I’ll leave you with Suzanne Wrack’s match report from the Chigwell Construction Stadium…
That’s all from me today. Manchester City jumped back to the top of the WSL following a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Liverpool dropped points to Crystal Palace at home, while Arsenal and Leicester got back to winning ways.
Thanks for joining me, enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Tom Garry spoke to Lauren James ahead of this evening’s London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham. You can read the full interview here:
Here are the results from today’s WSL games so far…
Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa
Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace
Leicester City 1-1 Everton
West Ham 0-2 Arsenal
Full-time - Leicester 1-0 Everton
Yuka Momiki’s first-half strike was enough to secure all three points for Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Everton had plenty of chances to get back into the match but failed to make the most of them.
Full-time - West Ham 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal get back to winning ways in the WSL with a much-needed 2-0 win over West Ham.
A positive end to a turbulent week for the north London side.
Leicester 1-0 Everton. Huge chance for the visitors! The ball is crossed into the box and Vanhaevermaet goes for goal with a header, but her effort narrowly runs wide!
West Ham 0-2 Arsenal. Blackstenius carries the ball down the left before squaring it across goal to Kafaji, who makes no mistake in converting her shot.
Rosa Kafaji rounds off a precise team move with a clean first-time strike 🧼#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/gZ7rigE1uI
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 20, 2024
Updated
GOAL! West Ham 0-2 Arsenal (Rosa Kafaji, 89)
Kafaji scores her first Arsenal goal! That should seal the three points.
Updated
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal. Van Domselaar makes a fantastic save to keep Dagný Brynjarsdóttir’s effort out.
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal. Huge chance for Arsenal! Mead sends a long pass through to Blackstenius on the edge of the box, but the striker fails to control the ball and Szemik can claim.
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal. Harries goes for goal with a header but fails to challenge Van Domselaar.
Just over 10 minutes left to play in both games now. Both Leicester and Arsenal are leading their opponents 1-0 as we enter the final stages.
GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Arsenal (Mariona Caldentey, 71)
Mariona calmly converts the spot-kick, slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner with ease!
A penalty-taking masterclass 🥵
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 20, 2024
Mariona Caldentey makes absolutely no mistakes from the spot 🔥#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/G4GXFA5aPJ
Updated
PENALTY! Arsenal!
Tysiak trips Blackstenius in the box and the referee points to the spot!
Leicester 1-0 Everton. Huge chance for Everton to equalise! Toni Payne, who was introduced just after half-time, makes a run down the right before sending a cross to Sarri in the box. The Greek international throws herself at the ball in an attempt to tap it in, but can’t get enough contact on it.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal. Arsenal interim manager Renée Slegers has just made a quadruple substitution. Stina Blackstenius has replaced Alessia Russo. Little makes way for Kyra Cooney-Cross, with Beth Mead replacing Foord. Finally, summer signing Rosa Kafaji is on for Maanum.
Updated
We’re back under way in both 3pm games.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
Leicester 1-0 Everton
Full-time - Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace
The points are shared at St Helens Stadium. A huge result for Crystal Palace!
Half-time – Leicester 1-0 Everton
Leicester have a narrow lead at the break thanks to Momiki’s early goal.
Half-time - West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
A fairly uneventful half in Dagenham.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal. The visitors are desperately pushing for a breakthrough but they are struggling to crack West Ham’s low block at times. Just a few minutes to go now until half-time.
Just under 10 minutes to play until half-time now in both 3pm games. Meanwhile, we’re approaching the final stages of Liverpool vs Crystal Palace.
Leicester 1-0 Everton. Another goalkeeper time-out, this time involving Leicester’s Leitzig. She receives some treatment before the hosts continue with a throw-in.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal. It’s still goalless at the Chigwell Construction Stadium. Fox has just forced a good save from Szemik as Arsenal look for an opening goal.
Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace. There’s some concern for Liverpool as Rachael Laws goes down with an injury. After receiving treatment from the physios the goalkeeper is able to play on for now.
Leicester 1-0 Everton. What a goal from Momiki! The midfielder receives the ball from Chossenotte just outside the penalty area before poking it through the legs of Vanhaevermaet and passing her shot into the bottom-right corner!
