Upfront

Today, former Aston Villa manager Carla Ward joins Chloe and Rachel in the studio for a special, all-encompassing chat. 
We get the lowdown on her time in Paris working with Emma Hayes and the USWNT. ...

Chloe and Rachel look back on two drama-filled games in the WSL, featuring some brilliant goals – looking at you, Marie Höbinger.
Plus, we welcome the return of the Champions League with both open arm...

North Korea won the Under 20 Women’s World Cup for a third time last month, meaning they are now one of the most successful sides in the tournament’s history. So how has such a politically isolated co...

It was Rach’s birthday yesterday! And Chloe has a cake for her. And candles! Lots and lots of candles.
After nearly burning down the studio, they discuss Spurs’ late comeback against Aston Villa which...

Everything is on the line for Arsenal and Jonas Eidevall tonight as they head into their decisive second leg qualifier. Can they turn it around? 
Today, Rachel is joined by Arseblog writer Tim Stillma...

The 2024/25 WSL season is officially underway! Chloe and Rachel are here to react to it all – including countless controversies (or so Chloe tells us) and a so-close-yet-so-far goal of the season cont...

And Chloe has hatched a plan. Why wouldn’t you want to pop yourself in the boot of Viv Miedema and Beth Mead’s car to find out what they’re talking about before Arsenal vs Man City?
Chloe and Rachel h...

It’s time. Chloe and Rachel put their flagpoles in the sand as they reveal their big WSL predictions ahead of the new season!
Who will be this season’s overachievers? Which summer signing will be the ...

Rachel is joined by Spurs’ head coach Robert Vilahamn for a special, wide-ranging interview!
He dials in from Spurs’ pre-season training camp to reflect on his first season in the WSL. He reveals his ...

That’s a wrap on the Olympics! And just 84 days after winning the WSL with Chelsea, Emma Hayes had a gold medal with the USWNT around her neck. Rachel was there in Paris and chats with Chloe all about...

Come for a bumper Upfront, stay for Chloe’s impersonation of a drone.
Chloe and Rachel are BACK! They discuss the story so far at Emma Hayes’ USA – with some mixed performances, but an Olympic semi-fi...

While some of football’s biggest names are being chased by elite clubs in Europe and beyond this summer, one story has shown the stark economic reality of women’s football: Reading FC Women. At the en...

But do England fans need to start changing their expectations? Chloe and Rach react to that edgy 0-0 draw with Sweden in Gothenburg which secured the Lionesses’ qualification for Euro 2025.
We discuss...

The Lionesses downed Ireland last week, but some familiar problems in front of goal left Chloe and Rachel longing for the days of Ellen White!
We discuss why Sarina Wiegman’s England are missing that ...

We’re back! We’re separated by an ocean and haven’t spoken in a few weeks but we had to jump on for another episode, as the transfer market hots up and England prepare for some crucial Euro 2025 quali...

We’re back with a bonus episode after England tried the exact same thing against France - but got a win!
We celebrate some impressive performances from Hannah Hampton and Alessia Russo and wonder if E...

We’re back after England came out on the wrong side of a tussle with France - should we accept that this is part of the harder qualification process we asked for? Or is there cause for concern…
We als...

Brazil is set to become the first-ever South American country to host a Women’s World Cup, as they’ve won the 2027 bid!
So what will this World Cup look like? Brazilian football journalist Júlia Belas...

Barcelona toppled the mighty Lyon for the very first time on Saturday! Chloe and Rachel react to an epic spectacle and the fairytale ending to a difficult season for Alexia Putellas.
Plus, we discuss ...

Who was our player of the season? Who was our manager of the season? And – most importantly of all – what was our WTF moment of the season?!
The prestigious Upfront Awards are back. Join Chloe and Rac...

On the final day of the WSL season, Chloe and Rachel spoke to a range of Chelsea voices around Old Trafford about Emma Hayes, what she means to them, and her and the club’s future.
They catch up with ...

Chloe and Rachel reflect on the final weekend of the WSL and discuss the season’s winners and losers.
Did Manchester City bottle it and how can they avoid the same slip-up next season? Will Arsenal’s ...

Clo and Rach give their reactions to an astonishing day at Old Trafford and a fairytale ending for Emma Hayes. From Mayra Ramírez’s incredible display, to Fran Kirby’s emotional goal – we had a front ...

The sun was out, the good times were flowing, Chloe and Rachel were back together at Box Park… the weekend felt like Euro 2022 all over again! And then - for Spurs - reality struck.
Clo and Rach react...

This Sunday is a first for Tottenham Hotspur: it will be their first EVER Women’s FA Cup final. And it’s been quite the journey over the past 20 years.
One woman who knows that better than anyone is f...

