Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action | OneFootball

Can Chelsea go season unbeaten?

Sonia Bompastor may shy away from talk of a quadruple and an unbeaten season but the England and Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze is not. The full-back told the BBC the players “want to go the season unbeaten” after their 1-0 win over Arsenal maintained their undefeated run under Bompastor in the WSL, as they ended the weekend with a seven-point cushion at the top, and nine over third-placed Manchester City. “We’ve never won the Champions League. We’ve got five league titles in a row but [going] unbeaten [would be] unbelievable. We’re on a good road to doing that,” said Bronze. Are these realistic targets? Increasingly, yes. The perfect performances haven’t always been there in the first half of the season, a natural thing given the managerial change in the summer, but they have still won 11 of their 12 games, drawing the other. Now, they are only getting better as connections and understanding develop. The addition of Naomi Girma, one of the world’s most intelligent centre-backs, who was presented to the crowd on Sunday, will only strengthen their charge. SW

Miyazawa’s intelligence boosts United

A fourth league win in a row for Manchester United coincided with the Japan midfielder Hinata Miyazawa’s fourth consecutive start in the league, and she was on the scoresheet as well as being key to the home side’s dominance. The head coach, Marc Skinner, sang her praises: “What Hini [Miyazawa] brings to the team is an incredible level of football intelligence. She just always seems to be in the right space because she reads the game. What she’s learnt more, which is why she’s now playing consistently, is that this league is physical and if you duck out of challenges, you don’t win. But she’s in the challenges now. Tonight she was incredible. She’s probably one of the most intelligent footballers I’ve worked with, in terms of ‘football brain’.” TG

Holdt makes instant Spurs impact

Olivia Holdt shone on her WSL debut to fire Tottenham to a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. Holdt, who joined Spurs from Rosengård this month, came off the bench in the 82nd minute to make her first appearance for the club. With Tottenham seeking a winner after squandering a two-goal lead, the perfect opportunity arose when Jessica Naz was fouled on the edge of the box. Holdt stepped up to take the free-kick and placed it perfectly into the top-right corner with just seconds left to play. It proved to be a much-needed boost for head coach Robert Vilahamn and his team following their shock midweek defeat by West Ham in the League Cup. “The game was 2-2 and there was 10 minutes left,” the midfielder said. “So I just thought I’d bring some energy and try to score!” EH

Things looking up for Leicester

There is no doubt that Amandine Miquel has encountered a difficult start to her career in the WSL but with Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool – their first in the league since October – the Leicester manager and her players will feel that there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. It was a display of both mental and physical fortitude. There will have been serious concerns around the King Power Stadium when they conceded early for the second week in a row. Goals have been hard to come by for a team who have been struck by significant injuries, particularly in attack, but, on this occasion, they were able to find their clinical edge although the need for an out-an-out No 9 remains. Returns for Shana Chossenotte and Hannah Cain off the bench were the icing on the cake as they opened up a four-point gap above bottom side Palace. SD

Dali exit leaves gap in Villa’s midfield

As Aston Villa were losing the midfield battle against Manchester City, Villa’s fans were surely lamenting the sale of Kenza Dali to San Diego Wave for an undisclosed fee. The France midfielder was in the stands watching, 24 hours after her sale. When Villa’s fans spotted her, they were singing her name, and it’s clear the team will miss her on the pitch too. “What a person,” said the interim Aston Villa manager, Shaun Goater, discussing Dali after the match. “I really have a high regard and respect for her, and she’s an amazing player, which is why one of the first things I did [as interim manager] was put her in the team, because I see her quality. We certainly wish her well.” TG

Martinez makes a splash for Hammers

Shekiera Martinez announced herself to English football on Sunday with a first league goal on her first WSL start. The 23-year-old forward arrived at West Ham last summer but went to Freiburg immediately on loan before being recalled over the winter break. The Germany youth international made her mark in the Hammers’ 2-0 victory over Everton with her ability to stretch the defence signs of a partnership with Viviane Asseyi. The latter delivered the corner that saw Martinez rise above Megan Finnigan to open the scoring inside the first 10 minutes. While it was a performance that illustrated the growing maturity of Rehanne Skinner’s side, Everton were left feeling disappointed at their lack of end product. They had more possession and created 17 chances but managed none on target, a clear signal of their continued struggles in front of goal. SD

Header image: [Composite: Guardian Picture Desk]