Matildas star Ellie Carpenter and her new wife are set to become WSL opponents mere weeks after their breathtaking French wedding. Matildas star Ellie Carpenter has made the switch to Chelsea on a four-year contract. The 25-year-old right-back has come to the WSL champions from Lyon, where she spent five years and won two women's Champions League trophies.&nbsp;She will be joined by former Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor in West London along with her Matildas team-mate Sam Kerr, but will also become adversaries on the football field as her new wife Danielle van de Donk also leaves Lyon.&nbsp;Van de Donk, 33, revealed back in the summer that she would be teaming up with newly promoted London City Lionesses, which means the duo will now face off against one another in the WSL next season.&nbsp;Speaking on the transfer, Carpenter was quoted saying in an interview, ‘I'm really excited about this new challenge; it’s a new adventure. It feels like the right move for me, and I can't wait to get started and give my all for this club. I'm proud to become a member of such a large club, one of the largest women's football clubs. Chelsea have had so much success in England and I'm glad to be able to be a part of it now."&nbsp;Carpenter already boasts a strong CV, having made her senior international debut for Australia as a 15-year-old, and having already traveled to three Olympic Games – being the youngest female footballer in history to play at the Olympics when doing so at Rio 2016, aged 16. She has also won five domestic league championships throughout her Australian and French career.&nbsp;Chelsea women's football head Paul Green was quoted saying, 'Ellie is a girl we have followed for many years. She has plenty of experience for a player of her age and has won countless honours throughout her career, including the Champions League. She is a dynamic full back who enjoys getting up the pitch. We look forward to seeing how she progresses and what she can bring to an already gifted group of players."&nbsp;Carpenter and Van de Donk are believed to have crossed paths when the Netherlands ace, 33, signed up with the French team in 2021. The couple went public about their relationship in 2023 and got engaged on New Year's Day in 2024.&nbsp;Carpenter and Van de Donk wed in an exquisite ceremony at the Chateau Hermitage de Combas in Servian, southern France. The couple shared a few photographs from the day on Instagram, with Carpenter saying: 'I choose you. I will always choose you.'&nbsp;Both footballers marveled in stunning white robes as they posed on the lawn of an opulent French mansion. Van de Donk's robe was designed by bridal robe company Pronovias while Carpenter's robe was designed by Collingwood-based bespoke dress maker Mia Ateliers. She described it as 'the dress of her dreams'. 'The location is so green and lush, it's gorgeous,' Carpenter explained to Vogue. 'It's got this special, beautiful feel but still very much has its roots in love and who we are as a couple. Intimate, comfortable, and full of heart.'

From I Do to rival clubs Ellie Carpenter and her wife set for Womens Super League face Off

Matildas star Ellie Carpenter and her new wife are set to become WSL opponents mere weeks after their breathtaking French wedding. Matildas star Ellie Carpenter has made the switch to Chelsea on a four-year contract. The 25-year-old right-back has come to the WSL champions from Lyon, where she spent five years and won two women's Champions League trophies. She will be joined by former Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor in West London along with her Matildas team-mate Sam Kerr, but will also become adversaries on the football field as her new wife Danielle van de Donk also leaves Lyon. Van de Donk, 33, revealed back in the summer that she would be teaming up with newly promoted London City Lionesses, which means the duo will now face off against one another in the WSL next season. Speaking on the transfer, Carpenter was quoted saying in an interview, ‘I'm really excited about this new challenge; it’s a new adventure. It feels like the right move for me, and I can't wait to get started and give my all for this club. I'm proud to become a member of such a large club, one of the largest women's football clubs. Chelsea have had so much success in England and I'm glad to be able to be a part of it now." Carpenter already boasts a strong CV, having made her senior international debut for Australia as a 15-year-old, and having already traveled to three Olympic Games – being the youngest female footballer in history to play at the Olympics when doing so at Rio 2016, aged 16. She has also won five domestic league championships throughout her Australian and French career. Chelsea women's football head Paul Green was quoted saying, 'Ellie is a girl we have followed for many years. She has plenty of experience for a player of her age and has won countless honours throughout her career, including the Champions League. She is a dynamic full back who enjoys getting up the pitch. We look forward to seeing how she progresses and what she can bring to an already gifted group of players." Carpenter and Van de Donk are believed to have crossed paths when the Netherlands ace, 33, signed up with the French team in 2021. The couple went public about their relationship in 2023 and got engaged on New Year's Day in 2024. Carpenter and Van de Donk wed in an exquisite ceremony at the Chateau Hermitage de Combas in Servian, southern France. The couple shared a few photographs from the day on Instagram, with Carpenter saying: 'I choose you. I will always choose you.' Both footballers marveled in stunning white robes as they posed on the lawn of an opulent French mansion. Van de Donk's robe was designed by bridal robe company Pronovias while Carpenter's robe was designed by Collingwood-based bespoke dress maker Mia Ateliers. She described it as 'the dress of her dreams'. 'The location is so green and lush, it's gorgeous,' Carpenter explained to Vogue. 'It's got this special, beautiful feel but still very much has its roots in love and who we are as a couple. Intimate, comfortable, and full of heart.'

