
The Jamaican forward would double the lead in the 22nd minute when she turned away from her marker expertly before firing low into the far corner.
It didn’t take long for a third to come, three minutes, in fact following an eye of the needle pass from Hui Hasegawa found Chloe Kelly in behind, who cuts it back into the path of the onrushing Jill Roord, who buries the shot to give Manchester City a 3-0 half-time lead.
Everton pulled one back in the 56th minute when Aurora Galli’s vicious first-time drive left goalkeeper Khiara Keating with no chance, rifling off the post and into the top corner from the edge of the box.
However, Shaw restored City’s three-goal advantage when she scored brilliant diving header that caresses the ball back across the goal and into the far corner from Alex Greenwood’s corner to secure her team’s seventh victory of the season.
Martha Thomas’ ninth goal of the season fired Tottenham to a maiden victory over Arsenal in the Women’s Super League.
Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal entered this fixture eyeing an eighth consecutive league win, but the day belonged to his fellow Swedish coach Robert Vilahamn, who claimed a statement result at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Under the watchful eye of Spurs men’s boss Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy, Vilahamn’s team held firm during a tight first half and produced a superb team move in the 58th minute, which was expertly finish by Thomas.
The visitors pushed for a late response, but could not find a way through to hand Tottenham a 1-0 win and a first triumph over their rivals at the eighth time of asking in the WSL.
The two rivals warmed up for this league fixture with an entertaining 3-3 draw in the Conti Cup on Wednesday, but chances were far and far between in the opening stages.
It took until the 12th minute for the first opportunity of note when a Caitlin Foord effort deflected wide to earn Arsenal a corner.
Eidevall’s side produced a neat short corner routine and it should have resulted in the opener, but Alessia Russo inexplicably headed wide from four-yards.
Spurs had shipped 11 goals in their last two WSL matches, which saw Vilahamn hand Barbora Votikova a first league start and the post came to her rescue soon after when Foord again cut inside and rifled a shot against the woodwork.
Tottenham were forced to replace centre-back Luana Buhler minutes later before Arsenal had penalty appeals waved away after Beth Mead went down after contact from Ashleigh Neville.
The hosts were able to regroup afterwards though and Celin Bizet posed questions of the visitors defence with two dangerous runs down the right.
Arsenal still looked the more threatening and Votikova saved well from Frida Maanum not long after Foord had directed another effort off target to ensure it remained goalless at the break.
Bethany England, only recently back from hip surgery, was withdrawn at the break but it was the away side who came out with better intent.
Russo squandered another fine headed opportunity from a Mead cross after 50 minutes before Votikova saved well from long-range efforts by McCabe and Maanum.
Molly Batrip brilliantly blocked a Mead shot moments later and it appeared Arsenal were edging closer to the breakthrough, but they were stunned by the hosts in the 58th minute.
Under pressure at the back, Tottenham kept their composure brilliantly and six passes after Votikova had possession inside her own penalty area, Vilahamn’s team were down the other end and Thomas had poked home following Bizet’s perfectly-weighted pass.
Arsenal immediately set about finding a response and Votikova saved Russo’s volley before Eidevall turned to his bench with Vivianne Miedema and top-goalscorer Stina Blackstenius introduced.
The game had to be paused in the 83rd minute owing to a medical emergency in the designated away end and while Miedema hooked over in the first minute of 11 added on, Spurs held on for a memorable win.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes is expecting a tough test as her side travel to Bristol City in the Women’s Super League on Sunday.
Hayes’ team go into the fixture on the back of a crushing 4-1 defeat by Arsenal last weekend which saw their unbeaten streak in the league come to an end and they will be looking to set the record straight after they also failed to beat Hacken in the Women’s Champions League in midweek.
Bristol City sit 11th in the table and have only won one of their opening nine games but Hayes is not underestimating Sunday’s opponents.
She told Chelsea’s website: “Bristol are going to play five at the back and we’ll have the same sort of challenges (as against Hacken).
