Little makes big difference for awesome Arsenal
Phil Neville has a nightmare task choosing just 18 names for next year’s Olympic squad but at least one decision will by easy – Kim Little will be in it. She scored Arsenal’s first goal in a 4-0 win over Brighton at the end of an excellent move, had a hand in the second and set up Jordan Nobbs for the fourth. Nobbs’ goal was a little fortunate, ricocheting off a couple of legs on its way through a crowded penalty area and past an unsighted goalkeeper, but it is fantastic to see her back in goalscoring form after her long injury lay-off and her cushioned pass to set up Vivienne Miedema’s goal was pure class. In this form Arsenal are a joy to watch and, even if Manchester City are still keeping pace with them at the top of the table with 100% records, will win the league at a canter. The Gunners seem to have worked their way past the defensive vulnerability of last season and with Lia Walti also back after long-term injury this could be another Arsenal Invincibles team in the making.
Reiten leads the charge as Chelsea click into gear
In their first two WSL games, a 1-0 win over Spurs and a 1-1 draw at Brighton, Chelsea seemed a bit disjointed and certainly weren’t firing on all cylinders. On Sunday they were back to their best in a 4-0 thrashing of Bristol City – they had 24 shots to the home side’s one, 12 shots on target to Bristol’s none, and 15 corners to their opponents’ two (which were both won in the space of a single minute). Bristol had no answer to Guro Reiten’s pace down the left, and she scored the two opening goals inside the first 10 minutes. Importantly, this was the first time that Reiten, Ji So-yun and Fran Kirby have started together this season. Those players are all individually world class, but when they play together they become even more effective. Everything clicked into place for Chelsea and if it wasn’t for Sophie Baggaley in the Bristol City goal the scoreline could easily have reached Manchester City v Watford proportions. Emma Hayes, the Chelsea manager, said afterwards that her players are “still finding their best form”, which given the quality of this performance might worry a few people.
James shows new kids on the block have got the right stuff
Sibling rivalry seemed to spur Lauren James on to new heights as, four days after her brother Reece scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, her outstanding effort put Manchester United on their way to victory over Liverpool. United had not scored at all this season, losing 1-0 to the last two champions, Arsenal and Manchester City, in their first two fixtures, so that effort from James, who turned 18 on Sunday, was their first of the campaign and they sealed the points in stoppage time after a burst infield from the left by Leah Galton led to a penalty which was converted by their captain and former Liverpool player, Katie Zelem. This was a decent test against a settled Liverpool side and Casey Stoney’s side continued their stylish introduction to the WSL. United are slick, confident and extremely well organised, and look set to make a serious impact in the top flight.
Spurs’ storming success dispels doubts
The second-highest crowd in the history of the WSL – 24,790 – saw a big upset at the London Stadium. Newly-promoted Spurs came out on top against ambitious West Ham, with Rianna Dean scoring with a textbook header into the bottom corner in the first half, the home side having already spurned a number of opportunities, and after Alisha Lehmann and Adriana Leon both came close to an equaliser Lucy Quinn sealed the point with a clean, low strike past Courtney Brosnan with six minutes remaining. The Tottenham team included seven of the players who started the 4-0 Continental Cup defeat at home to Reading in their last game but any doubters – including me – now need to have a word with themselves, after a second win in three WSL games. Like United Spurs are impressing in their debut WSL season – the two new sides meet each other in their next fixture, after the international break.
Everton on the up despite City defeat
After beating Birmingham and Bristol in their first two games Everton’s 100% record came to an end against Manchester City but the scoreline was close and even in defeat they showed that they are a refreshed and more confident side than the one that struggled last season. Tinja-Riikka Korpela, the experienced Finnish goalkeeper who arrived this summer on a one-year deal, has made a huge difference to how Everton set up in possession, and she made a string of top saves, memorably denying Janine Beckie and Pauline Bremer. It was a beautiful, trademark free-kick from the England captain Steph Houghton that was the difference, shooting low past the wall and a wrong-footed goalkeeper in the seventh minute, and with much of the game played amid a biblical downpour that remained the defining moment. Chloe Kelly and Hannah Cain tested Ellie Roebuck in the City goal but Everton’s first defeat of the season was, while marginal, not undeserved.
This season BT Sport will air more women’s football than ever before, continuing with coverage of Chelsea v Arsenal on Sunday 13 October on BT Sport 1.
