Can Eidevall turn things around at Arsenal?
The “Jonas out” painted on a wall outside the ground and the mock P45 waved from the stands reflect the pressure on Arsenal’s manager, Jonas Eidevall, after Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. That result alone hasn’t led to this level of discontent; it has been bubbling under the surface, getting closer to boiling over with every failure to break down a low block, every sloppily conceded goal and every indication that the plan just isn’t working. Two draws in the league, against Manchester City and Everton, a 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich, despite having twice taken the lead, and the manner of the goals conceded against Chelsea have played their part. The concession of the first goal on Saturday via a corner, shortly after Eidevall had been on the BBC talking about how much work they had done on defending set pieces in preparation, was symbolic of how wrong things are going. Can they turn it around? Of course. However, with the disconnect between the fans and the manager growing and several players looking disconsolate, the signs don’t look good. SW
Match report: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
Kirby key for resurgent Brighton
Another three points have put Brighton two wins from their tally of five across the whole of last season. That this has been achieved with such a high turnover of players and a new manager, Dario Vidosic, is hugely impressive. Sunday’s 1-0 victory at the WSL newcomers, Crystal Palace, was far from straightforward, the home team having more shots. However, while Palace accrued 13 shots to Brighton’s 11, they managed only three on target. The summer signing Fran Kirby and Barcelona’s on-loan forward Bruna Vilamala combined to give Brighton the points. Kirby’s resurgence under Vidosic has been hugely heartwarming, after her final years at Chelsea were blighted by illness and injury. Her assist for Vilamala was her first of the season but she also has two league goals. Her guile could be hugely impactful and should she stay fit and retain her place in the starting XI she has a strong chance of making the England squad for the Euros next summer. SW
Terland up and running at United
Elisabeth Terland got her first two Manchester United goals in their 3-0 win over Tottenham. The Norway international, Brighton’s top scorer last season, netted in the 44th minute and wasted no time in getting her second five minutes later, in injury time. Marc Skinner had high praise for Terland, United’s manager saying: “She doesn’t dip off her focus. Whether it’s pressing or whatever the task is, she’s all in. I think she knows Erling Haaland personally [Terland’s brother is in a relationship with Haaland’s sister] and I don’t want to compare the two but the immense and intense action of both of them, that’s how she performs.” SR
Rock-bottom Everton need goals
Everton scored their first WSL goal of the season in their 1-1 draw against West Ham but it went down as an own goal, Melissa Lawley’s shot deflected in by Camila Sáez to cancel out Anouk Denton’s first-half strike. Everton’s lack of scoring prowess is a cause for concern. They are the first team since Reading in the 2021-22 campaign not to score in their opening three league games and goals will have to start flowing if Brian Sørensen’s side want a fighting chance of remaining in the top flight. They are bottom, level on points with Aston Villa, Leicester City and West Ham. Villa and Leicester have a superior goal difference and West Ham have scored more goals in their opening four games. SR
Shaw drags City to ‘ugly’ win
There are always a handful of moments which make or break your season. If Manchester City get their hands on the WSL trophy in May, they may look back at Khadija Shaw’s 92nd minute goal at Anfield on Sunday as season-defining. It was not the prettiest from Gareth Taylor’s side against a Liverpool who dug in deep and battled hard to frustrate them. This was probably to be expected from City after their triumphant exploits against Barcelona in midweek. Despite their domination of the ball, it was a story of mettle and perseverance, epitomised by no one more than Shaw. Their prolific centre-forward caused problems for Liverpool’s defence throughout and took the game by the scruff of the neck with her two goals to ensure her team came out with nothing less than victory. “Sometimes an ugly win is just as important for the three points,” Shaw said. “We just have to keep going.” SD
Villa left to rue lack of clinical edge
Sunday’s goalless encounter between Aston Villa and Leicester at Villa Park was a prime example of two sides struggling to kickstart their season. Although there have been some positive signs in the first few weeks for the respective managers, Robert de Pauw and Amandine Miquel, this display illustrated how neither team have been able to find their feet. The hosts will be the more frustrated – they had more possession and creativity but lacked a clinical edge. Of the 16 chances they produced, only four were on target. It was marginally better than Leicester’s sole opportunity and the Foxes will be particularly grateful to their goalkeeper, Janina Leitzig. Her brilliant injury-time stop to deny Anna Patten ensured her team returned home with an important point, a foundation from which to build. SD
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City Women | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 3 | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | Man Utd Women | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC Women | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Arsenal Women | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace Women | 4 | -10 | 3 |
| 9 | Aston Villa Women | 4 | -3 | 2 |
| 10 | Leicester Women | 4 | -3 | 2 |
| 11 | West Ham Women | 4 | -5 | 2 |
| 12 | Everton Women | 4 | -5 | 2 |
