Here’s a team of the week for Matchday 18, comprising the games played on the 30th and 31st March as well as the 14th April 2024. One game misses out, that being Spurs vs. Chelsea, as it’s being played in mid-May and there are three whole gamedays in between — I simply cannot wait. It might get a look in on the final gameday, but that might be incredibly unsatisfying for me. The sensational lack of postponements has been really nice this season. Long may it continue. Touch wood…
GK: Mary Earps (Manchester United)
LB: Taylor Hinds (Liverpool)
CB: Alex Greenwood (Manchester City)
CB: Millie Turner (Manchester United)
RB: Aoife Mannion (Manchester United)
CDM: Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
CM: Kenza Dali (Aston Villa)
CM: Jess Park (Manchester City)
LW: Caitlin Foord (Arsenal)
RW: Geyse (Manchester United)
ST: Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)
Manchester dominance in this stilted week with eight members of this team coming out of The Rainy City. The undeniable Mary Earps keeps Leicester’s Lize Kop out of the team (and that doesn’t count either pair of heroics in their side’s respective FA Cup ties). They are joined at the back by the lone Liverpool inclusion, Taylor Hinds, and it’s just good to see her back, bringing in such a change of flow to her side. The rest of the defence is Manc strong with Alex Greenwood leading by example in the middle and the inimitable Yui Hasegawa spearheading the defensive line for Manchester City, and the oddly offensive Millie Turner partnering Greenwood, along with headstrong and gamestrong Aoife Mannion for Manchester United — the latter being just what The Red Devils needed after conceding early against Everton. West Ham’s Kirsty Smith and Arsenal’s Steph Catley and Emily Fox miss out.
Into midfield and the workrate of Kenza Dali might not be as prolific as last season, but since returning to the side, there’s no doubt she has altered the make-up of her Villa side. Jess Park seems to have kicked into a higher gear to do the same for her Sky Blue side too. Their brilliance keeps out Leicester’s Yuka Momiki, Man U’s Lisa Naalsund, and Arsenal’s Victoria Pelova. On the wings, Lucia Garcia is kept at bay by a determined Caitlin Foord, and Mary Fowler is unlucky to play in the same position as the supernova waiting to happen that is Geyse this week.
Finally, Khadija Shaw can’t not make at least the honourable mentions, and this week there was no doubt that she’d be diving head first into the team. Riko Ueki was once again chief tormentor for West Ham (along with fellow honourable mention Kirsty Smith) but Shaw was different sauce against Liverpool as she displayed power, poise, and potency to keep her team on the title charge.
That final point is also why Player Of The Week is a NO-BRAINER — Bunny Shaw all the way. Though Geyse, Park, and Turner ran it close. As for Goal Of The Week, Taylor Hinds is unlucky to miss out on the podium with her placement going down as an OG, Momiki takes bronze with her cultured finish, and Jess Park’s dribble and arrow sits silver to Khadija’s flick and strike and THUNDERBOLT, double trouble for Bunny — NO-BRAINER.
Keep it streets ahead,
C.L.R.