Nutmeg ⏩ Back of the net
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 20, 2024
A brilliant finish from @nicole_m09 🤩#BarclaysWSL @LCFC_Women pic.twitter.com/VcwSqraT9o
Updated
GOAL! Leicester 1-0 Everton (Yuka Momiki, 8)
Momiki fires Leicester into an early lead!
Updated
Following his team’s win over Aston Villa, Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor told BBC Two: “I’m always about the performance. I thought we were fantastic in so many ways. Even at half-time I said to the girls it was very good we just did not control one action from Villa. It was a great fightback in the second half. What I loved about it was the fact we stayed calm.
“We continued to play our game, the first half an hour of the second half was a half-pitch practice in our favour and we did some little tactical tweaks which helped a little bit and allowed Leila [Ouahabi] to get a little bit higher, it worked within 30 seconds. It worked straight away.
“Of course we have got to thank Lauren [Hemp] for a brilliant goal and a fantastic assist. That second goal was really special.”
Kick-off - Leicester City vs Everton
We’re also up and running at the King Power Stadium!
Kick-off - West Ham vs Arsenal
We’re under way at the Chigwell Construction Stadium!
Half-time - Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace
It’s all level at St Helens Stadium. Crystal Palace held the lead for the majority of the first half, but the hosts managed to draw themselves level before the break.
Arsenal enter a new era in the WSL this weekend following the departure of head coach Jonas Eidevall. The 41-year-old resigned on Tuesday following Arsenal’s 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea. Renée Slegers immediately took over as interim manager and went on to win her first game in charge against Vålerenga in the Champions League. Arsenal will be in need of a win against West Ham this afternoon to avoid falling away from the top three.
Following this afternoon’s 2-1 win against Aston Villa, Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp told BBC Two: “It feels great, obviously the aim was to win. We managed to do it. We seem to keep doing it the hard way but we got three points in the end.
“Going into the international [break] unbeaten is the aim and games like that last season we would have probably conceded and gone on to draw so it’s important we learned from that and this season put things right and beat them. It was a tough game and credit to them.”
Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace. Kapocs pounces on a poor clearance from Green before taking the ball into the box and slotting it past Yanez.
As cool as you like 🥶
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 20, 2024
Cornelia Kapocs was the coolest person in the stadium to bury the ball home 😮💨#BarclaysWSL @LiverpoolFCW pic.twitter.com/4fwYU8bTl7
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace (Cornelia Kapocs, 37)
Kapocs equalises for Liverpool just before half-time!
Updated
West Ham vs Arsenal. Leah Williamson and Beth Mead have to settle for a spot on the bench for Arsenal. Catley and Codina step into central defence, with Foord and Mariona on the wings. Lotte Wubben-Moy is out of the squad entirely.
Leicester City vs Everton - team news
Leicester starting XI: Janina Leitzig; CJ Bott, Sophie Howard (C), Sari Kees, Courtney Nevin; Sam Tierney, Saori Takarada, Ruby Mace; Deanne Rose, Shana Chossenotte, Yuka Momiki.
In for the Sunday shift 🫡 pic.twitter.com/yN1O0pF983
— LCFC Women (@LCFC_Women) October 20, 2024
Everton starting XI: Courtney Brosnan; Justine Vanhaevermaet, Megan Finnigan (C), Heather Payne; Lucy Hope, Honoka Hayashi, Clare Wheeler, Sara Holmgaard; Veatriki Sarri, Katja Snoeijs, Karoline Olesen.
1️⃣1️⃣ Your Blues to take on Leicester.#COYB pic.twitter.com/wV1md0OX85
— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) October 20, 2024
Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace. Amid some sloppy defending from Liverpool, the ball falls to Stengel in the six-yard box and the ex-Liverpool star manages to poke it into the bottom corner! What a start from Palace!
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace (Katie Stengel, 14)
Stengel fires Palace into an early lead!
Katie Stengel gives us the early lead! 🦅#CPFC // 0-1 pic.twitter.com/PvP6wSD3kH
— Crystal Palace F.C. Women (@cpfc_w) October 20, 2024
Updated
Full-time - Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa
Manchester City deservedly return to the top of the table following a fantastic comeback against Aston Villa. Lauren Hemp was the star of the show, first scoring the equaliser before assisting the winner.
Villa are still seeking that all-important first WSL win of the season.
