That’s all we’ve got time for today, as Chelsea maintain their position atop the WSL table. They lead by three points from Arsenal, with Manchester United and Liverpool both victorious but off the top by seven and eight points respectively. Manchester City can jump into third ahead of United if they beat Tottenham this evening.
Sophie Downey’s report from Chelsea 5-2 Leicester is here. And the WSL roundup is below. Byesy-bye.
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… and here’s Sophie Roman Haug doing what she usually does. Scoring goals.
All the way from one end to the other!
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
Haug finishes for @LiverpoolFCW 🤩#BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/kg1MKWwK8C
Aggie Beever-Jones; remember the name. Here’s how Chelsea rounded off their 5-2 shellacking of Leicester.
Keeping up her scoring streak! 🙌#BarclaysWSL @ChelseaFCW @AggieBjones pic.twitter.com/OQ2Tqi3RSc
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
Full Time scores
Bristol City 0-2 Manchester United (earlier game)
Arsenal 3-0 West Ham
Chelsea 5-2 Leicester
Liverpool 4-0 Brighton
A good day for the Women’s Super League big-hitters as the 2pm games come to a close this afternoon. England pair Lauren James and Beth Mead steal the headlines on the final gameweek before December’s international break.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Brighton (Haug '90)
It would have been crazy had Sophie Roman Haug not got herself on the scoresheet in Liverpool’s bulldozering of Brighton. She latches onto Leanne Kiernan’s to put gloss on the scoreline.
A good afternoon for Matt Beard’s side at Prenton Park.
Aston Villa v Everton kicks off at 4.30pm and the team news for both sides is right here.
Introducing your Aston Villa team! 🏠 pic.twitter.com/V2oYIld6iu
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) November 26, 2023
Team news from Villa Park! 👊#AVLEVE #BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/laV6frJwmj
— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) November 26, 2023
That’s five goals in five games for 20-year-old striker Aggie Beever-Jones. She’s pushing hard for a more regular spot in the Chelsea side, and indeed the England squad.
“We’re top of the league,” sing the home fans.
GOAL! Chelsea 5-2 Leicester (Beever-Jones '89)
A deft header from the subsitute Aggie Beever-Jones has given Chelsea a fifth! We’re probably into flattering territory here – Leicester have been good in parts – but the home side have been clinical. (In truth, they’ve had this under control since the opening minute).
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Leicester aren’t giving up and packing their bags … not yet. Mjelde is pressed into a mistake and concedes a corner. Chelsea then scramble it off their own line as crosses rain into their box. Berger ends up flopping down on the ball to alleviate the pressure.
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The goals have dried up in this second half. It seems the WSL used up its entire quota in the first 45 minutes. Sam Kerr is the latest Chelsea superstar to be sacrificed, by the way, as Hayes continues to trust her bench to see out this win.
Another Chelsea player who’s been deserving of a shout-out is Erin Cuthbert. The Scot is the very definition of neat and tidy in possession. She’s kept things seamlessly ticking all afternoon.
Like a blond, Scottish Michael Carrick.
Fran Kirby and Lauren James take their bow at Kingsmeadow, as Emma Hayes rings the changes. Niamh Charles is also taken off – she’s been brilliant at left-back this afternoon. Hayes clearly believes this one is giftwrapped and hand delivered.
4-2 with 16 minutes to play.
Liverpool should be at least 4-0 in front. Van der Sanden and Sophie Haug have both spurned huge chances to extend their advantage over a beleaguered-looking Brighton. They’d quite fancy the full-time whistle right now, you’d suspect.
Liverpool love a header today. But hadn’t that ball gone out over the byline? The officials said not and the goal stood.
Headed home for @LiverpoolFCW!@Ceriholland_11 🙌#BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/bREAIGhL9V
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
I’ve spent the past five minutes trying to think of a Janina Leitzig / RB Leipzig pun. Nope, I got nothing.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Brighton (Holland '63)
Ceri Holland adds a third and Liverpool are on easy street. That treble is coming in.
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West Ham haven’t completely given up the ghost at Arsenal, despite the 3-0 scoreline. But their keeper Megan Walsh has just had to recover from her own error, saving desperately from Caitlin Foord who was about to make it 4-0.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-2 Leicester (James '58)
Lauren James. Lauren. James. Kerr puts the pressure on. Kirby intercepts and passes to perfection. The run is outstanding and the finish is even better, absolute ice cool as it’s dinked over the goalkeeper and into the net.
You have to think that’s the game for Chelsea, unless they cede ground again.
Perhaps predictably, the second halves across all three games have started in much quieter fashion than the first halves.
Chelsea are still in charge against Leicester, albeit the visitors are scrapping like beavers, while neither Arsenal nor Liverpool have had a glove laid on them.
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It’s Beth Mead’s world and we’re all just living in it.
