Emma Hayes said she was making “a selfless decision” in choosing to put her five-year-old son first as she prepares to step down as Chelsea manager at the end of the season.
Hayes takes her side to face Everton at Walton Hall Park on Sunday in what will be her first game since announcing last week that she is to leave the club with whom she has won six Women’s Super League titles.
Reports have linked her with the vacant United States national team job, whilst a club statement on Saturday said that she would be pursuing a role “outside of the WSL and club football”.
However, she insisted that family had been the only consideration and would not be drawn on her next career step.
“I’ve taken this team to the top and I always said I wanted to leave at the top, and I maintain that,” said Hayes.
“My little boy has been extraordinary to allow me to do (this job), but it’s important for him.
“There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done in the women’s game for people with children. I shouldn’t just limit that – it’s people with children. We have lives and I have to think about others.
“This is not a selfish decision, it’s a selfless decision. It’s about putting first other things in my life and I’m ready for that.”
Everton boss Brian Sorensen defended his side’s recent performances despite having won just once in seven games this season, a run which has featured 5-0 and 7-0 defeats to Manchester United.
“No I’m not (feeling the pressure),” he said. “Performances have been better than the one win so we have to look at that.
“The two big losses against United is not something that we want. But it’s done, it’s history. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Emma Hayes said the “time is right” for her to step down as Chelsea manager after it was confirmed last week she will leave the Women’s Super League champions at the end of the season.
However, she would not be drawn on reports linking her with the vacant United States national team job, and said the decision to depart is motivated by a desire to spend more time with her five-year-old son, Harry.
The club have dominated the WSL since Hayes was appointed in 2012, winning six of the last eight titles.
She confirmed that she is likely to play a role in helping to choose her successor as Chelsea go about their first manager search in more than a decade.
“I’ve been in post for 12 years and I’ve dedicated my life to this place,” she said. “I drive four hours every day, six days a week for 12 years. I have a five-year-old that needs more of his mummy. Family matters.
“I think I’ve dedicated as much as I possibly can to this football club. I’ve loved every minute of it. I think it’s really important if possible to create a succession plan for me, much like (general manager) Paul (Green) and I do with the players.
“The time is right. I will work with the club in the succession plan and do everything I can to make sure there is as good at transition as possible so that my successor can have the same level of success I had.”
There have been reports that the club failed to prioritise tying Hayes to a new deal in recent months, but she would not comment on suggestions she no longer felt she had the backing of the hierarchy.
“It’s fair to say I believe in private conversations,” said Hayes. “I’m disappointed to hear things being said in the press. I want to make sure I maintain my own professionalism. I have a team to focus on. I’ve got games to win. I don’t think anything will come between me and the players, or me and the fans.
“I understand Chelsea, I know Chelsea. This is my club, it will always be my club. And whilst I am sad on many, many levels – I’ve always said to the fans there will come that moment when I’m sat with them in the crowd.
“What we have created in this building is magical. It’s something every player appreciates being a part of. As far as I’m concerned, the people I’ve worked with in that period have made me feel the best coach I can feel – that’s not always easy.
“I leave at the end the season knowing I’ve given everything and done everything.”
The statement issued by the club announcing her departure referred to her having chosen to pursue “a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football.”
Some have taken this to mean a move into international management is inevitable, but she would not be drawn on what the next step in her career might be.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” said Hayes. “I’m contracted to Chelsea until then of the season. That’s where my commitment lies right now.
“As a little girl I always thought one day (a national team job) would come. For most of us, we don’t necessarily always fulfil every dream that we have. I would say it might always be an ambition of mine to do that.
“I think I’m just at the point where I have to consider something else, and that’s the position I’m in right now. I don’t contemplate anything more. Taking these decisions doesn’t come easy.”
Martha Thomas says she has rediscovered her smile on the pitch following her summer switch to Tottenham from Manchester United and is thriving on the belief being shown in her at her new club.
