Upfront - A Women's Football Podcast

Chloe’s back from Miami and joins Rach in the studio - sadly with no piña colada in hand - to break down England’s underwhelming, but not disastrous, 1-1 draw against Portugal in their Nations League opener. Elsewhere, Carla Ward got her first - albeit scrappy - win with Ireland so Rach is of course buzzing about that, and then we look to Scotland who didn’t quite kickstart their new era in the sa...

International football is back tomorrow! Which means we’ve roped in Republic of Ireland defender Aoife Mannion to tell us all about her Ireland journey after debuting for the Girls in Green two years ago this month. Aoife opens up about overcoming setbacks throughout her career - after suffering two ACL injuries - and reveals what it’s like to play with an underdog mentality in the Ireland squad....

Chloe’s still living it up in Miami, but fear not: today, Rachel is joined by certified commentary royalty as she gets stuck into the latest news with BBC Sport’s Robyn Cowen! We chat about a disappointing North London Derby, where Spurs showed they’ve gone backwards since last season and Arsenal turned on the style in front of 56,784 Chloe Kelly stans. Elsewhere, Chelsea snatched yet another vict...

We’d like to start by thanking Mary Fowler for saving us all - but especially one very cold Rach - from extra-time against Arsenal last week. Her and Clo react to Man City getting through to the League Cup final to face, you guessed it… Chelsea! Elsewhere, the FA Cup delivered some serious squeaky bum time moments this weekend and we also give our thoughts on whether ‘B Teams’ in the lower tiers a...

It’s been a rather chaotic week for Manchester City… First with Chloe Kelly’s turbulent exit and then with that seven-goal thriller against Arsenal! Chloe and Rachel are here to react to it all! Plus, Everton opened the floodgates against one of the meanest defences in the league, Chelsea have signed none other than Keira Walsh and Rach explains which teams have had a great window and who could’ve...

Would it really be a London derby if there wasn’t some last minute drama?! We give our takes on the penalty decision that gave Chelsea yet another three points and react to Katie McCabe seeing red. Elsewhere, Viv Miedema’s back doing GOAT things and we have Sonny B’s bare ankles in our thoughts and prayers. Plus - much to Chloe’s excitement - Naomi Girma has made the move to Chelsea for a record $...

The WSL is back from the winter break! And that Manchester derby was certainly worth the wait. Clo and Rach are once again full of praise for Ella Toone after her hat-trick and we wonder whether it’s crunch time for Gareth Taylor. Elsewhere, Liverpool put in a sharp display against Brighton to take all three points - but Matt Beard’s on a revenge mission against the PGMOL. And THIS time, he has vi...

Chloe and Rachel are back together in the studio! And there’s nothing like a whole bunch of postponements to get us kicked off for 2025, is there?! Besides that though, there were some very exciting returns in the FA Cup – we give our takes on Ella Toone, Viv Miedema and LJ’s returns, plus how the FA Cup can be made more competitive after another upset-less weekend. We also react to Jonas Eidevall...

We’re back with our first episode of 2025! Chloe sits down with Maggie Murphy to unpack some of the big headlines set to shape women’s football in 2025: from Barclays’ renewed sponsorship deal to the record five-year TV broadcasting deal. Elsewhere, Maggie explains why Brighton’s proposed women’s stadium would be a game-changer, discusses whether the Championship should actually be rebranded as th...

What a year 2024 has been in the WSL and beyond. Today, we’re wrapping it up in style with our very own ‘Upfront Wrapped’. Join Chloe and Rachel as they relive their most-watched footballing moments of 2024 and reveal their ‘Top Artists’, ‘Biggest Hits’ and ‘Watching Characters’ — spoiler, that last category is a real good’un! We also find out your New Year’s Resolutions for women’s football in 20...

It’s our final episode before Christmas! And Rach has got her special Christmas hat on – not that Chloe is particularly appreciative… Elsewhere, Chloe might have been busy tending to her sourdough but it was a hell of a WSL weekend. Chelsea dropped points and then – oh no – Man City only got done by Everton, didn’t they? We take a look across the table for our bumper mid-season review and try to w...

Chloe and Rach are here to round up another goalicious weekend in the WSL, as Chelsea won again - despite a sloppy display against a decent-looking Brighton - and Aston Villa’s lack of consistency might put Robert de Pauw’s job at risk. Plus, has Renée Slegers done enough to earn the Arsenal job full-time? We also look ahead to the fourth round of the FA Cup as the WSL sides barge in and threaten...