100+ - Beth Mead has become the second player to reach 100 goals+assists in the @BarclaysWSL, after Vivianne Miedema:
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 26, 2023
112 - Miedema (78 goals, 34 assists)
100 - Mead (57 goals, 43 assists)
Power. pic.twitter.com/Xfejl08r40
Leicester have made a half-time change. Hannah Cain is on for Aimee Palmer. Chelsea will push hard from the get-go in search of a fourth, possibly decisive, goal.
Back under way.
Can Leicester pull of a miracle and get a point or better at Chelsea? Can Liverpool hold off Brighton and grab three points? How many can Beth Mead score?
Answers to all, or possibly none, of the above will be forthcoming over the next 45 minutes.
It’s Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa at half time in the Premier League today. Lo Celso’s goal was a crackerjack.
Earlier, it finished Bristol City 0-2 Manchester United.
As well as Leicester’s fighting spirit, the story of the afternoon is Beth Mead who has a brace for Arsenal. Shesbackalright.
Beth Mead is well and truly back! 🤩#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC @bmeado9 pic.twitter.com/ADv7Dl6N3G
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
Half Time scores
Aaaaaaand breathe. Here’s where we stand after 45 minutes in the 2pm kick-offs. A quiet night day at the library. Not.
Chelsea 3-2 Leicester
Arsenal 3-0 West Ham
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton
Sam Tierney has been credited for getting the last touch in that melee for Leicester’s second goal. A helter-skelter first half at Kingsmeadow is drawing to a conclusion and my fingers are sore. Into four added minutes.
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GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Brighton (Van de Sanden '44)
Van de Sanden caps a flowing Liverpool move and they have a vital second.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-2 Leicester (Tierney '44)
Leicester have pulled one back again! It’s unclear who stuck it in as Ann-Katrin Berger saved a free-kick but the visiting players chased in to net the rebound.
Berger was a tad fortunate not to have been booked (or possibly sent off) after a reckless charge and foul outside her box to concede the initial free-kick.
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GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 West Ham (Mead '40)
Arsenal have a third and Beth Mead has a second! Sarina Wiegman = vindicated.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 Leicester (Kerr ' 40)
It is 3-1 now. Niamh Charles embarks on a barnstorming run down the Chelsea left and she squares for Sam Kerr, who was simply never ever going to miss from that range. Chelsea were rocked a bit at 2-1, but have reasserted control.
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Fran Kirby had the ball in the Leicester net for 3-1, but it was quickly chalked off for offside.
Some goal videos for you …
Bonner’s header was a great one for Liverpool. And (lower down) is Rantala’s effort for Leicester.
A cheeky set-piece from @LiverpoolFCW!
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
Headed home by @gembon23 🤩 pic.twitter.com/rXtgXE4bMw
Beautiful skill from Petermann and hit home by Jutta Rantala 🙌#BarclaysWSL @LCFC_Women pic.twitter.com/Zo6nMgl5F7
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
An email on aesthetics from Redmond Grimes:
Very odd to see Lauren James with her socks pulled all the way up.
It doesn’t seem to be adversely affecting her, either way.
Ok, this has been super-impressive stuff from Leicester. They could have crumpled like the lacklustre henchman of a Bond villain after those early setbacks. Instead, they’re staging their very own Lazarus job, now giving as good as they get in a competitive contest.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Brighton (Bonner '27)
They’ve been huffing and puffing but Gemma Bonner has found a way! A good header from the England defender.
Full time at Ashton Gate: Bristol City 0-2 Manchester United.
Marc Skinner’s side take the points up the M5 and M6 today. An assured display from United after their chaotic Manchester derby defeat at home last week.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Leicester (Rantala '26)
It’s been much better from Leicester in the past five or 10 minutes. They’re still living a ludicrously dangerous life when passing inside their own half, but there’s the goal they’ve threatened! Jutta Rantala lashes home with her left foot.
Game on.
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Take a bow, Beth. That’s stupendous.
428 goals since Beth Mead scored in the WSL, she doubles Arsenal’s lead.
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) November 26, 2023
Her last goal was also against Rehanne Skinner, that time with Tottenham.
Another assist from KCC. pic.twitter.com/KnSq72sjfk
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 West Ham (Mead '18)
Beth Mead on the scoresheet! Arsenal double their advantage and, by all accounts, they’ve been excellent value for it.
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Fran Kirby almost sees her miscued shot drop into the Leicester net. Janina Leitzig was backpeddling in the visitors’ goal and it looks like she’ll need some treatment as she hits the floor.
Elsewhere, it’s been a stodgy start for Liverpool against Brighton. No way through for them yet.
Kirby-Kerr-James. Name a better triumverate in the WSL. Their interplay nearly brings a Chelsea third, with Leicester hanging tough at the moment.
