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Inside Chelsea's treble quest after dismal WSL title defence

Chelsea’s season hasn’t gone to plan so far. After romping to a sixth successive Women’s Super League crown last year, going unbeaten through all 22 games to set multiple records, the Blues’ title defence has fallen incredibly flat. Sat nine points behind leaders Manchester City with six games to go, it’s simply not been good enough for a club with such high standards.

London City Lionesses v Tottenham Hotspur - Adobe Women's FA Cup Fifth Round

Spurs survive shootout drama to book Chelsea clash

Tottenham Hotspur booked their place in the Women's FA Cup quarter-finals in the most dramatic fashion possible, overcoming a stubborn London City Lionesses side in a marathon penalty shootout on Monday night. After a 2-2 draw at Hayes Lane that saw Spurs rescue themselves with a 95th-minute penalty, the north London outfit eventually triumphed 9-8 in a shootout that saw 17 consecutive successful spot-kicks before a final hero emerged.

Arsenal forward Smith stretchered off & taken to hospital

Arsenal forward Olivia Smith was stretchered from the field and taken to hospital when suffering a worrying head injury during the Gunners’ Women’s FA Cup clash with Bristol City. The Canadian star was rushed away for medical checks, having received lengthy treatment on the field. A full diagnosis is yet to be delivered, but Arsenal are “hopeful” that the knock is not too serious.

Tullis-Joyce heroics not enough as United crash out of FA Cup

Manchester United's bid to reach a fourth-straight Women's FA Cup final was ended on Sunday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea after extra time in their fifth-round tie. Phallon Tullis-Joyce produced heroics in the Red Devils' goal but couldn't keep out strikes from Sam Kerr and Naomi Girma, while Simi Awujo's equaliser couldn't spark a come-from-behind win for Marc Skinner's side.

Girma & Kerr the FA Cup heroes for Chelsea

Naomi Girma picked a perfect time to score her first Chelsea goal on Sunday, with her finish in extra-time allowing the Blues to secure a dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester United and put themselves into the FA Cup quarter-finals. It looked like Sam Kerr's late second-half strike was going to be the difference for Sonia Bompastor's side in a tightly-contested clash, but Simi Awujo's quick-fire response prolonged the tie, paving the way for Girma to be the hero.

James can lead Chelsea to trophies despite dismal WSL defence

After winning all of the last six Women's Super League titles in succession, it's not been an easy season so far for Chelsea. The Blues are set to surrender their crown for the first time in seven years, with Manchester City sat eight points clear at the top of the table, and the negative noise around the club has only grown since the unpopular departure of Paul Green, the long-time head of women's football, was announced last week. But on Sunday, it felt like a boost of hope was injected into their season, by none other than Lauren James.

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	Al-Sadd	18	12	2	4	48	24	24	38	L W W W W
2	Al-Shamal	17	10	4	3	30	18	12	34	W W W D W
3	Al-Gharafa	18	11	1	6	29	25	4	34	L W L L L
4	Al-Rayyan	18	8	4	6	36	30	6	28	L L W D D
5	Qatar SC	17	8	3	6	29	26	3	27	W W D W L

Pos

Team

+/-

PTS

Form

Al-Sadd

L
W
W
W
W

Al-Shamal

W
W
W
D
W

Al-Gharafa

L
W
L
L
L

Al-Rayyan

L
L
W
D
D

Qatar SC

W
W
D
W
L

Frequently asked questions

Who has won the most Saudi Pro League titles?

Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.

How many teams are in the Saudi Pro League?

Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.

Who has made the most Saudi Pro League appearances ever?

Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.

Who is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League?

Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.

Who has the most assists in the history of the Saudi Pro League?

Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.

Who is the oldest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?

Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.

Who is the youngest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?

Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.

Which famous players have played in the Saudi Pro League?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.

Which famous managers have managed in the Saudi Pro League?

Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.

What is the biggest stadium in the Saudi Pro League?

The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.

Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League?

Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.