Whatever happens tonight in Ireland vs Wales, history will be made. And whatever happens, Rach will be watching it through her fingers! Chloe, on the other hand, jubilantly hails the renaissance of Mary Earps on today’s episode after England kept out Emma Hayes’ energetic, young US side. What did Saggy Weegs learn from an eventful 0-0? Plus, Brazil can’t do friendlies and Scotland can’t turn up fo...

The wait is nearly over: the Lionesses take on Emma Hayes' USA in just TWO days! We ponder on the problems Sarina Wiegman could use this friendly to address and Rach explains why there will be plenty of catastrophising if England lose. Elsewhere, we discuss Emma Hayes’ USWNT reign so far - and her pint-pulling skills, of course - and Chloe explains why Hayes will arrive at Wembley with revenge on...

In amidst the Conti Cup, there was a top four battle in the WSL! Well, top five. Sorry Chloe. We give our reaction to Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Man United and Rach explains why it’s time Marc Skinner gets real with the fans. Elsewhere, Marta gets over the pressure of playing in front of her mum to win the NWSL and the Euro 2025 play-off finals are here! We preview Wales vs Ireland, Scotland vs Fi...

Just over a year into her role as Northern Ireland head coach, Tanya Oxtoby joins us in the studio to reflect on her journey so far as she prepares for a crucial Euro 2025 play-off against Norway next week. Tanya explains how she landed this dream job in international management and reveals why her first six months in charge were really tough. Plus, she reveals the one thing her players hate most...

The French Revolution continues under Sonia Bompastor at Chelsea! Chloe and Rachel react to a statement victory over Manchester City thanks to a statement performance from Mayra Ramirez and co. Elsewhere, Everton finally break their duck in the Merseyside Derby – but Matt Beard cries conspiracy. And WSL royalty announce some exciting news… Follow us on  X ,  Instagram , and  YouTube...

Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen is at the forefront of a powerful movement urging Fifa to end its sponsorship deal with Saudi oil giant Aramco over human rights violations and environmental concerns. Rachel sat down with Sofie to find out why her open letter - signed by over 100 players - is a crucial step forward in driving change, the power footballers have to make a real difference, a...

The season’s big showdown is almost here: Chelsea vs Manchester City. On today’s pod, Chloe and Rachel look at the numbers behind Chelsea’s sensational start – and whether Man City can stop them. Elsewhere, Arsenal surprise us pleasantly and – sadly – unpleasantly this week, while it was a difficult reality check for Brighton on Friday night. Plus, we meet the National League footballer who is try...

After a tough start to their first WSL campaign, Crystal Palace captain Aimee Everett is here to give us the lowdown on how they’ve steadied the ship, what’s surprised her most about the league and what it means - as a 23-year-old woman - to be a leader at this level. Plus, Aimee reveals which team she watches in her spare time - even if she is forced to - and tackles the all-important q...

Over a quarter of the way through the season and Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton are still winless. Who’s going to drag themselves out of the mire first?! Clo and Rach discuss that and put the WSL’s new TV rights deal under the microscope. What does it mean for the game and for the fans? Tune in to find out! Join the Official Upfront fantasy WSL league! Click here and enter the code IKNCM61. Fol...

To mark the final day of Black History Month, Chloe sat down with a true trailblazer in English football: the first black woman to play for the Lionesses, Kerry Davis. From being picked to play for England ‘out of the blue’ to holding the top goalscorer record and getting to that famous Euro 1984 final, Kerry revisits some of the standout moments that defined her storied career. Plus, she tells us...

Alright everyone, stay calm - the Lionesses have lost a game. Nothing to panic about. Chloe and Rachel pick through a chaotic Friday night at Wembley that finished Germany 4-3 England and ask what changes Sarina Wiegman should make ahead of their friendly against South Africa tonight. Elsewhere, Ireland turned on the style in Georgia but Wales struggled in their Euro 2025 qualifier - who’s going t...

The level of youth women's football is better than it's ever been. Rach is in the Dominican Republic for the U17 World Cup and sat down with England's head coach Natalie Henderson to find out more. Natalie reveals some of the biggest challenges preparing for this tournament, shares the toughest part about her job and explains why youth football's ever-improving level has been so important for her...

Karate Kaneryd struck on Sunday night with a stunning volley as Chelsea sunk Spurs 5-2. But it wasn’t a game without controversy! Chloe and Rachel discuss the return of the goal line technology debate after no one – linesman included, fans included, Rachel in sunny Dominican Republic included – managed to get a good angle of Hannah Hampton’s fumble. Elsewhere, we check in with Arsenal after two so...