West Ham United Women have had a season that has felt different. Under head coach Rita Guarino, the Hammers have moved away from the inconsistency that defined previous campaigns and started to look like a club with a genuine identity and a clear direction.

On the pitch, the improvements have been visible. The squad has shown greater structure and defensive discipline, with players like Viviane Asseyi continuing to provide a goal threat while younger members of the group have stepped up and taken on more responsibility as the season has progressed.

West Ham have also shown the ability to compete against stronger sides, something that has not always been the case in recent years.

Guarino Building Something Real

The Italian coach has done more than just tweak the tactics. There is a collective identity forming at the club that was not obviously present before her arrival. The side presses with purpose, holds its shape and responds to pressure in a way that points to a group that has bought into what their manager is asking of them. That sort of mentality shift does not happen by accident.

Leading the Way Off the Pitch Too

West Ham’s influence this season has extended well beyond the matchday. The club was highly commended in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion category at the Women’s Football Awards and ran meaningful campaigns around LGBTQIA+ inclusion, Black History Month and International Women’s Day throughout the year. They also became the first WSL club to receive White Ribbon accreditation for their work tackling violence against women and girls, a landmark achievement that drew widespread praise from across the game.

The Bigger Picture for West Ham Women

League position tells only part of the story this season. The foundations Guarino is laying point toward a club that wants to be a long-term force in women’s football rather than simply a side fighting to stay relevant.

Also read: Rita Guarino Targets Next Stage of West Ham Women’s Evolution After Superb Defensive Display Secures 1-0 Victory Over Liverpool at BrewDog Stadium

West Ham Women manager Rita Guarino hopes her side can demonstrate more attacking quality moving forward after their excellent defensive performance secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday. The Hammers took an early lead through a Cornelia Kapocs own goal before withstanding sustained pressure from the hosts to claim all three points.

The result means basement side Leicester City must win all three of their remaining WSL fixtures to have any chance of overtaking West Ham in the battle to avoid the relegation playoff position. The victory represents West Ham’s second clean sheet in four matches and condemned Liverpool to just their third defeat of 2026.

Guarino Praises Defensive Unit Performance

While satisfied with the defensive solidity on display, Guarino is eager for the Hammers to show greater composure when they have possession. Liverpool dominated the ball with 60.6 percent possession compared to West Ham’s 39.4 percent and looked the more threatening side after falling behind.

Centre back Estelle Cascarino won the Player of the Match award for her outstanding display as West Ham recorded 30 clearances compared to Liverpool’s 18. “It was an important performance, especially in the defence,” Guarino explained after the match. “We played well in the first half, we scored early, and then we had two opportunities to score again.”

Italian Boss Eyes Improvement in Possession

The West Ham manager admitted her team struggled to retain the ball and push higher up the pitch during the second period. “It was not a plan to defend more; it was the opponent that pushed more forward. We were not able, when we had the ball, to stay up and manage the ball better,” she stated.

Next up, West Ham travel to Aston Villa in their penultimate fixture of the campaign.

Also read: Tottenham Women Defender Hanna Wijk Suffers Season-Ending MCL Injury as Spurs Face Manchester United Without Five Players

Kosovare Asllani has come through surgery on the serious knee injury she sustained in March, with the 36 year old sharing news of the operation on Instagram alongside a thumbs up photograph that confirmed the procedure went well. The London City Lionesses captain wrote, “Now the real journey begins,” in her post, signalling the start of what promises to be a lengthy and demanding rehabilitation process for one of the most decorated players in women’s football history.

The injury occurred during London City’s WSL clash with West Ham, when Asllani suffered damage to multiple ligaments in her knee, including a complete ACL tear. A diagnosis of that severity always pointed toward surgery, and the club confirmed the extent of the damage shortly after the incident.

Asllani Opens Up on Heartbreak of Diagnosis

The Swedish international did not shield her raw emotion when addressing the injury publicly, describing it as precisely the kind of setback every professional footballer dreads receiving. Learning the full damage had been confirmed clearly devastated her, which is completely understandable given her age and the timing during London City’s historic debut WSL season. Asllani has been the heartbeat of everything the promoted club achieved in the top flight this term.

Surgery Successful as Recovery Begins in Earnest

The thumbs up photograph posted alongside her Instagram update suggests the operation delivered the outcome her medical team was targeting. Getting through surgery cleanly is the essential first step, but the genuinely difficult work starts now. Months of intensive rehabilitation, setbacks, and physical rebuilding await before she can even consider returning to competitive football.

Long Absence Looms for Lionesses Legend

ACL recoveries typically demand nine to twelve months minimum, meaning Asllani realistically faces missing the entirety of next season. At 36, the questions surrounding whether she returns at all will grow louder as time passes. She has the mental strength to prove everyone wrong, but London City must plan carefully for an extended period without their irreplaceable captain.

Also read: Alessia Russo Beats Fellow England and Arsenal Star to Women’s Super League Player of the Month Award as Lionesses Striker Named March Winner Alongside Boss Renee Slegers