Upfront - A Women's Football Podcast

Flo, Rachel and Chloe react to the seismic news that, after six years, a group of U.S. Women's players settled their ongoing lawsuit with U.S. Soccer around equal pay and fair remuneration for future generations.  To help us understand the ramifications and what happens next, we're joined by the Wall Street Journal's Rachel Bachman, who's been at the heart of this story. We also look ahead to...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen pick up the pieces from a fascinating Champions League midweek and try to fit them all together. Let's hope it's nothing like Bodø/Glimt’s mosaic, mind… We start in Spain and the battle of The Crashing Realistics, as Unai Emery’s men strained on the leash against a Juventus side already leaning on their new number nine. We also take in a gripping battle between two t...

Rachel joins Flo and Chloe live from Wolverhampton ahead of England's final game at the Arnold Clark Cup on today's Upfront. She gives us the inside scoop on how the tournament's going and England's improvements under Sarina Wiegman.  We also assess the fortunes of a new-look USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup and look ahead to the latest round of FA Cup fixtures, as some minnows make a bid for the...

Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge revel in the return of the Champions League, as RB Salzburg ran Bayern ragged and Real Madrid fans almost celebrated Kylian Mbappé's winner against their side. We also pick through the rubble after Sporting failed to blow the bloody doors off Porto's grip on the Primeira Liga top spot - chaos ensued! Got a question for us? Find us on socials @ footballramble . ***Pl...

Well, Arsenal vs Chelsea finished 0-0 after we said there'd be goals - but what a game it was! Flo, Rachel and Chloe bring you the latest on the WSL title race as it looks set to go right down to the wire. There's also a title race unfolding in Scotland as Rangers hold off Glasgow City. We track the impressive development of the SWPL and look ahead to the Lionesses' fixtures in the Arnold Clark Cu...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen search far and wide for reasons why Borussia Dortmund are struggling - turns out they just need some defenders. We also look ahead to a battle of the Haves and the Have Mores in the Champions League next week and despair at the alarming state of women's football in France after Ada Hegerberg's recent comments. Got a question for us? Find us on socials @ footballrambl...

What happens when your best goalscorer is also your best creator? Ahead of the definitive week in this season's WSL, we try to solve Arsenal's Miedema conundrum! Elsewhere, Everton have parted company with Jean-Luc Vasseur after ten games - is this the start of a trend? We also discuss the merits of expanding both the WSL and Championship as more teams push for success. Got a question for us? Twee...

Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini react to a busy transfer window for our continental counterparts, as Inter snap up Robin Goses and Krzysztof Piątek moves once again! We also wonder how Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will fit in at Barcelona and finally get a result from a feisty edition of Le Classique, two months after it started! Got a question for us? Find us on socials @footballramble. ***Please take...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe are back with another Upfront, your weekly guide to the biggest stories from across women's football! Today, we round up the fourth round of the FA Cup as Leicester and Southampton secured upsets while Bridgwater's dream run came to an end. We also react to Australia's shock exit at the Asian Cup and discuss a significant - but not substantial enough - improvement in players'...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen assess the reasoned sense - but enraged fallout - behind Dušan Vlahović’s move to the Empire.  We also wonder why so many of the world’s best players have impending contract expirations and head to Belgium to check in with the most unlikely of title challenges from newly promoted Union Saint-Gilloise! Leicester who?! Got a question for us? Find us on socials @fo...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe get amongst those fighting to clamber out of the WSL mid-table mire, as West Ham continued their rise this weekend while compounding Everton's worries. We also touch on some bizarre officiating and wonder what needs to be done to better support WSL and Championship referees, before looking ahead to the return of the FA Cup as Bridgewater United look to continue their giant-ki...

Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge recap a two-day Sevillan derby where fan trouble ended the first game prematurely, before Betis snuck the behind-closed-doors replay. Ah, Seville, never change. We also revel in some glorious cross-continental capers, as Zinedine Zidane's potential move to PSG might start one almighty chain reaction. We also celebrate the return of Hatem Ben Arfa and wonder why we l...

Both sides of Manchester continued their impressive WSL form this weekend. Flo, Chloe and Rachel are here with the lowdown on those chasing that elusive Champions League spot. We also eye up the FA Championship contenders, as Liverpool and London City Lionesses go about their business in wholly different ways while Chloe's Crystal Palace snap at their heels. We also look ahead to the Asian Cup and...