Back in March, Chloe and Rachel came together with over 50 young women and dozens of coaches for a very special event with the Premier League at the National Football Museum in Manchester. Their aim? ...

WHAT a week in the WSL! Clo and Rach try to make sense of it all after three minutes and two Stina Blackstenius shots sent the WSL trophy back towards west London on Sunday. Chloe reckons it’s somewhe...

Bristol City’s relegation was confirmed last Sunday after defeat to Manchester City. Today, Lauren Smith joins Rachel on the pod to reflect on relegation and their WSL journey this season.
Lauren reve...

Chelsea and Emma Hayes’ Champions League run is over! Barcelona broke yet more hearts in front of a sold out Stamford Bridge – and Hayes was left fuming with the referee. Now the dust has settled, Clo...

Barcelona in mid-April. Stephanie Frappart in the middle. Emma Hayes with her formal blue coat on. It can only mean one thing: an ICONIC Champions League semi-final!
Chloe and Rachel look back on a hi...

Today, we’re joined by the goalkeeper who has made the most saves in the WSL this season: it’s Brighton No.1, Sophie Baggaley!
Rachel sat down with her ahead of Brighton’s clash with Everton at the Am...

We’re only just getting our breath back from two stunning FA Cup semi-finals! And Chloe has finally stopped communicating exclusively with all-caps in the Upfront WhatsApp group, phew.
Clo and Rach gi...

Bay FC are the new kids on the block in the NWSL – and before a ball had even been kicked, they had made huge moves in the game. From Jen Beattie, to Asisat Oshoala, to Rachel Kundananji for a world r...

We’re here a day early because we need to answer some important questions. Should people be worrying about England after their underwhelming draw against Sweden? Or do fans need to accept that England...

Ever wondered how England develop their next crop of stars? We’ve got all the answers for you on today’s pod! Rachel sat down with the brilliant Emma Coates, head coach of England’s U23s.
Emma explain...

Everyone has gone full-blown Poirot after the Conti Cup final, so Chloe and Rachel get their monocles out and get to the bottom of all the drama between Emma Hayes and Jonas Eidevall!
Of course, we pu...

Back in February, West Ham Women’s Vice President and Managing Director of Wow Hydrate Queenie Porter said that she thinks women’s football will one day become bigger commercially than the men’s game....

We look back over a tasty Women’s Football Weekend that saw Man City’s title charge rumble on, painting Manchester blue in the process. Has Jess Park given #SazzyWiegs something to think about?
Elsewh...

Ahead of one of the biggest games of the season, Rachel sat down with Man City boss Gareth Taylor for a chat about how they’ve found themselves at the centre of a cracking WSL title race!
Gareth also ...

Chelsea worked their socks off on Friday night – but the less said about socks the better…
Chloe and Rach look back on a huge win for Chelsea in the title race and Sjoeke Nüsken’s stunning transformat...

Join us for today’s cup chaos special, as we recap all the results from across the weekend. Man City were knocked out of both cup competitions in the space of a few days - did they re-sign Gareth Tayl...

Arsenal overcame Spurs in the North London derby, while Manchester City and Chelsea kept up their side of the bargain. So where’s the trophy going?! Cue the Benny Hill theme.
Chloe and Rachel are back...

With just over a week to go until International Women’s Day, we wanted to welcome a truly inspirational woman in football onto the podcast.
Khalida Popal is the former captain of the Afghan women’s na...

The girls are apart this week with Rach in Marbella and Chloe… not in Marbella, sadly. So there is lots to catch up on from the international break! 
They discuss Grace Clinton’s dazzling England debu...

We’d been itching for last weekend for a while – and it didn’t disappoint! Unless you were Chloe Morgan in a box at the Emirates, that is.
Chloe and Rachel discuss how Man City did a job away at Chels...

Rachel’s back with a bonus episode, where she’s joined by WSL assistant referee, Georgia Ball!
As an assistant referee in the WSL and a Championship referee, Georgia is part of the next generation of ...

Two months ago, Khiara Keating left Meadow Park in tears. On Sunday, she left it as Manchester City’s hero! 
Chloe and Rachel look back on a huge victory for Man City and how Keating has slowly become...

Today, we are joined by English football royalty. Chloe sits down with former England and Arsenal player Marieanne Spacey-Cale, who has guided Southampton from the fifth tier right to the very brink o...

Leah Williamson was back and it was all looking so promising for Arsenal. But then… enter West Ham!
Chloe and Rachel look back on a huge defeat that leaves Arsenal’s title hopes seriously damaged – bu...

Today, we’re joined by an England and Manchester City legend who is absolutely GREAT craic too: it’s the one and only, Demi Stokes!
Chloe and Rachel sit down with her to talk about Green Football Week...

