Emma Hayes deserves her long Chelsea goodbye
The news of Emma Hayes’ departure from Chelsea at the end of the season sent out ripples of shock on Saturday afternoon. Her transformation of the club on and off the pitch in her 11-year spell has placed them at the pinnacle of the women’s game. Her haul of 13 major trophies and countless individual awards illustrates exactly why she is widely regarded as one of the best managers of her generation. She is certainly the most successful in WSL history. It is widely thought that the vacant role as US Women’s National Team manager awaits. A move into international football always seemed inevitable and there are few bigger roles for her to sink her teeth into. For now, however, the fact she gets to say goodbye to Chelsea on her own terms, something rarely seen in football, seems apt. Sophie Downey
Tetchy on the touchline at Meadow Park
Arsenal’s victory over Manchester City at Meadow Park saw almost as much action on the sideline as it did on the pitch, with the Gunners’ manager, Jonas Eidevall, and the referee, Rebecca Welch, criticised by the opposition manager, Gareth Taylor, after the final whistle. Taylor felt his team “should have won” and was “feeling a little bit robbed” after his side dominated for stretches but failed to capitalise on their superiority. He also said they should have had a penalty for a push on Khadija Shaw, saying of Welch: “This referee tends to never give us a penalty, always gives penalties against us and I thought there was a clear shove on Bunny [Shaw].” Taylor also hit out at the technical area antics of Eidevall, telling the BBC that the Arsenal manager was “bullying” the fourth official. “That is always the same with him because he is constantly at the fourth official and I think it is bullying,” Taylor said. “I am protecting the fourth official but that’s not my job.” Eidevall had already done his post-match interviews so did not have a chance to respond to the comments. He was not cautioned or spoken to by the referee during the game. Suzanne Wrack
Match report: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City
Villa’s leaky defence keeps them rock bottom
Aston Villa endured another miserable afternoon on Saturday, suffering a comprehensive 6-0 defeat at the hands of a ruthless Chelsea, with the club still yet to pick up a point. At the heart of manager Carla Ward’s growing list of problems is a defence that is leaking goals at a concerning rate. After just five games to date, Villa have already conceded 16 times – 43% of their total goals against last season. The extent of the problem was on full display against Chelsea, with the backline and protecting players caught flat-footed, prone to turnovers and slow to second phases all too often. Alisha Lehmann’s lackadaisical attempts to track back allowed Niamh Charles to maraud down Chelsea’s left while Fran Kirby was able to unlock Villa’s increasingly deep block on many occasions. Successful teams more often than not are built on a sturdy defence and, with teams picking up points around them, Ward needs to find solutions quickly to take advantage of a run of winnable games ahead. SD
Super-sub Williams saves United again
Manchester United have dropped six points already this season but remain only one of two sides along with Chelsea who are unbeaten. The 2-2 draw with Brighton was another tough contest but it showed that United are never out of a game. A big reason for their ability to hang on is the contributions of Rachel Williams off the bench. The 35-year-old striker now has four goals in five games, all as a substitute. The veteran knows her role under Marc Skinner, who managed her for two years during her second spell at Birmingham City, and has forged a good understanding with the rest of her teammates. Ella Toone has scored once in the league this season and Alessia Russo’s replacement, Geyse, has struggled in front of goal, having not scored since her summer move from Barcelona. Williams, meanwhile, continues to demonstrate she is still the joker in the pack despite being in the twilight of her career. Morgan Ofori
Threadbare Toffees put on steely display
Brian Sørensen cut a relieved figure as his Everton side showed a mettle that has been lacking this season. An 85th-minute penalty from Aurora Galli saw them return to Merseyside with a draw despite struggling against Tottenham, one of the most in-form teams in the WSL so far. At the heart of their resistance was the goalkeeper, Courtney Brosnan, who handled the majority of Spurs’ 11 shots on target. Her double save to keep out Martha Thomas was particularly noteworthy as a good example of why she is so highly rated by the Toffees and Republic of Ireland alike. Everton’s injury woes are significant, leaving an already small squad looking threadbare but despite these challenges, Sørensen displayed his tactical awareness. He was unafraid to make alterations when the hosts started to cut through them with ease and his substitutions made a difference to their performance. They will have their work cut out as they face Manchester United and Chelsea in the cup and league respectively this week, adding more value to a point that should provide foundations for performances to come. SD
Lawley lights it up for Liverpool
Melissa Lawley was in sparkling form against Leicester at Prenton Park and it was her superb run and goal in the 48th minute that set Liverpool on their way to a first win since 8 October in all competitions. The 29-year-old picked up the ball outside the box, smartly sidestepped an opponent before driving into the penalty area and crashing the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Lawley was at the centre of Liverpool’s attack throughout the game, setting up Sophie Román Haug for a few opportunities. Liverpool managed a 2-1 victory and the manager, Matt Beard, will hope that Lawley can go on a goalscoring run. The strike against Leicester was her first of the season and sixth in 67 appearances. The quality is there for more. Emily Keogh
Bristol City’s goals rewarded with first points
Before the season, questions were asked about where Bristol City would pick up enough points to avoid relegation. Pointless after four games, they had proved that they were capable of scoring goals – two against Leicester, one against Arsenal – and against West Ham they outscored their opponents for the first time this season to come away with a 3-2 victory. Their defence still needs improvement but they held on impressively after scoring the winner in the 55th minute. “It was a gutsy performance and a resilient one as well,” the City coach, Lauren Smith, said. “We were under a lot of pressure, especially at the end of the game, but we stood up really, really well to that test.” EK
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea Women | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 2 | Man City Women | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 4 | Liverpool FC Women | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | Arsenal Women | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | Man Utd Women | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 7 | Leicester Women | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | West Ham Women | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 5 | -5 | 4 |
| 10 | Everton Women | 5 | -6 | 4 |
| 11 | Bristol City Women | 5 | -9 | 3 |
| 12 | Aston Villa Women | 5 | -12 | 0 |