West Ham vs Arsenal - team news
West Ham starting XI: Kinga Szemik; Anouk Denton, Li Mengwen, Shannon Cooke, Shelina Zadorsky; Amber Tysiak, Katrina Gorry (C), Seraina Piubel, Oona Siren; Viviane Asseyi, Riko Ueki.
How we take the field today 📋
— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) October 20, 2024
🔛 Seraina makes her league start
©️ Gorry takes the armband
⚡️ Tysiak at the back pic.twitter.com/UzJtWTrb2T
Arsenal starting XI: Daphne van Domselaar; Emily Fox, Laia Codina, Steph Catley, Katie McCabe; Kim Little (C), Lia Wälti, Frida Maanum; Mariona Caldentey, Caitlin Foord, Alessia Russo.
Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa. We’re into five minutes of added time at the Joie Stadium. City are on track to maintain their unbeaten run.
Kick-off - Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
Liverpool get us under way in the 2pm game!
And Jill Roord’s strike to make it 2-1 to the hosts…
That @lauren__hemp and @JillRoordNL link up 🔗
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 20, 2024
Roord bags her first goal of the season after returning from her ACL injury 💪#BarclaysWSL @ManCityWomen pic.twitter.com/io4tEjF6jg
Updated
A look at Lauren Hemp’s equaliser…
The invention from Lauren Hemp! 👏
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 20, 2024
Game ON at Man City.
⚽️ Watch the #WSL LIVE on BBC iPlayer & BBC Two.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/fnZ2TFrZWW
Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa. Hemp skips past three Villa defenders with some incredible footwork before sending a low-driven cross to Roord in the box, who fires her shot into the goal.
That goal was scored by Roord but sensationally created by Hemp. What a turnaround for Manchester City! And what a moment for Roord – her first goal since returning from her ACL injury.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa (Jill Roord, 71)
And just like that, the game has been completely flipped on its head! Roord with the strike!
Updated
Manchester City 1-1 Aston Villa. Ouahabi sends a cross into the box from the left. D’Angelo gets a hand to it but the ball floats behind and falls to Hemp, who controls it with her head before flicking it over the Villa goalkeeper and into the net!
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Aston Villa (Lauren Hemp, 62)
Hemp fires Manchester City level!
Updated
Manchester City 0-1 Aston Villa. The visitors have managed to hold off City so far in this second half, but they are facing a huge amount of pressure.
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace. Liverpool are without striker Sophie Román Haug today. The 25-year-old suffered an ankle issue against Manchester City last weekend and underwent a scan on Friday. The extent of her injury is yet to be revealed.
Jeremy has emailed in about the ongoing match between Manchester City and Aston Villa. He says:
“Lots of movement possible today in the embryonic WSL table and plenty of points up for grabs. Villa would love them to move away from the foot, City to move away at the head. Seems Villa have made a perfect start, but they may just have stirred the City fire. Whatever, it is a great opportunity to once again appreciate the great play, commitment and hard-as-nails attitude of the great Rachel Daly before she hangs up her headband. She always gives the full 100%.”
Half-time - Manchester City 0-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa managed just one shot on target during that first half – and they certainly made it count! Robert de Pauw’s side face an incredibly difficult challenge trying to keep City at bay in the second half.
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace - team news
Liverpool starting XI: Rachael Laws, Lucy Parry, Gemma Bonner, Jasmine Matthews; Gemma Evans, Taylor Hinds (C), Fūka Nagano, Marie Höbinger; Olivia Smith, Mia Enderby, Cornelia Kapocs.
The Reds to face Crystal Palace 👊🔴#LIVCRY
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) October 20, 2024
Crystal Palace starting XI: Shae Yanez; Josie Green, Katrine Veje, Brooke Aspin, Lily Woodham; Lexi Potter, My Cato; Annabel Blanchard, Indiah-Paige Riley, Mille Gejl; Katie Stengel.
Your starting XI 🦅 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/iPC4TTKvYW
— Crystal Palace F.C. Women (@cpfc_w) October 20, 2024
Manchester City 0-1 Aston Villa. Just five minutes to go in this first half…
I’ll also be bringing you team news for Liverpool vs Crystal Palace in the next few moments.
Manchester City 0-1 Aston Villa. Huge chance for Manchester City to equalise! Hemp makes a run down the right before cutting back and sending a cross to Roord on the edge of the six-yard box. The midfielder flings herself at the ball in a bid to tap it in, but can’t quite get enough contact on it.
