Melchie Dumornay News

WSL and WCL talking points: City have a Knaak and is Dumornay the world’s best?

Dumornay makes case as world’s best Who is the best female player in the world right now? Melchie Dumornay continues to make a strong claim for that accolade after her starring role in OL Lyonnes’ comeback to beat Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals. The fearless Haiti international won a first-half penalty and provided a superb assist for Jule Brand’s late winner in the second leg, as well as being a constant thorn in Arsenal’s side with her pace, trickery and energy. The attacking midfielder, having missed the first leg through injury, helped the French side come from 2-1 down to win 4-3 on aggregate. Tom Garry • Match report: OL Lyonnes 3-1 Arsenal Barcelona put on masterclass A sold-out crowd of just over 60,000 at the Camp Nou were treated to great entertainment as Barcelona put on a masterclass in front of goal against Bayern Munich to notch up a 4-2 Champions League semi-final second-leg win and 5-3 aggregate victory. The Spanish team have been the competition’s dominant force in recent years and are into a sixth consecutive European final. This will be their seventh final in all, making them the competition’s second most frequent finalists behind their opponents, Lyonnes. Alexia Putellas continued her sparkling form with two goals. Only Lionel Messi has now scored more Barcelona goals than the Spain playmaker. TG City have the Knaak of winning There are always one or two moments that come to define a title-winning season and on Sunday Manchester City’s arrived when Rebecca Knaak threw herself towards Alex Greenwood’s corner and the diving header gave the champions-elect a 1-0 win over Liverpool. For 90 minutes Gareth Taylor’s Liverpool team worked hard to upset his former side’s title charge and they could have snatched a winner during an impressive spell late on. But City have been grittier this season, building a lead that has given them room which rendered their 3-2 loss to Brighton last week inconsequential. They couldn’t afford another slip, though. Their head coach, Andrée Jeglertz, said he “got five years older” during the gruelling game against Liverpool, in which the goalkeeper Jennifer Falk was excellent at keeping City at bay, until the goal. “They keep pushing and finding a way to win,” said Jeglertz. “It’s amazing in this group, and it’s only because of believing in what we’re doing.” They have one more game, at West Ham, and victory would guarantee a first league title in 10 years, and their second WSL crown. Suzanne Wrack Pressure builds on Skinner Marc Skinner took full accountability after Manchester United dropped more points in their penultimate match. Lea Schüller scored a late equaliser to salvage a draw against Brighton but that is unlikely to be enough in their pursuit of Champions League football. For United to finish third they must win at Chelsea in their one remaining game and, given a vastly inferior goal difference, hope Arsenal take no more than a point from their final four fixtures. Skinner has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, not for the first time in his United career, and admitted he understood the frustration from supporters. “I hear it, I feel it,” he said. “I’m at the head of the football club. I’m accountable, right? I’m there for people to give their opinion. I work tirelessly hard to push this football club. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I will never deny that but there’s no one more disappointed than me today for not taking three points.” Emillia Hawkins Spurs set best points tally Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over London City Lionesses was a microcosm of their season: highly creative and exciting going forward with a tendency for a defensive wobble. Since February, no side have recorded more shots than Spurs and only two have had more touches in the opposition box. At Brisbane Road, Signe Gaupset ran the show, driving the team forward from midfield and capping it off with a well-taken goal. The visitors struggled to imprint themselves on the game but took advantage of Spurs’ waning energy levels late on, pulling a goal back and forcing Lize Kop into a series of important saves. Martin Ho’s side weathered the storm, however, securing the club’s highest WSL points tally. It was the perfect home send-off for the six players leaving this summer, with fans having the opportunity to say a fond farewell to Bethany England, Kit Graham, Josefine Rybrink, Charlotte Grant, Amy James-Turner and Luana Bühler. Sophie Downey Sam Kerr takes outright record As the cliché goes: “Form is temporary; class is permanent.” No one is embodying this more than Sam Kerr right now. The forward is making a statement as this campaign comes to a close, with her contract up in the summer. By scoring the opener in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leicester she overtook Fran Kirby to become Chelsea’s all-time WSL top scorer with 64 goals. It was Kerr’s fourth in her past three league matches and sixth of the season, an indication that after an arduous recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in 2024, she is very much back to her best. Kerr has had to be patient, not just with fitness issues but also with Sonia Bompastor’s decisions despite a dearth of out-and-out strikers. She completed her first 90 minutes in the league on 29 March before also playing in full the three matches that followed in all competitions. With victory over the relegation playoff-bound Foxes, Chelsea secured Champions League qualification, a big relief as the club look to build for next season. SD Charlton blow nine-point lead to end up in playoff Charlton had a nine-point lead at the top of WSL 2 in March but will contest a playoff against Leicester on 23 May after missing out on automatic promotion. They finished third thanks to a combination of a drop-off in form and a surging run from Crystal Palace, whose 12th win in 14 matches secured second spot on Saturday. Charlton started the final day top but were beaten at home by Birmingham City, whose investment in the January transfer window paid off as their record signing, Wilma Leidhammar, scored twice in a 2-0 victory at the Valley that made them champions. That takes Birmingham, founder members of the WSL in 2011, into the top tier for the first time since 2022. Palace have gone back to the WSL at the first attempt. TG

2026-05-04

WSL and WCL talking points: City have a Knaak and is Dumornay the world’s best?

