06.10.2024

Manchester City go top of the table

Lauren Hemp

Manchester City went top of the Barclays Women’s Super League table courtesy of a 2-0 win over West Ham, extending their unbeaten start to the season.

Elsewhere, Brighton & Hove Albion beat Aston Villa in a six-goal thriller that saw both sides reduced to 10 players while Liverpool scored a late penalty to emerge 3-2 winners over Tottenham.

History was made as Crystal Palace secured their first-ever win in the WSL with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City.

In the remaining fixture, hosts Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by Everton at the Emirates Stadium.

City brush West Ham aside

Goals from Lauren Hemp and Mary Fowler were enough for Manchester City to claim their second win of the season as they beat West Ham 2-0.

Visitors West Ham looked set to provide a shock after Viviane Asseyi’s deflected effort found its way past Ayaka Yamashita, only for Asseyi’s goal to be ruled out for offside.

Gareth Taylor’s charges created a number of opportunities but found the net hard to come by before Hemp broke the deadlock just 10 minutes into the first half.

It came after a slick passing move saw Mary Fowler find Hemp’s run, who duly converted past Kinga Szemik.

Substitute Khadija Shaw came on in the 70th minute and didn’t take long to make an impact, her cross headed home by Fowler to secure City all three points and move to the league summit.

Brighton and Aston Villa play out six-goal thriller

Brighton overcame Aston Villa 4-2 in an entertaining clash at Broadfield Stadium in Saturday’s only game.

Villa took the lead in the first half through captain Rachel Daly, only for Brighton to immediately respond through Nikita Parris 75 seconds later.

New Brighton signing Parris was making her first WSL start since making the switch from Manchester United and went onto assist Pauline Bremer as Brighton entered the break with a 2-1 lead.

Daly restored parity via a well-struck penalty early into the second half, before Villa went down to 10 players after Paula Tomas was shown a straight red card for a foul on substitute Kiko Seike in the penalty area.

Fran Kirby duly converted from the spot before loanee Michelle Agyemang sealed all three points with a fourth deep into stoppage time.

Brighton also ended the game with 10 players following Poppy Pattinson’s sending off for a second yellow card late in proceedings.

Liverpool leave it late vs Lilywhites

Liverpool took home the spoils for their first win of the season courtesy of Marie Hobinger’s 94th-minute penalty as they dramatically defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Brisbane Road.

Matt Beard’s charges enjoyed the better of the match from the off and duly took the lead through Cornelia Kapocs’ first goal for the club – a lobbed effort from 30 yards out – before Taylor Hinds’ own goal restored parity between the sides.

Liverpool retook the lead thanks to Hobinger’s expertly-placed free-kick but the Reds found themselves pegged back once more after Clare Hunt’s 83rd minute equaliser – her first goal for the Lilywhites – set up a dramatic finale.

Both sides traded blows in search of a late winner, with Spurs’ Bethany England’s half-volley going just wide before Liverpool’s Sophie Roman Haug was brought down in the box.

Hobinger duly converted from the spot to secure all three points for the visitors and their first victory of the season.

Blanchard brace sees Eagles soar over Leicester

Annabel Blanchard was at the double as Crystal Palace secured their first ever in win the Barclays Women’s Super League with a 2-0 defeat of Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The Eagles endured a difficult start to life in the WSL with defeats to Tottenham and Chelsea but look to have turned a corner thanks to Blanchard’s brace.

The 23-year-old broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, rushing to meet Katie Stengel’s ball before slotting home to register Palace’s first-ever top-flight goal.

Blanchard then secured her brace from the spot after Leicester’s Ruby Mace brought down Lexi Potter in the area.

Palace’s win sees them climb above Leicester into eighth in the table, with the Foxes in tenth and still in search of a first win under new boss Amandine Miquel.

Everton deny Emirates faithful

Everton defiantly secured their first point of the WSL season as they held Arsenal to a goalless draw at a wet Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Opportunities were aplenty for the Gunners, who dominated possession throughout but were unable to convert their superiority into goals.

Emily Fox saw her cross meet the woodwork before Everton keeper Courtney Brosnan denied Mariona Caldentey and Kim Little’s efforts.

The Toffees almost broke the deadlock when Veatriki Sarri’s attempt was parried on to the crossbar by Daphne van Domselaar, before the consequent corner saw Katie McCabe make a goalline clearance from Justine Vanhaevermaet’s header.

After the break, Arsenal huffed and puffed in search of an opener but were unable to pry open a resilient Everton defence, with Brosnan coming to the rescue late on to deny substitute Caitlin Foord what would have been a spectacular late winner.

The Gunners now find themselves in sixth after three games, two points behind leaders Manchester City, while Everton are second from bottom.

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