Within the final weekend of motion earlier than the worldwide break, there was a concerted push from all groups to ensure they left their golf equipment in the very best place earlier than the October pause.
Within the Girls’s Tremendous League, Lauren Hemp‘s heroics helped Manchester Metropolis come from behind towards a winless Aston Villa on the identical day Chelsea claimed a 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal, underneath the regular hand of interim boss Reneé Slegers, left it late to assert a win over West Ham United.
Elsewhere, Nikita Parris was again to hang-out her former workforce and assist Brighton & Hove Albion to a significant draw towards Manchester United whereas Liverpool fell to a different draw, this time towards Crystal Palace.
On the continent, each Juventus and Lyon dropped their first factors of the season, to Inter Milan and Paris FC respectively, as Eintracht Frankfurt additionally suffered their first loss, by the hands of Werder Bremen.
Sunday additionally caused loads of drama with each Fiorentina and Bayern Munich popping out on prime of 3-2 video games, the La Viola downing Lazio earlier than the Bavarians noticed off a shiny Bayer Leverkusen workforce. And in Spain, Atlético Madrid continued their near-perfect begin to the season with a win over Actual Sociedad whereas Barcelona stored up their precise good begin by beating Levante 4-1.
Chelsea nonetheless a successful machine
Sonia Bompastor continued her good begin to life within the WSL and stays unbeaten heading into the worldwide break. Tottenham netted a peculiar ‘ghost purpose’ of an equaliser that goalkeeper Hannah Hampton insisted did not cross the road, virtually derailing their run of type; nevertheless, the Blues responded to safe a 5-2 victory. The French supervisor questioned the shortage of goal-line expertise within the league following the contested purpose.
The Blues’ fourth in as many video games makes them the one aspect with a 100% document, and nonetheless with a recreation in hand. Their run extends to 6 wins from six when you embody the wins over Actual Madrid and FC Twente within the UEFA Girls’s Champions League.
Whereas there are nonetheless areas for enchancment, Chelsea are displaying they know what it takes to win, regardless if it’s not solely fairly. Such a robust begin to the season gives an ideal base for the workforce, who could naturally dip after the worldwide break as fatigue units in. Grinding out wins from rocky performances will likely be important because the Blues search for their sixth consecutive WSL title and hope to make it to the Champions League last for the primary time since 2021. — Emily Keogh
Arsenal again on observe
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Arsenal ease previous West Ham within the WSL
Mariona Caldentey and Rosa Kafaji give Arsenal a 2-0 win over West Ham within the WSL.
Arsenal secured their first WSL win with out former supervisor Jonas Eidevall, who resigned final Monday after consecutive losses to Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Interim boss Renée Slegers took cost, main the aspect to a 2-0 victory over West Ham United; nevertheless, it was not a convincing efficiency till the second half. Slegers has already excised one of many workforce’s largest demons, although, because the earlier two journeys to West Ham yielded a loss and a draw.
That is solely their second win of the season. After claiming eight factors in 5 video games, Arsenal are fifth within the WSL desk and second of their Champions League group following their 4-1 win over Valerenga midweek, Slegers’ first recreation in cost. Regardless of a turbulent week, the workforce responded properly with back-to-back wins.
The worldwide break gives a welcome relaxation from membership soccer. Nevertheless, their first recreation again — a go to to Manchester United, who’re unbeaten within the league — will stretch and take a look at them. It doesn’t give the aspect a lot time to repair errors earlier than dealing with one other title rival who will even look to capitalise on exploiting Arsenal’s shaky defence and poor type in entrance of purpose. — EK
Atleti’s lack of id could hang-out them
It has been a turbulent few years for former Spanish champions Atlético Madrid, with a transparent lack of fashion and id taking part in a key position of their continued mediocrity.
Having appointed Victor Martín over the summer time, the Rojiblancas could have been hoping for a firmer sense of self, however they’ve continued to be muddled underneath their new coach. At residence an equally pedestrian Actual Sociedad on Saturday, Rosa Otermín‘s first-half strike was sufficient for a 1-0 win in a really even recreation which took the aspect from the capital prime of Liga F.
With six wins and a draw (towards Actual Madrid the earlier weekend), possibly the criticism is unwarranted; Martín’s model of Atleti has gotten good at getting over the road in video games, and doing what’s wanted to select up factors.
Following a raft of exits over the summer time, it is no straightforward factor to maintain successful however, for a workforce that has been misplaced in a quagmire of prosaic soccer for various years, a transparent sense of id would solely assist to carry the whole degree of the workforce and assist drive the most effective out of the expertise within the squad. — Sophie Lawson
Fast hits
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Hemp stars as Man Metropolis come from behind to beat Aston Villa
Man Metropolis stay unbeaten within the WSL after a 2-1 win towards Aston Villa.
TEN. Nikita Parris, come on down. A participant scoring towards their former workforce is all the time a notable occasion in soccer and on Saturday, in her first assembly with United since leaving the Purple Devils for Brighton, Parris did simply that, sending residence the equaliser within the 1-1 draw. In addition to incomes her aspect a degree, the attacker’s warmth map was broad, as she chased the ball throughout each blade of grass and helped break the United press. Parris is a recognized amount in England, and through her final yr in Manchester loved a stark return to type, however has remained not noted within the chilly by nationwide workforce boss Sarina Wiegman. Perhaps the curtain has already dropped on her England profession, however her type is demanding consideration.
