Reggae Girlz captain, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has won the award for Manchester City Women’s Player of the Season, having come out on top in a fan vote.

Shaw, in her second season for Manchester City Women,  scored 31 goals in all competitions, surpassing the record for the most goals by a Women’s player across a single season. She also claimed the WSL Player of the Month awards in November and March and received the Goal of the Season prize for her strike against Arsenal in April 2023.

Shaw, who scored twice in Manchester City Women's 3-2 win over Everton on Saturday's final day of the season, did miss out on the Women’s Super League Golden Boot having bagged 20 league goals, two shy of Aston Villa’s Rachel Daley’s 22. Daley scored in Aston Villa's 2-0 win over Arsenal.

Manchester City Women finished fourth in the WSL on 47 points behind winners Chelsea Women who amassed 58 points from their 22 games. Manchester United Women finished second with 56 points. Arsenal Women were third on 47 points, the same as Manchester City Women, who lost their first two games of the season before going on a 16-game unbeaten run.

However, the Cityzens lost three of their last six games and fell out of the running for the title. They finished with a record of 15 wins, two draws and five losses.

Paul Konchesky has left his position as West Ham manager after the Women’s Super League season ended on Saturday.

The former England defender, who made 70 appearances for the Hammers, was promoted from assistant in May 2022 when boss Olli Harder departed the club.

Konchesky signed a two-year deal, but has left the Hammers after just 29 games in charge, with the club finishing eighth in the WSL table following a 2-2 draw at home to London rivals Tottenham in their final match of the campaign.

“I am proud and honoured to have had the opportunity to manage this club,” Konchesky told the club’s official website.

“My players and my staff have always given me 100 per cent and while some of our results have been disappointing this season, we still have a lot to be proud of, including reaching the semi-final of the Conti Cup. I wish the club well for the future.”

West Ham Women general manager Aidan Boxall said: “We would like to thank Paul for his contribution to the club, both as manager and during his spell as assistant manager.

“He has played a key role in the ongoing development of the women’s team and we wish him well for the future.”

Marc Skinner wants his Manchester United players to focus on the task at hand while he keeps an ear on results elsewhere as the Women’s Super League title race goes to the final day of the season.

United travel to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon trailing league leaders Chelsea by two points, with the Blues at rock-bottom Reading, who need to win to avoid relegation from the top flight.

Skinner, whose side are already guaranteed their highest-ever league finish five years after reforming, must win on Merseyside to give themselves any chance of denying Chelsea a fourth straight league crown.

“All we can do is try to win the game,” said the United boss. “Should it need different connotations, we’ve got to be ready to adapt to that but we’ve got to try and win the game.

“We have to keep tabs on Reading-Chelsea. I don’t think we’re going to listen to it with that much intent but we’ll have an understanding of the scoreline.

“It will be more comms in the ear, not watching the game. It will be a tough ask for Reading, Chelsea have been excellent this season, but we can all hope. We need two great swings to go for us.”

The title would head to United if they win and Chelsea lose while a Blues draw does not rule out Skinner’s side completely – although it means having to beat Liverpool by at least six goals.

United coincidentally defeated Liverpool 6-0 at Leigh Sports Village in January but Skinner feels the result was a one-off and is adamant his side are braced for a tougher challenge at Prenton Park.

“(Manager) Matt Beard builds together teams and they fight for each other, and that’s always dangerous because that sometimes goes beyond tactics,” said Skinner.

“I’ll be very clear: the 6-0 game at home shouldn’t have been a 6-0 game, we took chances, got a little bit of luck at times but it was never a 6-0 game. (Saturday) will be a lot tighter than that.

“We’ve just got to concentrate on us, we’ve got one game left to give all our energy and get it all out before the summer. We’ve got to enjoy it more importantly, not play like it’s an end-of-season game.

“I won’t forgive anybody that does that. For us it’s still about trying to win the game but knowing how hard Liverpool at their home ground is.”

While United scoring an early goal might put pressure on Chelsea, Skinner is wary of playing into Liverpool’s hands.

“The one thing Liverpool are wonderful at is counter-attacking,” added Skinner. “Natasha Dowie knows where every part of the goal is at any point, Shanice van de Sanden is wonderful at the speed in which they break. For us, you’ve got to build the success, they’re not going to give us anything.”

