Chelsea back on top after nine-goal demolition of Foxes
Chelsea meant business at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, scoring nine times and securing their 12th clean sheet of the season against Lydia Bedford’s Leicester. The last time these two met it was a nippy February evening in the FA Cup where Chelsea racked up a similar tally of goals (seven). A repeat performance from Leicester’s leaky defence wasn’t going to go unpunished. Guro Reiten kicked off the scoring with a beautiful free-kick that curled past Demi Lambourne. Ten minutes later, Sam Kerr, Aniek Nouwen and Bethany England had added to the count. At 5-0, things were already looking fairly bleak for the hosts; they were pegged back another four times before the final whistle was blown. The result puts Chelsea at the summit of the WSL for the first time this season with five games left to play. MN
United’s shrewd move to host Everton at Old Trafford
The decision of Manchester United to host struggling Everton at Old Trafford was a shrewd one. Often, clubs have hosted their biggest derby rivals or closest competitors at their main stadia in order to help draw a crowd. That can backfire though, as suffering a disappointing defeat could, unfortunately, put people off coming back or making the trip to Leigh Sports Village where the team play week-in week-out. Against Everton it had looked like United would do just that as Claire Emslie’s fourth-minute goal gave the visiting team the lead but United turned the game on its head, earning a 3-1 win to remain unbeaten in two games at the Theatre of Dreams. In the quest to make the team feel at home on the big stage, winning goes a long way, and United have begun the process of making Old Trafford a second home, not an alien one. SW
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Postponed derby gives Arsenal a fixture headache
The postponement of Arsenal’s showpiece game against Tottenham at the Emirates because of a Covid outbreak among the visiting team was disappointing. Not least because, should Arsenal beat Wolfsburg next week to progress in the Champions League, finding a space in the calendar for the game to be played will be difficult. With only 5,018 fans in attendance for Wednesday’s home game against the Bundesliga leaders, there was confidence that Saturday’s north London derby would boast a far more impressive attendance in the midday sun. Now, Arsenal women don’t just have to contend with their own crowded calendar but also have to navigate the men’s programme if the rescheduled fixture is to be played at the Emirates. SW
Villa end dire run and hint at better times ahead
Aston Villa ended their run of 10 successive defeats in the league this weekend, coming from behind to earn a point against Reading thanks to an outstanding piece of combination play from Laura Blindkilde and Ramona Petzelberger. The hosts went a goal down in the 69th minute when Justine Vanhaevermaet converted from the penalty spot; and at that moment all evidence suggested an 11th consecutive loss was on its way. Seven minutes later, however, Blindkilde made a gutsy run down the Villa right-flank. Dribbling to the byline, the midfielder crossed the ball towards the far-post. The result was a flying header from Petzelberger that zipped past Grace Moloney’s reach, into the goal. The draw spells more trouble for Reading whose poor form continues. They now have claimed only two points out of 18 in their last six games. For Villa this could potentially be something to build on. MN
Manchester City’s party spoiled by Covid
Manchester City were on a seven-game winning run across all competitions heading into round 18 of the Women’s Super League but their match against Birmingham City was postponed after a Covid outbreak in the Blues’ squad. The question comes now if this disruption will impact their flow as Gareth Taylor’s side. City were back to their best, with their winning run including a Continental Cup title, after a disastrous start to the season. It’s easy to forget how precarious the opening rounds were for City. It was their worst start to a WSL season and many fans were calling for Taylor’s sacking. The manager remained in his post and he’s brought the team back to the high standard we know them to have but this postponement could knock the wind out of their sails. If their form isn’t impacted, what will be influenced is their workload as they will have to fit in this rescheduled fixture. SR
Hammers blow it after defensive blunder
West Ham were the architects of their own downfall as a defensive howler in their 2-0 loss to Brighton took the game out of reach for the home side. Hawa Cissoko passed the ball back to her own goal in an attempt to control the pressure from the visitors. However, a miscommunication between goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and defender Grace Fisk saw neither run to take it initially. They then realised Inessa Kaagman could pounce and both came to claim it. This meant the ball was bungled out of their possession into Kaagman’s path. She struck to score in an open goal and Fisk didn’t even attempt to run to clear it off the line. She looked defeated from the team’s blunder which put the match firmly in Brighton’s hands. SR
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea Women | 17 | 40 | 41 |
| 2 | Arsenal Women | 17 | 35 | 40 |
| 3 | Man Utd Women | 18 | 21 | 35 |
| 4 | Man City Women | 17 | 17 | 32 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 16 | 7 | 28 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 18 | -6 | 25 |
| 7 | West Ham Women | 18 | -4 | 24 |
| 8 | Reading Women | 18 | -9 | 24 |
| 9 | Everton Women | 18 | -20 | 17 |
| 10 | Aston Villa Women | 18 | -20 | 17 |
| 11 | Leicester Women | 18 | -29 | 12 |
| 12 | Birmingham City Women | 17 | -32 | 4 |