Here’s a look at that Gabi Nunes goal…
Gabi Nunes with a delightful finish. 👌
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 20, 2024
Aston Villa lead at Man City in the #WSL! #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/0ISi61VIdv
Manchester City 0-1 Aston Villa. Hanson makes a run down the left before sending a cross into Nunes at the front post. The Brazilian manages to get in front of Aleixandri before flicking the ball into the bottom-right corner. Brilliant from Villa against the run of play!
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Aston Villa (Gabi Nunes, 20)
And just like that, Aston Villa take the lead! Gabi Nunes scores her first goal for the club!
Updated
Manchester City 0-0 Aston Villa. A fairly tame header from Shaw is comfortably saved by D’Angelo. Villa left the WSL Golden Boot holder completely free in the box there – they will not want to make that same mistake again.
Manchester City 0-0 Aston Villa. City are happy to keep the ball at the moment – and Villa are happy to let them. The visitors are simply waiting to pounce on a mistake in midfield. They have managed it a few times so far in this game, but are yet to make the most of any chances they have created.
Manchester City 0-0 Aston Villa. Chance for City as Shaw goes for goal from outside the box, but her effort flies way off target.
Manchester City 0-0 Aston Villa. Manchester City are not trying to force anything in these early stages. Any glimpses at goal have been handled well by the Aston Villa defence.
Updated
Kick-off - Manchester City vs Aston Villa
We’re under way at the Joie Stadium!
The teams are out! Just a few minutes to go until kick-off at the Joie Stadium!
I want to hear from you today! Feel free to send me an email with any score predictions, feelings, thoughts and all that jazz. Who will end the weekend at the top of the WSL table? Will Manchester City and Chelsea continue their dominance? Will Arsenal bounce back from last week’s defeat? Or will West Ham pull off another shock result at the Chigwell Construction Stadium?
Manchester United dropped points for the first time this season yesterday after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton. United took the lead through Grace Clinton in the 10th minute, but Nikita Parris levelled things up against her former club after half-time. The two sides now sit level on 10 points.
Diving header from @lilkeets against her old side! 🤩#BarclaysWSL @BHAFCWomen pic.twitter.com/CbbHDLl9AM
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 19, 2024
Katie Robinson starts her first WSL match for Aston Villa this afternoon. Manager Robert de Pauw has made just one change to his line-up, with the former Brighton star replacing Chasity Grant in attack.
In from the start ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/i5EaTyKWIo
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) October 20, 2024
Updated
Chloe Kelly remains on the bench for Manchester City amid ongoing speculation around her future at the club. Meanwhile, summer signing Vivianne Miedema is unavailable. The Dutch international missed City’s midweek trip to St Polten due to an injury concern which is not thought to be serious.
As things stand, Miedema is still expected to link up with the Dutch national team next week.
Updated
Manchester City vs Aston Villa - team news
Manchester City starting XI: Ayaka Yamashita; Kerstin Casparij, Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood (C), Leila Ouahabi; Yui Hasegawa, Jill Roord, Jess Park; Mary Fowler, Lauren Hemp, Khadija Shaw.
Your City XI to face Villa! 🙌
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) October 20, 2024
XI | Yamashita, Aleixandri, Greenwood (C), Fowler, Roord, Hemp, Ouahabi, Park, Casparij, Shaw, Hasegawa
SUBS | Keating, Coombs, Kelly, Kennedy, Blindkilde Brown, Fujino, Prior, Thomas, Murphy#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/L6xsoR0zBk
Aston Villa starting XI: Sabrina D’Angelo; Noelle Maritz, Lucy Parker, Anna Patten, Danielle Turner; Jordan Nobbs, Missy Bo Kearns; Katie Robinson, Kirsty Hanson, Gabi Nunes; Rachel Daly (C).
Your Aston Villa 🫡 pic.twitter.com/8zRd2o17ya
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) October 20, 2024
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to another WSL clockwatch. We have four games to look forward to before this evening’s London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham.
Manchester City and Aston Villa kick off proceedings at 12:15pm BST before Liverpool host Crystal Palace, Everton travel to Leicester and Arsenal take on West Ham.
The table could look very different come the end of the day - join me!
