Episode 12 The Women's Football Show

Manchester City were looking to land the knockout blow in their quest

to win the WSL title for the first time.

Chelsea, though, are not quite out for the count yet.

You look at the table and we are clear but it will go to the wire and

it will go to the head-to-head is. The pressure is on us, we are

chasing them, but we are OK to do that, it's not over yet. For us is

about maintaining momentum, that's the mentality we have here, we are

all winners. Three point is crucial at this stage of the season. Chelsea

determined to make Man City really earn the title. They still have to

play us at Birmingham and Arsenal. They have three tough games, I don't

expect it to be an easy ride for City.

It's been a crucial Sunday in the race for the title.

Joining us in the studio and pulling no punches

in their analysis, Rachel Brown-Finnis and Sue Smith.

Do you see what we did there? We begin at Borehamwood.

them needing just one more win to be crowned champions, but FA Cup

winners Arsenal still harboured hopes of a Champions League place.

Watching were Lucy Ward and Adam Summerton.

A good welcome from a big crowd. Arsenal manager Pedro Martinez Losa

has gone with a 3-5- two formation. England international Alex Scott one

who has dropped out. Daniela van de Donk has recovered from the head

injury that forced her off halfway through last weekend's cup defeat.

Man City made just one change that at that Continental cup win. The

England international 50th career appearance. Seven of the starting XI

have been named in the latest England squad. Scotland

international Jane Ross is the league's top scorer with seven goals

this season. Back on by Scott. Henning. Oshoala, still going with

it. The shot creeps wide, but it got a touch, it will be a corner to

Arsenal. Thankfully for Karen Bardsley dribbled past the post. A

deflection from Steph Houghton in the end. It's the closest we have

come to an opener. This time they go short. The Scotland international

Mitchel swings it into a great area, fantastic cross. Any sort of touch

and there could have been problems for Bardsley. Oshoala not in a

position where she could head it. Casey Stoney was inches away.

Good beer chance here for Parris. Great skill in that build-up. Parris

has started this game on fire, the movement and intensity of her play.

Header by strokes. -- Stokes. Carter.

The cross is deflected... Great save by Bardsley. Fabulous hit by Jordan

Nobbs. Two great reactions, one from Jordan Nobbs to get the cross in in

the first place. She distinctively volleyed. The second from Karen

Bardsley. Intercepted by Walsh, again quietly effective in midfield.

Good ball wide to get Parris involved. Ross is inside the penalty

area. Parris heading for the byline. Again, a real thorn in the side of

Arsenal's defence. She is attacking down that channel, running at

Henning, difficult for Henning to deal with it. Here is Nikita Parris.

Ross is the furthest forward. Christians are looking to get in

support. A tug by Williams on Parris. A free kick to Man City in a

good position for them. More often than not when Parris runs a player

is she gets a free kick, because the players have to do that. Just a

little bit of a nudge there. Man City have themselves a chance to get

in front through a set piece. The captain of Manchester City, and

England, Steph Houghton has placed the ball here. Won two WSL titles

and FA Cups with Arsenal. Five minutes into the second half, it's

deflected and in! Real Fortuna about the goal for Steph Houghton and Man

City. As they chased the title, Manchester City are in front.

Really, really unfortunate deflection for van Veenendaal. As it

deflected she couldn't get enough on it as a keypad to put it over. -- as

a keeper. Now Jill Scott for Manchester City. Parris to hit it

first time, great opportunity and a very clever dummy by Duggan. You

would have put money on Parris to get that on target, the way she has

been playing. A clever step over from Toni Duggan. He will be happy

so far, just wants to make sure his team sees it through. He knows the

threats this Arsenal team poses. He has 30 minutes plus to make sure his

team doesn't concede. -- 13 minutes. Ross gives chase. Parris goes

inside. The goalkeeper has come a long way and it almost ran for

Christians in but not quite. A clever, clever cutback from Parris.

Get herself forward into that space. And selfishly. We try today to make

them uncomfortable and play different. I think we get that

feeling for some moments but sadly they scored from a free kick, as

they have been doing all year, so in my opinion they deserve the trophy.

