Sky Sports provided 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 first win of the season for the Blues. Both sides had failed to secure points during the opening weekend, but 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 with a comfortable lead, thanks to well‑crafted strikes from Sjoeke Nusken and the ever‑impressive Keira Walsh, who curled a beautifully struck drive from the edge of the box into the top corner.
The second half saw the home side maintain their dominance, adding three more goals to the tally. Lauren James, who was later named player of the match, extended the lead in the 61st minute, followed by Ellie Carpenter’s effort just four minutes later. The final nail in the coffin came from Lucy Bronze, who scored with the last touch of the game, sealing a comprehensive win.
United’s quest for their first league points continues, with a demanding away fixture against Arsenal looming on Saturday. The result underscores the challenges Olid faces as she attempts to rebuild a side that struggled to find rhythm in the early stages of the campaign. In other WSL action, Manchester City remained the only team with a perfect record after a 4-1 triumph over Aston Villa.
Villa had impressed by holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in the opening round, but their resilience unraveled within the first 14 minutes of the second‑week encounter. Akane Okuma, the hero of Stamford Bridge, made a costly error when she mis‑controlled a corner, allowing defender Jade Rose to slot home the opening goal for City.
Mary Fowler doubled the lead with a powerful strike from the edge of the area. Villa managed to restore some hope before the break when debutant Amalie Vangsgaard scored, reducing the deficit to two.
The second half saw Villa push for an equaliser, but after striking the post early on, Khadija Bunny Shaw displayed clinical finishing with a deft dinked finish after winning the ball high up the pitch. Lauren Hemp, who celebrated her 100th goal involvement by assisting Shaw’s goal, added a fourth for City in stoppage time when her shot deflected off Mathilde Harviken and flew into the far corner. City’s victory kept them two points clear at the top of the table as the sole side maintaining an unbeaten start. Further down the table, newly promoted Crystal Palace earned a valuable point after a goalless draw with Arsenal at the Emirates.
France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud‑Magnin was in inspired form, making a series of crucial saves to keep the visitors in the game despite Arsenal registering a staggering 30 attempts, nine of which were on target. The most threatening chance fell to England forward Alessia Russo just before halftime; a brilliant left‑wing cross found her, but her shot sailed over a wide‑open net, leaving the home side frustrated. Brighton staged a dramatic comeback against fellow newcomers Birmingham, salvaging a 2-2 draw with a last‑minute strike from Kiko Seike. Birmingham had taken a 2-0 lead by the 60th minute through well‑executed finishes 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 heroic saves, the defense faltered in the closing stages. Olivia Garcia reacted quickest to Baggaley’s initial save, pulling one back, and Seike’s tight‑angle finish slipped under the keeper to complete the equaliser.
Charlton Athletic endured a difficult night at Goodison Park, reduced to nine players after a series of disciplinary setbacks and ultimately losing 1-0 to Everton. After a heavy 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the opening week, the Addicks showed improvement but were undone by late pressure when Holly McNamara’s cross was inadvertently turned into her own net by Leighanne Robe. The own goal arrived less than 15 minutes from full‑time, 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 in quick succession during stoppage time, leaving the side with just nine players at the final whistle. The loss left newly promoted Charlton second from bottom, narrowly 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 possession and creating numerous chances. Tottenham took the lead against the run of play 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 in a near‑post effort to level the scores shortly before the hour mark. Although Liverpool pressed for a winner, they were unable to break through, settling for a point.
These results illustrate the competitive nature of this season’s WSL, with established powers like Chelsea and Manchester City asserting dominance, while newly promoted sides such as Crystal Palace and Birmingham fight hard for points and experience. The league continues to deliver exciting narratives, and fans can look forward to upcoming fixtures that will further shape the battle for the title and survival.