Here’s a team of the week for Matchday 20, comprising the games played on the 28th April and the 1st May. Not the time to slip or trip, and a stagger makes all the difference. One would want to see sides at their strongest strike until one had no choice but to bow, but a club can always punch themselves out.
GK: Janina Leitzig (Leicester)
LB: Sara Holmgaard (Everton)
CB: Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United)
CB: Gemma Bonner (Liverpool)
RB: Pauline Bremer (Brighton & Hove Albion)
LM: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)
CM: Ceri Holland (Liverpool)
CM: Marie Höbinger (Liverpool)
RM: Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)
CAM: Mary Fowler (Manchester City)
ST: Sophie Román Haug (Liverpool)
One of my favourite weeks is goalkeeper week; a week when all the custodians put on a damn fine show. Not one let me down and I narrowed the list down to four. Naturally, the week Janina Leitzig returns to the Leicester starting line-up is the week she’s back in the team and I don’t need to tell you what for (you might accuse me of being in love with her, and nothing could be closer to the truth). Leitzig keeps out Spurs’ Becky Spencer, Villa’s Sophia Poor, and Everton’s Courtney Brosnan with her tremendous comeback display. The line in front of her sees a rare Everton inclusion as Sara Holmgaard put in a shift to keep Arsenal at bay for a long stretch, while Pauline Bremer on the other wing looked the most viable attacking threat for Brighton against Spurs. They sandwich an always game Maya Le Tissier as well as a game-running Gemma Bonner, who put all her experience to good use in victory against the defending champions. Speaking of that game, Liverpool can count a few of their stars among their champions of that ninety, with Holland and Höbinger putting The Blues out of business in midfield while Haug put in a shift ahead of them — HHH hammering home holy horror for Chelsea — for whom Aggie Beever-Jones remains a roaring spark in a steadily dimming season; post-Hayes, ABJ will be huge for her side. Apart from Liverpool’s foursome, Manchester City are the only side with multiple inclusions as (despite it taking them a while) they ran the show against Bristol City, with Mary Fowler particularly playing conductor and stepping up in the absence of Khadija Shaw. Lauren Hemp soon got that genius into gear and prompted problems for The Robins as well, who can count Amalie Thestrup as a consistent turn in a disappointing, albeit promising, season.
Those playing without a cigar include Villa’s Kirsty Hanson, Arsenal’s Beth Mead and Kim Little, Man City’s Chloe Kelly, Manchester United’s Lisa Naalsund, Leicester’s Sam Tierney, and Spurs’ Eveliina Summanen.
Player Of The Week feels a bit tight, with Bonner and the central-midfield duo standing out for Liverpool while Mary Fowler calls to me from the other game in the title race… I’m gonna go for Bonner, who stood up and stood out like she’s done many a time before, like never before. As for Goal Of The Week, Fowler’s first and ABJ’s second were lovely, Kiernan’s finish on the end of Holland’s sumptuous pass was cracker, Toone’s scorcher would be undeniable on any other day, but call me a romantic, a wrong ‘un, or a downright rat ‘cos I’m giving it to Issy Hobson and her fairytale header for Everton against Arsenal — that’s what football’s all about.
Keep it streets ahead,
C.L.R.