Defensively it's the best we've been all season. I was sitting on the ice

box, I wasn't worried at all. Big performances, this team grows every

day and I think it showed there. Best defensive performance of the

season. Just three goals conceded in 14 games. What is the secret of

their defensive success rate? As it is going forward, teamwork. Every

single player knows their role very well and it showed from a dependent

defensive capacity. They have worked on it all week. When we look at the

highlights, they all work really well together. They attack very,

very quickly together. Jane Ross is a higher player. When they don't

have the ball, the wider players drop in and defend. They don't give

any space in behind for Arsenal to play. The likes of Carter and

Oshoala don't have any joy. They get bodies behind the ball, ten players

behind the ball here. The first ball is won in the air and on corners

they get all the players back. There is another body, a city body, 90

times out of a hundred they will win the second ball. They hunt in packs.

Players get tight. First balls and second balls and most of the time

they play with composure, so when they reclaim the ball they maintain

possession. All very fluid but not so for Arsenal, why is that? It's

difficult to Arsenal, the fact they change their personnel and formation

so much. That is hard for a team to get any momentum or consistency. You

have a very, very strong side, international players sat on the

bench. That might mean they're not playing for weeks on end. I don't

think Pedro knew his best starting XI probably until the second part of

the season and that will have some sort of effect on his team, which

UCL has. It looks that way. Nikita Parris a player you know very well.

Fantastic again today. As she developed over the years? She was

outstanding. At Everton she showed all the same quality she had today

and has done all season at Man City. Going forward she is really

difficult to deal with for all defenders. She sticks to her

defensive roles. She has been told today she needs to fulfil them

exceptionally well. We know Nikita Parris is enjoying the game when we

see tricks of the training ground like this. I've never quite seen a

somersault with a ball between the legs for anyone but feel free to try

a! From the first half and second-half, Nikita Parris, as well

as her Manchester team-mates are tracking back all over the pitch.

She's been excellent. Through the whole game she looks lively and

confident. She wants to get on the ball and make things happen.

Brilliant little flick, I want that! Only one goal, Jane Ross is a

goal-scorer and will claim this. Yes, quite fortuitous and took a

massive deflection. You know Steph Houghton will take that and shoot at

goal. I'm not sure why Arsenal did put more than two in the wall. They

should have had more in the wall and then Jane Ross might not have got

it. Victory for Manchester City meant Chelsea had to avoid defeat

at Reading to keep their fading title hopes alive.

all the pressure on Chelsea today, only they can prevent the title

going to Manchester City. They must get something Adams Park to prolong

the title race for another couple of weeks at least. Reading still

without a win in the league. They make one change to the side that

lost late on to Liverpool. Fletcher coming in. One change for Chelsea,

who came from behind to beat Notts County last time out. Claire

Rafferty comes in at left-back for Anna Borges. Davidson and Aluko

combining their to win possession back high up the pitch. Here is

Karen Carney. Blondel with the ball to the back post. Carney! Side

netting. A chance for Chelsea, a decent ball from Hannah Blundell.

Difficult angle, though. Lots of possession, Chelsea, but haven't

really tested Mary Earps in the Reading goal so far. They might do

here. Here is Rafferty with the cross. Mary Earps wasn't sure about

that at all. Safety first from the Reading keeper. Didn't think

Rafferty was going for gold there. A good ball to Scott. Well taken. --

going for goal. Here is Rachel Rowe. A chance for Reading, and very close

indeed. Excellent, stooping header from Fletcher. Did really well to

get in front of Flaherty, Fletcher. Chelsea mount a counter here.

Blundell, lots of time. Gemma Davison.

Davison draws the foul from Scott. Just had her hand on her shoulder.

Carney and Davison over the ball. Carney with the delivery. Chapman is

there. Over the top. Chelsea captain was unmarked, just couldn't keep it

down. Aluko gets their ahead of McGeady.

-- Kirsty McGee. Reading clear. They mount an attack themselves. Here is

Fletcher. Onside. Melissa Fletcher! Perhaps should have done better

than. Just couldn't quite get her foot round it.

Aluko's decent turn. Still going. Here's Davison, challenge by Rowe.

Illegally, according to the referee. The taller players up from the back.

Kane with the delivery... Free header! And its Katie Chapman once

again! Chapman's her third goal in two games. Completely unmarked.

She's given Chelsea a preciously here at Adams Park. -- a precious

lead. Well read by Scott. Flashed just wide there. Gave Spence

something to think about. Davison's still going. To wrap it

up...! Wonderful individual goal from Gemma Davison! There were just

backing of her. One of her trademark mazy runs, and then the finish to

boot as well. And that is a powerful finish. And that wraps it up.