Dumornay makes case as world’s best Who is the best female player in the world right now? Melchie Dumornay continues to make a strong claim for that accolade after her starring role in OL Lyonnes’ comeback to beat Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals. The fearless Haiti international won a first-half penalty and provided a superb assist for Jule Brand’s late winner in the second leg, as well as being a constant thorn in Arsenal’s side with her pace, trickery and energy. The attacking midfielder, having missed the first leg through injury, helped the French side come from 2-1 down to win 4-3 on aggregate. Tom Garry • Match report: OL Lyonnes 3-1 Arsenal Barcelona put on masterclass A sold-out crowd of just over 60,000 at the Camp Nou were treated to great entertainment as Barcelona put on a masterclass in front of goal against Bayern Munich to notch up a 4-2 Champions League semi-final second-leg win and 5-3 aggregate victory. The Spanish team have been the competition’s dominant force in recent years and are into a sixth consecutive European final. This will be their seventh final in all, making them the competition’s second most frequent finalists behind their opponents, Lyonnes. Alexia Putellas continued her sparkling form with two goals. Only Lionel Messi has now scored more Barcelona goals than the Spain playmaker. TG City have the Knaak of winning There are always one or two moments that come to define a title-winning season and on Sunday Manchester City’s arrived when Rebecca Knaak threw herself towards Alex Greenwood’s corner and the diving header gave the champions-elect a 1-0 win over Liverpool. For 90 minutes Gareth Taylor’s Liverpool team worked hard to upset his former side’s title charge and they could have snatched a winner during an impressive spell late on. But City have been grittier this season, building a lead that has given them room which rendered their 3-2 loss to Brighton last week inconsequential. They couldn’t afford another slip, though. Their head coach, Andrée Jeglertz, said he “got five years older” during the gruelling game against Liverpool, in which the goalkeeper Jennifer Falk was excellent at keeping City at bay, until the goal. “They keep pushing and finding a way to win,” said Jeglertz. “It’s amazing in this group, and it’s only because of believing in what we’re doing.” They have one more game, at West Ham, and victory would guarantee a first league title in 10 years, and their second WSL crown. Suzanne Wrack Pressure builds on Skinner Marc Skinner took full accountability after Manchester United dropped more points in their penultimate match. Lea Schüller scored a late equaliser to salvage a draw against Brighton but that is unlikely to be enough in their pursuit of Champions League football. For United to finish third they must win at Chelsea in their one remaining game and, given a vastly inferior goal difference, hope Arsenal take no more than a point from their final four fixtures. Skinner has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, not for the first time in his United career, and admitted he understood the frustration from supporters. “I hear it, I feel it,” he said. “I’m at the head of the football club. I’m accountable, right? I’m there for people to give their opinion. I work tirelessly hard to push this football club. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I will never deny that but there’s no one more disappointed than me today for not taking three points.” Emillia Hawkins Spurs set best points tally Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over London City Lionesses was a microcosm of their season: highly creative and exciting going forward with a tendency for a defensive wobble. Since February, no side have recorded more shots than Spurs and only two have had more touches in the opposition box. At Brisbane Road, Signe Gaupset ran the show, driving the team forward from midfield and capping it off with a well-taken goal. The visitors struggled to imprint themselves on the game but took advantage of Spurs’ waning energy levels late on, pulling a goal back and forcing Lize Kop into a series of important saves. Martin Ho’s side weathered the storm, however, securing the club’s highest WSL points tally. It was the perfect home send-off for the six players leaving this summer, with fans having the opportunity to say a fond farewell to Bethany England, Kit Graham, Josefine Rybrink, Charlotte Grant, Amy James-Turner and Luana Bühler. Sophie Downey Sam Kerr takes outright record As the cliché goes: “Form is temporary; class is permanent.” No one is embodying this more than Sam Kerr right now. The forward is making a statement as this campaign comes to a close, with her contract up in the summer. By scoring the opener in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leicester she overtook Fran Kirby to become Chelsea’s all-time WSL top scorer with 64 goals. It was Kerr’s fourth in her past three league matches and sixth of the season, an indication that after an arduous recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in 2024, she is very much back to her best. Kerr has had to be patient, not just with fitness issues but also with Sonia Bompastor’s decisions despite a dearth of out-and-out strikers. She completed her first 90 minutes in the league on 29 March before also playing in full the three matches that followed in all competitions. With victory over the relegation playoff-bound Foxes, Chelsea secured Champions League qualification, a big relief as the club look to build for next season. SD Charlton blow nine-point lead to end up in playoff Charlton had a nine-point lead at the top of WSL 2 in March but will contest a playoff against Leicester on 23 May after missing out on automatic promotion. They finished third thanks to a combination of a drop-off in form and a surging run from Crystal Palace, whose 12th win in 14 matches secured second spot on Saturday. Charlton started the final day top but were beaten at home by Birmingham City, whose investment in the January transfer window paid off as their record signing, Wilma Leidhammar, scored twice in a 2-0 victory at the Valley that made them champions. That takes Birmingham, founder members of the WSL in 2011, into the top tier for the first time since 2022. Palace have gone back to the WSL at the first attempt. TG