The 25-year-old right-back has come to the WSL champions from Lyon, where she spent five years and won two women's Champions League trophies

From 'I Do' to rival clubs: Ellie Carpenter and her wife set for Women's Super League face-off

Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago.

Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred.

"The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Kerr, who on the day before the incident scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea women's home ground, is due to appear in court in February next year.

The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty via video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, British media reported.

Kerr's agent declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Chelsea did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

Football Australia had been unaware of Kerr's legal trouble, the governing body's CEO James Johnson confirmed on Tuesday.

"We woke up to this this morning," Johnson told reporters in Adelaide.

"Of course, it’s a very serious allegation. It regards racism and there’s no place for racism in our sport.

"At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she's got to work her way through and we're respectful of that."

The news overshadowed FA's announcement of the national women's team's farewell matches against China in Adelaide on May 31 and in Sydney on June 3 before their campaign to win a first Olympic medal at the Paris Games.

Johnson said FA were seeking more information about the incident.

"I haven't spoken to Sam other than a text message just to check in on her wellbeing at the moment because she is an employee of ours and also a player," he added.

Kerr, Australia's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 128 appearances, has been sidelined since January after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during training with Chelsea.

Revered by Australian soccer fans, Kerr's global celebrity helped bring the women's game into the mainstream and drive a major hike in corporate sponsorship for the national Matildas team, who reached the Women's World Cup semi-finals on home soil last year.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/sri-lanka-selectors-bank-on-recalled-wicketkeeper-niroshan-dickwellas-experience-in-upcoming-t20-world-cup-696661">Sri Lanka selectors bank on recalled wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella's 'experience' in upcoming T20 World Cup</a>

Kerr is also a magnet for global brands in her own right, having signed deals with Nike, Mastercard and a major Australian bank.

She became the first woman on the cover of EA Sports' FIFA, the world's most popular soccer video game, before it was discontinued last year.

Last May, she led the Australian delegation as flag-bearer at King Charles's coronation at Westminster Abbey.

The poster-girl for the Women's World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand, Kerr battled a calf injury that ruled her out of much of the action but returned later in the tournament and scored a wonder goal in the semi-final against England.

Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago. Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan.

Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago. Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognisable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred. "The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Kerr, who on the day before the incident scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in the FA Cup at Kingsmeadow, Chelsea women's home ground, is due to appear in court in February next year. The 30-year-old pleaded not guilty via video link at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, British media reported. Kerr's agent declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Chelsea did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment. Football Australia had been unaware of Kerr's legal trouble, the governing body's CEO James Johnson confirmed on Tuesday. "We woke up to this this morning," Johnson told reporters in Adelaide. "Of course, it’s a very serious allegation. It regards racism and there’s no place for racism in our sport. "At the same time Sam has rights, natural justice rights, procedural rights that she's got to work her way through and we're respectful of that." The news overshadowed FA's announcement of the national women's team's farewell matches against China in Adelaide on May 31 and in Sydney on June 3 before their campaign to win a first Olympic medal at the Paris Games. Johnson said FA were seeking more information about the incident. "I haven't spoken to Sam other than a text message just to check in on her wellbeing at the moment because she is an employee of ours and also a player," he added. Kerr, Australia's all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 128 appearances, has been sidelined since January after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during training with Chelsea. Revered by Australian soccer fans, Kerr's global celebrity helped bring the women's game into the mainstream and drive a major hike in corporate sponsorship for the national Matildas team, who reached the Women's World Cup semi-finals on home soil last year. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka selectors bank on recalled wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella's 'experience' in upcoming T20 World Cup Kerr is also a magnet for global brands in her own right, having signed deals with Nike, Mastercard and a major Australian bank. She became the first woman on the cover of EA Sports' FIFA, the world's most popular soccer video game, before it was discontinued last year. Last May, she led the Australian delegation as flag-bearer at King Charles's coronation at Westminster Abbey. The poster-girl for the Women's World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand, Kerr battled a calf injury that ruled her out of much of the action but returned later in the tournament and scored a wonder goal in the semi-final against England.

Football: Aussie women team captain Sam Kerr to stand trial over alleged racial harassment of police officer

In what comes as a bizarre turn of events, a Women’s Super League clash between Liverpool and Chelsea was abandoned after six minutes of play as the pitch was deemed unsafe to play on.

In what comes as a bizarre turn of events, a Women’s Super League clash between Liverpool and Chelsea was abandoned after six minutes of play as the pitch was deemed unsafe to play on. The embarrassing scenes were reported at the Kingsmeadow Stadium, the home ground of the Chelsea Women's and U-21 team. The pitch was wrapped in covers from the morning and an inspection at 9:30 AM had deemed it unplayable. Despite the conditions being less than ideal, the kickoff took place at the scheduled time. However, soon enough, it became clear that the players could not play a competitive match in such conditions without injuring themselves. Video clips of players slipping and struggling to stay upright on the pitch went viral after the match. One of the Chelsea players could be seen pulling their hamstring after tumbling. Chelsea women vs Liverpool highlights #CFCW #WSL pic.twitter.com/mlYu3yb1DQ — frankirbydaily (@frankirbydaily) January 22, 2023 × Read more: Premier League: Arsenal edge past Manchester United in a five-goal thriller Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was scathing in her assessment of the English FA and said the game should never have started whilst describing the pitch as being like an “ice rink”. “You could see from the opening minutes that it was like an ice rink down the sides. It’s not for managers to decide if it’s on – it’s up to the FA and officials. The game should never have started." "Everyone wanted to get the game on but when you have got emotions of teams wanting or not wanting to play, that’s when you need a decision from above. The FA weren’t here - they need to be making the decision.” WATCH | Gravitas: The death of possession football? Similar sentiments were echoed by Hayes' Liverpool counterpart Matt Beard. "It’s frustrating. I did say to the referee that we had to move our warm-up because it wasn’t safe.Someone could have got hurt today, especially with the history of ACL’s [injuries] this year." The players also took to social media platforms to question the authorities and asked for better amenities for the women's game. “Apologies to both sets of fans who travelled today. Players’ safety should always be the number one priority. Luckily no one was injured today and the right decision was taken eventually. Women’s football deserves better and we won’t stop fighting to make that happen,” tweeted forward Fran Kirby. Apologies to both sets of fans who travelled today. Players safety should always be the number one priority❗️ Luckily no one was injured today and the right decision was taken eventually. Womens football deserves better and we won’t stop fighting to make that happen 💪🏻 — Fran Kirby (@frankirby) January 22, 2023 × Read more: Liverpool in talks with Saudi and Qatari consortiums after Mukesh Ambani takeover rumour: Reports A WSL spokesperson in the aftermath of the cancellation said the fixture will be rescheduled in due course. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chelsea vs Liverpool match abandoned only after six minutes. Know why

Arsenal striker Bethany Mead scored twice as her side beat champions Chelsea 3-2 in a thrilling match to get their FA Women's Super League season off to a winning start at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.&nbsp;

Vivianne Miedema gave the home side the lead in the 14th minute, latching on to a pass down the left wing from Katie McCabe before firing home low at the far post for her 61st goal in 68 WSL games for Arsenal.

