Arsenal secured a vital, albeit narrow, victory in the north London derby against Tottenham, winning 2-1 and potentially signaling a turning point for their difficult season. The decisive moment arrived via an Alessia Russo penalty, awarded after the ball struck Ella Morris’s raised arm during a clearance attempt. Reflecting on the result, Russo told the BBC: “It’s been tough. We haven’t got the results we wanted. This was an important win as far as north London derbies go. It was really important and this was a great opportunity to try and turn it around.” Despite the victory, Arsenal’s display lacked consistent intensity, and manager Jonas Eidevall’s squad still faces a long road to contention following their disappointing opening seven games. Tightening up their passing and harnessing the grit they found as they clung onto their lead towards the end of the match will be critical if they are to really kick on from this result. The Blues were almost made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal against a familiar foe from last season in WSL2.
Meanwhile, Manchester United displayed significant tactical growth during their 1-1 derby draw against the defending champions, Manchester City. The performance marked a stark improvement from the team that suffered a 5-0 home defeat to Chelsea just six weeks earlier. Manager Eva Olid, who has been overseeing a transition period, noted that the heavy loss to Chelsea was a necessary catalyst for change. “It was a hard week after Chelsea but sometimes you need a difficult moment to happen, to react and see exactly where the problems were or the things we had to solve as a team,” Olid said. The improved defensive organization and collective effort against City suggest United are beginning to find their identity under her guidance. When they were torn apart in a 5-0 defeat at home against Chelse, manchester United’s display in Sunday’s derby draw was night and day compared to their most recent previous home league fixture against a title challenger. They dominated proceedings and created 20 chances in total but registered just five on target. It felt like it might just be one of those days for Chelsea, for 51 minutes on Sunday afternoon. Despite dominating the first half – they created 12 opportunities to Crystal Palace’s four and registered 20 touches in the opposition box – they found themselves trailing and running out of ideas. I don’t think the performance was our finest. You could feel the caginess across the pitch and that is something we need to work on. It is this ability to change things from the bench that truly illustrates the gap in class between the eight-time WSL champions and the league newcomers.
In other fixtures, rising star Freya Godfrey continues to earn plaudits, with Spain icon Alexia Putellas labeling the 21-year-old the future of both her club and England. Godfrey, who recently made her senior England debut against Greece, scored for the second consecutive week during a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, capitalizing on a blunder by goalkeeper Khiara Keating. Putellas, speaking to Sky Sports, remarked: “She can arrive where she really wants. I always tell her, she’s a star girl. She will be the future of this club. She has to keep working like she is doing now.” And we keep pushing, we are in a better place.
Brighton delivered arguably their most complete performance of the season, dismantling West Ham 3-0. Captain Maisie Symonds set the tone in the 29th minute with a spectacular long-range strike that clipped the post on its way in. Fran Kirby extended the lead in the 63rd minute, followed by a Kiko Seike goal just three minutes later. Coach Arturo Ruiz lauded his team’s tactical maturity, while Symonds noted that the side successfully exerted control in the second half to secure the result.
Elsewhere, Birmingham City achieved their first win since returning to the top flight, defeating Charlton 1-0. Despite struggling with finishing—rattling the woodwork through Océane Hurtré and Lisa Naalsund—Wilma Leidhammar’s 68th-minute goal ensured a vital three points. Manager Amy Merricks acknowledged the performance was not perfect but emphasized the necessity of the result. Chelsea demonstrated their superior squad depth in a comeback 2-1 win against Crystal Palace; the introduction of Erin Cuthbert and Sandy Baltimore at half-time proved pivotal, with Baltimore assisting Melvine Malard before converting a late penalty to seal the comeback. Following an impressive point at the Emirates the week before,the 1-0 win over Charlton marked another key step as Amy Merricks’ side continue to settle into the top flight. However, is the strength in depth available to their respective managers, a key difference between the two sides. In bringing on Erin Cuthbert and Sandy Baltimore at half-time, Sonia Bompastor was able to call on the services of two experienced internationals.
Finally, Aston Villa secured back-to-back league victories for the first time since the 2024-25 season, defeating Everton 3-2. Interim head coach Brian Sørensen saw his side race to a 3-0 lead through Noelle Maritz and Amalie Vangsgaard, though a late rally from Everton’s Holly McNamara and Noémie Mouchon caused a tense finale. Despite the scare, Villa held firm, moving up to eighth in the table. But they were given a scare following a late comeback push with Holly McNamara and Noémie Mouchon both, villa dominated the clash and went 3-0 up within 50 minutes thanks to goals from Noelle Maritz and Amalie Vangsgaard. It was overall a good performance,” the interim head coach said. “Of course, maybe they got a bit too excited a, it also marked the first time since the 2024-25 campaign that Villa have won back-to-back games. “I’m happy. Sørensen, who took over from Natalia Arroyo last month, faced the Merseyside club for the first time since his Goodison Park exit in February. Nevertheless, Sørensen will be thrilled with the outcome, especially as it moved his team up to eighth.