The final round of fixtures of the Women’s Super League season plays out on Saturday, with Chelsea and Manchester United vying for the title and Reading, who host the Blues, fighting to beat the drop along with Leicester.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the standout moments from across the 2022-23 campaign.

Record at the Emirates

A notable sign of the women’s game’s growth following England’s triumph at the Euros last summer has been attendance figures.

And early on in the season a new record for the biggest WSL crowd was set, with Arsenal beating Tottenham 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium in September in front of 47,367 fans.

Arsenal-United thriller

Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners made a perfect start to their campaign, winning the first six games, before their next league trip to the Emirates saw them suffer a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in November.

The hosts led 2-1 thanks to a 73rd-minute Laura Wienroither goal before headers from Millie Turner and, in stoppage time, Alessia Russo secured victory for Marc Skinner’s side.

The contest also saw Arsenal’s Beth Mead sustain an ACL injury – they would additionally lose Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Wienroither to the same as the season went on.

Mary’s milestone

One of the stars of United’s impressive campaign has been Mary Earps, who in January became the first goalkeeper to reach 50 WSL clean sheets, via a 1-0 win at Reading.

The England international, named FIFA women’s goalkeeper of the year in February, has registered 13 shut-outs in the league this term, taking the Golden Glove.

Basement battle

Having lost each of their first six league matches, Leicester in November replaced boss Lydia Bedford with Willie Kirk.

A considerable revival followed, and the Foxes moved off the bottom of the table, pushing Kelly Chambers’ Reading into the relegation place, with a 2-1 home win over the Royals in April, sealed by Carrie Jones’ goal in the sixth minute of added time.

Late Kerr winner

Chelsea’s defence of the title started with a shock 2-1 loss to newly promoted Liverpool, managed by ex-Blues boss Matt Beard, and it appeared they might trip up again in the reverse fixture earlier this month when Emma Koivisto put the Reds ahead in the opening few minutes.

But Niamh Charles equalised just before the interval and Sam Kerr then scored an 86th-minute winner as Emma Hayes’ team turned things around and kept their title bid on track.

Derby drama

Last weekend’s penultimate round of action saw Chelsea open up a five-point lead at the top with a 2-0 win over Arsenal, with the title to be theirs if United failed to beat Manchester City later in the day.

That was on the cards in the closing stages at Leigh Sports Village, with Filippa Angeldahl having cancelled out Hayley Ladd’s opener, until United substitute Lucia Garcia popped up with a goal deep into stoppage time to take the race to the final day.

It was United’s first WSL win over City, and the result also confirmed their Champions League qualification.

The 2022-23 Women’s Super League season reaches its conclusion on Saturday with matters still to be decided at both ends of the table.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points heading into the finale.

Chelsea in pole position

Holding a two-point lead at the top, five-time champions Chelsea will secure the title for a fourth successive year – to complete a league and FA Cup double – if they beat Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. While Emma Hayes’ side, currently on a six-match winning streak in which they have scored 24 goals and conceded one, are certainly well-fancied to do so, they are facing opponents battling for their WSL lives. Kelly Chambers’ rock-bottom Royals need a victory to have any chance of survival, with them two points adrift of 11th-placed Leicester. Reading pulled off a shock 1-0 win at home against Chelsea last season, before losing 5-0 and 3-2 in subsequent meetings at Kingsmeadow, and go into this contest on a five-match losing run, having conceded 16 times across their last four games.

United poised

Marc Skinner’s second-placed Manchester United, who kept the title race alive with a dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday, will be looking to take advantage of any Chelsea slip when they play Liverpool away. If the Blues were to draw, United would likely need to win their game by six goals to end up on top. Although it could be a trophyless season for the Red Devils – beaten by Chelsea in the FA Cup final – they have already achieved a record WSL points tally and their first Champions League qualification.

Arsenal Europe-bound

Arsenal are three points clear of Manchester City in the third and final Champions League berth and their goal difference superiority means European football is all but sealed for Jonas Eidevall’s League Cup winners, who host Aston Villa. City are set to miss out on the Champions League places for the first time since 2014, their inaugural WSL season. Gareth Taylor’s team, who need to overturn an 11-goal deficit to the Gunners, conclude their campaign by playing Everton at the Academy Stadium.