Erin Cuthbert equalised for Chelsea before the break with a goal in the 44th minute.&nbsp;

Arsenal looked to have sealed it with two goals from Mead in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but a brilliantly-timed header by Pernille Harder in the 64th minute set up a grandstand finish.&nbsp;

Chelsea threw everything forward in the closing minutes but despite getting dangerous balls into the box, the closest they came was a Sam Kerr header straight at the keeper.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Manchester City top the table after a 4-0 win over Everton on Saturday with Manchester United second following their 2-0 win over Reading. Arsenal are third.&nbsp;

Brighton &amp; Hove Albion host West Ham United later on Sunday.&nbsp;

Arsenal striker Bethany Mead scored twice as her side beat champions Chelsea 3-2 in a thrilling match to get their FA Women's Super League season off to a winning start at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal striker Bethany Mead scored twice as her side beat champions Chelsea 3-2 in a thrilling match to get their FA Women's Super League season off to a winning start at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Vivianne Miedema gave the home side the lead in the 14th minute, latching on to a pass down the left wing from Katie McCabe before firing home low at the far post for her 61st goal in 68 WSL games for Arsenal. Erin Cuthbert equalised for Chelsea before the break with a goal in the 44th minute. Arsenal looked to have sealed it with two goals from Mead in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but a brilliantly-timed header by Pernille Harder in the 64th minute set up a grandstand finish. Chelsea threw everything forward in the closing minutes but despite getting dangerous balls into the box, the closest they came was a Sam Kerr header straight at the keeper. Manchester City top the table after a 4-0 win over Everton on Saturday with Manchester United second following their 2-0 win over Reading. Arsenal are third. Brighton & Hove Albion host West Ham United later on Sunday.

Arsenal edge out Chelsea in Women's Super League thriller

Referee David McNamara has been handed a three-week suspension by the English FA for asking two captains to play rock, paper, scissors to decide the kick-off before a Women's Super League (WSL) match after forgetting his coin, British media reported on Tuesday.

The incident took place ahead of Manchester City's home game with Reading on Oct. 26 and involved their England skipper Steph Houghton and visiting captain Kirsty Pearce.

A coin toss to decide who kicks off is a requirement under the Laws of the Game but McNamara left his coin in the dressing room and allowed the captains to play rock, paper, scissors to determine kick off and playing ends, the BBC reported.

"The FA can confirm that referee David McNamara has been suspended for 21 days, starting from Monday 26 November, after accepting a charge of 'not acting in the best interests of the game', a FA spokesman was quoted as saying.

"This follows an incident in the FA WSL match between Manchester City and Reading on Friday 26th October when he failed to determine which team would kick off the match by the toss of a coin, as required by the Laws of the game.

McNamara, who has the right to appeal against the FA suspension will be able to return to duty from Dec. 17.

Referee David McNamara has been handed a three-week suspension by the English FA for asking two captains to play rock, paper, scissors to decide the kick-off before a Women's Super League (WSL) match after forgetting his coin, British media reported on Tuesday.

Referee David McNamara has been handed a three-week suspension by the English FA for asking two captains to play rock, paper, scissors to decide the kick-off before a Women's Super League (WSL) match after forgetting his coin, British media reported on Tuesday. The incident took place ahead of Manchester City's home game with Reading on Oct. 26 and involved their England skipper Steph Houghton and visiting captain Kirsty Pearce. A coin toss to decide who kicks off is a requirement under the Laws of the Game but McNamara left his coin in the dressing room and allowed the captains to play rock, paper, scissors to determine kick off and playing ends, the BBC reported. "The FA can confirm that referee David McNamara has been suspended for 21 days, starting from Monday 26 November, after accepting a charge of 'not acting in the best interests of the game', a FA spokesman was quoted as saying. "This follows an incident in the FA WSL match between Manchester City and Reading on Friday 26th October when he failed to determine which team would kick off the match by the toss of a coin, as required by the Laws of the game. McNamara, who has the right to appeal against the FA suspension will be able to return to duty from Dec. 17.

Referee suspended by FA for deciding kick-off with 'rock, paper, scissors' game