Rise Higher

England

There were two WSL matches mid-week—the first featured Shelina Zadorsky, who started for West Ham before exiting in the 57th minute due to injury. The Hammers were able to draw with Manchester City 1-1. In the second WSL match, Chelsea won 3-1 against Leicester City. Kadeisha Buchanan remained unavailable for Chelsea whereas Ashley Lawrence entered in the 57th minute. Deanne Rose made her return from injury for Leicester City, coming off the bench in the 67th minute.

Neither Simi Awujo nor Jayde Riviere featured for Manchester United in their 3-1 win over Championship side Sunderland in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Aston Villa lost 2-0 in their quarter-final match against Manchester City, with Sabrina D’Angelo in net for the Villans. Liverpool upset Arsenal with a 1-0 win, advancing to the semi-finals. Olivia Smith played the full match for Liverpool, earning Player of the Round honours from Adobe UK. Chelsea continued their winning ways with a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the final quarter-final match. Lawrence played the full match for Chelsea, whereas Clarissa Larisey played 78 for Palace.

Italy

Evelyne Viens was rested for Roma in their 3-0 win over Sassuolo in the second leg of the Italian Women’s Cup semi-final. With their win, they advanced to the final with a 6-1 aggregate win. Lysianne Proulx was also on the bench for Juventus as they won 1-0 over Fiorentina in their semi-final of the Italian Women’s Cup; they also advance to the final on a 4-2 aggregate advantage.

In league play, Viens played the full match for Roma as they won 2-1 over Inter. Viens earned the penalty kick that led to Roma equalizing the match. Proulx was once again on the bench for Juventus as they drew 2-2 with Milan.

Portugal

Marie Alidou and Benfica emerged victorious in the Taça da Liga final with a 2-1 win over Sporting CP. Alidou played the full match for Benfica, with Jeneva Hernandez Gray an unused substitute for Sporting.

Sweden

Carly Wickenheiser played 82 minutes for BK Häcken in their 5-0 win over Umeå in the group stage of the Svenska Cupen.

USA

In the first NWSL action of 2025, the Washington Spirit got revenge on the Orlando Pride and won the Challenge Cup. Gabrielle Carle played the full match for the Spirit, who won 1(4)-1(2) on penalty kicks.

Player of the Week: Olivia Smith