Newcastle United Women host Chorley Women this Sunday, looking to make it four wins out of four this season in the FA Women's National League.
The Lady Magpies have beaten FC United of Manchester Women 6-0, Alnwick Town Ladies 7-1 and Stockport County Ladies 3-0, and currently sit top of the table on goal difference, ahead of Liverpool Feds Women who also have a 100 per cent record.
And, ahead of Sunday's fixture at Druid Park, manager Becky Langley has praised the determination of her squad and support staff.
"The girls will be hard at work this week in preparation," she told nufc.co.uk. "The current atmosphere within the squad is very positive, and the players seem very competitive. The girls have gelled incredibly well, and they really want to work hard for one another.
"The staff are working extremely hard to ensure that the players are ready for each fixture both physically and mentally."
United face a Chorley Women side who have also started the season well; they're third in the league table, having lost only one game this season, and Langley admitted: "We regard Chorley as one of our biggest competitors this season.
"We think they will be there or thereabouts this season. They have started their campaign very strongly, but we are eager to get a result and hopefully keep yet another clean sheet."
The Newcastle United Women manager also reiterated her desire for her players to maintain focus and not get ahead of themselves due to their early-season form.
"We are focusing on performances rather than results," she said. "If our performances are consistently at a high level, then the results will come. This Sunday we will have a few players missing, so the depth of our squad will be tested. This is an important test for us."
The Lady Magpies head into their second home fixture of the season full of confidence, having accumulated maximum points from their first three fixtures, and achieving a mighty goal difference of 15.
However, this scintillating form is no surprise to Langley and her staff and has in fact been two hard years in the making.
Langley explained: "Two seasons of hard work have allowed us to set the standards that the players are now beginning to reach. We are starting to see a lot of our processes and tactics come to fruition this season, and it is exciting to see.
"We have been integrating our ideologies for two years, and the team mentality and willingness to work for one another has been key to our form so far this season. We win as a team, and we lose as a team."
She then went on to mention which individual players she feels have stood out from her impressive squad so far this season.
"Georgia Gibson has been a key player," said Langley. "Her hard work both in and out of possession has been a huge factor in our success so far. Against Stockport County she played out of position but still impressed hugely. In addition to Gibson, the partnership between Olivia Watt and Ellen Packham has been formidable. They give us a strong foundation which our attacking play can build from."
As the Lady Magpies enter September, they are top of the league table and over the next couple of months the frontrunners for success will become clear. Langley hopes that her squad can retain their current position and be the top end of the table for the duration.
"We need to focus on one game at a time and not get too carried away," said the Newcastle Women manager. "Of course we would love to be top at the end of this month, and even at the end of 2021, but we are fully focused on making sure that our performances are at the highest level every single match."
Kick-off at Druid Park on Sunday is at 2pm (BST). Admission is £3 for adults or £1 for under-16s and concessions and contactless payment is preferred.
Photograph courtesy of Colin Lock/@Tyneside_NUWFC