After five thrilling matchdays, the Women's Super League (WSL) is heating up, with the action continuing to captivate fans across the globe. Manchester City finds themselves at the top of the league table, boasting the kind of strength and consistency expected from the reigning champions. Meanwhile, Chelsea, who have been relentless with their scoring, and Arsenal, making waves after the departure of coach Jonas Eidevall, are right on their tails.
The highlight of this round was undoubtedly Chelsea's electric encounter with Tottenham, which ended with the Blues imposing a 5-2 victory. This seven-goal thriller was full of drama, including a contentious goal line incident, and saw two stunning goals from Chelsea's Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. She expressed her excitement after the match, calling her first strike "the nicest goal of [her] career". Chelsea, under new manager Sonia Bompastor, became only the third team to start their WSL campaign with four consecutive wins, cementing their second place on the table, all the more impressive as they hold one game in hand over City.
Tottenham, on the other hand, remains mired near the bottom of the standings, currently sitting eighth after failing to secure a win since their triumph against Crystal Palace on the first weekend of play. The managers from both teams have echoed calls for the WSL to incorporate goal line technology, especially after the controversial equalizer from Spurs during the match. Bompastor voiced her frustration, stating emphatically, "The technology has been available for the men's game for 10 years, so why shouldn’t it be for the women’s game? If we want to look more professional, we need to move forward with technology." It's clear there's momentum building for change as the league continues to evolve.
Brighton & Hove Albion played Manchester United at the Amex Stadium, where former United star Nikita Parris managed to spoil the party for her old club. Parris became the first player to score against United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who marked her birthday with what would unfortunately become the first blemish on United's otherwise flawless start to the season. The match ended at 1-1, with USA international Grace Clinton putting United on the scoreboard first, only for Parris to equalize shortly after. Despite dropping their first points, United still stand unbeaten, tied for third place with Brighton.
Over at the Joie Stadium, Manchester City showcased their resilience again, rallying from behind to defeat Aston Villa 2-1. Villa initially secured the lead courtesy of Gabi Nunes, marking her first goal for the club. But City is proving to be the sort of team that's hard to keep down. Lauren Hemp was instrumental, scoring the equalizer with an impressive lob and later providing the assist for Jill Roord to clinch the victory. Roord's goal was particularly special, marking her first since returning from a serious ACL injury, much to the delight of City fans. Man City's thrilling comeback and strong performance reinforces their status as favorites, but Aston Villa will be left searching for their first win of the season after five matches without victory.
Arsenal kicked off the era after Eidevall with their 2-0 win against West Ham. The interim coach Renee Slegers seems to be continuing with the same attacking flair Arsenal has been known for, though she noted the struggle of converting chances. Like magic, substitutes Stina Blackstenius and Rosa Kafaji made immediate impacts after coming on, leading to Blackstenius winning a penalty for Mariona Caldentey to dispatch and break the deadlock. Kafaji tucked away the second goal also with Blackstenius providing the assist, rounding off the win just before the final whistle. Arsenal’s new chapter appears promising as they look to build on this success and climb higher in the standings; they currently hold fifth place with two games played.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace's matchup against Liverpool ended with both sides sharing the spoils after a 1-1 draw. Katie Stengel, formerly of Liverpool, struck first for Palace, but Liverpool responded through Cornelia Kapocs's nifty equalizer. Palace's efforts were commendable as they sought out their first win of the season, but Liverpool's boss Matt Beard expressed his discontent with the display, feeling they were lucky to leave with the point as Palace appeared the more determined side.
The final match of the day featured Leicester City earning their first victory of the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Everton. Yuka Momiki made her mark with an individual effort to score the only goal of the game, much to the delight of Leicester fans celebrating their first points of the season. Under Amandine Miquel’s tenure, Leicester is off the bottom of the table but remains on the fringes of the relegation battle with Everton seeking answers and sitting at 11th place without scoring from any of their players yet this season.
With the international break now upon us, teams will have the chance to regroup and rethink strategies, but the intensity of this year's WSL has already set the stage for what promises to be another thrilling season. Fans will be eager to see how the results of the international roster can influence their favorite clubs’ performances moving forward.
