Goals, controversy, and late drama defined Gameweek 8 of the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL).
At the Emirates, Arsenal and Chelsea shared the points in a fiercely contested 1–1 draw in front of 56,537 fans – the second-largest crowd in WSL history. Two disallowed Arsenal goals, including a stoppage-time strike from Frida Maanum, meant Chelsea’s unbeaten run stretched to 33 league games.
City took full advantage, moving into top spot with a 2–1 win over Everton at Goodison Park, as Andrée Jeglertz’s side secured a seventh straight victory.
Elsewhere, Manchester United’s unbeaten start came to an end with a surprise 1–0 home defeat to Aston Villa.
At the bottom, both Liverpool and West Ham were denied their first wins – each conceding stoppage-time equalisers.
The weekend’s biggest result came in Bromley, where London City Lionesses stunned Tottenham 4–2 in a statement performance – their third win in four – with Freya Godfrey starring with two goals and an assist.
Here’s your full Gameweek 8 round-up: every result, stat and goal.
VERTA’s WSL GW8 Picks
⚽️ Goal of the week: Bend-it-like-Summanen (London City 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur)
🚀 Game of the week: Actual calls for the introduction of VAR (well I never) (Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea)
⭐️ Star of the week: Freya Godfrey. Two goals – the second particularly special – plus an assist (London City 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur)
Sat 8th Nov 25 | The Emirates
Chelsea’s record-breaking unbeaten WSL run continues – after surviving a late Arsenal onslaught in front of a lively 56,537 fans at the Emirates.
The visitors flew out of the blocks. Rytting Kaneryd struck the post inside the opening minute, setting the tone for a dominant Chelsea start. The breakthrough came in the ninth: Alyssa Thompson, lively throughout, drove through the heart of midfield, exchanged passes with Kaneryd, and lifted a delicate chip over the stranded Van Domselaar. You don’t save those.
Chelsea looked the more dangerous side in the first half, but the second told a different story.
Arsenal came out after the break with renewed belief and thought they’d levelled on 53 minutes when Stina Blackstenius smashed in a loose ball from a corner. The goal was ruled out for handball – wrongly, with replays showing no clear contact.
The introduction of Olivia Smith on 62 minutes gave Arsenal fresh energy as they pushed relentlessly for an equaliser. They finally got it in the 87th, when Frida Maanum whipped in a ball for Alessia Russo to volley past Hampton and send the Emirates into pandemonium.
Two minutes later, Maanum raced through again and finished coolly. The stadium erupted again – but the flag went up. Offside. Replays again suggested it was the wrong call.
Chelsea will be relieved to escape with a point, but drop to second. They head to Liverpool next. Arsenal, now six points off leaders Manchester City, travel to Spurs.
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Sat 8th Nov 25 | Leigh Sports Village
Manchester United’s unbeaten start to the WSL season came to an abrupt end as Aston Villa pulled off the shock of the weekend with a disciplined 1–0 win.
Despite entering the weekend as the league’s top scorers, United struggled to convert possession into chances. They controlled much of the first half but lacked sharpness in the final third, failing to trouble a well-drilled Villa back line.
The breakthrough came on 35 minutes. A Villa corner was cleared only as far as Miri Taylor, who met it on the bounce and rifled a crisp half-volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
United responded with greater urgency after the break. Marc Skinner turned to his bench, introducing Leah Galton, Melvine Malard, and Anna Sandberg in an effort to shake things up.
They had chances: Galton forced a strong block, Ella Toone had an effort cleared off the line, and Rachel Williams saw a late header gathered by D’Angelo.
But Villa stood firm. Their 3–5–2 shape stayed compact, and United couldn’t find a way through despite the late pressure.
United will rue the missed opportunity – particularly with Chelsea dropping points. They remain in third and have the Manchester Derby up next.
For Villa, it’s a landmark win: their first-ever WSL victory over Manchester United at the 14th attempt. They host London City Lionesses next, buoyed by three hard-earned points and a defensive performance to build on.
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Sun 9th Nov 25 | Goodison Park
Manchester City moved to the top of the WSL table with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Everton at Goodison Park. Their seventh straight league win.
City should’ve led inside two minutes. Bunny Shaw was gifted a golden chance just yards out but couldn’t beat Emily Ramsey in the Everton goal.