The Scotland forward concluded a two-year stay with United after a 2022-23 season in which she made 20 Women’s Super League appearances for Marc Skinner’s side but only one start within that, scoring one goal.
Moving on to Robert Vilahamn’s Spurs, Thomas – starting at centre-forward – went on to net six times in the team’s first four league games this term to top the early Golden Boot standings, and was named Barclays Player of the Month for October.
Asked if she had surprised herself at all with her form, the 27-year-old told the PA news agency: “No, I think I’ve always had the belief in myself – it’s just having people around me that sort of believe in that as well.”
Regarding last season, Thomas said: “Personally, it was a really tough season for me, off the pitch, on the pitch, mentally, physically. I felt quite drained.
“It was hard because the team was doing quite well, so I was happy for the girls around me. But when it came to the summer, I knew what the best decision for me would be.
“I was playing in a team sometimes not even in my actual position that I feel I’m best at. So it was definitely the right time for me to step away, because I knew they weren’t getting the best out of me and I wasn’t getting the best out of myself there. It no longer felt like the right fit.
“There was definitely times throughout the season where I did feel like I deserved that chance and sort of wasn’t given it, or was given it but then not given long enough to show it.
“That’s just the way it goes. United had their best finish (second), so it’s sort of hard to really argue – but at the same time I felt like I needed and deserved more, so it was the right time for me to get that somewhere else.
“I wasn’t enjoying my football. I needed just to enjoy it again, and I needed to find my smile again on the pitch.”
She added: “I didn’t feel like I came here with a point to prove, I just feel like it’s worked out that way because I’m playing football with a smile, that’s when I play my best, and you’re just now seeing what I’m actually capable of doing.
“If I’m happy and playing in a team where I feel valued and they’ve got that belief, then I’m going to play my best and the goals are going to come.
“I think I’ve settled in really well here, I think the style Robert wants to play and the team we have complement me quite well.”
While Thomas has been on her hot streak, Tottenham striker Bethany England, who had a major impact for them last term after joining in January, has been recovering from hip surgery.
Vilahamn, as well as stressing his belief Thomas can win the Golden Boot this season, has said he is confident he will find a way for the two to play together, something Thomas says she can see herself doing, adding: “I think we would complement each other really well.”
Having finished ninth last season, then appointing Vilahamn in July, Tottenham are currently in the Champions League places, lying third as one of four teams with 10 points from five games, three behind leaders Chelsea.
Last Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Everton followed a run of three successive wins, and Thomas said: “For us to be really gutted with that draw shows what kind of finish we’re looking for. We’re looking to climb as high as we can.
“The top three, four teams have had that consistency over the past however many seasons and that’s what other clubs need. But I think with the start you’ve already seen, it wouldn’t be surprising to me to see another team break into that – and we can hope it’s us.”
Tottenham host Liverpool – another side on 10 points – on Sunday.
Chelsea are in search of a new manager after Emma Hayes announced she would be stepping down at the end of this season to “pursue a new opportunity outside the WSL and club football”.
Hayes, who since her 2012 appointment has led the Blues to 15 trophies including six Women’s Super League titles, is rumoured to be the first-choice candidate to take over the United States, who have been without a head coach since US Soccer this summer parted ways with Vlatko Andonovski following the Americans’ worst-ever finish at a Women’s World Cup.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the candidates who could look to fill Hayes’ considerable shoes.
Laura Harvey
Nuneaton-born Laura Harvey might fancy a move back home to England after a decade in America, where she is currently the head coach of OL Reign and a three-time National Women’s Soccer League coach of the year, winning three NWSL Shields and this year steering her side to a third trip to league’s championship final.
The 43-year-old, who is under contract with Reign until 2025, commands respect and has led big-name talent including Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, and led Arsenal to a domestic treble in 2011, the first season of the WSL. She has since described her time at the Gunners – a side she took over at the age of 29 – as a mixed experience, and could be keen to re-test the transformed WSL waters as a now-veteran manager.
