Sky Sports provided a comprehensive recap of Sunday’s Women's Super League fixtures, highlighting a spectacular 5-0 victory for Chelsea over Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village. Both sides had failed to secure a win during the opening weekend of the new season, yet it was the visitors who imposed their will from the first whistle, delivering a harsh lesson to newly appointed United manager Eva Olid in her inaugural home match.
Chelsea entered the break already comfortably ahead, thanks to a well‑crafted strike from Sjoeke Nusken and a brilliant finish from the ever‑impressive Keira Walsh, who curled a powerful drive from the edge of the box into the net. The second half saw the Blues maintain their dominance, with Lauren James earning the player‑of‑the‑match accolade after scoring in the 61st minute, followed by Ellie Carpenter’s goal in the 65th.
The final nail in the coffin was hammered home by Lucy Bronze with the last kick of the game, sealing a comprehensive rout. United’s quest for their first league win this campaign now stretches further, as they prepare for a demanding away encounter against Arsenal on Saturday. The defeat underscores the steep learning curve Olid faces as she attempts to mould a cohesive unit capable of competing with the league's elite.
In other WSL action, Manchester City remained the sole team with a perfect record after a convincing 4-1 triumph over Aston Villa. Villa had shown resilience by holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw on the opening weekend, but that resolve crumbled within 14 minutes of the second match. Akane Okuma, a hero at Stamford Bridge, mis‑controlled a corner, allowing defender Jade Rose to slot home the opening goal for City.
Mary Fowler doubled the lead with a clinical strike from the edge of the area. Villa managed to pull one back just before halftime when debutant Amalie Vangsgaard scored, offering a glimmer of hope.
The second half saw Villa press for an equaliser, only to see Khadija "Bunny" Shaw unleash a beautifully timed finish after regaining possession high up the pitch. Lauren Hemp, who celebrated her 100th goal involvement by assisting Shaw, later added a fourth goal in stoppage time. Her shot deflected off Mathilde Harviken before finding the far corner, completing a clinical display orchestrated by City manager Andree Jeglertz.
The win extended the defending champions' lead at the top of the table, putting them two points clear as the only side unbeaten. Further down the table, newly promoted Crystal Palace earned a valuable point at the Emirates, holding Arsenal to a 0-0 draw thanks to an inspired performance from French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud‑Magnin. Arsenal dominated possession, registering 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 striker Alessia Russo just before halftime; a superb left‑wing cross found her, but her shot sailed over an open goal, leaving the home side frustrated.
Brighton staged a dramatic comeback against fellow newcomers 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 well‑executed finishes from Oceane Hurtre and Lily Crosthwaite. The Seagulls applied relentless pressure, and although goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley made several crucial saves, defensive lapses in the final fifteen minutes proved costly.
Olivia Garcia reacted quickest to Baggaley’s initial save to reduce the deficit, and Seike capitalised on a loose ball, firing a tight‑angle shot that slipped beneath the keeper to earn Brighton a point. Charlton Athletic endured a painful defeat at Goodison Park, losing 1-0 to Everton after being reduced to nine players. After a heavy 4-0 loss to Liverpool in their opening match, the Addicks showed improvement against Everton but ultimately succumbed to late pressure. Holly McNamara’s cross was inadvertently turned into her own net by Leighanne Robe, sealing the loss.
The goal arrived after Charlton had already been reduced to ten following a straight red card for Ashleigh Neville’s high challenge on Ruby Mace. Further disciplinary woes saw Hawa Cissoko receive two yellow cards in quick succession during stoppage time, leaving the team with just nine players at the final whistle. The result leaves newly promoted Charlton second from bottom, marginally ahead of Manchester United on goal difference. At the Totally Wicked Stadium, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur despite dominating large portions of the match.
Tottenham took the lead in unusual fashion when Signe Gaupset delivered a cross from the left byline that deflected off Sam Kerr and looped over goalkeeper Khiara Keating just before half‑time. Liverpool responded in the second half, with Aurelie Csillag heading home a near‑post finish to equalise shortly before the hour mark.
Although Liverpool pressed for a winner, they were unable to break the deadlock, settling for a point. Overall, the second round of WSL fixtures delivered a mixture of dominant performances, hard‑learned lessons for newcomers, and thrilling comebacks, setting the stage for an increasingly competitive season as teams vie for top positions and fight to avoid relegation.