Barclays WSL
The top of the Barclays WSL table already has something of a familiar look about it with just two matches of the new season
played.
Champions Chelsea moved into top spot after a crushing 7-0 victory over newly promoted Crystal Palace on Friday night. Sonia Bompastor’s side didn’t take the lead until the 38th minute, Aggie Beever-Jones scoring the only goal of the first half, but after the break the Blues ran riot with Lucy Bronze firing home the second from the edge of the area and Lauren James making it three just before the hour. Guro Reiten then weighed in with a double, either side of a Nathalie Bjorn goal, with Catarina Macario rounding off the scoring in the fifth minute of injury time.
Manchester Utd are the only other team who are on six points, thanks to a 1-0 success away to Everton who are still seeking their first points. The only goal of the game came in the fourth minute, when Grace Clinton seized on a poor pass across the defence and cleverly skipped a challenge before burying her shot into the corner of the net for her second in as many matches.
Tottenham Hotspur followed up a large opening day win by sharing the spoils in their trip to Aston Villa, the teams battling out a 2-2 draw. It was Spurs who went ahead midway through the first half when Drew Spence was tripped in the area by Paula Tomas and Eveliina Summanen confidently dispatched home the resulting penalty. The game was turned on its head though in the last twelve minutes, first as Tottenham became the latest team to concede possession when playing out from the back and Rachel Daly released Adriana Leon who finished for the equaliser. Daly then put Villa in front for the first time with a brilliant deft header over the oncoming Becky Spencer from a deep cross by Lucy Parker. Spurs were to have the final say in injury time, Amanda Nilden hooking the ball back across goal for the predatory Beth England to finish from close range.
Arsenal notched up their first league win of the season but were pushed all the way by Leicester City in their 1-0 success at the King Power Stadium. Jutta Rantala was unlucky not to give Leicester a first half lead with a curling shot which struck the bar, whilst at the other end, Lize Kop made a great save to deny Lia Walti. The decisive moment in the game came ten minutes into the second half, when Alessia Russo latched onto a bad back pass and teed up Frida Maanum for the simplest of finishes from point blank range.
It was the same story for Manchester City who also followed up a draw on the opening day with a victory, again it was 1-0 over Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls went into the game on the back of a thumping win first time around and gave a good account of themselves on the day, with Sophie Baggaley in fine form in goal, but there was nothing she could do just before half time when Kerstin Casparij broke down the left and her low cross was steered inside the far post by Khadija Shaw for her first goal of the season.
West Ham Utd and Liverpool meanwhile shared the points as they finished level at 1-1, the Hammers picking up their first point whilst the Reds drew for the second match in a row. Liverpool were quickly out of the blocks and went ahead after seven minutes when Olivia Smith curled home her first goal for the club. They held on to their lead until five minutes from time, when increasing West Ham pressure was rewarded as Amber Tysiak floated the ball into the area from deep and Riko Ueki beat the oncoming Rachael Laws to the ball to guide a header in for the equaliser.
Leading scorers:
3 - Kiko Seike (Brighton & Hove Albion);
2 - Grace Clinton (Manchester United);
2 - Frida Maanum (Arsenal);
2 - Guro Reiten (Chelsea).