However, they found their breakthrough midway through the first half. On 21 minutes, Iman Beney split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, and Vivianne Miedema raced onto it before coolly sliding it home. Calm, clinical, classic Miedema.
Everton responded well. Kelly Gago had already forced a smart stop from Ayaka Yamashita before equalising just before the break. Toni Payne darted down the right and whipped in a low cross, which Gago met with a deft back-heel flick to level.
One minute after the restart, Shaw missed a huge header with the goal gaping. She made amends on 54 minutes, rising high to meet Leila Ouahabi’s pinpoint cross and thumping a header past Ramsey for her fifth WSL goal of the season.
Everton pushed for an equaliser. Vignola smashed a strike off the inside of the post, and Yamashita was alert to deny Kitagawa from close range.
Andrée Jeglertz’s City side leapfrog Chelsea into top spot and next face Manchester United in the derby next. Everton, winless since the opening weekend, travel to West Ham in a must-win game.
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Sun 9th Nov 25 | Hayes Lane
London City Lionesses declared their WSL credibility in style, beating Tottenham 4‑2 in a thrilling encounter that underlined their ambition.
City opening the scoring in the 8th minute when Freya Godfrey found the bottom corner through a crowded penalty area after Spurs failed to clear a corner. The home side looked energetic and confident.
Spurs responded in the 38th minute when Cathinka Tandberg converted a penalty after Saki Kumagai brought down Drew Spence just inside the box.
City regained the advantage early in the second half. Nikita Parris (50′) converted a perfect cross from Godfrey at the far post. However, Spurs drew level again. In the 69th minute, Eveliina Summanen curled a sumptuous free‑kick from 20 yards out into the top corner.
But the frenetic final third of the game belonged to London City. In the 81st minute, an unwitting Amanda Nildén own goal handed the hosts the lead for the third time. Six minutes later, Godfrey completed her brace, weaving past the Spurs back line before finishing with precision.
That marks three wins in four for London City – a remarkable turnaround following a slow start. They travel next to Aston Villa next full of confidence.
Spurs, meanwhile, return home next to face Arsenal and will need a strong response.
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Sun 9th Nov 25 | St Helens
Liverpool finally secured their first point of the WSL season – but will be bitterly disappointed it wasn’t all three after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Brighton at St Helens Stadium.
Against the run of play, Beata Olsson (26′) slid in at the near post to convert a first-time cross from Lily Woodham. The keeper should have done better – but they all count.
Brighton created chances before and after the goal. Cankovic drew a smart save from Kirby, Camacho hit the bar with a looping header, and McLaughlin was denied by another excellent stop from the Liverpool keeper.
Liverpool themselves came close to extending their lead, hitting the bar twice before the break in a frantic end to the first half.
Brighton kept pushing for an equaliser after the interval, but it looked like it wasn’t going to be their day. Until the third of five added minutes.
Rosa Kafaji found herself unmarked in the Liverpool box and made no mistake, rifling in a cutback from Nadine Noordam to snatch a point and silence the home crowd.
Liverpool will be relieved to be off the mark, but gutted it wasn’t their first win, especially with West Ham also picking up their first point. They now face the daunting task of Chelsea.
Brighton’s late equaliser will feel like a win, but the bigger picture remains concerning – four without victory. They host Leicester next in need of a response.
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Sun 9th Nov 25 | Chigwell Construction
West Ham looked on track to secure their first WSL victory of the season – only to let it slip away with the final kick of the game against Leicester City.
Both sides had chances in the first half, but the better fell to the hosts. West Ham moved the ball well in patches, but poor quality in front of goal kept things level at the break.
That changed in the 52nd minute. Shekiera Martinez got across her marker at the near post and latched onto a low cross from Anouk Denton. Her finish somehow squirmed past the goalkeeper. A soft goal to conceded for the Leicester keeper.
The goal lifted the Hammers, who looked more likely to double their lead than concede. Leicester struggled to create clear chances, and time looked to be running out.
Then came the sucker punch. In the final second of stoppage time, substitute Shannon O’Brien found herself unmarked inside the West Ham box and swept home from close range after a set-piece scramble.
Despite the point, it will feel like a defeat for West Ham. They controlled large spells, created the better chances, and seemingly had the three points in the bag. They remain bottom and still without a win.
Leicester, meanwhile, take a point they barely looked like earning and preserve the five-point gap between themselves and the Hammers. They’ll be the far happier side leaving East London.
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