Denise Reddy
Assistant manager Reddy is a respected and familiar face at Chelsea and could help provide a smooth transition for both players and staff who will no doubt feel a bit of culture shock in the absence of the influential Hayes, who transformed the women’s team both on and off the pitch and led a cultural revolution at the club.
The snag here would be if Reddy, who was also Hayes’ assistant at Chicago Red Stars, decides to follow her boss again, which reports suggest the former USA Under-20s assistant may well have the intention of doing.
Lluis Cortes
Few women’s clubs save Barcelona could boast the same level of success and reach as Chelsea, and Cortes was the man in charge in one of the most astonishing seasons in the Spanish side’s history when he led them to the Primera Division, Copa de la Reina and Women’s Champions League titles in 2021 before leaving on his own accord, citing a “lack of energy” to continue.
Since then he has led Ukraine’s women’s team, stepping down at the end of August, but might be persuaded back into club football by an organisation who could benefit from the 2021 UEFA women’s coach of the year’s European experience as they seek to do the one thing Hayes has so far not managed in her 11-year Chelsea tenure: win a Champions League title.
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner says Ella Toone’s “class is permanent” after she ended her goal drought in a 2-2 draw with Brighton.
Elisabeth Terland gave the hosts the lead on the half-hour before the England international scored her first United goal since November 2022 with a stunning long-range strike in the 78th minute.
Late goals from Guro Bergsvand and substitute Rachel Williams ensured both teams came away with a point at Broadfield Stadium.
Skinner was full of praise for the Lionesses midfielder but felt his team were wasteful in front of goal.
“She is a key player for us regardless but I think Tooney needs to appear in those positions more and she just needs to strike effectively,” he said.
“She scores that goal because she caresses the ball in, she doesn’t try to overhit it and that detail takes it beyond Baggers (Sophie Baggaley) in goal.
“There is no problem (with Toone). Everybody makes out she hasn’t scored for this long but class is permanent. She will keep showing that and will keep creating chances for us.”
Skinner added: “This game should have been about 5-2 or 6-2. The quality of chances we created have to be put away and I’m going to make sure I own that and I will make sure the players are better at that.”
Brighton head coach Melissa Phillips was thrilled with her side’s performance, which ended a run of three straight defeats in the WSL.
However, she did admit having victory snatched away at the death was tough to take.
“We played very well in the first half and managed to weather a bit of momentum after we scored the goal,” she said.
“We changed shape in the second half and it helped manage the amount that they got in behind us in wide areas and got a bit better pressure on the ball.
“It’s disappointing to concede at the end but at the same time, it’s a point against a very, very good team.
“I think at 1-1 we would have been happy with a point, but of course it feels a little bit worse when you are sitting at 2-1 and you equalise late but we made changes, everyone played their role and it’s a really important point and performance.
“There is a lot to take away from this performance but we know these are the margins between three and one point in this league and it’s ultimately defined by a set piece at either end, our goal and their goal.
“We will look to build a lot from this performance going into next week.”
Emma Hayes will leave her role as Chelsea manager at the end of the current season, the club have announced.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the trophy-laden career of the Women’s Super League’s most decorated coach.
Trophies
Hayes has led Chelsea to six WSL titles, first in 2015 and then the 2017-18 season, followed by the last four in succession from 2019-20 onwards.
The Blues also won 2017’s Spring Series as the league changed from a summer to winter format.
She has also won five FA Cups and two League Cups, completing at least a double in each of her title-winning seasons and a treble in 2020-21, when her side also reached the Champions League final where Barcelona denied them a quadruple.
The 2020 Community Shield completes her trophy haul with the club.
Records
Hayes’ six titles are a WSL record, representing half of the seasons the competition has existed in its modern form – Laura Harvey and Matt Beard are her nearest challengers, winning two apiece with Arsenal and Liverpool respectively.
She has been named the league’s manager of the season in each of those six campaigns, with no other manager winning the award more than once, and also holds the record for the most manager of the month awards – again with six. Her three in the 2019-20 season were another record, matched last season by Manchester United’s Marc Skinner.
