In the last matchweek before a much-needed winter break, the WSL delivered a few festive surprises as Everton claimed a first-ever win over Manchester City the day after struggling Leicester held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw.
With the top two dropping points, both Arsenal and Manchester United used the opportunity to close the gap with 1-0 wins away to Liverpool and Crystal Palace respectively. Elsewhere, Aston Villa hit West Ham for three, and Brighton and Spurs played out a 1-1 draw in Crawley.
In Germany, a routine win away to Turbine Potsdam kept Bayern in the mix heading into the Winterpause, with the Bavarians sandwiched between Frankfurt and Leverkusen on goal difference. The competitiveness at the top end of the Frauen-Bundesliga a far cry from France‘s Première Ligue, although Le Havre’s narrow win over Guingamp has given the relegation race in France a little more bite.
In Spain, it was mixed fortunes for Madrid’s giants, with Real Madrid leaving it late to come away with all three points against Deportivo on the same afternoon that Atletico slipped up to lose 2-1 to Real Betis.
Over in Serie A, after being unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League in the midweek, Roma left it late to come away with a 2-1 win in Napoli after Milan had suffered a 2-0 loss away to Lazio. — Lawson
Few WSL teams have endured a more challenging 2024 than Everton. The club’s financial struggles off the pitch have had a knock-on effect on it, with manager Brian Sorensen forced to rely mainly on free transfers to bolster his squad over the summer.
Injuries have been an enduring problem, typified by a miserable eight-day spell at the start of this season when midfield duo Aurora Galli and Inma Gabarro both suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
Still, when faced with a similarly depleted Manchester City team on Sunday afternoon, Everton showed their character, securing a battling 2-1 win over Gareth Taylor’s high-flying side. With no Lauren Hemp or Khadija “Bunny” Shaw up front, and defender Alex Greenwood also sidelined, last season’s runners-up looked a shadow of their best selves on Merseyside and found themselves 2-0 down inside 39 minutes.
Despite having 79% possession, City struggled to break Everton down, with Mary Fowler‘s 89th-minute penalty merely a consolation. It is a huge blow to the Manchester club’s hopes of winning the title this season, particularly considering Chelsea’s draw with Leicester had opened the door for them to close the gap.
But for Everton, it is a hugely significant victory that should help lift morale at Walton Hall Park heading into the new year. — Lindop
Chelsea’s perfect start comes to an end
After a flawless start to her Chelsea tenure, new coach Sonia Bompastor hit her first bump in the road on Saturday as the WSL champions were held to a 1-1 draw by strugglers Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester opened the scoring early in the first half when Missy Goodwin applied the finishing touch to an impressive team move, before Wieke Kaptein equalised in the 77th minute. Chelsea dominated the contest, with more than 70% possession and a staggering 28 shots on goal compared to Leicester’s two.
But Amandine Miquel’s side defended valiantly to hold on to a precious point and offer a pertinent reminder of the league’s growing competitiveness.
“The players need to realise that this league is competitive and if you don’t show up from the beginning in every game you don’t get good results,” Bompastor said after the game.
While unexpected, the result does little to alter the sense that Chelsea are on course for their sixth consecutive title win this term — though there look set to be plenty of twists and turns to come before the major honours are handed out. Even the best teams have their off days, and Bompastor will hope that her players use this setback as further ammunition to strive for perfection when the WSL returns in January. — Lindop
Tight at the top in Germany
For all the fun unfolding at the top of the German Frauen-Bundesliga title race — with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich all tied on 29 points, and VfL Wolfsburg just one point behind — it has been sad to see the struggle that Turbine Potsdam have endured since their promotion back to the top flight. It’s nothing new to see the teams promoted from 2.FBL unable to cope with the rigors of the league. Indeed, over the years, multiple teams have yo-yoed between the first and second tiers, taking heavy losses after promotion. But, given Potsdam’s history in women’s football (a six-time German champion, and two-time Champions League winner), their position is an uncomfortable reminder of just how hard it is for any independent team to compete with those who have the means to invest.
After a 2-0 defeat to Bayern this weekend, bottom-side Potsdam finished the calendar year with a lone point from their 12 outings, scoring just once (in a 3-1 loss to Wolfsburg) and conceding 34 times. The title race may be enthralling but it is a clear reminder of who does and doesn’t have money to make the difference in Germany. — Lawson
Quick hits
TEN. Hats off to Leicester. It’s been a pretty miserable season for the Foxes so far. Hamstrung by injuries, they’ve managed to score just three goals in 10 matches, with their third coming in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Saturday. And they really set the tone for the weekend in WSL, showing that any team on their day can cause an upset, even if it requires a herculean effort in defence.
