Here’s a team of the week for Matchday 21, comprising the games played on the 4th and 5th of May. This could very well be it. With the nether already determined (and their replacement excitedly anticipated) ’tis just the loft that needs filling — certainly not where the winners will be keeping their gold. And whose loft will it be? One moment it seems clear, the next, everything that needs to happen comes about in the most delightful way.
GK: Courtney Brosnan (Everton)
CB: Grace Fisk (Liverpool)
CB: Gemma Bonner (Liverpool)
CB: Jenna Clark (Liverpool)
CM: Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea)
CM: Marie Höbinger (Liverpool)
CM: Ceri Holland (Liverpool)
LW: Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
CAM: Kenza Dali (Aston Villa)
RW: Beth Mead (Arsenal)
ST: Riko Ueki (West Ham United)
It’s getting to the point where, instead of Manchester City, I could put the entire Liverpool team in this XI. After a scintillating few weeks of form, the Scousers staked their strongest claim to a spot in the top four with victory over Manchester United (for whom defensive midfielder Lisa Naalsund carried the most threat despite a plethora of attacking options). With Taylor Hinds, Teagan Micah, and Mia Enderby unlucky to miss out (the former due to no left-back position this week, the middle due to a rival’s heroics, and the latter due to Riko Ueki’s pure everywhere-ness opposing Enderby’s aesthetic running) it is the centre of the pitch dominated by The Reds. Fisk, Bonner, and Clark bossed their rivals anytime they came forward, making it look like a training game with their immense organisation — they have made this team as a unit. In front of them Marie Höbinger continues to perform beyond her years, resembling a general in the middle of the park while Ceri Holland is her artillery. You could send Holland to do any job and have full faith that she would do it — tenacity personified.
For the remaining six positions, we know West Ham have one (with Jessica Ziu coming close) and they are joined on the solo selectees by Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Everton. Beth Mead is different gravy when she gets into the swing of things — she seems to perform at a canter and achieve greatness so when she steps it up, good Christmas. Kenza Dali is ready for anything; playing the main role against Brighton she made sure everything ran through her and looked head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch while doing so. Courtney Brosnan has bailed The Toffees out more than most can count and as Everton collapsed out of the game against a more than game Spurs side, Brosnan kept them at bay and won her team a point they did not look like escaping with. As Charlotte Grant brought fresh legs on the side and Luana Bühler pumped balls forward, Grace Clinton and co. saw why the Everton stopper is in contention for a Team Of The Season berth. Missing out for The Gunners and The Villans are, respectively, Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord, and Sarah Mayling. For their opponents, Manchester City started the game tightly but lost it at the death, with the hard work of Alex Greenwood, Yui Hasegawa, and Lauren Hemp coming to nothing. Brighton could count Geum-min Lee as having a top outing against Villa, even if it was all for nought. Before getting on to the final point, Leicester earned a creditable point against West Ham, and it was the usual suspects of Rantala and Momiki standing forward to garner a shout-out.
But now for the final two members of the team, and what a final two members they are. In need of a hefty win to pump up that goal difference, Chelsea hit Bristol City for eight with half of those being scored by a Guro Reiten who looked as if she was on a mission to tell everyone that Chelsea aren’t out of this. Erin Cuthbert’s full ferocity earned her a spot too, and though they’re not in the team, Aggie Beever-Jones and Niamh Charles participated in that classic Emma Hayes poise and power to set up an almost too thrilling finale.
Goal Of The Week is out of two, with Hemp’s instinctive opener for Man City displaying her technical skill and desire, but I might have to go for Guro Reiten’s fourth goal against The Robins as the celebration was a clear indication that she wasn’t done and was hungry for not only more goals, but more trophies. As for Player Of The Week, Reiten is obviously gonna push ’em close and Höbinger and Brosnan should get their flowers, but Ceri Holland is the talisman for Liverpool in this run they’re on and by making sure she was involved in everything against Man U, she gets herself to the top of the list.
Keep it streets ahead,
C.L.R.