Hayes has also amassed the most games (195) and wins (137) as a WSL manager, all with Chelsea after taking the reins in 2012. In the case of wins, she is the only manager in three figures – with former Manchester City boss Nick Cushing second on a distant 72 and only six managers having even reached 50.
Results
Across all competitions, Chelsea’s win over Aston Villa on Saturday was Hayes’ 236th out of 333 matches in charge for a stunning win rate of almost 71 per cent.
Her side have lost only 58 matches in that time and drawn 39, scoring 887 goals compared to 271 conceded.
She has won 27 out of 47 Champions League games, drawing seven and losing 13, and 72 out of 91 in the domestic cups and Community Shield.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes will depart the Blues at the end of the season after more than a decade in charge, the Women’s Super League club have announced.
Hayes is among the most respected and successful managers in women’s football, having led Chelsea to six WSL titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups, one Spring Series trophy and one Community Shield.
The 47-year-old, who steered Chelsea to an historic double on two occasions and achieved one domestic treble, has previously been linked to the vacant United States women’s national team role currently occupied by interim boss Twila Kilgore.
A club statement read: “Chelsea FC can today confirm that highly decorated Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes OBE will depart the club at the end of the season to pursue a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football.”
Jonas Eidevall admits Arsenal have a “problem” with the lack of diversity in their first-team squad – but believes it is an issue across all of women’s football in England.
The Gunners were heavily criticised last month after their squad photograph for the 2023/24 season contained no players from diverse backgrounds.
Having initially declined to comment on the issue, Arsenal later published a statement admitting it was a “key priority” to improve diversity.
“We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent,” it read.
“Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.”
Eidevall was asked about the widespread condemnation of the picture ahead of Arsenal’s Women’s Super League clash against Manchester City on Sunday.
“I haven’t seen much reaction online but I think where we come from, north London, we are very proud of our community,” he said.
“It is a diverse community. The history of the club, both the men’s first team and the women’s first team has very proud history of players coming from diverse backgrounds as well and made the club very proud of that.
“So, us not having that diversity in the first team women’s today – of course, that is a problem.”
Last year, a report conducted by the BBC estimated that black, Asian and minority ethic players made up a maximum of 15 per cent of those signed to WSL clubs – with Eidevall calling on the whole league, as well as the Football Association, to improve those figures.
“I think women’s football has a diversity problem in that, in getting especially people of colour involved more in football, not only at the top level, but also at the grassroots level and I think we have to work with it but also the FA and other clubs,” he added.
Arsenal’s statement, meanwhile, concluded: “Across all our teams, including our men’s and women’s academies, we’re proud of our players from diverse backgrounds who have contributed to our history, success and culture.
“It’s a priority for the club to continue to drive greater diversity and inclusion and create a sense of belonging for everyone connected to the club.”
Arsenal supporters may now be accustomed to packing the Emirates Stadium for women’s matches but the experience of playing in front of tens of thousands remains “surreal” to veteran Jen Beattie.
The Glaswegian returned for a second spell with the Gunners in 2019 having previously won a league title, two FA Cups and a pair of League Cups in a four-year stint between 2009 to 2013.
On Tuesday, Arsenal announced 40,000 tickets have already been sold for their Women’s Super League encounter with defending champions Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on December 10 – a figure which is becoming a regular occurrence rather than any kind of novel development.
Despite the large attendances becoming more routine, Beattie admitted to the PA news agency: “They’re still exciting. I don’t think it will ever not be.
“I mean I’m 32, I’ve been in the game for a long time, I’ve played in front of crowds that aren’t that big, so to still be a part of it now and to see the crowd numbers growing and becoming consistent is surreal, to be honest.
“But it’s credit to the club, the way that they’ve pushed the funding behind the marketing, behind games, and of course, the fans that have bought into what we’re trying to do.
