Man United finally broke their opening‑season slump in the Women's Super League by edging West Ham United 2-1 at Leigh Sports Village, earning the club its inaugural win of the 2026/27 campaign. Eva Olid’s side had managed just a solitary point from their first three fixtures, but a swift early strike set the tone for a much‑needed turnaround.
The breakthrough came within the first ten minutes when Elisabeth Terland met a cross from Anna Sandberg and directed a clean header into the net. The goal appeared to be a simple tap‑in, yet West Ham goalkeeper Constance Picaud demonstrated sharp reflexes by deflecting a subsequent header from Hanna Lundkvist over the bar just before the half‑time whistle, denying United a comfortable two‑goal cushion.
United emerged from the break with renewed vigor. In a flurry of three chances over three minutes, Andrea Medina struck the crossbar, Jess Park sent a shot wide, and Terland forced another fingertip save from Picaud. West Ham struggled to find a foothold in the opening half, only mustering their first on‑target effort after an hour of play when Estelle Cascarino sprinted down the centre unmarked and unleashed a dipping drive that Phallon Tullis‑Joyce managed to tip onto the crossbar. The decisive moment arrived with 18 minutes remaining.
After a blocked attempt, Medina collected a precise pass from Park, steadied herself, and slotted home the ball – a move that seemed to guarantee a 2-0 finish for United. However, Viviane Asseyi restored hope for the visitors when she was brought down inside the box by Sandberg and calmly converted the ensuing penalty, sending the ball to the bottom left corner and narrowing the deficit to 2-1. Across the league, Chelsea continued to extend their impressive unbeaten run, reaching 12 games without defeat after a 1-0 London derby triumph over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
The streak – composed of ten wins and two draws – dates back to 8 February and effectively ended Arsenal’s own 23‑match unbeaten run that spanned nearly a year. Arsenal dominated much of the first half, with Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey both seeing their efforts rebound off the woodwork, yet they failed to produce a single shot on target before the interval. Chelsea took the lead when Keira Walsh’s long‑range effort was parried by Arsenal keeper Anneke Borbe, only for Alyssa Thompson to pounce on the rebound and fire the ball high into the net. Despite a late substitution that saw Renee Slegers introduce Chloe Kelly, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius to inject fresh attacking impetus, Arsenal could not find an equaliser, leaving them three games without a win and trailing leaders Manchester City by seven points.
In Liverpool, the Merseyside derby finally tipped in the Reds' favour as they secured a 2-0 victory over Everton at Anfield – the club’s first derby win at the stadium. Historically, Liverpool had lost eight of nine home WSL encounters, five of those defeats coming at the hands of Everton.
The match turned on a looping header from Beata Olsson in the fourth minute, which gave the hosts an early advantage. Liverpool continued to press, but Everton’s defensive midfielder Ruby Mace proved a stalwart, blocking a shot from Natalia Ramos and clearing a dangerous strike from Cornelia Kapocs off the line. Kapocs eventually broke the deadlock in the final minutes, sweeping home the second goal with just under five minutes left, sealing a hard‑earned win for the home side. Tottenham Hotspur also enjoyed a convincing performance, blasting Aston Villa 4-0 after a dominant second‑half display that kept them within striking distance of league leaders Manchester City.
The win lifted Spurs to ten points from four matches, just two points shy of the top spot. Villa, sitting 13th, managed to keep the score level until halftime, but the floodgates opened when Victoria Pelova opened the scoring in the 54th minute. The 27‑year‑old doubled the lead shortly thereafter with a curling finish, followed by a back‑post header from Caitlin Dijkstra and a rebound strike by Cathinka Tandberg that effectively sealed the match. 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.
Suzu Amano, introduced as a substitute, netted a deflected equaliser in the 87th minute, ensuring the Blues earned their second point of the season. Birmingham had appeared poised for a win, leading 2-1 at the break thanks to a brace from Oceane Hurtre, who scored an early opener after just 40 seconds and restored the lead three minutes after Palace’s equaliser. Palace responded in the second half with Bethany England’s 70th‑minute strike and a clinical finish from Lexi Lloyd‑Smith, but Birmingham’s late surge, capped by Amano’s goal, forced a share of the spoils. Overall, the week’s fixtures highlighted the competitive nature of the WSL, with several clubs breaking long‑standing patterns – Manchester United ending their winless start, Arsenal’s unbeaten run finally snapping, and Liverpool finally conquering their home derby curse.
As the season progresses, the battle for the top positions intensifies, and fans can look forward to more thrilling encounters across the league.