The Women’s Super League returned this weekend, with City’s win meaning they’re now level on points and GD with Chelsea at the top. Arsenal beat United in front of 60,160 people – boosting their chances in the title race. A wonder goal from Jordan Nobbs gave Aston Villa a much-needed win, especially with their top goalscorer Rachel Daly suspended for several matches.
It was bad news for Bristol at the bottom of the table with another loss but with Brighton and West Ham close to the relegation spot – there is still a route out for Bristol.
WSL round-up: City beat Chelsea to put pressure on, Arsenal back in title race & Nobbs wonder strike gives Villa win
‘Midfield superiority sees City beat Blues’
Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea
Stadium: Kingsmeadow
Manchester City showcased their midfield supremacy and defensive solidity in a decisive 1-0 triumph over Chelsea on Friday evening. Many put focus on City’s attacking strengths but Gareth Taylor’s squad illustrated their maturity and resilience and their depth. Whether it was the composed presence of Yui Hasegawa shielding the defence, Laura Coombs’ unwavering reliability, the robustness of the evolving centre-back duo of Alex Greenwood and Laia Aleixandri, or the emergence of Jess Park, their performance underscored their status as genuine title contenders.
City demonstrated their ability to withstand pressure as Chelsea dominated possession and pushed them onto the back foot in the second half. However, full of confidence, they refused to buckle under the strain once they grabbed the lead – inevitably through a Khadija Shaw goal. The victory marked their 11th consecutive win across all competitions, a commendable streak dating back to November.
‘Arsenal title hopes back on track’
Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United
Stadium: Emirates
Attendance 60,160
Arsenal are back into the running for the WSL title with a 3-1 victory over Manchester United on Saturday. Seizing upon Manchester City’s triumph over Chelsea, the north London team narrowed the gap to the league leaders to just three points – in an incredible atmosphere, as Emirates Stadium witnessed a record-breaking WSL attendance of 60,160 fans.
Merely two weeks prior, after a surprising 2-1 loss to West Ham, doubt crept in among many supporters. However, their faith has been reignited.
“People were saying after the West Ham game it was impossible for us to reach the top spot, but if I’m not reading it wrongly here it’s three points with eight games to play. It’s very much a race,” remarked Arsenal manager, Jonas Eidevall.
“The way I see it, we’ve never been in or out of it. We’ve played one game at a time, we’ve still got to play both teams ahead of us, and that would give us a good opportunity.”
‘Wonder goal from Nobbs seals Villa the win’
Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Stadium: Brisbane Road
Attendance: 1,971
Jordan Nobbs played a pivotal role in Aston Villa’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham, showcasing her tenacity and midfield dominance throughout the match. The 30-year-old orchestrated the tempo of the game and controlled the midfield area effectively. With the score tied at 1-1 after an hour, Nobbs found herself strategically positioned on the outskirts of the penalty area following a corner. She unleashed a powerful first-time shot that found the back of the net, ultimately securing the crucial goal for Villa.
Despite narrowly missing another scoring opportunity, Nobbs’ influence on the game was undeniable, contributing significantly to Villa’s triumph. Reflecting on her goal, she remarked, “As a midfielder, you always want those balls to roll back to you. Naturally, my instinct is to hit it. I should have had two today, really, but we got the win.” Nobbs’ decisive goal leaves Villa in eighth place, just three points away from achieving the sixth-place finish targeted by their manager, Carla Ward.
‘Leicester fight back to batter Bristol’
Leicester 5-2 Bristol City
King Power Stadium
Attendance: 2,219
The gap between Leicester, promoted in 2022, and Bristol City, the WSL’s newest addition, was evident in a thrilling seven-goal encounter. Despite initially taking a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute courtesy of Ffion Morgan, Bristol City found themselves overwhelmed by the relentless pressure from the hosts in the second half. This onslaught led to a resounding 5-2 defeat for Bristol City at the King Power Stadium.
The outcome leaves Bristol City rooted at the bottom of the table with a mere six points, trailing their relegation rivals Brighton and West Ham by five points. In Sunday’s match, they struggled to cope with Leicester’s dominance in the attacking third, facing a staggering 30 shots, with 10 of them hitting the target.
“Our defensive performance simply couldn’t withstand their attacking prowess today,” remarked Bristol City manager, Lauren Smith. “It feels quite challenging at the moment, especially considering that we were competitive in parts of the game. We need to shift our focus to the next match, learn from this experience, and ensure that we perform better next time around.”
‘Ceri Holland takes centre stage with goal and red card’
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton
Broadfield Stadium
Attendance: 2,959
Ceri Holland took centre stage in Liverpool’s 1-0 triumph against Brighton. The Welsh midfielder broke the deadlock early in the second half by capitalising on a wayward pass from Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley. Following an unsuccessful attempt by Mikey Harris’ side to build from the back, Holland calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. However, her involvement didn’t end there. In injury time, she received a second yellow card for a challenge on Julia Zigiotti Olme in the 94th minute.
Speaking post-match, Liverpool’s manager, Matt Beard, said, “I just think the referee needs to understand the state of the game on that second one. There was no malice in the tackle.” Nevertheless, Liverpool thoroughly deserved their victory, as Brighton struggled to pose any significant threats to Rachael Laws’ goal in the second half.
‘Everton finally win but awful injury overshadows’
Everton 2-0 West Ham
Stadium: Walton Hall Park
Attendance: 997
Before the visit of West Ham, Everton were on the longest WSL losing streak in their history – four games in a row – and had not kept a clean sheet at home in the league since January 2023. On Sunday they managed to break both those sequences but the manager, Brian Sørensen, had to wait until the last 10 minutes before goals from Martina Piemonte and Aurora Galli sealed a 2-0 victory that moved the team up to ninth. Sadly the win was overshadowed by a serious injury to Karoline Olesen, who was taken off on a stretcher. “It is a bad one,” Sørensen told the BBC. “It’s not a broken leg, which we thought at the beginning [but] she’s not very well. It looks like the quad muscle was not attached. It doesn’t look very good. It’s a big injury.”