WSL talking points: Arsenal punish City and Chelsea get into the groove | OneFootball

Arsenal make City pay for rare off-day

Andrée Jeglertz said Manchester City’s “decision-making wasn’t ideal all the time during the game” in their 1-0 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates stadium on Sunday. He’s right. City may have had 22 touches in the opposition box to Arsenal’s 19 but they had only had one shot on target to Arsenal’s four. To some extent though, they have a hall pass for that lack of solid decision-making because it’s just so rare. Despite the defeat, City are sitting pretty at the top of the WSL table, their lead still a hefty eight points ahead of Manchester United. Should Arsenal win their game in hand, City’s lead will still be seven points. In a 12-team league and 22-game season, it’s incredibly unlikely that that gap will be bridged. Their goal difference is also 10 better than United’s. This is City’s title to lose and with the talent they have at their disposal the likelihood of any rot setting in is extremely slim. They play bottom-placed Leicester next, then struggling Aston Villa, who suffered a third back-to-back defeat, and those teams should fear City’s frustration. Suzanne Wrack

Defiant Bompastor weathers storm

“I know who I am, I don’t need people outside my environment to tell me who I am. I will always make sure I give my best,” said a defiant Sonia Bompastor after Chelsea returned to winning ways against Tottenham. “I know I have the competence and the knowledge; I know the women’s game and I do my best for Chelsea.” The 2-0 victory was welcome relief for the Chelsea manager after a week of noise around her future which ended with the announcement of a new contract. It was an encounter that didn’t come without its dangers for the visitors as Spurs outcreated them by 12 shots to eight in the first half. The key difference between the two teams is the ability to take chances. Chelsea took their opportunity when Keira Walsh struck just before the break, a goal that swung the momentum in the visitors’ favour. Sophie Downey

Brosnan eases Everton turbulence

It has been a turbulent week in Merseyside after Everton announced they had sacked Brian Sørensen. Despite the upheaval, things on the pitch appear to be moving in the right direction. A hard-fought 1-0 victory at London City Lionesses marked their first back-to-back wins in almost two years. Courtney Brosnan was once again the star of the show. She is enjoying an outstanding season, ranked second in the league in save percentage (76.9%) and in saves per 90 minutes (4.4). A note too on goalscorer Inma Gabarro. It is safe to say that the 23-year-old has had a torrid time since joining the Toffees in 2024. After returning from a ruptured ACL, which she suffered two months after signing, she spent the first half of this season on loan with Sevilla to continue her recovery and be closer to family. She certainly made her mark on her second start since returning with a well-taken finish to seal the victory. SD

Rotation is paying off for United

What has been impressive about Manchester United this season is how much more the wider squad is being leant on to contribute beyond the starting XI. The manager, Marc Skinner, is giving more players more minutes. Sometimes it has been forced, with Ella Toone’s injury making space in the midfield, but when they need to make changes as they compete in all four competitions the transition is far more natural and players are slotting in with ease. That was evident against Leicester. Skinner described the 2-0 win as not being “vintage us” but added it “was really important that we’ve got three points and a clean sheet”. They needed the substitute Elisabeth Terland to see off Leicester, the forward adding to Julia Zigiotti Olme’s early goal late on to kill off any hopes of an upset. Since they brought in Lea Schüller this month, Terland has been rotated in and out of the starting XI to great effect. Keeping players fresh across a season is no mean feat but, so far, United seem to be coping. SW

Villa’s defence remains a concern

Aston Villa’s defence was a cause for concern once again as Natalia Arroyo’s side conceded four in a heavy defeat to Liverpool. Goals from Mia Enderby, Martha Thomas, Grace Fisk and Aurelie Csillag took Villa’s goals against total to 29 for the season, with only West Ham conceding more (34). It has been two months since Aston Villa last kept a clean sheet – ironically, it was against Liverpool – and they are showing no signs of improvement at a crucial point in the season. Arroyo said: “I’m really disappointed with how poorly we started. That has to do with tactics but that has to do with desire, with passion. Liverpool just showed that they are fighting for something bigger. We are forgetting that we need to find the same motivation every second we play with this shirt, and we did not show that enough today.” Emillia Hawkins

Asseyi decisive in vital Hammers win

Viviane Asseyi followed up her 100th West Ham appearance last weekend by driving a dramatic late comeback as the Hammers beat Brighton 3-2 to secure Rita Guarino’s first home league win. Goals from Kiko Seike and Manuela Vanegas had the visitors in control but West Ham’s persistence finally told. Asseyi’s contribution was vital, her direct running down the left repeatedly stretching Brighton and creating opportunities for teammates before she delivered the decisive moment herself. Ffion Morgan’s cross ignited belief, Shekiera Martinez capitalised on a goalkeeping error to equalise, and Asseyi struck the winner in stoppage time. Guarino praised Asseyi’s impact, saying she “has the energy of a 20-year-old player”, as the victory eased growing relegation pressure. Mitul Samji

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