Here’s a team of the week for Matchday 17, comprising the games played on the 23rd and 24th of March 2024. Who blinks first? The longer they go with eyes wide open, the more impact even a wink will have.
GK: Anna Leat (Aston Villa)
LB: Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion)
CB: Justine Vanhaevermaet (Everton)
CB: Jenna Clark (Liverpool)
RB: Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City)
CDM: Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
LM: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)
CM: Jess Park (Manchester City)
RM: Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion)
ST: Elisabeth Terland (Brighton & Hove Albion)
ST: Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)
I feel like there isn’t a week that goes by when I’m not putting half of the Manchester City squad into this article. The five that make the line-up were nothing short of immaculate (though Casparij might have pushed Ashley Lawrence and Li Mengwen out of contention with her post-derby social media post). Khadija Shaw is the quintessential striker, Jess Park was on fire and still looks as if she hasn’t reached her final form, Yui Hasegawa ran the show, keeping play almost entirely in The Citizens’ attacking half, and Lauren Hemp doesn’t do anything short of immaculate. Leila Ouahabi and Laura Coombs were unlucky to miss out. Their title rivals, Chelsea, actually only have the one mention this week (the aforementioned Lawrence) as despite a well-fought 2–0 victory, they were lucky on many an occasion against West Ham and Hayes adjusted her side well during a game amidst a slew of others on the schedule. As for their opponents, this was the best The Hammers have played in quite a while. Riko Ueki and Anouk Denton were the standouts in a side that did a lot right, but attained no reward. Are Arsenal still title contenders? Anna Leat did everything in her power to thrust them out of the race, but despite an outstanding outing from the Aston Villa stopper, Beth Mead, Kim Little, Leah Williamson and co. kept on rolling with their slim chance and a dream.
Outside of the title contenders and their opponents, there was a Merseyside Derby that didn’t carry a tonne of quality, and ’twas only in defence that any excelling occurred between the lengthy periods of cancelling out. Justine Vanhaevermaet was Everton’s stand-out, while Jenna Clark rose for Liverpool. In contrast, the five-goal thriller between The Foxes and The Seagulls saw tremendous performances all over the pitch. Jutta Rantala and Sam Tierney ran the show in the middle for Leicester, but Brighton had dominance either side, with Sophie Baggaley and Poppy Pattinson behind and Katie Robinson and Elisabeth Terland up front. The rest of the middle also didn’t do too badly for Leicester, with Deanne Rose making the most of a rare start and Yuka Momiki displaying her near unerring talent for a cutting pass. In the only other game, Spurs squeaked out a narrow victory (that probably should have been a lot wider) and can throw a lot of gratitude Drew Spence’s way for it turning out so.
Leat. Hasegawa. Park. The three choices for Player Of The Week. Leat made save after save after save in valiant defeat, Hasegawa didn’t put a foot wrong (and never does), and Park looked like a woman possessed in her dismantling of The Red Devils. Hmm… It’s gonna be a Citizen and despite The Possession Of Park, Yui Hasegawa is so often the catalyst for her side anywhere and everywhere on the pitch, and it was all the more obvious this past weekend. As for Goal Of The Week, both of Manchester City’s opening two (and Jess Park’s) were neatly crafted, and Jutta Rantala finished off a fine move too, but in the battle of lovely footballing goals, I’ll give it to the Leicester forward for being on the end of a fine move; receiving a crisp pass from Momiki, and thundering over Baggaley (whose last gasp save in the same game would surely win Save Of The Week).
Keep it streets ahead,
C.L.R.
