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Roundup of the latest Women’s Super League action as the title race continued to twist and turn over the last seven matchweeks.
Arsenal found themselves sat top of the WSL heading into November’s international break but the last seven matchweeks has seen the table twist and turn, with plenty of drama and lead changes whilst the relegation fight finally began to become competitive.
Now, here’s a full round-up of matchweeks seven to 13 plus a bonus catch-up matchweek due to various postponements so far this season.
Week Eight
Guro Reiten assisted Erin Cuthbert then scored herself to send Chelsea top following a 3-0 victory at home to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, after Sam Kerr had given the Blues a 12th minute lead.
Millie Turner and Alessia Russo netted late headers as Manchester United ended Arsenal’s unbeaten start in a 3-2 thriller at the Emirates Stadium, after Frida Maanum and Laura Wienroither had put the Gunners ahead to overturn Utd’s early lead courtesy of Ella Toone.
Khadija Shaw struck a 49th minute winner as fourth-placed Manchester City won 2-1 at Everton, after Julie Blakstad’s opener had been cancelled out by Rikke Sevecke before half-time.
Rachel Daly’s hat-trick saw Aston Villa thrash ten-women Reading 3-1 as the Royals’ goalkeeper, Jacqueline Burns was red carded for a foul on Kirsty Hanson.
Izzy Atkinson’s late strike saw West Ham defeat rock-bottom Leicester in a scrappy contest.
Katie Robinson and Shanice van de Sanden both produced goals and assists for Brighton and Liverpool in a dramatic 3-3 draw.
Liverpool then found themselves involved in another six-goal thriller days later as they were held by Reading, in which Katie Stengel scored twice for the Reds.
Week Nine
Jessie Fleming and Fran Kirby both scored twice whilst Reiten provided four assists as Chelsea stayed top with a clinical 8-0 win at rock-bottom Leicester.
Ona Batlle produced a goal and assist as Manchester United thrashed Aston Villa 5-0 to stay second, during which Katie Zelem, Leah Galton, Russo and Rachel Williams also found the net.
Vivianne Miedema scored a 24th minute winner for third-placed Arsenal in a narrow home win against Everton.
Blakstad produced a goal and assist as Manchester City defeated Brighton 3-1 at the Academy Stadium, in which Veatriki Sarri scored an own goal before Laura Coombs completed City’s win after Blakstad’s strike but Lee Geum-min denied the hosts a clean sheet.
Ceri Holland and Stengel found the net as Liverpool comfortably beat West Ham 2-0 at home.
Amy Turner’s 12th minute own-goal saw Reading scrape past Tottenham to climb to tenth and seven points clear of relegation position.
Week Ten
Kirby’s opening goal and Jelena Cankovic’s brace saw Chelsea survive a second-half comeback to defeat Reading 3-2, which meant that Emma Hayes’ Blues sat top across the Xmas break.
Galton’s 27th minute strike was cancelled out by Coombs as Man Utd were held by Man City to a 1-1 draw in the Manchester derby.
Arsenal consequently took advantage of Utd’s slip-up after they came from behind to thrash Aston Villa 4-1, courtesy of goals from Miedema, Katie McCabe and Jordan Nobbs plus Rachel Corsie’s own goal after Hanson had handed the Villains a sixth minute lead.
Tottenham suffered successive home defeats as they lost 2-0 to West Ham then 3-0 in a rearranged clash against Everton, during which Ashleigh Neville was red carded in the 90th minute.
Liverpool’s home match against Leicester was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Week 11
Sam Kerr’s late equaliser saw Chelsea snatch a 1-1 draw at title and London rivals, Arsenal to stay top, having fallen behind to Kim Little’s penalty after Niamh Charles had fouled Caitlin Foord.
Lucia Garcia, Russo, Hayley Ladd, Martha Thomas and Williams all found the net as Man Utd returned to second with a 6-0 home win over Liverpool, which was completed by Emma Koivisto’s own goal.
Man City remain fourth after the Citizens scraped past West Ham with a 50th minute away winner from Shaw.
Gabby George delivered a goal and assist as Everton defeated Reading in a five-goal thriller, despite having led 2-0 at half-time.
Comeback goals from Kenza Dali and Daly saw Aston Villa clinch the first WSL win of 2023 in a 2-1 home win against Tottenham, who had briefly led through Bethany England following the Lioness’ move from Chelsea.
Aileen Whelan, Sam Tierney and Monique Robinson all found the net as Leicester hammered Brighton 3-0 to claim their first WSL win of the season.
Week 12
Substitute, Williams sent Manchester United top on goal difference with a 87th minute winner at Reading in a scrappy contest.
Chelsea consequently slipped to second after their home game against Liverpool was abandoned after just five minutes, due to a frozen pitch at Kingsmeadow despite having passed a pitch inspection earlier in the day.
Hanson’s 31st minute strike rescued Aston Villa a 1-1 draw away at Man City after Deyna Castellanos had put the hosts in front just three minutes earlier.
Karen Holmgaard, Megan Finnigan and Aggie Beever-Jones all netted to fire Everton to a 3-0 home win over West Ham in freezing conditions.
Tottenham and Brighton both saw home clashes against Leicester and Arsenal respectively postponed due to frozen pitches.
Week 13
Jess Carter, Lauren James and Reiten struck for Chelsea in a competitive 3-2 win away at Tottenham to propel the Blues back to the WSL summit, despite Spurs’ Bethany England and Nikola Karczewska providing scares.
Man Utd consequently slipped to second after they battled to a goalless draw at home to Everton.
Arsenal also slipped up as Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners were limited to a frustrating goalless draw at West Ham.
Shaw and Kelly both found the net after half-time as Man City dug deep to snatch a 2-0 win away at rock bottom Leicester.
Julia Olme rescued Brighton a point in a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, after the Villains had led through Kayleigh Green’s own goal in the 32nd minute.
Second half goals from Missy Bo Kearns and Holland saw Liverpool clinch a 2-0 home win against Reading, as both teams continue to flirt with the drop.
Catch-up Week
Molly Bartrip’s 76th minute own-goal saw ten-women Manchester United go top following a 2-1 win at Tottenham, despite Galton’s opening strike having been cancelled out by Bethany England before Toone was red carded for violent conduct.
First half goals from Lauren Hemp and Kelly saw Man City defeat Arsenal 2-1 in a rearranged clash from September, to go third and three points off the title lead, despite Rafaelle Souza’s 59th minute header proving consolatory for the Gunners.
Nobbs scored a hat-trick for Aston Villa in a dominant 6-2 comeback victory at Brighton with Lucy Staniforth, Hanson and Daly also on the scoresheet as Villa climbed to fifth following this rearranged fixture.
Hannah Cain’s eighth minute goal saw rock-bottom Leicester defeat Liverpool in their rearranged clash and moved to within a point of safety.
Position | Team | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | Points |
1 | Manchester Utd | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 32 |
2 | Chelsea | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 31 |
3 | Manchester City | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 29 |
4 | Arsenal | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 26 |
5 | Aston Villa | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 20 |
6 | Everton | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 19 |
7 | West Ham | 13 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 16 |
8 | Liverpool | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 |
9 | Tottenham | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
10 | Brighton | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
11 | Reading | 13 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 |
12 | Leicester City | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 6 |
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