2026-05-04

WSL and WCL talking points: City have a Knaak and is Dumornay the world’s best?

Dumornay makes case as world’s best Who is the best female player in the world right now? Melchie Dumornay continues to make a strong claim for that accolade after her starring role in OL Lyonnes’ comeback to beat Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals. The fearless Haiti international won a first-half penalty and provided a superb assist for Jule Brand’s late winner in the second leg, as well as being a constant thorn in Arsenal’s side with her pace, trickery and energy. The attacking midfielder, having missed the first leg through injury, helped the French side come from 2-1 down to win 4-3 on aggregate. Tom Garry • Match report: OL Lyonnes 3-1 Arsenal Barcelona put on masterclass A sold-out crowd of just over 60,000 at the Camp Nou were treated to great entertainment as Barcelona put on a masterclass in front of goal against Bayern Munich to notch up a 4-2 Champions League semi-final second-leg win and 5-3 aggregate victory. The Spanish team have been the competition’s dominant force in recent years and are into a sixth consecutive European final. This will be their seventh final in all, making them the competition’s second most frequent finalists behind their opponents, Lyonnes. Alexia Putellas continued her sparkling form with two goals. Only Lionel Messi has now scored more Barcelona goals than the Spain playmaker. TG City have the Knaak of winning There are always one or two moments that come to define a title-winning season and on Sunday Manchester City’s arrived when Rebecca Knaak threw herself towards Alex Greenwood’s corner and the diving header gave the champions-elect a 1-0 win over Liverpool. For 90 minutes Gareth Taylor’s Liverpool team worked hard to upset his former side’s title charge and they could have snatched a winner during an impressive spell late on. But City have been grittier this season, building a lead that has given them room which rendered their 3-2 loss to Brighton last week inconsequential. They couldn’t afford another slip, though. Their head coach, Andrée Jeglertz, said he “got five years older” during the gruelling game against Liverpool, in which the goalkeeper Jennifer Falk was excellent at keeping City at bay, until the goal. “They keep pushing and finding a way to win,” said Jeglertz. “It’s amazing in this group, and it’s only because of believing in what we’re doing.” They have one more game, at West Ham, and victory would guarantee a first league title in 10 years, and their second WSL crown. Suzanne Wrack Pressure builds on Skinner Marc Skinner took full accountability after Manchester United dropped more points in their penultimate match. Lea Schüller scored a late equaliser to salvage a draw against Brighton but that is unlikely to be enough in their pursuit of Champions League football. For United to finish third they must win at Chelsea in their one remaining game and, given a vastly inferior goal difference, hope Arsenal take no more than a point from their final four fixtures. Skinner has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, not for the first time in his United career, and admitted he understood the frustration from supporters. “I hear it, I feel it,” he said. “I’m at the head of the football club. I’m accountable, right? I’m there for people to give their opinion. I work tirelessly hard to push this football club. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I will never deny that but there’s no one more disappointed than me today for not taking three points.” Emillia Hawkins Spurs set best points tally Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over London City Lionesses was a microcosm of their season: highly creative and exciting going forward with a tendency for a defensive wobble. Since February, no side have recorded more shots than Spurs and only two have had more touches in the opposition box. At Brisbane Road, Signe Gaupset ran the show, driving the team forward from midfield and capping it off with a well-taken goal. The visitors struggled to imprint themselves on the game but took advantage of Spurs’ waning energy levels late on, pulling a goal back and forcing Lize Kop into a series of important saves. Martin Ho’s side weathered the storm, however, securing the club’s highest WSL points tally. It was the perfect home send-off for the six players leaving this summer, with fans having the opportunity to say a fond farewell to Bethany England, Kit Graham, Josefine Rybrink, Charlotte Grant, Amy James-Turner and Luana Bühler. Sophie Downey Sam Kerr takes outright record As the cliché goes: “Form is temporary; class is permanent.” No one is embodying this more than Sam Kerr right now. The forward is making a statement as this campaign comes to a close, with her contract up in the summer. By scoring the opener in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Leicester she overtook Fran Kirby to become Chelsea’s all-time WSL top scorer with 64 goals. It was Kerr’s fourth in her past three league matches and sixth of the season, an indication that after an arduous recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in 2024, she is very much back to her best. Kerr has had to be patient, not just with fitness issues but also with Sonia Bompastor’s decisions despite a dearth of out-and-out strikers. She completed her first 90 minutes in the league on 29 March before also playing in full the three matches that followed in all competitions. With victory over the relegation playoff-bound Foxes, Chelsea secured Champions League qualification, a big relief as the club look to build for next season. SD Charlton blow nine-point lead to end up in playoff Charlton had a nine-point lead at the top of WSL 2 in March but will contest a playoff against Leicester on 23 May after missing out on automatic promotion. They finished third thanks to a combination of a drop-off in form and a surging run from Crystal Palace, whose 12th win in 14 matches secured second spot on Saturday. Charlton started the final day top but were beaten at home by Birmingham City, whose investment in the January transfer window paid off as their record signing, Wilma Leidhammar, scored twice in a 2-0 victory at the Valley that made them champions. That takes Birmingham, founder members of the WSL in 2011, into the top tier for the first time since 2022. Palace have gone back to the WSL at the first attempt. TG

