Manchester City remain top of the Women’s Super League after two goals from Khadija Shaw helped them to come from behind to secure a 2-1 win against Liverpool.
Despite a hugely dominant performance at Anfield, it took Gareth Taylor’s side until the 58th minute to cancel out Olivia Smith’s first-half strike. It had looked like Liverpool would deal a significant blow to the title chasers, who are a point ahead of Chelsea but have played a game more, but Shaw’s powerful strike into the top corner in the second minute of 10 minutes of stoppage time spared their blushes.
Liverpool, who are yet to win at Anfield in four attempts, were forced to dig deep defensively against a team that had secured a 2-0 win against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, but they could not keep out last season’s top scorer Shaw.
Like City, Manchester United are another of the three teams yet to endure defeat in the WSL this season, with only Marc Skinner’s side and Chelsea having had perfect starts. Elisabeth Terland opened her account for United with two goals in their 3-0 defeat of Tottenham at Leigh Sports Village. The Norwegian forward joined from Brighton in July, where she scored 13 goals across the 2023-24 season, finishing as the second-highest scorer in the league – joint with Lauren James and behind the golden boot winner Shaw on 21.
The assists for both goals came from Celin Bizet, who was poached from Sunday’s opponents in the summer. United had also rebuffed summer approaches from Spurs, who were keen to turn Grace Clinton’s season-long loan into a more permanent deal.
Tottenham had started well against their FA Cup final opponents, with the home goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce twice forced into smart stops early on. But Terland’s double at the end of the first half was a critical blow. United’s captain, Maya Le Tissier, scored the third, converting from the spot after Ashleigh Neville had handled the ball in the box.
Brighton continued their strong start to the season with a 1-0 defeat of Crystal Palace to keep themselves fourth and level on points with United and Chelsea, having played a game more than both. The summer signing Fran Kirby and the on-loan Barcelona forward Bruna Vilamala combined for the 35th-minute effort to put Brighton two wins away from the five they accrued across all of last season.
The speed with which Dario Vidosic has managed to gel his Brighton side has been hugely impressive, with 12 incoming players (10 signings and two loan deals) and 14 outgoing (10 sold and four loaned out) showing little evidence of any disconnect. Meanwhile, Palace continued to impress after earning a first win of the season against Leicester, with Annabel Blanchard forcing an acrobatic save from Sophie Baggaley in added time.
A Camila Sáez own goal provided Everton’s first of the season, rescuing a point in a 1-1 draw with West Ham. The Toffees have just two draws – this match, and the stalemate with Arsenal last weekend – and two defeats in their opening four WSL games. However, although they sit bottom, Brian Sorensen’s side are level on points with Aston Villa, Leicester City and West Ham, who are all yet to register a win this season.
Anouk Denton had put the travelling side ahead at Walton Hall Park but it was an evenly matched contest, with Everton dominating possession. West Ham’s failure to convert more than one of their 14 chances was inevitably punished, with Melissa Lawley’s cross deflected in off Sáez.
Aston Villa could feel the more frustrated with a scrappy goalless stalemate against Leicester, but neither team shone in the contest. The draw means both sides remain winless in the league this season, with two draws and two defeats apiece.
Despite 60% possession, 16 shots and 38 touches in the box, Villa struggled to carve out clear openings, their best chance coming deep into injury time when Janina Leitzig denied Anna Patten from close range.
