Chelsea have had their three-point lead at the top of the WSL table wiped away after a dominant performance by Arsenal, including a Steph Catley assist.
Read our review of all of the Matildas Abroad action below.
England
The round of WSL fixtures got underway on Saturday night AEDT, as Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy’s Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 2-1. Villa took the lead early through Danielle Turner, but a second-half brace to Lauren Hemp turned the game in City’s favour.
Kennedy started the match before being withdrawn at half-time. That was the only change that Gareth Taylor made for the match, meaning that Mary Fowler was an unused substitute.
Games between Arsenal and Chelsea in the WSL are always hotly anticipated, and this clash proved no different. It was Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney Cross’ Arsenal who proved far too strong for Sam Kerr’s Chelsea on this occasion, comprehensively defeating the defending champions 4-1.
Beth Mead’s early goal was cancelled out by Johanna Kaneryd in the 13th minute. However, Chelsea had no answers for the Gunners after that, with goals to Amanda Ilestedt and a brace for Alessia Russo proving the difference.
Catley and Foord both started for Arsenal, while Cooney-Cross came off the bench late in the second half. Catley picked up the assist for Ilestedt – a pin-point delivery from a corner – while Foord’s endeavour was a constant threat. Kerr recovered from the injury that kept her out of the CommBank Matildas squad against Canada to play the full 90 minutes, but she was not able to get a foothold on the game.
Brighton & Hove Albion completed a dramatic late comeback to draw 2-2 with Leicester City. After goals either side of the half-time break meant that the Foxes raced to a 2-0 lead, a brace to Elisabeth Terland after the 80th minute rescued a point for Brighton.
Charlie Rule started and played the full match for Brighton at right wing-back. Meanwhile, Courtney Nevin played most of the match for Leicester after being introduced early in the first half, while teammate Remy Siemsen came onto the pitch in the 77th minute.
Teagan Micah was rewarded for her good form with another starting appearance in goals against Bristol City. The match ended 1-1 thanks to an equaliser to Liverpool’s Sophie Roman Haug. Micah could do little about Amalie Thestrup’s goal for Bristol City but stood up throughout the second half to ensure that her side walked away with a point.
Clare Wheeler played 90 minutes in midfield as her Everton side defeated West Ham 1-0. A second-half goal to Karen Holmgaard from a corner sealed the win for the Blues. The win puts Everton in seventh, while West Ham are now in last place that – if the season ended tomorrow – would see them relegated out of the WSL.
Mackenzie Arnold did not play for West Ham, still recovering from the injury that saw her miss out on travelling to Canada with the CommBank Matildas.
France
Ellie Carpenter’s Lyon continued their fantastic form, defeating LOSC Lille 5-0 on Saturday AEDT. They now have a remarkable ten wins from ten in the league, with 45 goals scored and only 4 goals conceded. Carpenter was an unused substitute. The defender was originally left out of the matchday squad, being rested after the international break, and is expected to return to the starting lineup for Lyon's upcoming UWCL midweek fixture.
Paris FC defeated Montpellier 4-1 as they look to keep in touch with the powerhouse of Lyon. They are now only five points behind Lyon, but just as importantly, they are six points ahead of PSG who are in third – despite their cross-town rivals having two games in hand. It would be a remarkable achievement to finish ahead of them and if they are unable to catch Lyon, that is likely the aim. Sarah Hunter was not named in their matchday squad.
A goal to Grace Geyoro deep in stoppage time rescued a point for Clare Hunt’s PSG against Le Havre on Monday morning (AEDT). Le Havre scored early through Inès Benyahia and proceeded to shut up shop, attempting to hold out against the attack of the Parisiennes. Eventually, the pressure of 70% possession and 18 shots to 3 told, with Geyoro capitalising from a set piece to secure a late, late equaliser. Hunt started and played the full match at centre-back.
Spain
Sevilla inflicted a shock loss on Real Madrid on Saturday AEDT, with two goals in stoppage time consigning Madrid to a 3-1 defeat. Las Blancas thought that they had secured at least a point after Caroline Møller’s 85th-minute equaliser, but goals to Arola Aparicio and Gemma Gili silenced the home crowd. Hayley Raso started the match for Real Madrid but was withdrawn in the 79th minute.
