QB weekly: 23. - 29. 3. 2026

It’s been a dramatic week, with several derby clashes, Alessia Russo reaching a major milestone, and the Damallsvenskan season kicking off. Unfortunately, there’s also been some sad news. Here’s our weekly round-up.

Manchester is blue (and Oranje)

Manchester City are hitting top form. In the derby at Old Trafford, they swept aside local rivals United 3:0 to move closer to the title. All three goals involved Dutch players, so it’s fair to say Manchester isn’t just blue after the derby — it’s a little bit orange, too. Or rather, Oranje. Vivianne Miedema struck twice, while her Netherlands team-mate Kerstin Casparij set up one and added a goal of her own to make it 3:0.

City have every reason to celebrate, but for United, serious questions remain. The biggest now hangs over head coach Marc Skinner and his future at the club.

North London belongs to Arsenal — and to Alessia Russo

A truly memorable day for Arsenal fans — with 47,123 packing into the Emirates. Arsenal not only celebrated a commanding 5:2 win over city rivals Tottenham, but also honoured club legend and captain Kim Little, who reached the milestone of 400 appearances and capped it off by signing a one-year contract extension.

As if that wasn’t enough, Alessia Russo showed she’s in red-hot form. It took her just 22 minutes to score her first hattrick in an Arsenal shirt — striking in the fifth minute, doubling the lead two minutes later, and completing her treble by the 27th.

Old Trafford debut for Jess Anderson

Just a week after her 18th birthday, academy graduate Jess Anderson made her senior debut for Manchester United. While she would no doubt have preferred to mark the occasion with a win, not many can say their debut came at Old Trafford. Wishing you all the best for the future, Jess!

Denver Summit’s first win and a record-breaking attendance

Thursday, March 26, 2026 marked a historic milestone for expansion side Denver Summit, as they secured their first-ever win — a 2:0 victory over reigning champions NJ/NY Gotham FC, thanks to goals from Melissa Kössler and Jane Flint.

Another landmark moment followed on March 28, when Denver hosted Washington Spirit at home. The match made history with a crowd of over 63,000 — a record attendance for women’s club football in the league. However, the occasion ended without goals, as the game finished 0:0.

Damallsvenskan is here!

The Damallsvenskan, Sweden’s top-flight women’s league, also kicked off on Saturday, March 28. Defending champions Häcken are once again among the favourites, alongside Malmö FF and Hammarby — and all three opened the season with wins.

Malmö saw off Uppsala, with Sweden international goalkeeper Zecira Musovic marking her return from maternity leave with a first league appearance and an immediate clean sheet. Hammarby beat Rosengård 3:1, with goals from Sofia Reidy and 16-year-old Fanny Peterson, both continuing the strong form they showed in midweek in the Europa Cup against Sparta Prague.

Hammarby are joined in the Europa Cup semi-final race by Häcken, who also began their league campaign with a victory. They edged past Brommapojkarna 3:2, with star striker Felicia Schröder opening the scoring in familiar fashion.

Devastating news for Missy Bo, Lieke, and their families and loved ones

We unfortunately have to end on a very sad note. Missy Bo Kearns and Lieke Martens have both recently shared the heartbreaking news of losing their babies. Everyone at Queenballers sends their love, deepest condolences and full support to these incredible players — we are with you.