Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action

Chelsea get tactics right against title rivals

There will be few games in which Chelsea do not dominate possession this season but the patient 2-0 defeat of title rivals Manchester City on Saturday was one of them, with Sonia Bompastor’s side having the ball only 36.6% of the time. And it was deliberate, a tactical decision that paid off. “We have dominated a lot of games possession-wise but tonight we were happy to sit behind the ball, be compact,” the midfielder Erin Cuthbert said. “It was more of a traditional performance but Sonia is a winner and will do whatever it takes to win. We got the tactics spot on.” The London team conceded possession but they dominated in every other area, with 15 shots to eight, six on target to two and 30 touches in the penalty area to 16. It is this tactical flexibility and nous that makes the Blues unpredictable and, in turn, difficult to play against. Chelsea look a coherent beast of a team, and with players still to return from injury (Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel among them), the ceiling for this side feels distant. SW

Sørensen keeps derby record going

Everton’s strong record in the Merseyside derby under Brian Sørensen continued as they claimed a third win in five WSL meetings without defeat against their neighbours since he took over in 2022, albeit with a big slice of good fortune when they were awarded a penalty for a foul that replays showed was outside the box. However, once again Liverpool were unable to break down Everton and, when asked why he thought his side were so effective against the Reds, Sørensen said: “I think it’s the way Liverpool play – very simple and direct that you read and you can set up for, to nullify the threats. They’re one of the easier teams to prepare [for] because it is simple but – don’t get me wrong – I totally respect it. Matt [Beard] is an excellent coach and he got big, big results because there is really a consistency in the way they are doing stuff.” TG

Kirby the difference once again

Fran Kirby was the hero for Brighton with an 82nd-minute winner in their 3-2 thriller against West Ham at the Amex Stadium on Saturday. Brighton had raced into a 2-0 lead but two quickfire goals from Katrina Gorry brought the Hammers level. Kirby, however, came good when she received the ball just inside the area, took two touches to balance herself and scored with the third. The 31-year-old had assisted Rachel McLauchlan’s opener, and so her late strike took her to 101 goal involvements in the English top flight. Brighton’s manager, Dario Vidosic, said of the winner: “I thought the play and everything – how we penetrate, how we got behind, to find the free player in Fran. But then her composure, that’s the class that she possesses and I think that’s a goal she deserves as well, especially with her performance today.” SR

Spurs defensive problems continue

Tottenham’s defending looked very questionable at times during their 3-0 loss to Arsenal and, for the second game in a row, Robert Vilahamn’s side conceded very early. Having seen Manchester City score after 24 seconds of a match they went on to lose 4-0, it took just 64 for Alessia Russo to find the net on Saturday, as Tottenham conceded first for the sixth time in their eight league games. Asked why he felt his team were unable to hold out for longer, Vilahamn said: “We had a plan [to stop it] for this game and they scored anyway in a different way. You work on something that should be aggressive in the beginning and then they score anyway. Self-confidence is a big thing in playing and taking decisions and being really sharp, and when you have big games in a row where you lose [by] big numbers, it affects your self-confidence. We have to try to find a way through this tough period.” TG

Super-sub Salmon gives Villa victory at last

There would have been a deep sigh of relief from Robert de Pauw as the final whistle blew at Villa Park, marking their first win of the season. With only two points separating Villa and Crystal Palace before kick-off, this was a must-win game for an under-pressure manager and a side who have not produced given their talent. A dizzying end-to-end rollercoaster of a match was settled by the substitute Ebony Salmon’s stunning strike in stoppage time. De Pauw’s decision to bring on the England international paid off when it mattered most and this win will have breathed life into his future at the club – as well as the team’s confidence. RO

Mistakes let Leicester down

“The best things come in twos,” as the saying goes, but not for Leicester as Manchester United cruised to a 2-0 victory on Sunday – and there were two crucial moments they were left to rue afterwards. The first was a glorious opportunity at 0-0 for Hannah Cain, who fired agonisingly wide from close range. Despite threatening on the counter after United went 1-0 up, the second error undid their efforts to fight back when CJ Bott underhit a toe-poked back pass, allowing Celin Bizet to bag her first United goal. “I think what’s unusual is that we had more chances today then against other opponents that maybe aren’t as strong defensively [as United],” said Leicester manager’s, Amandine Miquel. “My feeling is that it was a good performance in that sense. We had more offensive situations than the last few games.” RO