WSL 25/26 GW3: City Hit Spurs for Five, Brighton Bounce Back and Chelsea Stay Perfect

London City Lionesses recorded their first-ever win – and points – in the top flight on Friday night at Goodison Park.

The visitors started brightly and took a deserved lead after 13 minutes. Last season’s top scorer Isobel Goodwin opened her account for the campaign, smashing in from close range off the underside of the bar after Everton failed to clear a Kosovare Asllani corner.

Goodwin struck again on 58 minutes, this time finishing from six yards after Nikita Parris broke through the Everton back line and squared a perfect ball to her strike partner.

Everton responded when Nicole Momiki calmly converted from the spot in the 71st minute, but they couldn’t find a way past Kenza Lete, who was in fine form in the London City goal.

The victory kick-starts London City’s season, lifting them off the bottom of the table and up to ninth.

Match Stats

Manchester City roared to their first dominant win of the season with a 5–1 demolition of Tottenham at Brisbane Road.

City opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Aoba Fujino finished emphatically from the edge of the box after slick link-up play with Bunny Shaw. The visitors doubled their lead just before half-time as Vivianne Miedema (39′) headed in from close range, before Kerstin Casparij (43′) reacted quickest to a deflected effort after fine work by Kerolin down the left, sending City into the break 3–0 up.

Spurs keeper Barbora Votíková Kop kept her side in it with a smart save from Shaw’s penalty in the 57th minute, but City remained relentless. On her debut, Grace Clinton (80′) added the fourth with a composed finish inside the box, again set up by Kerolin. Olivia Holdt (87′) briefly lifted the home crowd with the goal of the game – a superb strike to make it 4–1 – but City restored their margin in stoppage time when Laura Coombs (90′+2) slotted home to complete the rout.

The emphatic victory makes it back-to-back wins for City and ends Tottenham’s perfect start to the season in devastating fashion.

Match Stats

The fixture at Villa Park was postponed following the passing of former Liverpool manager Matt Beard. A two-time WSL champion with the Reds and one of the league’s longest-serving coaches, Beard was widely respected across the women’s game. All WSL and WSL2 matches over the weekend observed a minute’s silence in his memory, with tributes paid to his impact on English football.

Brighton delivered a commanding performance at Broadfield Stadium, sweeping aside West Ham 4–1 to claim their first win of the season.

The Seagulls should have been in front inside 12 minutes, but Agyemang could only fire straight at the keeper from two yards out. They soon made amends, striking twice before the break to take control. Caitlin Hayes (23′) opened the scoring with a towering header at the far post from a Fran Kirby corner, before Kiko Seike (35′) doubled the lead with a sharp finish after a neat one-two with Rosa Kafaji.

West Ham briefly threatened a comeback when Viviane Asseyi (51′) converted from the spot, but Brighton hit back almost immediately. On her first start for the club, Kafaji (58′) curled in a superb strike to restore the cushion, before Marisa Olislagers (86′) sealed the points with a looping finish to cap a solid win.

It was a case of Brighton taking their chances, producing their most complete performance of the campaign. For West Ham, however, it was another sobering afternoon – just one goal to show for their efforts, and they now sit rooted to the bottom with three defeats from three.

Match Stats

Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the season with a narrow 1–0 victory over Leicester at Kingsmeadow.

The champions struck early. Aggie Beever-Jones (7′) latched onto a sublime back-heeled pass from Erin Cuthbert, firing high past Janina Leitzig to put Chelsea in front. From there, the hosts controlled much of the play but found Leitzig in inspired form, the Leicester keeper producing a string of saves to keep her side in it.

Leicester almost snatched a point deep into stoppage time. Substitute Lena Petermann found herself unmarked six yards out in the 96th minute, but blazed over the bar – a huge let-off that ensured Chelsea took all three points.

Chelsea remain the only side with a perfect start to the season, while Leicester – spirited and disciplined throughout – will be frustrated not to have nicked a point, especially after Petermann’s late chance.

Match Stats

Manchester United and Arsenal played out a goalless draw at Leigh Sports Village in front of a record home crowd of 8,665.

Both sides had chances in a high-tempo contest. United nearly broke through in the 12th minute when Daphne van Domselaar spilled a cross, but despite three efforts in the scramble, Arsenal’s back line held firm. The visitors came closest before the break when Olivia Smith rattled the crossbar with a fierce strike from the edge of the box. After half-time, United pressed again, with Lucía García and Geyse both denied by sharp stops from Van Domselaar.

n the end, the points were shared – a fair result on a day where both teams had spells of control but lacked the finishing touch. United will be pleased to have restricted free-scoring Arsenal to just one shot on target, while both sides remain unbeaten but frustrated to already be losing ground on Chelsea.

Match Stats