“But if we can find a blue shirt, can put the ball into the right areas in the right moments, I’m sure we’ll be fine.
“She (City boss Lauren Smith) will make it difficult for us. You see their result against Arsenal, they’re actually eighth in the league in terms of xG conceded. So they don’t give up as many clear-cut chances as you may think.”
Midfielder Melanie Leupolz and defender Ashley Lawrence are expected to return to training ahead of the fixture and young Japanese forward Maika Hamano could also make an appearance.
Robins boss Lauren Smith is looking forward to another tough test and thinks her side are adapting to different challenges in the league.
She said: “As time has gone on, the performances have lifted and we’ve started to now show we can adapt to teams and that was pleasing to see at Liverpool on the weekend that we changed our shape and press and caused them problems.”
Manchester United will be looking to extend their winning run to five games in all competitions when they play Liverpool and boss Marc Skinner is pleased with what he has seen from his squad heading into the last game of 2023.
He said: “Barring the Manchester City performance, we have been excellent, considering four or five of my players joined us in the last week of the transfer window.
“They have grown together, they continue to grow together and it will be an exciting second half of the season, I can assure you that.”
Liverpool could go level on points with United with a victory on Sunday and striker Leanne Kiernan is setting her sights on competing with the teams at the top of the table.
She told Liverpool’s website: “We want to compete and we are not here just to sit in mid-table. We want to compete with the big teams and we know that on our day we are good enough to compete with the big teams, so we are really looking forward to it.”
Manchester City will be aiming to make it four successive league wins with victory over Everton at Walton Hall Park.
But the Toffees have also enjoyed an upturn in form recently and come into the game unbeaten in three league matches themselves and could move into sixth with a win.
Two out-of-form sides meet at the King Power Stadium when West Ham meet Leicester. Both teams are without a win in their last seven matches and will see the game as an opportunity to break their winless streaks.
Aston Villa host Brighton at the Bescot Stadium as the sides sit 10th and ninth respectively and both teams will be looking for a result to put some breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone.
Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn has pledged to maintain his attacking approach in the wake of consecutive heavy defeats in the Women’s Super League.
Vilahamn’s side were thrashed 7-0 by Manchester City and 4-0 by Manchester United and now face high-flying Arsenal in the north London derby, just three days after losing on penalties to the same opponents in the Continental Tyres League Cup.
Tottenham have failed to win any of their last 11 games against the Gunners, who are behind WSL leaders Chelsea on goal difference only after beating the Blues 4-1 last week.
“It’s always tricky when you want to be a team that dictates the game and want to show that we have the ball, when you play against one of the top teams in the world,” Vilahamn said ahead of a game which will be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“But when we come to our stadium we want to make sure we try to do it. I’m not going to go there and just try to have a low block and hope that we can counter-attack.
“The main thing is for me to show the fans who come that this team is all about playing the way we want to do it.”
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall likened facing the same opposition in quick succession to a “longer half-time break where you can actually work on things on the training ground” and is focused on ending the year on a high.
“The next game is our most important game and that means 100 per cent of our preparation and focus goes into this game,” he said.
“We are really determined and motivated and trying to end this year on as high a level as possible and hopefully after that can go to a well-deserved Christmas break.”
Tottenham vice-captain Molly Bartrip believes a genuine rivalry with Arsenal has now developed in the Women’s Super League.
Spurs host Jonas Eidevall’s team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday fresh from a 3-3 draw at Arsenal on Wednesday in a Continental Tyres League Cup group fixture which ended with a penalty shoot-out that the hosts won 4-3.
The midweek clash was the 11th meeting between the clubs during the last four years and, while Tottenham remain winless, they have come a long way since a 10-0 FA Cup loss to Arsenal in 2017.
“I think sometimes we forgot Tottenham haven’t been a women’s team in the top league for a long time,” former Arsenal trainee Bartrip told the PA news agency.
“I actually started off at Tottenham in the Under-10s but they weren’t the biggest team and Arsenal were, so I went there and learned a lot from a young age.