NINE. United on the up. Away to Crystal Palace, who are still trying to navigate their first season in the WSL, there shouldn’t have been any doubt about Manchester United picking up all three points in London. But it was a far from vintage showing from the Red Devils. Grace Clinton‘s strike in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage made things far more comfortable going into the break, but despite their obvious advantage on paper, the visitors laboured in attack and are still largely failing to live up to their billing.
EIGHT. Le Havre’s super sub. One place and one point clear of bottom-side Guingamp coming into their match on Saturday, Le Havre knew they could improve their lot with a win. And though they are set for another half-season of toil in the new year, there was joy to be had when Madeline Roth nodded home the winner less than a minute after coming off the bench. In fact, thanks to Stade de Reims playing out a scoreless draw with Strasbourg, Le Havre are now tied for points with the two above them and look in much better shape.
SEVEN. Fatigued Seagulls slip up. Brighton aren’t the only team with a few injuries but it’s notable that Dario Vidošić only made four changes from the midweek line-up that faced Spurs on Saturday; with Robert Vilahamn making seven. And, even though Brighton did shade the possession and create twice as much as their opponents, there was a legginess to the hosts that felt like the culmination of a busy autumn.
SIX. Roma avoid disaster (again). A goal down against the 10-women of ninth-placed Napoli, Roma looked to be heading for yet another bruising loss, but thanks to goals in the 87th and 92nd minute from Manuela Giugliano and Moeka Minami respectively, the Serie A champions had their blushes spared and are still somewhat in the title hunt (seven points off Juventus.) Last-gasp winning goals aside, Roma are still struggling under Alessandro Spugna with the football clunky and hard to watch, and unfortunately for the Giallorosse, it’s the culmination of multiple issues rather than something with a quick fix.
FIVE. The Goat in the dugout. It’s been a busy week for Villa and although eyebrows were raised when the club decided to part way with Robert de Pauw at the start of last week, the team have looked better under Shaun Goater. Granted, Villa ploughed headfirst into two winnable games (vs. Charlton in the League Cup, then West Ham), but the football instantly looked better and, much like with Renee Slegers at Arsenal, the players instantly looked more comfortable. Given reports of a potentially unhappy dressing room under de Pauw, the change of manager would certainly account for a happier team performing closer to their best.
FOUR. Betis on the march. A team that have become far more of a basement dweller over the last few years, Betis sprung into 11th thanks to their 2-1 win at home to Atleti — their third win in their last three — and while credit should go to the hosts for staying composed after Gio’s sixth-minute opener, the question remains: what’s going wrong with the Rojiblancas? Or maybe, what’s going right with them? The visitors did have their chances in Seville but have begun to look increasingly blunt and have only picked up six points in their last six league games.
THREE. Las Blancas swerve a shock. A goal down with little more than 10 minutes on the clock, few would have expected Real Madrid to come away 4-1 winners but thanks to scoring four in the last 16 minutes, that’s exactly what happened in La Coruña on Sunday. Alberto Toril hasn’t reinvented the wheel this season but is benefiting from having a better team to work with, often frontloading the squad to get as many attacking pieces onto the pitch as possible. Against Depor, Olga Carmona‘s stunning equaliser was the salve the visitors needed but being able to bring Caroline Weir, Linda Caicedo and Signe Bruun off the bench didn’t hurt one bit. It’s not the first match Madrid have won late this season, and it certainly won’t be the last.
TWO. All Arsenal want for Christmas. Arsenal are now up to 10 games unbeaten under Slegers, with the Gunners only dropping points at Leigh Sports Village at the start of November and the call is still for the Dutchwoman to be given the job full-time — although when asked about it, she’s been reluctant to commit, only seeing herself as an interim solution. The players have, however, taken to the former midfielder and if Arsenal continue to come up empty in their managerial search over the festive break, Slegers may be encouraged to reconsider her position. Still just 35 and with relatively limited experience in such a pressured team, her reticent is well founded.
ONE. Piemonte at the double. The bottom half of Serie A continues to be chaotic, with teams repeatedly taking steps back after moving forward and vice versa. So, of course, after putting in a stella effort to draw with Inter, Milan struggled against Lazio, falling to a 2-0 loss thanks to a well-taken double from Martina Piemonte. Lazio, like those around them, still nowhere near consistent enough in their performances but at least the air of the unexpected makes things enjoyable for neutrals following the Italian league. — Lawson
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