It's Super Cups galore on today's edition of On The Continent as Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini recap a cracking win for Inter over Juventus in last night's Supercoppa - with a 120th-minute winner from Alexis Sánchez, no less!  The Saudi Arabian edition of the Spanish Super Cup also raises a few eyebrows and we pore over Bayern's decision to make Kingsley Coman the highest-paid employee of any...

Upfront is back for 2022! Join Flo Lloyd-Hughes, Rachel O'Sullivan and Chloe Morgan every Tuesday for your definitive guide to the biggest stories in women's football. Today, after a shock defeat to an excellent Birmingham City, we wonder what Arsenal need to stop their lacklustre slide. There's also a look at potential movers in the transfer window and we ask what can be learned from a tumultuous...

If we could dream up our fantasy career, it’d probably be similar to that of today’s Ramble Meets… guest. Andy is joined by former Milan, Monaco, Rangers and England striker, Mark Hateley! From rubbing shoulders with footballing (and actual) royalty under Arsène Wenger at Monaco to winning the hearts of Inter fans at Serie A’s peak, Mark enjoyed an incredible career. He tells Andy about his contin...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen settle in for the first On The Continent of 2022 – and there are already so many questions that need answering. Chiefly: how on earth do Barcelona plan to vie for Erling Haaland’s signature all of a sudden? Unsurprisingly, things are not quite as they seem.  Plus, Andy reveals the reasons behind Jorge Jesus’ second stormy departure from Benfica and OTC’s nocturn...

We've got a slightly different episode of Upfront to round off the year as Flo, Rachel and Chloe sit down for a conversation about sexuality, openness and acceptance within women's football. The game has always been a safe space of inclusivity and acceptance for those on the pitch, in the stands and in the press box. We chat about our experiences within that sphere and what can be done to further...

On today's Ramble Meets... we're joined by a household name and one of modern's football's polymaths: it's Galatasaray and Netherlands forward, Ryan Babel! Ryan sits down with Andy to recap a diverse career that's taken him to Turkey, England, Spain and Germany. They discuss the undue expectations placed on young players, working with Rafa Benítez at Liverpool and, with the release of his new rap...

Look away, La Liga establishment: the Andalusians are coming. Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge wave through the distant - but very welcome - title charges from two of Seville's finest. Elsewhere, we try to figure out where it's all gone wrong at Borussia Mönchengladbach after their expensive coaching swoop and recap a Champions League draw so bad they did it twice. Got a question for us? Find us on...

Flo, Chloe and Rachel are back with the penultimate episode of the year as we check in with some incredible underdog performances from across the weekend. Reading rained on Chelsea's parade, with Deanne Rose grabbing an absolute worldy, while Birmingham City can take pride in their performance against Man City as their off-field issues continue. We also round up the FA Cup third round, with the Ma...

Today, we welcome one of Andy’s childhood heroes. A fully-fledged member of the Crazy Gang, he is now campaigning to revolutionise football governance: it’s former Wimbledon, Liverpool and Spurs centre back, John Scales! John lets Andy in behind the scenes at Wimbledon and explains how manager Bobby Gould mastered one of the most difficult and unique dressing rooms in football. They also discuss t...

Dotun and Andy are joined by Nicky Bandini to run the rule over the Champions League group stages for some of Europe’s fallen - or stumbling - giants. Atlético Madrid get the job done, but we examine the deeper identity crisis on Diego Simeone’s hands. We also discuss a tale of two finalists in 2015 - Juventus and Barcelona - and Nicky explains the Old Lady’s woes up front. Plus, there’s crisis in...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe look back over a dominant Chelsea win in Sunday's historic FA Cup final, with Jonas Eidevall's Arsenal miles off the pace - even after plenty of hype on our last episode! We discuss how Chelsea got the win and what Arsenal need to improve to challenge the big guns. We also look at where the broader women's game still needs to improve, one hundred years after the FA's ban that...

Join Andy in a rain-soaked Barcelona for today's episode of At The Match, as he takes in a crucial Champions League tie at the legendary Camp Nou. Despite the reduced attendance and the team's recent struggles, Andy finds an electric and expectant atmosphere as the fans welcome Xavi for his first European game in the hot seat. Andy also spoke to Goal's Rik Sharma, a Barcelona resident, about these...