“I am obviously thankful for that, but at the same time I am a Tottenham player now and I want to beat them.
“I will not shy away from saying that. It would be amazing to beat them and the derby is a big game. It is a battle, it is a rivalry and why can’t we make it ours and really give a fight to them.”
Spurs took the lead three times on Wednesday and the result represented the third time they have held Arsenal to a draw at the end of 90 minutes.
The only occasion in the WSL was during the 2021-22 campaign, when Vivianne Miedema struck in the 92nd minute to deny Tottenham a 1-0 win.
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Bartrip added: “I remember that game specifically and I actually thought we had it.
“Unfortunately we conceded at the end but the ones that were there for that game can take a lot from it.
“Actually to be fair every game you play against Arsenal you learn a bit more about yourself and what Robert (Vilahamn) is developing within this group is confidence, so hopefully we can take that into this game.”
New boss Vilahamn was hired from Hacken this summer to help Tottenham improve after a difficult last season that saw them battle against relegation.
The Swedish coach immediately produced an upturn in results, with Spurs embarking on an eight-match unbeaten run before recent heavy WSL defeats to Manchester City and Manchester United, but they have been boosted by the midweek draw at Arsenal, where Bartrip again captained the side with Bethany England only on the bench after her recent return from a hip injury.
“Of course it has been an honour but I am just (one of) a squad of 26 players and I am the lucky one to have worn it,” centre-back Bartrip insisted.
“At the same time, I just want to give everything I can for the team and every game I want to be the best version of myself.
“More than anything, it is what I can do for the team. I don’t really think too intensely about the armband.
“Beth is an amazing captain, Olga (Ahtinen) is also an amazing vice-captain and the three of us work together to try to create a good team environment, a good place for the girls to be and on the pitch.
“We want to try and lead the team as best we can so hopefully we’re doing that.”
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said Lauren James’ mental health has been affected by the latest racist abuse she has received on social media.
James was booked in Chelsea’s 4-1 Women’s Super League defeat at Arsenal on Sunday after appearing to stamp on Lia Walti and was withdrawn by Hayes soon after.
Chelsea have condemned the online abuse, while Hayes compared the treatment of James to that received by David Beckham after his red card during the 1998 World Cup.
James was sent off in the World Cup last summer for stamping in England’s last-16 penalty shoot-out win against Nigeria and was handed a two-game ban.
Hayes, whose side face Hacken in a Champions League group game at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, said: “She’s not in a great place if I’m honest.
“I think when it starts from broadcasting and the way they speak about things, maybe they need to reflect on labelling players.
“She’s a young player. She made an error in the summer. Of course she has to keep learning those things.
“Of course every opponent tries everything possible to get Lauren red-carded. That’s been clear in every game we’ve played and she has to learn to handle that.
“When she gets antagonised in a certain way, managing emotions comes with maturity and that isn’t there yet with her.
“It reminds me very much of David Beckham in many ways when he got red-carded in the World Cup.
“I think the treatment of Lauren is sometimes very similar and I think we have to realise for a young person, in a day and age when social media is unbelievably vitriolic, some of the nasty language and labelling and name-calling goes over the edge.
“And if you add racism to that for her, you can understand why her mental health is not in a very good place this week.”
Hayes said other Women’s Super League players who had “had their own challenging moments” have not received the same criticism as James.
“I think it’s disgusting the amount of abuse she’s received from the public, from the media, you’re talking about a young player here, who no question is always working to learn in the background,” Hayes added.
“Some of the language I’ve seen used to vilify her certainly I think is unacceptable.
“I don’t see the same level of abuse attributed to other players in the league who might have had their own challenging moments.
“It’s fair to say that if I’m in her position I’d be thinking there is racial profiling going on.”
Chelsea, bidding to bounce back from Sunday’s first defeat of the season in all competitions, are still without injured pair Millie Bright and Jelena Cankovic, but Melanie Leupolz will return to the bench.
Swedish side Hacken are top of Group D after victories over Paris and Real Madrid in their first two matches.
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