We all thought the race for the WSL title was the real spectacle this season. But no: it’s actually Bristol City’s blow-up apple race at half-time.
Chloe and Rachel bring the latest from across the WS...

We’re at Stamford Bridge for our first EVER episode at a Champions League game! Chloe and Rachel bring you their reaction to Chelsea’s hard-fought win over Real Madrid. But with Hannah Hampton’s fumbl...

The WSL is back! Chloe and Rachel are here to give it a warm welcome after its winter hibernation – and we kick off with one of the windiest football matches Dagenham has ever witnessed…
Chloe explain...

Rachel heads to Stamford Bridge to speak to one of Chelsea’s most quietly influential players: it’s Niamh Charles!
Niamh gives her honest thoughts on Chelsea’s battles with Man United last season and ...

The news is out! Sarina Wiegman will be staying on as the head coach of the Lionesses until at least the 2027 World Cup.
Chloe and Rachel react to that and bring you the best stories from across the F...

Ahead of Durham’s clash with Manchester City on Sunday, Chloe sits down with their captain and one of the longest-serving players in their history, Sarah Wilson! They reflect on Durham’s journey since...

We’re back! Chloe and Rachel react to gutting news that the WSL’s sharpshooter, Sam Kerr, is out with an ACL injury for the rest of the season and ask the big question: how can Chelsea deal without he...

After news of Sam Kerr’s ACL injury broke at the weekend, we wanted to revisit our exploration of ACL injuries in women’s football just over 12 months ago – when another of the WSL’s stars was ruled o...

Chloe and Rachel count down their top five stories from one heck of a year! Featuring emotional moments in Australia, a title race to end all title races, and the start of a long goodbye for one of th...

The title race, the relegation battle, the top four disruptors – it’s all on the table on today’s ep!
Chloe and Rachel give a top-to-bottom review of the WSL season so far before the winter break begi...

Ahead of Sunday’s showdown against Chelsea, Chloe and Rachel headed to - that’s right - Wetherspoons! After steaming through many pints and cooked breakfasts (not really), they sat down with Tara and ...

We’re at the Emirates! Chloe and Rachel took in a dramatic 90 minutes between two of the WSL’s heavyweights and then headed to the press box to react to it all!
How did Arsenal pull off one of the bes...

England fought back on Friday! Not that Chloe would know, she was already on her way to Boxpark…
Chloe and Rachel discuss the showdown with Scotland, NewCo, and welcome a Queen of the Jungle to the Ha...

What’s going on with Ellie Roebuck? Chloe and Rachel try to figure out the question on everyone’s lips on today’s show!
While Roebuck failed to make Sarina Wiegman’s squad, Beth Mead is back, people –...

Earps, I did it again.
Chloe and Rachel look back on an eventful Manchester derby where Mary Earps once again swore in full view of the cameras – and for good reason. 
Plus, Chloe reminds us of her sl...

Just when you thought the WSL was about to calm down, it throws up a weekend like that!
Chloe and Rachel unpack Brighton’s shock defeat of Manchester City and *that* Arsenal second half against Bristo...

Chloe and Rachel react to Saturday’s seismic news that Emma Hayes will be leaving Chelsea - and the WSL - at the end of the season! 
We discuss what’s next for Hayes, Chelsea and the league as a whole...

Chloe and Rachel bring you a tour of all the international action! 
Sarina Wiegman continues her transformation from Consistency Queen to Surprise Queen as England complete part one of the Belgium dou...

One of the WSL’s best ever players returned to the pitch on Sunday. No, it wasn’t Chloe Morgan – it was Viv Miedema!
Clo and Rach pick apart Spurs’ battering of Aston Villa and reflect on the continue...

Chloe and Rachel discuss Beth Mead’s dramatic comeback, why the Foxes continue to outsmart every rabbit in the WSL, and look forward to Mark Skinner dipping his hand into another tombola to pick his M...

On today’s bonus episode, Chloe and Rachel are joined by Claire Bloomfield. She’s the Head of Women’s Football at the European Club Association, which has become a vital part of governance within the ...

Loads more WSL action for us to get stuck into, after Arsenal and Man United played out a cracker under the Friday night lights, with orchestras and dramatic moments aplenty.
We also chat about the bi...

We’re very comfortable with our title as “women’s football experts” but we have to admit that the opening weekend of the WSL made some of us look very stupid.
Today, Chloe and Rachel kick things off b...

Chloe and Rachel are back to preview the opening weekend of the WSL 2023/24 campaign and the season as a whole!
What lies in wait? Which players should we look out for? Expect flaming hot predictions ...

