Chelsea cruised past West Ham United at Victoria Road, cementing their place at the summit of the Women's Super League despite having played one fewer match than league leaders Manchester City, who host Arsenal later on Sunday. The Blues had to dig deep for their win, only breaking the deadlock eight minutes before the break when new signing Melvine Malard, arriving from Manchester United, slipped a composed finish into the bottom corner.
The Hammers continued to test Sonia Bompastor’s side after the interval, but the game was effectively sealed when England midfielder Keira Walsh struck from the edge of the box with ten minutes remaining – her third goal of the season – giving Chelsea a comfortable lead. A further blow came in the dying moments when Maika Hamano headed home from a far‑post cross, extending the margin and preserving Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the campaign. In another headline‑making encounter, London City Lionesses underscored their title‑contending credentials with a dominant 6‑1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur. The Spurs, who had entered the match unbeaten in the top flight, were left reeling as Spanish superstar Alexia Putellas found the net twice, adding to the goal she had scored the previous weekend against Brighton.
Putellas opened the scoring just three minutes in, reacting quickest to a rebound after Grave Geyoro’s long‑range effort was palmed away, and later added a third from a corner that saw Danielle van de Donk deliver a precise cross. The Lionesses’ second goal stemmed from a well‑orchestrated team move: Lucia Corrales sent in a low cross that Kadidiatou Diani tapped into an empty net for her first WSL goal.
Later, Corrales again supplied a cross from the right, which Diani slotted past goalkeeper Lize Kop, making it 4‑0. Tottenham managed a consolation through Victoria Pelova, who finished from a left‑side delivery by Julie Blakstad, but defensive lapses continued as Kop’s clearance fell straight to Diani, who added a second goal for London City.
In the final moments, Delphine Cascarino squeezed in a sixth, sealing a comprehensive victory. Everton’s forward Ruby Mace answered her exclusion from Sarina Wiegman's England squad with a brace in a 2‑1 win over Birmingham City. After Yuka Momiki’s effort struck the post, Mace pounced inside the box to restore Everton’s lead, rewarding a dominant first half in which she and teammate Maria Vignolia forced Birmingham keeper Sophie Baggaley into several early saves. Birmingham’s Oceane Hurtre, who has now scored five goals in five WSL matches, reduced the deficit with a low finish after leading a breakaway, but Everton were forced to cope with a serious injury to Zara Kramžar before the break.
In the second half, Birmingham pressed for an equaliser, with Hurtre seeing a penalty claim waved away and Lily Crosthwaite missing a curled effort from a good position. Mace, however, secured her second of the night with a long‑range strike that took two deflections before finding the far corner. The win lifted Everton back into fifth place, overtaking Merseyside rivals Liverpool, while Birmingham remain winless since their promotion, sitting near the bottom of the table. Crystal Palace earned a valuable point at Aston Villa thanks to a long‑range effort from Abbie Larkin that levelled the score after Noelle Maritz had given Villa the lead.
Palace, under interim coach Brian Sorensen following the recent dismissal of Natalia Arroyo, were poised for their first win of the season but settled for a draw at Villa Park. Maritz’s first‑time finish opened the scoring early in the second half, but Larkin surged forward, cutting inside and blasting a low shot that bounced past goalkeeper Akane Okuma. Both sides created late chances; Villa substitute Georgia Mullet side‑footed a close‑range effort over the bar, while Palace’s Shannon O'Brien missed a clear opportunity in stoppage time. Brighton & Hove Albion delivered a crushing defeat to newcomers Charlton Athletic, with Japanese international Kiko Seike scoring a brace.
Charlton’s Cassandra Korhonen gave the visitors an early lead in the third minute, tapping in after her initial shot was saved. Brighton responded quickly when Seike finished from close range after Olivia Garcia’s build‑up play.
Before the break, Seike’s pace down the left wing produced a second goal, as she laid the ball off to Fran Kirby, who tucked it home. The second half saw Seike add a third after the interval, and Brighton piled on the pressure, scoring twice in stoppage time – Maisie Symonds’ cross was headed in by Gabriele George, completing a 5‑1 rout. Overall, the round of fixtures highlighted the growing gap between the league’s frontrunners and the rest of the field, with Chelsea and Manchester City continuing to assert dominance, while emerging talents like Malard, Putellas, and Seike showcased why the WSL remains one of the world’s most exciting women’s football competitions.