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News broke yesterday about the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup; all games taking place Sunday 16 May, a week after the WSL season ends (and the day before fans can return to live sport!!!) Winners of Brighton v City this Sunday in the fourth round will go on to host non-league Huddersfield or Derby... https://womenscompetitions.thefa.com/en/Article/vitality-womens-fa-cup-fifth-round-draw-20210412 (Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if City fielded a weaker team to save the best for the remaining WSL games. A cup run is nice but with the Conti Cup this season already, I'm not as bothered) ?

Congrats to Charlie Wellings who has been nominated for the WSL Player of the Month. Superb in the games against Reading & Birmingham! Go vote!

Episode 22 of Bristol City Vixencast is now out! We cover yet another 4-0 defeat at Twerton Park, Baggers stopping Miedema's hat-trick, relegation run-ins & say #VoteFlo, loud & proud in regards to the PFA Players Board election. Also contains some references to Taylor Swift. Listen here!

FT 0-4. Arsenal got goals at both ends of the first half, and then a two minute fest in the second half. From what I could see, City were better in the first half, and it was disappointing to concede so early as well as right before half time. However, with Chelsea beating Birmingham 6-0, Villa losing 3-1 to Everton, and of course West Ham's result yesterday, there's no change at the bottom of the table, with City still 11th and Villa 12th. Would have posted earlier but just recorded the latest episode of Vixencast, due to be edited & out soon. Similar to other Bristol City fan podcasts; the worse the result, the funnier the episode (usually)!

Squad for today's game. No sight of Salmon at all; she's most likely injured or being rested...

They seem to be the team to beat if you want to maintain WSL survival ? As it stands, this would drop City down to 11th and Villa in bottom. Villa playing Everton tomorrow, and also Birmingham playing Chelsea. If both Midlands teams were to lose, and City win against Arsenal, we'd move up to 9th - but this is all being optimistic for all results to go our way P.S. This is also ex-Vixen Jess Fishlock's last game for Reading before she heads back to OL Reign in the States. Probably not the send-off she was expecting!

https://www.arsenal.com/news/thank-you-joe-and-good-luck Big news today from City's next opponents this Sunday, Arsenal, confirming that their head coach Joe Montemurro is due to leave at the end of the season. Don't know if this may have a positive or negative influence on them, but they are pushing to get the final Champions League spot this season, and haven't been WSL title contenders for a couple of seasons now, ever since they won it back in 2018/19. Hopefully this could be a huge upset at Twerton Park on Sunday. COYR

I hope so. Especially if the men's academy team, who were also at Stoke Gifford, are moving there. In a recent episode of The Ladies League, an Australian fan podcast which featured Ella Mastrantonio, she confirmed that the women were due to train in Failand where the men are, but because of Covid, teams still had to stay seperate

New episode of Vixencast podcast out now, talking about the game Listen here

FT 1-1. Unlucky not to keep the win. However, with Villa losing against Chelsea, City now move up to 10th in the table!

Shame City Women don't have all-red kits in this situation (also funny that in their last home game, Man City also wore white shorts and this was deemed fine)

One change in line-up; Charlie Wellings (who was missing last week for unknown reasons (great communication from the club!?)) returns and replaces Flo Allen in the line-up. Kick off 4pm; live on FA Player. I'll be watching this while trying to keep an eye out on the F1 at the same time and the England game kicking off at 5pm. COYR

Great to see Meaghan Sargeant back in training, considering she hasn't played since January 2020 when she had her ACL injury. Not sure if it will be too soon for her to play this Sunday (against her old club Birmingham)

Villa's next few WSL games are against Chelsea & Everton, and West Ham's are against Man Utd & Reading. Villa v West Ham games will be close, like Birmingham v West Ham last week was (2-2 draw). Speaking of Birmingham, this Sunday's game with City will now be back at their home ground in Solihull... https://bcfc.com/news/articles/2021/venue-confirmed-blues-women-v-bristol-city/

Big move for the game! Sky Sports will replace BT as the main broadcaster, and there will be games on BBC One/Two as opposed to the red button/iPlayer. Hopefully City will be able to take advantage of this from next season ?

Welcome aboard! You can download the app or visit this link. It's completely free https://faplayer.thefa.com/home/all Also, if you are a podcast fan, feel free to listen/subscribe to Bristol City Vixencast

Great to see Salmon & Evans back after missing the Man City game. What a header from Evans! At least we're off the bottom of the table now. Next game is away to Birmingham next Sunday. But before then, I'm about to record the next episode of Vixencast...

Probably seen as the fact that, at least in the WSL, City have apparently struggled the most with finances. At least the Conti Cup Final prize money, whatever that amount is, will also be a boost, as well as selling Chloe Logarzo to Kansas City in the NWSL during the January transfer window

Also, does anyone know what Steve Lansdown said in the Robins TV build-up (and other) coverage of the Conti Cup Final? I couldn't watch it as it clashed with the Zoom watchalong. Mainly asking as I came across this Sky Sports article which has quoted this: "Chelsea Women is "a critical part of Chelsea and shapes who we are as a club," Abramovich has told Forbes in a rare interview. "I see no reason why clubs wouldn't want to support women's football and provide the best possible opportunity for them to succeed," he said.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/12251188/coronavirus-government-hands-out-680000-grant-to-help-six-womens-football-clubs "Six women's football clubs have been handed grants totalling £680,000 from the Government's sport winter survival package. WSL clubs Birmingham City Women and Bristol City Women, along with second-tier Women's Championship teams Blackburn Rovers Ladies, Lewes FC Women, London Bees and London City Lionesses will receive the funding, taking the Government's total support for women's football to £2.9m. The money will help cover the lack of spectators, allowing the clubs to complete their seasons." Don't know if it's a coincidence that all the clubs listed are either independent, or don't have their respective men's team play in the Premier League. The other WSL club that doesn't have their men's team in the Premier League is Reading. I believe all teams in the WSL & Championship are subject to the winter survival package, but it's interesting to see City Women & these other five clubs stand out

Episode 19 of Bristol City Vixencast is now out! All links here. Preview below