Wsl And Wcl Talking Points: City Have A Knaak And Is Dumornay The World’s Best?

Dumornay makes lawsuit arsenic world’s best

Who is nan champion subordinate successful nan world correct now? Melchie Dumornay continues to make a beardown declare for that accolade aft her starring domiciled successful OL Lyonnes’ comeback to hit Arsenal successful nan Champions League semi-finals. The fearless Haiti world won a first-half punishment and provided a superb assistance for Jule Brand’s precocious victor successful nan 2nd leg, arsenic good arsenic being a changeless thorn successful Arsenal’s broadside pinch her pace, trickery and energy. The attacking midfielder, having missed nan first limb done injury, helped nan French broadside travel from 2-1 down to triumph 4-3 connected aggregate. Tom Garry

Match report: OL Lyonnes 3-1 Arsenal

Barcelona put connected masterclass

A sold-out crowd of conscionable complete 60,000 astatine nan Camp Nou were treated to awesome intermezo arsenic Barcelona put connected a masterclass successful beforehand of extremity against Bayern Munich to notch up a 4-2 Champions League semi-final second-leg triumph and 5-3 aggregate victory. The Spanish squad person been nan competition’s ascendant unit successful caller years and are into a sixth consecutive European final. This will beryllium their seventh final, making them nan competition’s 2nd astir predominant finalists down their opponents, Lyonnes. Alexia Putellas continued her sparkling shape pinch 2 goals. Only Lionel Messi has now scored much Barcelona goals than nan Spain playmaker. TG

Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas celebrates nan 2nd extremity successful nan triumph complete Bayern Munich. Photograph: Manaure Quintero/AFP/Getty Images

City person nan Knaak of winning

There are ever 1 aliases 2 moments that travel to specify a title-winning play and connected Sunday Manchester City’s arrived erstwhile Rebecca Knaak threw herself towards Alex Greenwood’s area and nan salmon-like diving header gave nan champions elite a 1-0 triumph complete Liverpool. For 90 minutes Gareth Taylor’s Liverpool squad worked difficult to upset his erstwhile side’s title complaint and they could person snatched a victor during an awesome spell precocious on. But City person been grittier this season, building a lead that has fixed them room that rendered their 3-2 nonaccomplishment to Brighton past week inconsequential. They couldn’t spend different slip, though. Their caput coach, Andrée Jeglertz, said he “got 5 years older” during nan gruelling crippled against Liverpool, successful which nan goalkeeper Jennifer Falk was fantabulous astatine keeping City astatine bay, until nan goal. “They support pushing and uncovering a measurement to win,” said Jeglertz. “It’s astonishing successful this group, and it’s only because of believing successful what we’re doing.” They person 1 much game, astatine West Ham, and triumph would guarantee a first convention title successful 10 years, and their 2nd WSL crown. Suzanne Wrack

Pressure builds connected Skinner

Marc Skinner took afloat accountability aft Manchester United dropped much points successful their penultimate match. Lea Schüller scored a precocious equaliser to salvage a tie against Brighton but that is improbable to beryllium capable successful their pursuit of Champions League football. For United to decorativeness 3rd they must triumph astatine Chelsea successful their 1 remaining crippled and, fixed a vastly inferior extremity difference, dream Arsenal return nary much than a constituent from their last 4 fixtures. Skinner has travel nether expanding scrutiny successful caller weeks, not for nan first clip successful his United career, and admitted he understood nan vexation from supporters. “I perceive it, I consciousness it,” he said. “I’m astatine nan caput of nan shot club. I’m accountable, right? I’m location for group to springiness their opinion. I activity tirelessly difficult to push this shot club. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I will ne'er contradict that but there’s nary 1 much disappointed than maine coming for not taking 3 points.” Emillia Hawkins

Spurs group champion points tally

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 triumph complete London City Lionesses was a microcosm of their season: highly imaginative and breathtaking going guardant pinch a inclination for a protect wobble. Since February, nary broadside person recorded much shots than Spurs and only 2 person had much touches successful nan guidance box. At Brisbane Road, Signe Gaupset ran nan show, driving nan squad guardant from midfield and capping it disconnected pinch a well-taken goal. The visitors struggled to imprint themselves connected nan crippled but took advantage of Spurs’ waning power levels precocious on, pulling a extremity backmost and forcing Lize Kop into a bid of important saves. Martin Ho’s broadside weathered nan storm, however, securing nan club’s highest WSL points tally. It was nan cleanable location nonstop disconnected for nan six players leaving this summer, pinch fans having nan opportunity to opportunity a fond farewell to Bethany England, Kit Graham, Josefine Rybrink, Charlotte Grant, Amy James-Turner and Luana Bühler. Sophie Downey

Bethany England of Tottenham Hotspur astatine a station lucifer position astatine nan Betwright Stadium. Photograph: Javier García/THFC/Shutterstock

Sam Kerr takes outright record

As nan cliché goes: “Form is temporary; people is permanent.” No 1 is embodying this much than Sam Kerr correct now. The guardant is making a connection arsenic this run comes to a close, pinch her statement up successful nan summer. By scoring nan opener successful Sunday’s 3-1 triumph complete Leicester City she overtook Fran Kirby to go Chelsea’s all-time WSL apical scorer pinch 64 goals. It was Kerr’s 4th successful her past 3 convention matches and sixth of nan season, an denotation that aft an arduous betterment from an anterior cruciate ligament wounded sustained successful 2024, she is very overmuch backmost to her best. Kerr has had to beryllium patient, not conscionable pinch fittingness issues but besides pinch Sonia Bompastor’s decisions contempt a dearth of out-and-out strikers. She completed her first 90 minutes successful nan convention connected 29 March earlier besides playing successful afloat nan 3 matches that followed successful each competitions. With triumph complete nan promotion-relegation playoff-bound Foxes, Chelsea secured Champions League qualification, a large alleviation arsenic nan nine look to build for adjacent season. SD

Charlton rustle nine-point lead to onshore playoff

Charlton had a nine-point lead astatine nan apical of WSL 2 successful March but will title a playoff against Leicester connected 23 May aft missing retired connected automatic promotion. They vanished 3rd acknowledgment to a operation of a drop-off successful shape and a surging tally from Crystal Palace, whose 12th triumph successful 14 matches secured 2nd spot connected Saturday. Charlton started nan last time apical but were beaten astatine location by Birmingham City, whose finance successful nan January transportation model paid disconnected arsenic their grounds signing, Wilma Leidhammar, scored doubly successful a 2-0 triumph astatine nan Valley that made them champions. That takes Birmingham, laminitis members of nan WSL successful 2011, into nan apical tier for nan first clip since 2022. Palace person gone backmost to nan WSL astatine nan first attempt. TG