Beard on title and Champions League hopes

The win at Birmingham was massive for us because it has put Champions League qualification back in our hands and given us a chance of winning the title again.

With Chelsea losing the night before, it was a huge game for both ourselves and Birmingham. I thought we deserved the 2-1 win victory and I was delighted with the character shown by my team. The deciding goal from Fara Williams - a lob from the halfway line - was fantastic and was one worthy of winning any football match.

The league has been tough this year. Last year we were scoring three or four goals per game but this season that hasn't been the case. I do feel our squad is stronger but unfortunately we have had key players missing at numerous times in the season and the players deserve a lot of credit. They have done so well to put Champions League qualification in our own hands and a point behind Chelsea with two games to go. We've got four games in 11 days now, which is another challenge.

Sunday's opponents Arsenal are a fantastic team and we will have to be at our very best if we are to get the three points.

It will be an interesting test for us. Arsenal beat us 1-0 in Widnes earlier this season and we conceded a sloppy goal. On the day we didn't move the ball quickly enough and that cost us - and we didn't hurt them enough when going forward.

Arsenal have a new manager in charge so for us it might be a little case of going into the unknown but as long as we are focused and disciplined then I'm confident we can win these last two league games. 

Arsenal go into this game on the back of their comeback against Bristol. They were 2-0 down but Kelly Smith is a world-class player and she came off the bench and changed the game in their favour. We will just concentrate on ourselves and do what we can to win the game.

I am delighted to report that Nicole Rolser is back in full training and looking sharp. The Arsenal game might be a bit too soon for her but she is knocking on the door and her return will be like a new signing for us. It's a massive boost to have her back. She is a fantastic professional and we have missed her massively this season. She will put fear into the opposition.

After the Arsenal game we have a massive Champions League clash against Linkopings at the Select Security Stadium on Wednesday night. I am proud to be leading a Liverpool side in the Champions League and this is why I came to the club. My staff and the players deserve a lot of credit and we are looking forward to it. We want it to be more than two games and we want to get through to the next round. We have had a good look at Linkopings and they are a very good side.

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This is going to be a tough game over two legs but we will give it our best shot. They are a big side who are very organised. They have got some different nationalities in their squad with a couple of American players, and players from Portugal and Denmark as well as their home country, so we know how tough a challenge we will face.

This will be a great benchmark for us to see where we are in comparison to the other Champions League teams. With the way the domestic season is finishing I am happy the first leg is at home. If we can get back to Sweden with a good lead that will be important because they are strong at home. As always, we will be relying on our fantastic supporters to help us in this game and I am delighted they can watch us play in the Champions League.

Thanks for your continued support.

Click here for the latest news about the Liverpool Ladies, or visit their official website. Meanwhile, click here to buy tickets for the Women's Champions League clash with Linkopings on October 8.