“I don’t think selling out the Emirates will ever become normal for me. It will be just as surreal and just as exciting every single time. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
The numbers speak for themselves. On October 1, Arsenal set a new WSL attendance record of 54,115 when they played Liverpool at the Emirates in their league opener, following that up with over 35,000 against Aston Villa two weeks later.
Including the upcoming Chelsea contest, each of Arsenal’s WSL matches at the Emirates Stadium since the start of the 2022-23 season – after several members of the squad lifted the Euro 2022 trophy with England – have generated crowds of at least 35,000, the club also ticking off a first sell-out at the stadium for last season’s Champions League semi-final.
The PA news agency understands Arsenal have also experienced a 314 per cent year-on-year increase in total ticket sales for women’s games between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Beattie can uniquely speak to what her club is doing behind the scenes. In 2022, the cancer survivor signed an extension that also saw her adopt a dual role which involves mentoring academy players and working with Arsenal’s commercial and partnerships teams.
She said: “It’s important for them to see how much the women’s side actually want to be involved in those big decisions, making the staff aware [that] we really value having an impact, because we care about it.
“I think that men’s football went on at such a fast growth so many years ago, but we wanted to kind of tailor it. I think we all just have a responsibility that we’re part of the big change that’s happening.
“There are so many similarities to men’s football, but there are so many differences, and I think it’s about things we want to make different as well. We don’t want to completely emulate the men’s game.”
Arsenal skipper Kim Little and vice-captain Leah Williamson have also been active in consultations about next year’s plan to move the WSL and Women’s Championship into an independent ‘NewCo’, which will result in a restructure of power in a move similar to the Premier League’s 20-club governance model.
Beattie, meanwhile, has been serving as a Scottish FA and McDonald’s grassroots ambassador, and believes striking the right balance between enjoyment and opportunity is pivotal when it comes to keeping girls in the game past their primary school years, when a 2022 Women in Sport survey found 43 per cent who once considered themselves ‘sporty’ drop out.
She added: “It is still a very male-dominated sport, but I think as long as fun is the number-one aspect, making it not too stressful, I think that’s what keeps kids in it, and creating a pathway up to professionalisation (and) giving support to schools, to education.
“As long as there’s a pathway and an opportunity for kids to stick to, that’s the most important thing.”
:: Jen Beattie was speaking at the annual Scottish FA Grassroots Awards in partnership with McDonald’s Fun Football. The awards recognise volunteers who are dedicated to making a real difference to community football in Scotland.
Sjoeke Nusken scored a brace to help Chelsea secure a 4-2 Women’s Super League comeback victory over Brighton at Kingsmeadow.
The Germany midfielder netted her first two goals in blue after her summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt, with her first coming in first-half added-time before she scored again just after the break.
This came after Brighton’s Pauline Bremer scored the opener for Melissa Phillips’ side, who failed to take advantage of their early lead.
Seagulls defender Guro Bergsvand scored an own goal in the 74th minute and Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones came off the bench to put the game out of reach.
Elisabeth Terland’s second-half stoppage-time goal was merely a consolation as Brighton’s losing run was extended to three.
Three points for Chelsea put them joint top with title rivals Manchester City after their 1-0 win at Leicester on Saturday.
In east London, West Ham’s equaliser in the fifth minute of second-half added time stole a late point against Liverpool.
Marie Hobinger opened the scoring for the visitors in the 52nd minute to give them a 1-0 advantage.
But Japan international Riko Ueki bundled the ball home at the death to grab a late share the spoils.
Nikita Parris returned to haunt her former club once again as Manchester United comfortably beat Everton 5-0 at Walton Hall Park to enter the international break unbeaten.
Liverpool-born Parris, who began her career at Everton, scored two second-half goals and set up one to take her record against the Toffees to eight goals in nine Super League appearances.
United substitute Rachel Williams also enjoyed her afternoon by picking up a brace of goals in the final 15 minutes after being introduced for France international Melvine Malard, who had earlier opened the scoring in the 14th minute.