Over at Ashton Gate, Manchester United are reasonably trouble-free as they look to see out a 2-0 triumph. Mary Earps has just been called into action, mind, to prevent Mari Ward pulling one back.
10 minutes have gone at Kingsmeadow, and I’d politely suggest that Leicester’s gameplan isn’t working. They’re, baffling, trying to play a high line but also leaving themselves very open in midfield at the same time.
That second Chelsea goal has gone down as an own goal from Leicester’s Courtney Nevin. It did take a huge deflection after James’s shot.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (Nevin OG '5)
Not five minutes have passed at Kingsmeadow and Leicester have now kicked off three times. Lauren James is up to her usual tricks again. The goals are flowing for Chelsea already and this could get ugly for Leicester if they’re not careful.
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GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 West Ham (Maanum '2)
Frida Maanum has done something similar for Arsenal! An early goal for them in this London derby.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Leicester (James '1)
I’ve got the Manchester United and Chelsea games on my screen. But I’ll flick across to the others when I can.
Lauren James has wasted no time in putting Chelsea ahead inside the first minute at Kingsmeadow. A delightful finish after a razor-sharp attack from the Blues.
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KICK OFF
We’re under way in the 2pm fixtures. At Ashton Gate, Nikita Parris has been catapulted into the post, trying to score. Worse luck, she’s hurt herself and the goal won’t even stand.
Approaching kick-off time in the 2pm games. What price an Chelsea-Arsenal-Liverpool treble?
Bristol City 0-2 Manchester United. It’s a quickfire double for United at Ashton Gate after they’d been held for 50 minutes by their diffident hosts. Hinata Miyazawa and Nikita Parris have both found the net, with Ella Toone notching a pair of assists.
Strangely, a third of the people to respond to this poll on Twitter X believe the answer is ‘no’. I’d seriously question that, guys, with all due respect to Leicester.
Can @ChelseaFCW remain unbeaten in the #BarclaysWSL today? 👀pic.twitter.com/XGwZJ4lrnZ
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 26, 2023
Suzanne Wrack caught up with the WSL’s form player before this weekend.
It’s all eyes on Beth Mead at Meadow Park, after her inclusion in an England squad for the first time in more than a year, following the ACL injury that ruled her out of the World Cup. She’ll be back in Sarina Wiegman’s team for December’s Nations League fixtures against Scotland and the Netherlands.
Mead’s blossoming relationship with Alessia Russo at Arsenal is one for Wiegman to monitor. It’s worked wonders so far this season for Jonas Eidevall’s team, who trail leaders Chelsea by just three points going into today’s games.
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Some very sad news from the world of football has broken this afternoon.
Liverpool v Brighton team news
Liverpool: Micah; Fisk, Bonner, Clark; Kovisto, Nagano, Höbinger, Holland, Hinds; van der Sanden, Haug.
Subs: Laws, Fahey, Kearns, Kiernan, Lawley, Enderby, Lundgaard, Flint, Parry.
Brighton: Baggaley; Carabalí, Thorisdóttir, Bergsvand, Kullberg; Robinson, Losada, Rule, Bremer; Symonds, Terland.
Subs: Evrard, Pattinson, Sarri, Lee, Olme, Pinto, Li, Startup.
Chelsea v Leicester team news
Chelsea: Berger; Périsset, Mjelde, Carter, Charles; Ingle, Cuthbert; Rytting Kaneryd, Kirby, James; Kerr.
Subs: Musovic, Fishel, Nouwen, Nüsken, Lawrence, Fleming, Hampton, Buchanan, Beever-Jones.
Leicester: Leitzig; Bott, Thibaud, Howard, Nevin; Tierney, Palmer; Whelan, Cayman, Rantala; Petermann.
Subs: Green, Siemsen, Goodwin, Cain, Kop, Baker, Robinson, Sherwood, Draper.
Arsenal v West Ham team news
Arsenal: Zinsberger; McCabe, Illestedt, Wubben-Moy, Catley; Pelova, Cooney-Cross; Mead, Maanum, Foord; Russo.
Subs: Beattie, Little, Miedema, Wälti, D’Angelo, Maritz, Kühl, Lacasse, Codina
West Ham: Walsh; Shumizu, Hayashi, Tysiak, Cissoko, Smith; Evans, Stringer, Harries; Asseyi, Ueki.
Subs: Atkinson, Ziu, Filis, Denton, Cooke, Stapleton, Ademiluyi, Flannery.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to today’s WSL clockwatch. There’s plenty of action to get our teeth into, besides from the early kick-off, which is currently Bristol City 0-0 Manchester United. In terms of the 2pm games, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all at home and will expect to win, with Aston Villa v Everton and Manchester City v Tottenham both kicking off later.
We’ll be around the grounds from those 2pms in particular, with a rundown of team news to follow in the next post. Get your correspondence in and let’s see what the WSL has in store for us this afternoon. Should be good fun.
