A round-up of Sunday’s WSL action as Chelsea ride Brighton storm to secure ninth straight victory and Arsenal move into third; plus Man City thump Leicester and Crystal Palace surrender a two-goal lead as West Ham win
Chelsea continued their flawless start to the Women’s Super League season, securing their ninth victory in as many games. However, their 4-2 win over a resilient Brighton side at a blustery Kingsmeadow was far from straightforward. The Seagulls fought tenaciously, pushing the reigning champions to their limits despite ultimately falling short.
Sonia Bompastor’s side remains at the summit with 27 points, ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal, who also registered convincing victories. The testing conditions made playing out from the back particularly risky, and Chelsea felt the pressure early on when Jelena Cankovic was caught in possession near her own penalty area. This error gifted Sjoeke Nüsken the opportunity to open the scoring for Chelsea.
Aggie Beever-Jones soon capitalized on another Brighton defensive lapse, pouncing after goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley lost possession to double Chelsea’s advantage. Brighton, however, responded through Cankovic, who made amends for her earlier mistake by scoring against her former club. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion after the interval.
Chelsea’s goalkeeper Hannah Hampton then handed Brighton a lifeline with a costly mistake, inadvertently setting up Kiko Seike for a goal. Seike nearly found an equalizer late on, but Chelsea secured all three points with a goal from a stoppage-time corner, maintaining their dominant position in the league.
Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa Arsenal climbed to third place in the Women’s Super League, extending their winning streak to five matches with a commanding 4-0 victory over Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
Beth Mead thought she had given Arsenal an early lead, only for her goal to be ruled offside. However, it wasn’t long before Alessia Russo headed home the opener. Mead eventually got her name on the scoresheet, slotting in Arsenal’s second just before halftime.
The Gunners continued their dominance in the second half, with Stina Blackstenius coming off the bench to add a third. Russo then completed her brace with a stoppage-time strike, sealing an emphatic win for Jonas Eidevall’s side.
Manchester City 4-0 Leicester Manchester City kept pace with the league leaders by cruising to a 4-0 victory over Leicester at the Joie Stadium.
Bunny Shaw was in lethal form, scoring twice as City made the most of their limited early chances. Jess Park also found the net, ensuring all three of City’s first-half shots resulted in goals.
Mary Fowler then put the game beyond doubt with a powerful volley to secure City’s fourth, dashing Leicester’s hopes of a comeback.
The victory marked Gareth Taylor’s 72nd win in the WSL, equaling former City manager Nick Cushing’s record. City remain second in the standings with 22 points, five behind Chelsea.
Tottenham 2-1 Everton Beth England played the hero for Spurs, netting twice in a 2-1 victory over Everton at Brisbane Road.
England put Tottenham ahead in the first half, but Everton responded with an equalizer from Sara Holmgaard. However, England once again proved decisive, coolly converting a penalty to restore Spurs’ lead.
The win lifts Tottenham to sixth place, providing a four-point cushion above the bottom four. Everton, who recently secured their first league win of the season with a Merseyside Derby victory, remain in 10th place, just one point ahead of Crystal Palace and Leicester, who occupy the relegation spots.
West Ham 5-2 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace squandered a two-goal lead and remain at the bottom of the league after a 5-2 defeat to West Ham at the Barking and Dagenham Stadium.
Palace started brightly, racing into a 2-0 lead within 11 minutes courtesy of goals from Mille Gejl and Indiah-Paige Riley. However, their advantage was short-lived, as Vivianne Asseyi quickly responded, halving the deficit with her 14th WSL goal for the Hammers.
Palace had a golden opportunity to restore their two-goal lead, but top scorer Annabel Blanchard missed a crucial chance, a mistake that would prove costly. West Ham took full advantage, with Seraina Piubel and Manuela Pavi turning the game around before halftime.
The Hammers added further gloss to the scoreline with late strikes from Anouk Denton and Katrina Gorry, securing an emphatic victory. West Ham’s win creates a three-point gap between themselves and the bottom two, leaving Palace in deep trouble as the season progresses.