Parris’ goals in the 58th minute and three minutes into stoppage time were a reward for her energy and non-stop harrying of an Everton defence that eventually buckled in the second half under the intense press of United.
In Sunday’s late kick-off, a Katie McCabe double handed Arsenal a narrow 2-1 victory away to Bristol City.
The clinical McCabe scored the first after seven minutes courtesy of a wonderful effort from range.
After City’s Rachel Furness cancelled the goal out in the 16th minute, McCabe scored once more just before the hour to give Jonas Eidevall’s side a much-needed victory on the road.
Reggae Girlz striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw continues to soak up compliments from her Manchester City family, as England international Alex Greenwood is the latest to praise her all-round abilities and believes the high profile Jamaican international can become the best player in the world.
Shaw, 26, has significantly impacted City Women’s team since signing with the north England club two years ago. Last season, the towering striker amassed 31 goals across all competitions which has propelled her to the pinnacle as the club’s leading scorer.
Last weekend, Shaw netted her first goals of the new Women’s Super League season with a double against Bristol City, adding to her FA Women’s League Cup goal against Everton earlier in the week.
And if manager Gareth Taylor’s sentiments about how influential Shaw is to the team wasn’t enough, Greenwood added her voice to the chorus.
“Her goal record speaks for itself, but Bunny is so much more than goals. What she brings to the team in terms of play, her work off the ball, and off the pitch – she is a top person. I think she can be the best in the world if she wants to be. She has all the attributes to be the best in the world, I know how hard she works in training,” Greenwood declared.
“It’s the reason she’s flourishing right now. She’s been really strong for us so we just need to keep feeding her, keep giving her the ball and the rest she’ll take care of. She’s a great person to be around and a really good friend of mine as well. She is someone I can demand really high standards of, and likewise she can of me and everyone else,” the 30-year-old centre back added.
Shaw first made her mark professionally with FC Bordeaux in 2019. During her time there, she scored 34 goals and won the Golden Boot, as she assisted the French club to Champions League qualification.
It came as no surprise when she moved to City where she made her mark in her first season in which she tallied with 16 goals.
Now installed as City’s point player in attack, following the retirement of veteran Ellen White, Shaw, with 24 goals in the league last term, broke the club’s record for the most Women’s Super League goals in a season.
Taylor reiterated his admiration for the Jamaican.
“I’m super proud of Bunny and all the players are. She understands the support and help she gets here to allow her to be herself. I think what she’s done is remarkable, really – to go from the first game of the season scoring and not really have a dry spell at all, maybe a couple of games,” Taylor said.
“She’s continued to score goals. She’s certainly a proven goalscorer, but it’s the types of goals she’s getting now and everything else she brings to us in the games. Her hold up play is phenomenal,” he noted.
Shaw’s could add to her tally when Manchester City visit Leicester City at King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Khadija “Bunny’ Shaw opened her account in the Women’s Super League this season, scoring twice in Manchester City’s 5-0 demolition of Bristol City Women at the Joie Stadium in Manchester.
Shaw, who scored her first goal of the season in Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Everton in the FA Women’s League Cup on Wednesday, scored two first-half goals in the lopsided victory.
The Jamaican striker scored in the 38th minute and in stoppage time after Jill Roord had opened the scoring from a close-range header in the ninth minute moments after a Shaw shot cannoned off the cross bar.
Laia Aleixandri headed into the net in the 33rd minute before Shaw’s header made it 3-0 five minutes later. Roord would score her second early in stoppage time before the Jamaican capped a dominant half with another header before the break.
Manchester City were unable to add to the score in the second half but it mattered little as Bristol City had few opportunities to cut into the lead with only two shots in the game, one of them on target. By contrast, Shaw had five shots in the first half alone for her side that took 24 shots in the game, 12 of which were on target.
City enjoyed 81 per cent of the possession against Bristol City, who remain winless after three games and sit at the bottom of the 12 team table.
