Man United finally broke their early‑season slump in the Women’s Super League with a 2-1 triumph over West Ham at Leigh Sports Village, marking the club’s inaugural win of the 2026/27 campaign. Coach Eva Olid’s side had managed only a solitary point from their opening three fixtures, but they entered the match with renewed belief and quickly imposed themselves on the game.
The breakthrough arrived inside the first ten minutes. A well‑timed cross from the right found Anna Sandberg, whose header was met by Elisabeth Terland. Terland’s unchallenged finish slipped past the West Ham defence and into the net, giving United an early lead. The moment seemed to promise a two‑goal cushion, but West Ham’s goalkeeper Constance Picaud produced a spectacular reflex save on a second‑half‑time header from Hanna Lundkvist, tipping the ball over the bar and keeping her side within touching distance.
Undeterred, United pressed forward with vigor. In a three‑minute spell they generated three clear chances: Andrea Medina struck the crossbar with a driven effort, Jess Park sent a shot wide of the post, and Terland forced yet another fingertip save from Picaud.
The relentless pressure paid off after the hour‑mark when Medina, who had been a constant threat on the wing, collected a precise pass from Park and slotted home a low‑driven finish that left the goalkeeper with no chance. The goal restored United’s two‑goal advantage and seemed to seal the match.
However, the Hammers were not finished. In the 71st minute, Viviane Asseyi was brought down inside the box by Sandberg and the referee pointed to the spot.
Asseyi calmly converted the penalty, curling the ball into the bottom left corner and giving West Ham a lifeline. The goal reduced the deficit to 2-1 and set up a tense final ten minutes, but United held firm and secured all three points. The victory was a turning point for a United side that had struggled to find rhythm in the early weeks of the season.
Coach Olid praised her players for their resilience and highlighted the importance of the early goal in establishing confidence. "We knew we had the quality to win, and once we got that first score we kept the pressure on," she said after the match. Elsewhere in the league, Chelsea continued to extend their unbeaten run, now twelve games, after a hard‑fought 1-0 London derby win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea side, which has compiled ten wins and two draws since early February, finally ended Arsenal’s impressive 23‑match unbeaten stretch that lasted nearly a year. Arsenal dominated large portions of the first half, with Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey both seeing woodwork, but they failed to produce a shot on target before the break. Chelsea took the lead when Keira Walsh’s long‑range effort was saved by Anneke Borbé, only for Alyssa Thompson to pounce on the rebound and fire the ball high into the net. Despite a late flurry of substitutions from Arsenal – including Chloe Kelly, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius – the Gunners could not find an equaliser, leaving them three games without a win and seven points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
In Merseyside, Liverpool broke a long‑standing hoodoo at Anfield by beating Everton 2-0, delivering the club’s first WSL derby victory at the historic ground. Liverpool had previously suffered eight defeats in nine WSL matches at Anfield, five of which were at the hands of Everton. The breakthrough came early when Beata Olsson headed in a looping cross in the fourth minute, giving the Reds an early lead. Liverpool continued to press, but Everton’s midfielder Ruby Mace produced a series of vital interventions, blocking a shot from Natalia Ramos and clearing a dangerous cross‑field effort from Cornelia Kapocs off the line.
Kapocs eventually found the back of the net in the 85th minute, sweeping home a second‑half winner to seal the victory and give Liverpool a much‑needed boost in the table. Further north, Tottenham Hotspur displayed attacking flair with a 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa, a result that kept them within striking distance of league leaders Manchester City. The Spurs, now ten points from four games, moved to just two points behind City.
Villa had managed to keep the scores level until halftime, but the second half saw Victoria Pelova open the scoring in the 54th minute. Pelova doubled the lead shortly thereafter with a curling strike, followed by a back‑post header from Caitlin Dijkstra and a rebound finish by Cathinka Tandberg that put the game beyond Villa’s reach. The comprehensive win highlighted Tottenham’s growing confidence and their ability to dominate matches against top‑half opposition. Newly promoted Birmingham City continued their search for a maiden WSL victory, salvaging a point in a dramatic 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace at St Andrew’s.
Birmingham had taken a 2-1 lead into the break thanks to a brace from Oceane Hurtre, who opened the scoring after just 40 seconds and restored the lead three minutes after Palace’s equaliser. Palace responded in the second half with a goal from Bethany England and a decisive strike from Lexi Lloyd‑Smith, who finished a one‑on‑one chance to complete the comeback.
However, Birmingham’s substitute Suzu Amano came off the bench and netted a deflected equaliser in the 87th minute, ensuring the Blues earned their second point of the season and denying Palace a second win. Overall, the weekend’s fixtures underscored the competitive nature of the WSL, with several clubs breaking negative streaks and others extending impressive runs. Manchester United’s first win, Chelsea’s continued unbeaten run, Liverpool’s historic derby success, Tottenham’s offensive display, and Birmingham’s hard‑earned point all contribute to a league that remains unpredictable and exciting as the season progresses.