NINE. Lauren Hemp to the rescue. For the third recreation on the spin, Manchester Metropolis got here from behind to assert all three factors — this time towards Aston Villa. All around the guests, with 72% possession and 6 instances as many pictures, it might have been weird had Metropolis not gained, however we have seen that aspect of them through the years. Nevertheless, there could be no query of the combat within the workforce who solely missed out on the WSL title final season on the final day. Hemp, who has develop into so very dependable for Metropolis, was the star for the hosts scoring a stunning flicked purpose earlier than organising Jill Roord for the winner. The 24-year-old Lioness is the embodiment of the place there is a will, there is a method.
EIGHT. Juventus stumble. Slightly than bouncing again after a midweek loss to Bayern Munich, the Bianconere ended up dropping their first factors of the season in a scoreless draw away to Inter Milan. What could be mentioned about Massimiliano Canzi’s Juventus is their consistency of fashion, however in Milan (as in Bavaria) the workforce could not end their possibilities. For Inter, who have been on the again foot all first half, the second bore extra attacking fruit however, for a workforce trying on the prime two, the Nerazzurre additionally simply by no means regarded like scoring. Arguably, extra taking pictures follow for each side is required.
SEVEN. Foxes’ first win. 5 video games in and Leicester Metropolis are lastly up and operating for the season because of Yuka Momiki‘s eighth-minute strike towards a luckless Everton. It is nonetheless early days into Amandine Miquel’s tenure on the helm of Leicester, however for a supervisor who impressed throughout her time with Stade de Reims, issues have not fairly had the identical lustre in WSL. The Foxes are too usually flat in assault, reasonably than leaning into the pure aptitude of the gamers out there — though the primary league win ought to have the workforce feeling assured heading into the worldwide break.
SIX. Sakina Karchaoui‘s versatility. It is no secret that, since her transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Karchaoui has been taking part in the most effective soccer of her profession. Nevertheless, this season, past her standard left-back position, we have seen the defender deployed in an inside midfield position in addition to at left-wing by Fabrice Abriel (after time spent at wing-back underneath Jocelyn Prêcheur final season). And Karchaoui has taken to every totally different place with ease, nonetheless operating the channels every recreation and popping up with key interventions in each bins as she did in PSG’s 2-1 win over Fleury, first firing within the winner earlier than clearing a sure equaliser later within the recreation.
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Liverpool and Crystal Palace share the factors after 1-1 draw.
Liverpool and Crystal Palace share the factors after 1-1 draw Katie Stengel scores her first purpose for Crystal Palace towards former membership Liverpool in an entertaining draw within the WSL
FIVE. Liverpool draw. Once more. One factor the Reds will not be quick on this season is space for storing, because of all of the attracts they’ve amassed to this point this time period, and it ought to be a rising concern with the workforce not capable of actually harness their greatest attacking threats. Towards an bettering Cystal Palace, there was one thing slightly blunt about how the Liverpool ahead line went about attempting to dig out a winner with the workforce as soon as once more missing chew the place it issues most, earlier than settling for his or her third 1-1 of the season.
FOUR. Sophie Weidauer’s contender for purpose of the season. The pinpoint cross-field ball from Tuana Mahmoud, the deft arced end from vary from Weidauer, the wonderful one-two punch on the counter after a forgettable Eintracht Frankfurt nook. It was an outstanding option to win a recreation from one of many Frauen-Bundesliga’s long-term additionally rans. However it was a well-executed gameplan from the Werder Bremen, who stored issues tight on the again while staying sharp in transition handy the Eagles their first lack of the season and knock them from prime spot.
THREE. Agnese Bonfantini can not cease scoring. Now in her third mortgage spell — this time at Fiorentina — after profitable stays with Sampdoria and Inter, the Juventus participant is constant in her skill to get round Serie A defences and rating very important objectives, and is harking back to a youthful Valentina Giacinti. At 25, there’s a critical query of what Juventus are literally doing with the striker, given her successive loans, as she has greater than proved herself a menace in Italy.
TWO. Lyon draw a clean. There have been just a few Champions League video games, most notably (and lately) the ultimate towards Barcelona final Could and a Coupe de France recreation final season when Lyon have failed to seek out the again of the web, however within the Première Ligue you need to return 40 video games to December 2022 to seek out Lyon’s final clean. There have been possibly just a few worrying indicators for the Fenottes towards Galatasaray earlier this month, with possibilities not being taken — though they nonetheless gained comfortably — and towards Paris FC, the ball merely refused to conform. The ending might have been higher however between the sticks, Nigeria worldwide Chiamaka Nnadozie stood tall, repelling Lyon’s greatest efforts for 90 minutes to ship a uncommon draw.
ONE. The 2 Bayer(n)s. The query just a few weeks in the past was, can Leverkusen discover some consistency and really make a season-long problem for a European end this time? In fact, Bayer instantly dropped factors however towards Munich, the hosts confirmed some actual resilience, even after dropping Julia Mickenhagen to a second yellow earlier than finally dropping 3-2 (because of Alara Şehitler’s ninetieth minute winner). And the identical could be mentioned of Bayern, who needed to dig deep to beat a 1-0 and 2-1 deficit. — Lawson