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, earning the club its first win of the 2026/27 campaign. The English side, guided by Eva Olid, had managed only a solitary point from their opening three fixtures and entered the match desperate for a morale‑boosting result. The opening ten minutes set the tone. A well‑timed cross from Anna Sandberg found Elisabeth Terland, whose unmarked header looped past the advancing West Ham defense and was comfortably collected by United’s goalkeeper.
The goal gave United an early lead and seemed to signal a possible 2-0 cushion, but West Ham’s keeper Constance Picaud produced a spectacular reflex save on Hanna Lundkvist’s second‑half‑time header, tipping the ball over the bar and keeping the scores level at the break. United emerged from the interval with renewed vigor. In a span of three minutes they generated three clear chances: Andrea Medina struck the cross‑bar, Jess Park sent a driven shot wide of the far post, and Terland forced yet another fingertip save from Picaud. The flurry demonstrated United’s attacking intent, even though the first half ended with the score still 1-0.
West Ham’s first genuine shot on target arrived only after the hour mark. Midfielder Estelle Cascarino broke free down the centre, evading United’s pressing, and unleashed a low, dipping drive that forced United’s new signing Phallon Tullis‑Joyce to scramble and tip the ball over the bar. The effort was a reminder that the Hammers remained dangerous despite their early deficit.
With roughly 18 minutes remaining, United finally doubled their advantage. Andrea Medina, who had already tested the keeper, collected a precise pass from Jess Park and, after her initial effort was blocked, slotted home a low, well‑placed finish that left the goalkeeper no chance.
The goal seemed to seal the win, but the drama was not over. In the 85th minute, Arsenal’s Viviane Asseyi was brought down in the box by Anna Sandberg, earning a penalty.
The French forward stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot‑kick into the bottom left corner, reducing the deficit to 2-1. United held on for the remainder of the match, securing their first league win and snapping a disappointing start to the season. In another headline‑making fixture, Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a narrow 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the London derby at Stamford Bridge. The run, which comprises ten wins and two draws, dates back to early February and ended Arsenal’s own 23‑match unbeaten streak that spanned almost an entire year.
Arsenal dominated large portions of the first half, with Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey both seeing their attempts rebound off the woodwork, yet they failed to produce a single shot on target before the interval. Chelsea took the lead just after the break when Keira Walsh’s 20‑yard effort was saved by Arsenal’s goalkeeper Anneke Borbe, only for the rebound to be flicked high into the net by Alyssa Thompson. Arsenal manager Renee Slegers responded by introducing attacking options Chloe Kelly, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius, but none could break through Chelsea’s disciplined defence.
The result left Arsenal winless in three consecutive league matches and seven points adrift of leaders Manchester City. Further down the table, Liverpool broke a long-standing hoodoo at Anfield by beating Everton 2-0, delivering the club’s first WSL Merseyside derby win at their home ground. Historically, Liverpool had suffered eight defeats in nine WSL fixtures at Anfield, five of which were at the hands of Everton. The breakthrough came early, with Beata Olsson heading in a looping cross in the fourth minute to give the Reds the lead.
Liverpool continued to press, but Everton’s midfielder Ruby Mace provided a shield, blocking a goal‑bound strike from Natalia Ramos and clearing a dangerous effort from Cornelia Kapocs off the line. Kapocs eventually found the net in the 85th minute, sweeping home the equaliser and sealing a 2-0 win for Liverpool. In North London, Tottenham Hotspur produced a commanding second‑half display to defeat Aston Villa 4-0, keeping the gap to Manchester City at the summit narrow. The victory moved Spurs to within two points of the league leaders, having amassed ten points from four games.
Villa, sitting 13th, managed to keep Tottenham at bay in the first half, but the floodgates opened after Victoria Pelova’s 54th‑minute opener. Pelova doubled the lead shortly thereafter with a curling finish, followed by a back‑post header from Caitlin Dijkstra and a rebound goal by Cathinka Tandberg that put the match beyond Villa’s reach. Newly promoted Birmingham City continued their search for a maiden WSL win, salvaging a point in a dramatic 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace at St Andrew’s. The Blues appeared poised for victory after leading 2-1 at halftime, thanks to a double from Oceane Hurtre.
Hurtre opened the scoring within 40 seconds, but Palace equalised in the 30th minute after a goalkeeper error allowed Shanade Hopcroft’s free‑kick to slip in. Hurtre restored Birmingham’s lead three minutes later with a powerful strike from a tight angle.
The second half turned into a seesaw battle. Bethany England equalised for Palace in the 70th minute, and Lexi Lloyd‑Smith completed the comeback with a composed one‑on‑one finish. Birmingham’s substitute Suzu Amano then struck a deflected header in the 87th minute, securing a point for the Blues and denying Palace a second win.
The match highlighted Birmingham’s resilience despite still searching for that elusive first league victory. Across the league, the results underscored the competitive balance of the WSL, with established clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City maintaining their dominance, while emerging sides such as Birmingham and Liverpool strive to carve out their own identities. The season’s early narrative is shaping around a tightly contested title race, a resurgence of traditional rivals, and the ever‑present quest for underdogs to upset the status quo.