Leicester look to finish the job

Leicester boss Willie Kirk will look to complete his the rescue mission at the club when they play Brighton away. The Foxes were without a point at the foot of the table when Kirk succeeded Lydia Bedford in November – they have secured 13 since, winning four times. While they have a two-point advantage over Reading, their goal difference is inferior by three. Brighton and Tottenham, 10th and ninth respectively, had their safety confirmed last weekend when Spurs thumped Reading 4-1.

Golden Boot for Daly?

Fifth-placed Villa have had an impressive season, with the form of Rachel Daly key. And the 31-year-old is on course for the Golden Boot with 21 WSL goals netted so far this season, three more than her closest rival, Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw. It looks a good sign for England’s World Cup campaign, as does the exploits of United goalkeeper Mary Earps, who has registered 13 clean sheets in the league this season to claim the Golden Glove award.

Tottenham will host a double-header featuring their men’s and women’s teams later this month.

Spurs announced on Friday morning that their Women’s Super League clash at home to Reading had been moved forward a day and would now take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 20.

The WSL fixture will kick off at 4.15pm and be part of a first-ever double-header for the club, with the men’s team in Premier League action against Brentford in a 12.30pm kick-off earlier in the day.

All supporters with tickets for Tottenham versus Brentford will be able to stay in the stadium to watch the women’s team later on the Saturday.

It will be a pivotal fixture in the bid to beat the drop for Vicky Jepson’s side with bottom-of-the-table Reading only three points off ninth-placed Spurs.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw scored her 19^th league goal of the season as Manchester City Women drubbed Reading 4-1 to go second in the Women’s Super League on Sunday.

Manchester City are now just three points behind Manchester City with three games to go before the season ends. However, Chelsea, with 40 points are third, four points behind Manchester City but with three games in hand.

In what was yet another dominating performance from City, it was Reading who took the early lead when Sanne Troelsgaard’s strike on the turn put the visitors ahead in the very first minute of play.

Chloe Kelly would level the score, bundling the ball over in the 15^th minute.

Shaw’s header from a corner put City ahead in the 24^th minute, a lead they took into the half-time break.

Manchester City would extend their lead shortly after the resumption when Lauren Hemp tapped in from a sizzling cross from Kelly to the far post in the 47^th.

City’s fourth and final goal came from a Steph Houghton free kick into the bottom corner of the Reading goal to secure all three points.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw scored her 17^th league goal of the season on Sunday as Manchester City Women hit West Ham Women for six to move into second in the Women Super League table.

Shaw scored in the 62^nd minute that made it 4-1 for the Cityzens, who scored early and often in the match-up that ended 6-2 at the Academy Stadium.

 Chloe Kelly scored twice in the sixth and seventh minutes giving Manchester City early control of the match. Emma Sterle made it 2-1 in the 21^st minute but barely four minutes later, City regained their two-goal cushion when Laura Coombs headed in to make it 3-1.

Shaw added City’s fourth and Steph Houghton, who was celebrating her birthday added a fifth three minutes later. Khaira Keating’s own goal made it 5-2 in the 72^nd before Mary Fowler scored Manchester City’s sixth eight minutes from the end of regulation.

Manchester City Women now have 41 points from 18 games and are now just three points behind league leaders Manchester United Women.

Chelsea Women are third on 40 points but have played only 16 matches.

Not far behind, Arsenal Women who have 38 points from 17 matches played, complete the top four.

Chelsea Women manager Emma Hayes said it is time for stadiums hosting top-level women's football to have undersoil heating after her side's game with Liverpool was suspended after just six minutes on Sunday.

Despite pitch inspections at Kingsmeadow earlier in the day that deemed the surface playable, the referee abandoned the Women's Super League clash when it became apparent the pitch was too frozen.

While it was broadly agreed to be the correct decision as players had been slipping on the surface, questions were asked as to why the game was allowed to go ahead in the first place and why stadiums that host WSL games are not all equipped with pitch heating facilities.

