Two teams in transition, one with the budget of a small country and the other Brighton & Hove Albion, took to the field on Saturday night in Bromley. Neither the game nor the result were pretty, particularly if you’re an Albion fan, and the club now sit 11th in the table with just two points from four games.

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• For a full recap of the match action courtesy of Bruce Talbot on the Official BHAFC Website click: HERE
• Match highlights are available via the Sky Sports WSL YouTube channel: HERE
• The SheGulls Podcast will be reviewing the game on Monday night from 9pm over on the SheGulls YouTube channel: HERE – where you can watch via the Live tab or on catch-up any time after broadcast!

Brighton & Hove Albion

• Both sides found it hard to get a grip on the game early with Brighton only able to create a couple of half chances and LCL having the better of the territorial battle, but not threatening to break the deadlock.
• That was until the 30th minute when a shot from Grace Geyoro drew a routine save from Chiamaka Nnadozie in the Brighton goal. She could only parry the ball out and Gabby George’s hurried clearance fell straight to Alexia Putellas who fired past the Albion stopper and into the net. Whilst not quite a calamity of errors, if George gets power on her clearance, or Nnadozie gets a hand to what looked like a very saveable shot, then the Seagulls don’t go a goal down.
• They responded in the right manner though. Just five minutes later Emily Murphy pinged a header off the bar from a Fran Kirby cross and Kiko Seike sliced the rebound wide. A difficult chance? Or an opportunity that should have been taken?
• Either way the scoreboard read 1-0 to the home team at half time, the third WSL game out of four this season where the Albion have been down by a goal at the break. This team is tough, but where they are as it stands, they cannot keep having to come from behind.
• The game carried on in much the same pattern, both sides with the occasional snatched chance, but neither looking particularly dangerous. As the half continued Brighton were forced to play higher and with more risk in search of a reply. Unfortunately, that was what led to them conceding their second in stoppage time.
• Kirby dwelt for a second too long in the midfield and Danielle Van de Donk robbed her of possession. She took a moment and played a ball out to the right flank where Delphine Cascarino raced on to it. Her low cross picked out Lucia Corrales at the back post who found the net from short range. A good move granted, but born of fatigue, effort and the pursuit of at least a point.
• 2-0 was perhaps a little harsh on the visitors in what was quite an even game, but ultimately they did something twice the Albion couldn’t do once, despite having multiple opportunities. This is where the gap in the two teams stands out – when the game needs something from nothing, a spark in an otherwise tight back-and-forth battle – the depth and quality of the squad will win you points.
• Look at the nail in the coffin: Van de Donk – an ex-Arsenal and Lyon player who won the domestic league and cup with both and the UEFA Women’s Champions League with the latter. A Netherlands international capped 170+ times, a UEFA European Championship winner and FIFA World Cup runner-up.
  She passes it to Cascarino – a nine-time winner of the French domestic league, six-time winner of the French domestic cup, six-time winner of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and a French international capped 80+ times.
  Her cross finds Lucia Corrales – a 20 year old former Barcelona academy graduate with 7 caps for Spain already and cost London City a reported €500,000 – who scores the goal.
  When you need someone to step up and do something, odds are they – or Putellas or Anyomi, or Diani, or insert star name here – will.
• This is not to denigrate the Albion players, who fought valiantly the entire game, but just a statement of where the sport is right now. One step forward is realistically two steps back and you can only disrupt the league if you are willing to put the big bucks in and make a much bigger leap.
• It wouldn’t be particularly fair to single out players for praise or criticism as they all gave it 100%, however it could be said that whilst nobody played badly, nobody particularly stood out either, which is a separate issue in itself.
• Overall it was probably a good measuring stick for where the clubs are at the moment, both searching for consistency and rhythm, but one with the ability to sign the world’s top stars and the other trying to overcome proven ability with team ethic and work rate.
• Onwards and upwards hopefully for Brighton as the WSL game against Charlton next Sunday becomes an absolute must win.

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London City Lionesses

• London City were always going to do well this season – they have too much quality not to – but how well is the more pertinent question. They do still look like they’re getting used to playing with each other, but when it works you can imagine they’ll be a threat to most teams in the WSL. That won’t always convert into points though and this writer’s best guess is that they miss out on Europe and end the season just a whisker outside the top four.
• The experience of attending an away game at the Copperjax was once again a pleasure. The fans are always very welcoming and there is lots to see and do around the ground. There were lots of freebies for LCL supporters and a free programme for both sets of fans. That’s two WSL games in a row where we have received a proper printed programme without spending a penny!
• I appeared on the London City Roar podcast last week and I was really touched by the amount of LCL fans who went out of their way to come and say hello. It’s always incredible to meet SheGulls fans, and if appearing on other shows spreads the word and gains us a network of supporters all working towards the betterment of the game – then long may that continue!

Other Business

• The attendance was reported as 4,177 compared to 3,302 last season, but the ground looked much fuller to my untrained eye. The Putellas effect in action.
• It was great to be back on the coach and listen in to everyone dissecting the game and staying optimistic (for the most part). I enjoy hearing perspectives from inside the fanbase and they often challenge my own, which makes for a more well-rounded and balanced discussion on the podcast.

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The SheGulls Podcast, where we will discuss the London City game and look ahead to the Subway Cup game against Spurs on Wednesday, will be live on Monday @ 9pm via YouTube – and available subsequently on demand by clicking on the ‘Live’ tab on the channel menu.

Make sure you tune in on Thursday night too for SheGulls Extra where we’ll review the Spurs match and preview the Charlton fixture next weekend!

Audio of both episodes will be released later via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

See you all soon!