2026-05-04

Jule Brand shatters Arsenal with late winner sending OL Lyonnes into WCL final

Renée Slegers conceded OL Lyonnes were the better team after Jule Brand’s late winner settled an absorbing semi-final to end Arsenal’s defence of their Women’s Champions League title. It will be Lyonnes 12th European final, extending their own record. With the tie level at 3-3 on aggregate after Alessia Russo’s goal for Arsenal and seemingly heading for extra time, Brand collected Melchie Dumornay’s chipped through ball and tucked a neat finish into the far corner. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but after a three-minute video assistant referee check the goal was given, sparking joyous celebrations by the home supporters. Lyonnes were deserved winners, thanks largely to inspired performances from Dumornay and Kadidiatou Diani. Slegers said: “Lyon raised their levels. They came out really strong. They had Selma Bacha and Melchie Dumornay back in the side, who are world-class players. “They were really effective in certain moments. It was a very tight game, small margins – very disappointing for us.” With Dumornay seemingly everywhere and the youngster Lily Yohannes pulling the strings in midfield, Lyonnes caused Arsenal extensive problems, especially in the first half and Diani’s pace on the right wing was a constant threat. The eight-time European champions, another record, thought they had found an early goal when Lindsey Heaps rose highest and headed in from the back post at a deep corner, but the VAR, after a lengthy delay, ruled Ingrid Engen had been in an offside position in front of the Arsenal goalkeeper, Daphne van Domselaar. It did not take long for them to open the scoring, though, after another anxious wait for a long VAR check Lotte Wubben-Moy was penalised for a foul in the area on Dumornay, who was simply too quick for Wubben-Moy and Emily Fox as she somehow squeezed between them. Wendie Renard’s penalty was saved by Van Domselaar, but the officials ordered a retake after the goalkeeper stepped off her line too early. Renard, a veteran of eight Lyonnes Champions League victories, made no mistake at the second attempt, sending Van Domselaar the wrong way. Arsenal continued to look vulnerable from Brand’s set pieces and she picked out Diani at the back post to make it 2-0, with the home fans bouncing to the beat of a drum in the stands as their hopes grew of a trip to the final in Oslo on 23 May. Arsenal had rarely seemed to test the Lyonnes goalkeeper, Christiane Endler, but they did go close twice just before the hour mark. Stina Blackstenius – scorer of their winning goal in last season’s final – saw her great strike hit the woodwork before the offside flag was raised. Olivia Smith’s scrappy effort then hit the base of the post. The game took a twist as another Arsenal substitute, Smilla Holmberg, sent over a terrific cross a determined Russo did well to divert into the far corner by darting in between two defenders. It was her ninth Champions League goal, making her the outright leading goalscorer this season. Dumornay’s dipping shot dropped narrowly wide as the home side searched for a winner, before she turned provider for Brand and booked a meeting with either Barcelona or Bayern Munich in Norway. “Losing the first leg was tough, but the important thing was to bounce back. We played great football and we deserved the win,” said the delighted Lyonnes coach Jonatan Giráldez, who led Barcelona from 2021-24. Slegers said: “They were the better team. It’s disappointment at the moment because we were so close and we all believed we could do it, even though we went through hard times today. “[The players] are so humble and work so hard. I wish for them all to go to a final, but unfortunately this is football.”

2026-05-02