"You could see from the opening minutes that it was like an ice rink down the sides," Hayes told BBC Sport after the game was stopped. "[Liverpool manager] Matt Beard was upset that it even got to that point and he's right.

"We have to say to ourselves that it's time for undersoil heating. We've got to take our game seriously. Yes, we can have our blowers and pitch tents, but it's not enough.

"The game should never have started. Everyone wanted to get the game on, but when you have got emotions of teams wanting or not wanting to play, that's when you need a decision from above. The FA weren't here, they need to be making the decision.

"We've made progress with investment into the quality of grasses and surfaces across the league. No game at the top level of the women's game should be cancelled. We need undersoil heating, we don't live in Barbados."

Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema took to Twitter to lament the decision to postpone that game as well as Tottenham's clash with Leicester City due to cold weather, posting: "Players safety should always come first. Luckily no one got injured today.

"Only way to fix this is to demand undersoil heating or playing our games in men's stadiums. FA and clubs, please do better."

The Dutch star was quote-tweeted by Liverpool's Katie Stengel, who wrote: "I heard Stamford Bridge was wide open today."

Chelsea's Fran Kirby also gave her thoughts on Twitter, adding: "Apologies to both sets of fans who travelled today. Players safety should always be the number one priority. Luckily no one was injured today and the right decision was taken eventually. Women's football deserves better and we won't stop fighting to make that happen"

Liverpool defender and Women's Super League (WSL) record appearance maker Gilly Flaherty has announced her retirement from playing at the age of 31 for family reasons.

Flaherty made 177 WSL appearances with Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool, whom she joined last July.

She brings down the curtain on a career that saw her win four WSL titles, seven Women's FA Cups and the Women's Champions League in 2007.

London-born Flaherty, who also won nine caps for England, took the decision to hang up her boots following the recent death of her father.
 

"It isn't a decision I've taken lightly but one I've reached after speaking with those closest to me," she said in a statement published on Liverpool's official website on Thursday.

"Losing my dad just before Christmas has left me heartbroken – for 22 years we shared our love of football and playing-wise I don't want to carry on without him by my side.

"Playing-wise, I know the right decision is for me to call it a day. The time is right for me to be around my family and to be nearest to those closest to me."

Former West Ham captain Flaherty's final WSL appearance came against the Hammers in a 2-0 win for Liverpool last month.

Jordan Nobbs has been backed to "cement her place" in the England team after ending a 12-year Arsenal career by making a surprise move to Aston Villa.

The 69-cap midfielder is a former Lionesses vice-captain whose career has been hit by knee and ankle injuries in recent seasons.

The switch to Women's Super League rivals Villa, announced on Thursday, gives Nobbs a fresh start as she seeks regular club football.

Nobbs was recalled by Sarina Wiegman to the England squad after missing the Euro 2022 win through injury, and the 30-year-old has now signed an 18-month deal with Villa, hoping it will be the springboard to a key role with the Lionesses at the 2023 World Cup.

Daughter of former Hartlepool defender Keith Nobbs, Nobbs joined Arsenal from Sunderland in August 2010 and won WSL titles in 2011, 2012 and 2019 with the Gunners, also winning the Women's FA Cup four times.

She hit 81 goals in 270 games for Arsenal, the north London club said.

Villa manager Carla Ward said: "This is a big signing for us and Jordan is one of the country's most decorated footballers. She's a winner and will bring a wealth of experience that her new team-mates will thrive off."

Ward told Villa's website: "We're delighted to secure her signature and we hope this move can help the football club as well as cement her place back in the international set-up."

Arsenal sporting director Edu described Nobbs as "a wonderful servant" to the club who had "written her name into the Arsenal history books".

Tottenham have signed Bethany England from Chelsea for a reported fee of £250,000, a British-record amount for a domestic transfer in women's football.

The previous record was the £200,000 paid by Chelsea to Manchester United in 2021 for Lauren James, sister of the Blues' men's player Reece James.

The biggest fee paid for a women's player in world football was the reported £350,000 (€397,000) spent by Barcelona to sign midfielder Keira Walsh from Manchester City in September.

England has signed a three-year deal with Spurs, who are eighth in the Women's Super League, 18 points behind table-topping Chelsea with a game in hand.

