WSL 25/26 GW4: Chelsea unstoppable, City ruthless, Arsenal stumble late, Spurs bounce back

Aston Villa snatched a last-kick equaliser at the Emirates on Saturday after Arsenal had led for 84 minutes.

The hosts were gifted the opener inside 10 minutes when Villa tried to play out from the back. Caldentey intercepted on the edge of the box and the loose ball fell kindly to Frida Maanum, who finished coolly from 12 yards.

Both sides created chances. Daphne van Domselaar pushed a well-struck Wilms free-kick past the post on 17 minutes, while an outstretched Maanum was inches from a second after Beth Mead’s cut-back on 35. Katie McCabe’s thunderous effort on 78 looked bound for the top corner, but Sabrina D’Angelo tipped it over.

Villa’s persistence finally paid off deep into stoppage time. A corner broke kindly for substitute Lucy Parker, who rifled home from inside the six-yard box to level it at the death – no less than the visitors deserved.

t’s now back-to-back draws for Arsenal, already four points off leaders Chelsea. For winless Villa, this could be the result – and performance – that kick-starts their season.

Match Stats

Brighton continued their strong run with a third win in a week across all competitions, edging Everton 1–0 in a hard-fought contest.

Michelle Agyemang grabbed her first goal of the season on 26 minutes. Fran Kirby burst down the right and floated a pinpoint cross to Rosa Kafaji at the far post. The Swede managed to steer it back across goal, where Agyemang scuffed the ball home from close range.

Brighton had the better of it throughout and were worthy winners. Clear chances were few and far between, with both sides limited to speculative efforts and lacking real quality in the final third.

The win makes it back-to-back WSL wins for Brighton, lifting them up to sixth in the table. For Everton, it’s three defeats on the spin and no points since their opening-day win over Liverpool.

Match Stats

Manchester United stretched their unbeaten start with a controlled 2–0 win away at Liverpool.

Hinata Miyazawa opened the scoring inside four minutes, smashing home from 20 yards after Jessica Park’s driving run and cut-back left Liverpool exposed. The Japan international almost doubled the lead on 25 minutes, but her strike cannoned back off the post. Liverpool’s only real chance of the half came just before the break, when Hollands’ deflected effort forced Phallon Tullis-Joyce to tip onto the woodwork.

United struck again moments later. Ella Toone with a clinical finish on the stroke of half time giving the visitors a comfortable two-goal cushion.

Liverpool rallied after the interval and should have pulled one back when Enderby went clean through on 79, but Tullis-Joyce stood firm to protect her clean sheet.

With 11 goals scored and just one conceded across their first four games, United look sharp at both ends. Liverpool, meanwhile, slump to a fourth straight WSL defeat – only goal difference keeps them off the bottom.

Manchester City cruised to a 4–1 win over London City Lionesses to stay in touch at the top of the table.

City were two up inside 15 minutes. Vivianne Miedema nodded in from a Kerstin Casparij cross on 11 minutes after fine work from Grace Clinton, before Laura Blindkilde Brown found a way through a congested penalty area with a well-struck finish from a corner three minutes later.

London City responded on 19 minutes when Prior tried to run the ball out from the back, Goodwin intercepted, and Nikita Parris finished well. On the stroke of half-time, Parris thought she had equalised only to see her effort roll agonisingly wide of the far post.

City reasserted control in the second half and should have been out of sight. Bunny Shaw, who had missed a sitter in the first half by her standards, made amends with two coolly-taken penalties — the first after a handball by Kumagai on 69 minutes, the second when she was dragged down by Sangaré on 89.

Manchester City recorded their third WSL win in a row, their only dropped points still the opening-day defeat to Chelsea. For London City, it’s now 14 goals conceded in four games – defensive frailties that must be fixed if they are to match their ambitions this season.

Match Stats

Tottenham edged past Leicester 2–1 to get back to winning ways after last week’s 5–1 humbling by Manchester City.

Spurs took the lead inside 15 minutes when Cathinka Tandberg found herself in acres of space in box. Time to compose herself after a heavy first touch before rolling the ball past Janina Leitzig. Olivia Holdt doubled the advantage soon after with a beautiful chip over the Leicester keeper, played through smartly by Eveliina Summanen.

Leicester hit back before the break. Samantha Tierney arrived late at the far post to score after good work down the right from Hannah Cain.

On another day, both sides might have added more, but neither showed enough quality in front of goal.

It’s a third win in four for Tottenham, lifting them to fourth in the table. Leicester, meanwhile, will be gutted to leave empty-handed – and can only blame themselves after wasting too many chances in the final third.

Match Stats

Chelsea maintained their perfect WSL start with a ruthless 4–0 win over West Ham, who were reduced to ten men after just 23 minutes.

West Ham should have taken the lead on 2 minutes. Katrina Gorry whipped in a dangerous cross early, only for Viviane Asseyi to slip at the crucial moment with only the keeper to beat.

From then on it was all Chelsea. Aggie Beever-Jones curled a sublime 25-yard free-kick into the top corner in the 8th minute – her fourth for four in the WSL this season. Just four minutes later, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd slipped in unmarked at the far post with the Hammers defence napping – tapping in a Wieke Kaptein’s cross.

Erin Cuthbert added a third soon after, drilling a swerving strike from well outside the box, after being allowed to carry the ball unchallenged from the halfway line.

West Ham’s afternoon worsened when Inès Belloumou was shown a straight red card for pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair in the 23rd minute.

Chelsea wrapped up the rout in the 70th minute. Wieke Kaptein slotted home following slick link-up play involving substitute Catarina Macario.

The result extends Chelsea’s WSL unbeaten run to 29 matches. They now sit atop the table with a perfect record. West Ham, meanwhile, have now lost four in a row and are propping up the table with 14 goals conceded in four games.

Match Stats