Can Chelsea finish with a flourish? Borges! It's three! Chelsea wrapping

things up in style. A flattering scoreline in the end. Borges on the

stretch, just out of the reach of Mary Earps. And that's the final

whistle at Adams Park. Chelsea battled hard. In the end, three

goals in the second half, started off by the captain, Katie Chapman.

And then a second individual goal from Davison. And then late on, the

third came from the substitute Borges. We came here, we knew that

we needed three points from this game. The first half was not great

but we picked up in the second half and we got the result. You want to

go into the game against Manchester City with something to play for?

Yes, but we have to go back to the drawing board now. We have to go

away for internationals and play for our country and then come back and

think about City. Will you have an extra instruction to take care on

international duty? I'm sure she will want us to take care. We will

do everything we can to look after ourselves and then come back and go

up to City. Just a point for City against Chelsea in that game and

they will have to run the title. But Chelsea will not give up without a

fight? Definitely not. Hazel will instil that in her players, to take

this to the very last game. I think Chelsea didn't have very good July.

Since then they've got better. I watched them against a very

defensive side in Birmingham, and they were excellent going forward.

Again, today, excellent going forward. It was just that July when

they will be disappointed they did not pick up the points they needed.

Vulnerable from set leases, Reading, today? Yes, and in some ways they

are the easiest thing to work on. This ball came in towards Katie

Chapman, who is going to be the target player. We see here how many

Reading defenders there are in the box. There's plenty, five against

three. Chapman checks away, it's a great run from her. But at no point

are any of those defenders making physical contact with any of the

Chelsea players. It's such a simple thing. Single why -- single-minded

run there, but was it a foul? Yes, I think it was. I don't think there

was any intent. Gemma Davison just wants to get it and run with it,

drive at players and commit them. Choo brings the player down. It is a

foul. Whether it's intentional or not, it is a foul. That defender

could have gone to close Davison down. I don't think it would have

had any impact because I think Gemma Davison was in full flight and is

very clinical in those positions. It was a fun has to goal. But I think

there was a foul. And this one was just good play. Drew Spence

involved, but Karen Carney, who had a fantastic game, getting out wide

and creating the space the Borges coming inside. Chelsea, the waive

any interchange positions is so good to watch. All the forward players

are playing well together. It's a pleasure to see. And we have

clarified it with the authorities - there does not have to be intent, if

you take a player out, it does count as a foul. That's going to be a

fascinating game, isn't it? Manchester City against Chelsea. How

do you see it panning out? Well, we've seen from today, when Karen

Carney is playing well, Chelsea play well. They have to be firing on all

cylinders, be 100% prepared, because Manchester City are the consistent

team, and I can see a nothing other than a City win. Yes, defensive list

on, aren't they? Yeovil had an opportunity to go

three points clear at the top of the table at home

against London Bees, and they looked to have the points

wrapped up after a brace from Lucy Quinn gave them a two-goal

advantage at the break. But London Bees came flying

back in the second half. Evie Clark giving the visitors hope,

Jo Wilson made it 2-2 within ten minutes of the restart,

and in the 70th minute, Nicola Watts completed an

incredible turnaround. And with Bristol City,

Durham and Everton all winning, The top two of course

gain promotion to WSL 1. You've been in a similar position,

how do you see it panning out? Four teams can win it, it's all to play

for. They want to go up into WSL 1. Finally tonight, the women's game

lost one of its true Sylvia Gore, England's first

goalscorer in an official international, died

at the age of 71. She was a key figure in the growth

of the women's game in this country. Rachel and Sue, you both

knew her well - she leaves For me, she's just a real friend,

thoughtful person. I remember breaking my leg and after my mum and

dad came to visit me, the next person was Sylvia Gore, she was that

type of character. She will be a real loss. She took me to go and

play for girls team. I'm sure there's so many other people our

area that that would have happened to. Our thoughts are very much with

Sylvia Gore's family. Before we go, just time

to tell you we're back with the Women's Football Show

on Sunday 26th September, where we will have extended

highlights of that top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City and

Chelsea. There's the small matter

of England's final European Championships Qualifier to look

forward to as well. The Lionesses face Estonia

at Meadow Lane on Thursday 15th You'll be able to see that game live

on the BBC Two at five past seven. And tickets are still available

from the box office, should you wish to go along

and lend your support. Sue and Rachel won't

be requiring tickets, Manchester City and Chelsea

both got the job done.