A part of the England squad that won the European Championships last year, the 28-year-old has scored 11 goals in 21 appearances for the Lionesses.

England spent seven years at Chelsea, scoring 74 goals in 164 appearances and winning nine major trophies.

Vivianne Miedema feels "gutted" to have ruptured her ACL after lightning struck twice for Arsenal, with the Netherlands striker suffering the same cruel knee injury as her partner Beth Mead.

Arsenal and Miedema confirmed the striker's setback on Monday, with the club saying the WSL's all-time record goalscorer faces an "extended" lay-off, just like Mead who sustained the same blow in November.

Both could now miss the Women's World Cup, which will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July and August next year.

Miedema appears to have counted herself out of the reckoning for that tournament, four days after the injury occurred in a European clash with Lyon.

She said: "It was one of those moments, where I knew straight away. So many things going through your head: I won't be able to help my team anymore this season, no World Cup, surgery and rehab for a long time."

She expects "plenty of difficult days" and said there had already been tears.

The anterior cruciate ligament injury is one that requires surgery and a long recovery period, and Arsenal's hopes in this season's Women's Super League and Women's Champions League have taken a fresh hit with the loss of Miedema so soon after Mead's setback.

Mead posted a message of support to her 26-year-old girlfriend and team-mate, saying: "STRONGER TOGETHER! I was given sympathy for 3 weeks and now she has to go get some of her own but we got this, YOU got this."

England international Mead joked that there would be "two new signings incoming", but the jollity masks a bitter reality for Arsenal, both players, and their national teams.

Arsenal said in a statement: "We can confirm that Vivianne Miedema suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament during our UEFA Women's Champions League match against Lyon at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

"Viv will undergo surgery in the coming days and will unfortunately be ruled out for an extended period of time. A more detailed timescale will be established once the operation is complete.

"Everyone at Arsenal wishes Viv well in her recovery and will be providing her with all the support she needs to return to action as soon as possible."

Khadijah Shaw has expressed her delight at winning the Women’s Super League Player of the Month Award for the very first time.

The 24-year-old Manchester City and Jamaica striker was named Barclays WSL player for October after leading her team to victories over Leicester City, Tottenham and Liverpool, scoring five goals in those three matches.

Shaw’s seven goals this season make her the leading scorer in the WSL and has helped City climb to fourth in the league on 12 points after losing their first two games of the season.

“I am delighted to win this award for the first time. It has been a very successful month for us as a team and I am grateful to everyone who voted for me in a very talented shortlist of players,” said Shaw who played for Jamaica in their 1-0 win over Paraguay in an international friendly in Jamaica on Thursday.

“We are feeling so confident after these recent wins and I am enjoying my football right now personally, but the most important thing is results and helping the team to have as much success as possible.”

Shaw is in her second season with Manchester City after joining in 2021 from Bordeaux in France where she was the Golden Boot winner with 22 goals and seven assists.

Shaw will suit up for Jamaica again on Sunday when Jamaica plays Paraguay at the National Stadium in Kingston in the second of two international friendlies.

Khadijah Shaw is on a hot streak, scoring once again Sunday in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Women’s Super League in England.

The goal-hungry Reggae Girlz captain has now scored five goals in her last three matches having scored twice against in Manchester City’s 4-0 win over Leicester City on October 16 and then scored another brace in her side’s 3-0 win over Tottenham on October 22.

On Sunday, Shaw opened the scoring for the Citizens, who have temporarily moved up to fourth in the WSL standings after taking maximum points from the last three matches.

The opening goal came in the 21 minute when Lauren Hemp beating her marker at the edge of the box before threading a low pass through for Shaw, who slotted home into the bottom-right corner past goalkeeper Rachael Laws.

City’s lead would last all of 12 minutes when Liverpool’s Katie Stengel robbed Alex Greenwood of the ball deep inside the opponents half and found herself one-on-one with shot-stopper Ellie Roebuck. She tucked the ball away nearly to tie the score 1-1.

Shaw played a part in City’s winner after a searching run to the edge of the box after which she passes to Hayley Raso, whose shot in parried by Laws. However, Raso follows up the rebound and smashes the ball into the roof of the net to give her side another valuable three points.

City, who were winless after their first two games in the season, not have nine points from five games.