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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Guardian sport

The B team? First XIs packed with players whose names begin with same letter

Chelsea's defence against Manchester City earlier this month included Millie Bright (back, middle), Lucy Bronze (front, left), Nathalie Björn (front, middle) and Sandy Baltimore (front, second from right).
Chelsea's defence against Manchester City earlier this month included Millie Bright (back, fourth from left), Lucy Bronze (front, left), Nathalie Björn (front, middle) and Sandy Baltimore (front, fourth from left). Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

“The other day in their Women’s Champions League match against Manchester City, Chelsea fielded a back four of Bronze, Bright, Björn and Baltimore,” emails Asad Butt. “Are there other examples of this in defence, midfield or attack?”

Back in 2017, we answered a question regarding men’s teams fielding three or more players with the same first name, with five Johns starting in an England XI against Switzerland in 1948: John Aston, John Haines, John Hancocks, John (‘Jack’) Rowley and John (‘Jackie’) Milburn all featuring. As mentioned by Asad, Chelsea fielded a back four beginning with the same surname letter against Manchester City earlier this month (plus Aggie Beever-Jones in the first leg). But we can do better than that.

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