1
Taylor calls for calm after card frenzy
Gareth Taylor has urged referees to be less hasty in reaching for their cards after Manchester City were reduced to nine players in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea. Alex Greenwood was sent off in the 38th minute after receiving a second yellow for time-wasting at a free-kick, then Lauren Hemp trudged off in the 81st minute after a foul earned her a second booking as City tried to defend a 1-0 lead against the champions. In total the referee, Emily Heaslip, showed 11 yellow cards during the game, a consequence of officiating changes introduced at the start of the season. “Let’s move it a little bit slower because, if not, it will be an eight-a-side league unfortunately,” said City’s manager. “If there is consistency, then in most of the games, we will see a lot of that – where there is yellow cards and red cards,” Emily Keogh
Match report: Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea
2
Tottenham’s attacking intent there for all to see
There is a new look Tottenham in town. Robert Vilahamn promised an aggressive attacking identity and his side’s dominant 3-1 victory over Bristol City illustrated just that. Spurs created 16 chances at Brisbane Road and the disappointment will be that only six were on target. Added to the 15 shots they fashioned against Chelsea the week before, 11 of which were on target, the numbers are undeniably impressive. While Spurs’s right side is fundamental to their build up, with Drew Spence drifting out there to link the attack, opportunities at the weekend arose across the pitch, with three different scorers – Olga Ahtinen, Martha Thomas and Eveliina Summanen. Ahtinen’s goal was the pick of the bunch, Vilahamn’s desired build-up play combining with a spectacular finish. Sophie Downey
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester Women | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC Women | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | Man City Women | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Man Utd Women | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Chelsea Women | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | West Ham Women | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 9 | Arsenal Women | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 10 | Everton Women | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 11 | Aston Villa Women | 2 | -3 | 0 |
| 12 | Bristol City Women | 2 | -4 | 0 |
3
Rock-solid Liverpool continue to shine
This weekend saw another masterclass from Matt Beard in how to nullify an attacking opponent. As was the case against Arsenal on the opening day, his Liverpool side made a much-lauded Aston Villa attack look relatively ineffective in the 2-0 win. Liverpool’s foundations lay in their defensive capabilities and the introduction of Jenna Clark into their back three has only enhanced that. However it is the wing-backs that are the especially eye-catching jewels in Beard’s crown. Emma Koivisto and Taylor Hinds were tireless on Sunday in successfully pinning back Villa on either flank and stretching the play. Width is key to Liverpool’s attacks and both goals came from advances down the left. It was Hinds’ combination with Ceri Holland that led to Marie Höbinger’s opener before Mel Lawley’s impressive breakaway set up Natasha Flint for their second. Beard was keen to play down the hype but with six points from two games, things look bright in the red half of Merseyside. SD
4
No hope for Arsenal unless they tighten up at the back
Arsenal must solve their defensive issues if they are to challenge this season. In Friday night’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United, defeat was narrowly avoided but dropping two points was decidedly of their own making. Sabrina D’Angelo’s howler for United’s first goal, swinging at the ball and missing, allowing Leah Galton to score into an empty net, highlighted their weaknesses. Yes, Jonas Eidevall’s side have a host of injuries but they also have a squad packed with quality. United, meanwhile, will rue conceding victory late on at Leigh Sports Village, but with new signing Melvine Malard on the scoresheet and fellow summer signing Hinata Miyazawa providing the assist, they are hitting the ground running. Brazilian Geyse and Spanish forward Lucia García also impressed early on. Suzanne Wrack
Match report: Manchester United 2-2 Arsenal
Cloé Lacasse’s brilliant strike earned Arsenal a last-gasp point against Manchester United but the Gunners have problems at the back. Photograph: Will Matthews/PA
5
Ueki sprinkles her magic dust for happy Hammers
Japan international Riko Ueki had an impressive World Cup campaign and her performances put her on the radar of West Ham for whom the striker signed in September. Ueki’s impact has been immediately felt after she sprinkled some of her magic during West Ham’s 2-0 victory over Brighton on Sunday, scoring her first goal for her new team after 51 minutes. Ueki got on the end of a free-kick with a bullet header to double West Ham’s advantage after Kirsty Smith had given the Hammers the lead on 12 minutes, and they comfortably held on to record their first win of the season. Sarah Rendell
6
Leitzig the key for Leicester as Foxes go top
Signing Janina Leitzig on a permanent deal was a priority for Leicester in the summer given how crucial the goalkeeper had been in securing WSL safety for the club last season having arrived on loan from Bayern Munich in January. The deal was done and Leitzig continues to prove her worth to Leicester, making two excellent saves in their 1-0 victory over Everton at the weekend, in the process preventing her fellow German Justine Vanhaevermaet scoring from the spot for the visitors in first-half stoppage time. That felt like an important moment at the time and very much proved to be the case after Lena Petermann scored the only goal of the game on 69 minutes, in the process sealing all three points for Leicester. SR *[Pos]: Position *[P]: Played *[GD]: Goal difference *[Pts]: Points