Shaw could have added to her tally having missed a header from inside the box in the 89th minute and her shot from the six-yard box in stoppage time was saved by goalkeeper Ffion Morgan, who had replaced Carrie Jones at the interval.
Expectations are high that Reggae Girl Khadija “Bunny” Shaw will enjoy another successful campaign to help Manchester City in their push to possibly cop a silverware this season.
The 26-year-old is already off to a good start, as she scored her first goal of the new campaign in City’s 2-1 win over Everton in FA Women’s League Cup action on Wednesday.
With a goal coming in her first start of the season, Shaw is expected to again lead the attack when Manchester City kick start Women’s Super League (WSL) action against Bristol City at Academy Stadium on Sunday.
With City currently third in the Women’s Super League standings on four points, Shaw said the expectations of her is no added pressure.
“No. No pressure. I love scoring goals and I always want to do my best to help the team,” she told SportsMax.TV.
Manager Gareth Taylor hailed the Jamaican for the leading role she has played since joining the club in 2021.
“She’s such an influential and a player the team looks to in terms of setting off everything we do whether it be attacking or without the ball,” Taylor said.
“She brings so much with her personality and the quality she has. It’s fantastic to have her back and nice for her to get off the mark so early in the season,” he added.
Shaw bagged 31 goals in all competitions last season which earned her City’s Player-of-the-Season award, as the club finished fourth in the league.
She then endured a busy summer, turning out for Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the Caribbean side had an historic run to the round of 16 before bowing out to Colombia.
Shaw also featured in the Olympic qualifying playoff fixtures against Canada last month. She started in the home contest which the Girlz lost 0-2 but sat out the second leg encounter due to injury, as Canada won 2-1 in Toronto.
Taylor explained that Shaw needed to be managed properly once returning from international duty, which saw her miss the opener against West Ham, come off the bench against Chelsea before starting and playing an hour against Everton.
“Bunny had an unfortunate issue when she came back from Jamaica,” Taylor declared.
“The season she had last year and playing the role she did against Everton the other night, she created Jess Park’s goal and scored before we took her off,” he noted.
Liverpool manager Matt Beard is relishing a “tough game” against Everton in Sunday’s Merseyside derby.
Beard’s side host the Toffees at Anfield, where they will be aiming to extend their winning run in the league so far this season.
The Reds are at the top end of the table following back-to-back league victories against Arsenal and Aston Villa respectively and Beard is hopeful his side can build on their positive start.
He said: “Obviously the clean sheets… defensively the structure’s been great. There’s been a lot of good things from counter-pressing to bodies back behind the ball.
“That’s a big platform for us to build on. And the two teams that we’ve played have got some fantastic forward players. But it’s early stages.
“With these games the form goes out the window. We’ve had a good start, they haven’t. We know it’s going to be a tough game and we’re looking forward to it.”
The Merseyside derby caps off a jam-packed afternoon of WSL action on Sunday, which starts with league leaders Leicester facing Manchester United at midday and Foxes midfielder Aimee Palmer is looking forward to the trip to Leigh Sports Village.
She said: “We know that they are a good team but, equally, we’ve proven that we’re a very good team, and the opposition will be afraid of us.”
Across town, Manchester City face newly promoted Bristol City, who are bottom of the table. City boss Gareth Taylor expressed pride in his players amid the “different challenges” they have faced in their recent outings.
Leila Ouahabi was sent off in their WSL opener against West Ham, with captain Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp then sent off in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea and City’s last game came midweek, where they beat Everton 2-1 in the League Cup.
“The three (games) we’ve had so far have given us different challenges,” Taylor said.
“It was nice to keep all of the players on the pitch on Wednesday!
“I think they’ve been fantastic. A lot of the signs I’ve seen from the team have been so impressive and I think that comes from unity, sticking together, being really resilient, and the harmony is very good.”
Sunday’s remaining fixtures see Arsenal host Villa and Tottenham visit Brighton.
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