The Women’s Super League returned with a weekend packed with late twists, crucial points and shifting storylines across the table. Arsenal and Tottenham both secured dramatic stoppage-time victories in North London, while Manchester United steadied their form with a much-needed win in Leigh. Manchester City extended their lead at the top with another composed performance, and Brighton earned a gritty victory on the road as the battle in the middle of the pack tightened. Meanwhile, Chelsea suffered their first WSL defeat under Sonia Bompastor. With the title race intensifying and the relegation fight growing fiercer, this round delivered some of the most compelling football of the season so far. Read it all here in the WSL Recap of this week.
Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
Arsenal edged out a tense 2-1 victory against Liverpool at the Emirates, thanks to a brilliant early strike from Olivia Smith and a dramatic late winner by Stina Blackstenius. Smith gave Arsenal the advantage in the first half when she picked her spot from long range, but Liverpool responded though Beata Olsson, who calmly finished to level the score shortly before halftime. After the break, Arsenal controlled much of the game, creating chance after chance, but could not find the breakthrough until near the end, when Blackstenius turned home a decisive volley. The win not only secured three valuable points, but also demonstrated Arsenal’s resilience and composure under pressure, keeping them in the mix at the top of the WSL standings.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa
Tottenham stunned Aston Villa with a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Brisbane Road, denying the visitors what had looked like a heroic point after playing the final half-hour with ten players. Villa, reduced to ten when Océane Deslandes was sent off, had battled bravely and even snatched an 84th-minute lead through Kirsty Hanson, who raced onto Rachel Maltby’s ball over the top and finished under pressure.
But Spurs hit back almost instantly, Beth England glancing in an equaliser less than a minute later. With eight minutes added, Tottenham kept pushing and found the decisive moment deep into stoppage time when Olivia Holdt latched onto Drew Spence’s through ball and fired home. It was a cruel end for Villa, who had started brightly and created chances early on, while Spurs grew into the match and twice went close through Jessica Naz and England. Sabrina D’Angelo and Anna Patten kept Villa in it before the late chaos, but ultimately Tottenham’s pressure told. Villa now turn their attention to hosting Liverpool on Thursday.
London City Lionesses 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton returned from the international break with a valuable win over London City Lionesses, secured by an early Kiko Seike strike. The goal came from a costly defensive error as the hosts tried to play out from the back, allowing Rosa Kafaji to pounce and set up Seike on the counter. London City responded with sustained pressure and created several good chances, including efforts from Freya Godfrey and Jana Fernandez, but their lack of composure in the final third proved costly. Brighton could have extended their lead from the penalty spot after Wassa Sangare fouled Madison Haley, only for Elene Lete to save the effort. After the break, the visitors survived a goalmouth scramble before tightening up defensively, with Chiamaka Nnadozie producing assured saves and sweeping interventions. Caitlin Hayes also impressed at the back as Brighton held firm. For London City, it was a frustrating defeat shaped by avoidable mistakes.
Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United
Manchester United moved back into the WSL’s top three with a hard-fought 2–1 win over West Ham at Leigh Sports Village, sealed by a superb 71st-minute free-kick from Dominique Janssen. United had been wobbling after back-to-back league defeats, and their nerves showed when Shekiera Martinez produced a stunning overhead finish early in the second half to cancel out Elisabeth Terland’s opener. Terland had struck in the first period after a brilliant run and low cross from Anna Sandberg, but United struggled to build momentum and were repeatedly frustrated by in-form West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik. After Julia Zigiotti rattled the post, Janssen finally restored United’s lead with a precise 20-yard strike. The win offers Marc Skinner’s side a timely boost ahead of a major Champions League clash with Lyon. For West Ham, Szemik’s excellence and Martinez’s third consecutive WSL goal provided positives despite the defeat, as they now prepare for a crucial meeting with Liverpool.
Leicester City 0-3 Manchester City
Manchester City tightened their grip on top spot in the WSL with a 3–0 win over a resilient Leicester City, extending their lead to six points. For more than 70 minutes, City dominated possession but were repeatedly denied by poor finishing and determined defending, with Janina Leitzig making key saves and Khadija Shaw missing several big chances. The breakthrough finally came when substitute Kerolin’s cross forced a defensive mistake that Shaw punished with a low finish. The Jamaican doubled the lead nine minutes later, heading in Lauren Hemp’s delivery for her league-record 28th headed goal. Kerolin then capped her lively cameo in stoppage time, racing onto Shaw’s through ball to make it 3–0. Leicester had battled bravely in their compact shape and threatened on the counter at times, but City’s quality and patience ultimately told. The victory marks City’s ninth in ten league games as their strongest-ever WSL start continues.
Chelsea Everton
Chelsea experienced their first Women’s Super League loss under Sonia Bompastor, and their first league defeat since May 2024, falling 1-0 at home to Everton. The result leaves the Blues six points behind leaders Manchester City, a gap that could prove costly in the title race. The decisive moment came in the first half when Japan striker Honoka Hayashi converted a Toni Payne cross at the back post. Everton defended well to protect their lead, with goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan making crucial saves as Chelsea increased their attacking intensity. Despite a series of second-half substitutions aimed at shifting the momentum, Chelsea struggled to find the sharpness needed in the final third and were unable to break down Everton’s organized and disciplined defensive setup.
This week’s WSL Recap