Arsenal drop points, Ballon d'Or nominations & new fertility support funds

Ben Haines and Ellen White are back! First up, they dissect Arsenal’s frustrating goalless draw against Crystal Palace at the Emirates. Despite dominating possession, the Gunners failed to find a clinical edge in front of goal - what could dropping early points mean for their title charge? Ellen and Ben also react to Chelsea’s dominance and Manchester City maintaining their 100% start to the WSL season.

Former England and Manchester United goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain joins the pod as the team take a deep dive into the rise of club and confederation-funded fertility care, IVF assistance, and egg-freezing options. Ellen and Siobhan examine how far the sport has progressed since their playing days and how increased fertility support and knowledge benefits players on and off the pitch.

Siobhan also gives her thoughts on Manchester United’s transition period under new head coach Eva Olid, before the team react to the newly revealed 2026 Ballon d'Or Féminin shortlist. With stars like Alessia Russo and Bunny Shaw in the mix, can a WSL player finally conquer Barcelona’s dominance over the award?

TIMECODES:

00:05 - Ben and Ellen are back!

01:45 - Arsenal drop points at the Emirates against Crystal Palace.

07:15 - Reaction from Georgia Stanway and Renee Slegers.

11:15 - Praise for Palace goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.

14:15 - Reflections on Chelsea’s dominance and Manchester City’s 100% start.

19:37 - Siobhan Chamberlain joins the pod for a special discussion on increasing fertility support in women’s football.

28:50 - More on Chelsea’s partnership with Fertility Plus.

37:15 - We get Siobhan’s thoughts on Manchester United’s period of transition.

41:52 - Reflections on the 2026 Ballon d'Or Féminin shortlist.