Chelsea took the points at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 win over Arsenal, a match the visitors controlled for long stretches without ever making it count. Alyssa Thompson scored just before half-time, and that single goal was enough to settle a game in which Arsenal applied more than enough pressure to make a difference but could not find a finish.
The numbers explain the defeat. Arsenal registered 18 shots and put only two of them on target, with none of their nine first-half attempts troubling Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. Chelsea, by contrast, had five of their eight efforts on target. It is a familiar pattern for the Gunners this season, and one that head coach Renée Slegers acknowledged will occupy her thinking in the days ahead. “I wanted to keep it away from the players because they can score goals and they can finish and they will get the rewards for their work,” Slegers said. With Arsenal’s season threatening to unravel, solutions need to arrive quickly.
There was relief of a different kind in Bromley, where Alexia Putellas scored her first goal for London City Lionesses in a 2-0 win over Brighton. The Spaniard arrived in the summer with a heavy weight of expectation and has taken time to settle, but this was her best performance in a London City shirt, dictating play from central areas and creating more chances than anyone else on the pitch. Her goal gave Eder Maestre’s side something to build on in a result that continued to show their progress.
Brighton, meanwhile, continue to look bright in phases without producing much of consequence. A core problem for Arturo Ruiz is his team’s lack of versatility in attack, and the absence of a proper striker — a situation that has now persisted for almost a year — is holding them back.
Liverpool look to have pulled off a masterstroke in signing Natalia Ramos from Tenerife. The Spanish midfielder, who spent eight years at Tenerife, produced a performance full of creativity and energy against Everton, adding deadly set-piece delivery that brought an assist for the hosts’ opener in a 2-0 win. She has quickly become a favourite at Anfield. “She brings such personality,” said head coach Gareth Taylor. “I can imagine people enjoy watching Natalia play because she’s very humble and very open to learning, even at 27 years old, but she’s been like a ray of sunshine coming into this group because she’s very caring, very honest and very open – she’s just a brilliant teammate.”
Victoria Pelova is beginning to look like the player Tottenham hoped they had signed. The midfielder followed two goals against Crystal Palace with another double in a 4-0 win over Aston Villa, and her influence stretched well beyond the goals, with her movement and pressing helping Spurs maintain their dominance. Tottenham had 15 shots in the first half without scoring before eventually finding their cutting edge. “She sets the tone for the team,” said head coach Martin Ho, who praised Pelova’s “attitude and mentality” under pressure and believes the freedom provided by those around her is allowing her best form to emerge.
Manchester United’s week showed how a midweek result can feed into league form. A 10-1 win over Sheffield United in the new Subway Players Cup last Wednesday was their first victory since March, and the confidence it generated was evident on Sunday, when they played with far greater self-assurance than in previous league fixtures. Eva Olid’s side beat West Ham 2-1 in a tight game, Andrea Medina scoring the winner. Fixture congestion can be a burden for some teams, but this one appears to have arrived at the perfect moment for United. West Ham have now lost seven league games in a row at United, and the result gave Olid her first league win in England.
Charlton slipped to a fourth straight WSL defeat, losing 1-0 to Manchester City, but may have emerged with renewed belief. Head coach Karen Hills had asked her players to be brave and to return to the defensive fundamentals that brought them promotion, and they responded with a diligent, well-structured display out of possession. They had only 25% of the ball but left everything on the field. “I’m so proud of them,” Hills said. “I thought the players bought into what I was asking them to do, and I thought they delivered it and executed it to the best that they can.”
Océane Hurtré quietly moved joint-top of the WSL Golden Boot race with a fine double for Birmingham against Crystal Palace. The 22-year-old broke the deadlock inside the opening minute with a curled effort using the outside of her left boot, then hit the target again from a tight angle about half an hour later. That took her to four goals, level with Pelova and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, despite Birmingham still waiting for a win. They twice let their lead slip before scoring a late equaliser in Sunday’s 3-3 home draw. “It’s not easy but we want to win,” Hurtré said. “Crystal Palace scored for 3-2 and we came back so it’s a positive.”
Manchester City lead the table after four games with 12 points and a goal difference of eight, ahead of Tottenham on 10 points and Chelsea on 10. London City Lionesses sit fourth on nine, with Liverpool fifth on seven. Everton are sixth on six, while Arsenal are seventh on five, level with Crystal Palace. Manchester United have four points, West Ham three, and Brighton, Birmingham and Aston Villa two apiece. Charlton remain bottom without a point.