Before Thursday’s WSL preview, Chloe and Rachel discuss the first round of Nations League fixtures! Were England really as bad as everyone made out? Just HOW did Spain beat Sweden after the toxic whir...

We’re back! And guess what? We’re diving headfirst into the chaos.
Chloe and Rachel discuss all the biggest stories since the end of the World Cup, including a summer of scandal that has overshadowed ...

In our final episode Down Under, Chloe and Rachel convene in the bowels of the Olympic Stadium in Sydney to discuss the 2023 World Cup final, where Spain carried home their first trophy. England, you ...

History, here we come.
Chloe and Rachel preview the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup! We discuss the media’s suggestion to put Lauren James in socks and why Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh have the cha...

The Lionesses have reached their first ever World Cup final! And they only went and beat the bloody hosts en route!
We praise England’s role as the pantomime villain against Australia and how the like...

We have our first World Cup finalists, after Spain squeeze past Sweden via a chaotic final ten minutes! We celebrate some amazing performances from various players, in spite of Jorge Vilda’s looming p...

How about that England fans? Another semi-final! Were you calm like Chloe watching that match or did you want to throw your tele out the window like Rachel did when England were trying to run down the...

It’s properly business time! Chloe and Rachel reconvene to look ahead to the quarter-finals, after France swatted Morocco aside and Jamaica’s spirited run came to an end against Colombia.  
We highlig...

Chloe and Rachel catch their breath after a shoddy England were almost knocked out by a vastly superior Nigeria. But we march on!
Elsewhere, the US are going home in a flurry of ifs, buts and maybes -...

For the first time ever, Germany are out of the World Cup before the knockouts. Chloe is fresh back from the stadium in Brisbane to react to it all with Rachel – and she comes with some stunning revel...

England are back, baby! Chloe and Rachel giddily reconvene after England’s stylish 6-1 win, with Lauren James further cementing herself as the jewel in England’s crown. All hail Sarina!
Plus, the US g...

Yet more chaos from Down Under for Rachel and Chloe to get stuck into, as Australia defy expectations and turn in a ruthless performance - even without Sam Kerr!
We look over that, check in with the I...

Chloe and Rach break out the wine for a post-England debrief. Another 1-0 win means progression is all but secured - we rave about Lauren James, pour one out for Keira Walsh after she was stretchered ...

What a last few days! All the action has left Chloe and Rachel *seriously* delirious. Strap yourselves in for this one.
The girls jump on mic just after the Philippines picked up their first EVER Worl...

England get off to a winning start, but a pretty unconvincing one. So, what next?
Chloe and Rachel react to the Lionesses 1-0 victory over a fearless Haiti side and discuss what needs to change ahead ...

Chloe and Rachel relive Day 1 of the 2023 World Cup, where both hosts got off to the perfect start. We discuss Australia’s scrappy win over Rachel’s girls and the incredible support from the Green Arm...

Chloe and Rachel are back with the second part of our bumper World Cup preview, ahead of the tournament’s opening matches TOMORROW!
If you’ve come for the headline acts, you’re in the right place. We’...

It’s FINALLY HERE! The World Cup starts on Thursday, and we’ve got all the info you need ahead of the biggest women’s football tournament in history.
Today, Chloe and Rachel look at England’s chances ...

Carly has been to not one, not two, but THREE World Cups! So who better to tell us about how to prepare for a major tournament?
Chloe and Rachel sit down with Carly for a fascinating pod, where Carly ...

Chloe and Rachel convene after England’s final game before the World Cup ends with no goals and A LOT of substitutions. But has the reaction been… a bit much?
We discuss recalibrated expectations, the...

Haiti’s opening game against England next month will be the country’s first match at a World Cup since 1974.
To find out more about the remarkable story of England’s opponents, Chloe sat down with one...

It’s our first Upfront Down Under! Rachel is in Sydney and she simply HAD to kick off by talking to an Aussie.
Fortunately, former Matildas midfielder Alicia Ferguson is about as Aussie as they come! ...

A month out from the World Cup, Chloe and Rachel convene (on the stairs) at St George’s Park for a special Lionesses pod! They discuss their impressions of England’s very first open training session, ...

Today, we’re joined by a Euros golden boot winner, a globetrotting striker, and an England legend: it’s Jodie Taylor!
Chloe and Rachel quiz her about her time with the Lionesses, her thoughts on their...

Chloe and Rachel welcome one of the stars of Arsenal’s run to the semi-final of this season’s Champions League: it’s Scotland legend, Jen Beattie!
She reveals what it’s REALLY like to face Barcelona i...

Chloe and Rachel throw out the red carpet and get their glad rags on for THE definitive awards in women's football!
We pick our player and manager of the season, our favourite quote, our biggest WTF m...

Upfront

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