EXCLUSIVE: Lessons from the preseason: The battle is on for Earps and Miedema is rested

Mary Earps, the former keeper of Manchester United, has stated that she was motivated to join Paris Saint-Germain due to the opportunity to win additional trophies. In just a few months, the French club has already secured some minor silverware by winning the final of the friendly Perth International Football Cup with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.

Nevertheless, the Sunday final primarily served to demonstrate that the England goalie may face a significant challenge in securing the regular No. 1 uniform at PSG. This was due to the fact that her teammate Katarzyna Kiedrzynek made a series of saves to prevent Manchester City from scoring. Earps had maintained a clean sheet and played well in the 1-0 semi-final victory over West Ham on Thursday. However, the Poland shot-stopper was selected for the final and caused the English team to become frustrated.

In a game that Manchester City could have won by a comfortable margin, Kiedrzynek was outstanding as she expertly denied Laura Blindkilde Brown when one-on-one, bravely prevented another goal by saving at the feet of the Jamaica striker Khadija Shaw, and stopped Mary Fowler’s follow-up. Additionally, she kept out a deflected Jess Park strike. Nevertheless, PSG secured a 1-0 victory as a result of Jennifer Echegini’s late penalty.

Manchester City will derive significant benefits from their performance against one of the Champions League semi-finalists from the previous season, despite the crushing defeat. Their midfield was the dominant force in the match, and the game was largely influenced by the exceptional passing of deep-lying midfielder Yui Hasegawa, which insured that City maintained possession of the ball for extended periods. The 15,091 spectators in Perth who were present will have been enthralled by their attacking football.

The Women’s Super League team possessed the ball for 69% of the game and should have been awarded a penalty for a blatant foul in the box on Shaw during the first half. Before the latter phases of the game, when both teams had made a swathe of substitutions to exercise some pre-season experimentation and rotation, Gareth Taylor’s team had six attempts on target to PSG’s two. They will know that they were the stronger side.

Taylor provided Khiara Keating, his No. 1 custodian from the previous season, and Ayaka Yamashita, his new summer signing, with one start each during their journey to Perth. They rotated at halftime to ensure that both shot-stoppers played for 45 minutes in each match. The Japan goalkeeper Yamashita’s remarkable on-the-ball work during possession will undoubtedly have provided Taylor with some fuel for thought in advance of his team’s inaugural WSL game at Arsenal on September 22. Neither player committed any errors.

After witnessing Yamashita save two penalties in Wednesday’s shootout victory in the semi-final against Leicester, Keating, the recipient of the WSL golden glove award last season, was sent the wrong way by Echegini’s 88th-minute spot-kick on Sunday. Yamashita secured both Sophie Howard and Yuka Momiki’s penalty shots after the game concluded without a goal.

It appears that Taylor is also facing a challenging – yet advantageous – selection dilemma in the attacking zone. Aoba Fujino, a youthful forward from Japan, has made a promising debut, showcasing her potential in two appearances off the bench in Perth. Additionally, England’s Chloe Kelly and Australia’s Fowler are competing for positions in a formidable front three that is expected to include Shaw and Lauren Hemp.

The Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema will also offer a world-class option in attack. However, the WSL’s all-time record goalscorer was not included in the matchday squad for City on Sunday. Nevertheless, club sources maintained that Miedema was not injured and that her minutes were being strategically allocated to enhance her fitness during the preseason.

However, the absence of Miedema will have been a source of disappointment for certain City fans, particularly in light of her impressive performance as a late substitute against Leicester on Wednesday. Upon her introduction, the 28-year-old promptly struck the crossbar with her head. Subsequently, she was mysteriously denied a penalty when custodian Lize Kop brought her down in the area during the final minutes. Nevertheless, Miedema remained unfazed and confidently executed the decisive spot-kick in the shootout.

Leicester’s narrow loss was merely the beginning of a trip that bolstered their confidence. Under their new manager, Amandine Miquel, they demonstrated instantaneous improvements and concluded their journey with a resounding 5-2 victory over West Ham.

Leicester’s acquisition during the summer Noémie Mouchon, the France junior international who was acquired from Reims, the former team of Miquel, exhibited all the attributes of a successful WSL striker. She executed dangerous runs and scored against West Ham with poise and skill. Leicester supporters will be optimistic that she will be one of the transfer window’s most promising discoveries.

Leicester possessed a robust spine behind Mouchon, which was bolstered by Ruby Mace’s promising performance and Momiki’s intricate through passes and footwork. The Foxes’ supporters will have received immense encouragement for the season as a result of the energetic and adventurous runs made by Missy Goodwin, who was also on the scoresheet, in the wide area. The team dismantled the team that finished just one place below them in the WSL last term. Leicester’s objectives were concluded by Momiki, Sam Tierney, and Saori Takarada.

West Ham’s defensive deficiencies were readily apparent, and Rehanne Skinner’s team appeared to be lagging behind. From a West Ham perspective, the match was concerningly one-sided, but there is no need for them to despair, as they still have three weeks of pre-season preparation to complete. Additionally, they will have been somewhat encouraged by Viviane Asseyi’s late double.