Sky Sports delivered a comprehensive recap of Sunday’s Women's Super League fixtures, highlighting Chelsea's emphatic 5-0 victory over Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village – the Blues' first triumph of the campaign. While both clubs had failed to secure points during the opening weekend, the match quickly turned into a one‑sided affair, underscoring the difficulties faced by United’s new manager Eva Olid in her inaugural home game. Chelsea entered the break with a comfortable lead, thanks to a well‑executed strike from Sjoeke Nusken and a superbly placed finish by Keira Walsh, who curled a powerful drive from the edge of the box into the net. The second half saw the visitors maintain their dominance, adding goals from the standout performer Lauren James in the 61st minute, Ellie Carpenter five minutes later, and a final touch from veteran Lucy Bronze as the game drew to a close.
United’s quest for their first league win now heads into a daunting away fixture against Arsenal on Saturday. In other WSL action, Manchester City remained the sole unbeaten side after a 4-1 win over Aston Villa, preserving a perfect record. Villa had managed a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the opening round, but their resilience unraveled within the first 14 minutes of this encounter. Akane Okuma’s mis‑judged corner allowed defender Jade Rose to head the ball home, giving City the early advantage.
Mary Fowler doubled the lead with a long‑range effort from the edge of the area. Villa fought back before halftime when debutant Amalie Vangsgaard reduced the deficit, but the momentum shifted again when Khadija Bunny Shaw capitalised on a loose ball, delivering a deft finish that restored City’s two‑goal cushion.
Lauren Hemp, who celebrated her 100th goal involvement by assisting Shaw, later netted a fourth in stoppage time after her shot deflected off Mathilde Harviken, sealing a clinical display for the defending champions and extending their lead at the top of the table. Further down the standings, newly promoted Crystal Palace held Arsenal to a goalless draw at the Emirates, thanks largely to an inspired performance from French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud‑Magnin.
The Gunners recorded a staggering 30 attempts on goal, nine of which were on target, yet they could not breach the Palace net. The most promising chance fell to England forward Alessia Russo just before the interval, but her shot sailed wide after a perfect left‑wing cross found her in a clear position. The match ended in a stalemate, highlighting Palace’s defensive solidity and Arsenal’s need for greater composure in front of goal. Brighton staged a dramatic comeback against newly promoted Birmingham, salvaging a 2-2 draw with a last‑minute goal from Kiko Seike.
Birmingham had taken a 2-0 lead by the 60th minute through goals from Oceane Hurtre and Lily Crosthwaite, appearing poised to claim their first three points. However, Brighton applied relentless pressure, and despite goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley’s string of impressive saves, the Blues eventually conceded. Olivia Garcia reacted quickest to Baggaley’s initial save, pulling one back, and moments later Seike slipped a tight‑angle finish under the goalkeeper to equalise, leaving Birmingham frustrated despite dominating large portions of the match.
Charlton Athletic endured a harsh defeat at Goodison Park, reduced to nine players and succumbing 1-0 to Everton. After a 4-0 loss to Liverpool in the opening round, the Addicks showed improvement against their Merseyside rivals but ultimately fell to a late own‑goal by Leighanne Robe, forced by a cross from Holly McNamara.
The goal arrived after Charlton had already been reduced to ten men when Ashleigh Neville received a straight red card for a high challenge on Ruby Mace. The situation worsened when Hawa Cissoko collected two yellow cards within two minutes of stoppage time, leaving the team with just nine players at the final whistle. The defeat leaves Charlton perched second from bottom, ahead of Manchester United only on goal difference. At the Totally Wicked Stadium, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur despite controlling much of the play.
Tottenham took the lead in the first half when Signe Gaupset delivered a cross that deflected off Sam Kerr and looped over goalkeeper Khiara Keating. Liverpool responded in the second half, with Aurelie Csillag heading in a near‑post equaliser just before the hour mark.
Although Liverpool pressed for a winner, they were unable to break the deadlock, settling for a point. Overall, the second weekend of WSL fixtures showcased a mixture of dominant performances, hard‑fought draws, and dramatic comebacks.
Chelsea’s comprehensive win signalled their intent to challenge for the title, while Manchester City continued to build on their flawless start. Newly promoted sides like Crystal Palace and Birmingham demonstrated resilience, and the battle for survival intensified as teams such as Charlton and Manchester United fought to avoid the relegation zone.
The league remains tightly contested, promising further excitement as the season progresses.