Women's Super League

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Villa Park

Manchester United were given a huge boost before they had even kicked a ball when Chelsea's late winner went in at Etihad Stadium, inflicting a costly defeat on rivals Manchester City earlier on Sunday.

It was added motivation as United knew they would move seven points clear with victory at Villa Park and firm up their position in the top three.

Manager Marc Skinner stressed afterwards that their work was far from complete but admitted he felt good after an impressive evening in Birmingham.

Proof of United's dominance was in the 4-0 scoreline as they put Aston Villa to the sword and bounced back emphatically from their defeat at Liverpool last weekend.

Defensively sound, dangerous in wide areas and clinical in front of goal - it was a solid performance from Skinner's side, albeit against struggling opponents.

Elisabeth Terland shone with two goals, while Grace Clinton and Leah Galton's efforts paid off when they extended United's tally.

Villa struggled to compete and never found a way back into the game. This was a United team with a point to prove and they made it impressively.

Chelsea came from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 and move eight points clear at the top of Women's Super League table on Sunday. Here's what both managers had to say post match:

Manchester City interim boss Nick Cushing: "There is still football to be played and there are games going on now that will impact the gap we have. But we believe we can win football games and that we can put points on the board.

"I am really proud of our performance today. You can see we didn't play our fluid football in the second half but we defended resolutely and Khiara [Keating] was excellent. For me that shows me that we have the spirit to go on."

On the game: "There is a bit of frustration throughout the game for me. At half time we should come in at 2-0. Then I think with their first goal there is a tight offside.

"Then you look at the injuries we have and the solutions we have to find, and taking players off. You saw one team that was bringing their key players in and the other that was bringing them off. That is an issue we will have to find solutions for."

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor: "It was a tough game for us. We were expecting that because we know how good City are and they showed it again tonight with a great performance.

"We did better in the second half but we knew if we wanted to win today we would have to put our all into it. A really important three points."

On their Champions League quarter-final second leg on Thursday: "It will be a big mountain [to climb] but as I said nothing is impossible. We have a real belief, we are playing at home with our fans and We'll fight until the end.

"I know we are two goals down but we need to believe that it's possible. I know we have the quality to reverse the situation but we will need to be at our best."

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City eased their relegation fears with a 3-2 victory over Brighton, a result which moves them six points clear of bottom club Crystal Palace with five games remaining.

However, manager Amandine Miquel was keen to stress that her side's job is far from done, insisting they aren't safe until the whistle blows in the final match of the season.

"3-2 is a good performance but not ideal. It moves us six points [clear] but maybe it's back to three next week. We're just waiting for the whistle of the last game and hoping we're in a good position," Miquel said.

"We had six [matches] left [before facing Brighton]. So we said that's 18 points. We said we have to go for all of them. I said to them feel free to take them all if you want. We know it's going to be hard, we've got tough opponents, but we have to think like that. Whoever is the opponent, we want to win and do our best."

Leicester were the better side for the majority of their five-goal thriller with Brighton, taking a 3-0 lead into the half-time break and punishing their visitors on the counter-attack – something which pleased Miquel, who has been trying to instil that style of play since being appointed manager in July 2024.

"It's taken a long [time] for the players to get it and I still think we can improve on that and score more. Even today, some of the passes in behind were too long. But if the group continues to respond well to the process, we will build a stronger team."

Miquel also praised Saori Takarada, who scored her first goal of the season: "I'm really happy for her. She wanted to show she could be an offensive threat and that was the case today."

Elizabeth Botcherby
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

During the first 10 rounds of the 2024-25 season, Leicester City's fans had precious little to cheer about.

Their side picked up just six points from a possible 30, registered one win in 10 matches, and scored a meagre three goals. At the winter break, they were teetering just one points above the relegation zone. A nail-biting second half of the season beckoned.

Positionally, little has changed seven matches on, climbing just one place to 10th, and they're still yet to string consecutive wins together.

But following Sunday's 3-2 victory over Brighton, an entertaining encounter which will have tested the nerves of the Foxes faithful, they've now won three matches from seven the start of 2025 and are unbeaten in their past four matches at home.

They've scored 10 goals in those seven matches, with six different players (plus one own goal) on the scoresheet.

The most important number, however, is the gap between themselves and bottom club Crystal Palace, which is now at six points with just five matches remaining.

And with out-of-form Tottenham, who are currently on a five-match losing streak, up next for Amandine Miquel's side, they have a golden opportunity to extend the gap between themselves and the drop zone next Sunday.

Ciara Fleming
BBC Sport journalist

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A week ago Robert Vilahamn said that he believed his Tottenham side could still secure fifth place this season to equal the club's best- ever finish in the WSL.

Two games later and their losing league run has stretched to five games, with them scoring one goal and conceding eleven in the process.

Spurs are on very much on the slide and there is no sign that it will end any time soon.

In the same period the likes of Everton and Sunday's conquerors West Ham have hit purple patches, overtaking them in the table and leaving them peering downwards.

Up next come fixtures against relegation candidates Leicester City and Aston Villa, followed by Liverpool who were handed a first defeat under interim boss Amber Whiteley at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

On paper it appears a kind run of games for Tottenham to discover a spur of momentum. However their lack of goals in recent weeks point to more troubles ahead.

Top goalscorer and skipper Beth England remains out with a quad issue, while fellow experienced forward Martha Thomas has yet to score a league goal after 17 appearances.

At this rate instead of matching their best-ever finish, ninth-placed Tottenham are heading for their worst.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After 308 days out of action with a career-threatening injury, Arsenal midfielder Victoria Pelova got a standing ovation from more than 35,000 fans at Emirates Stadium as she made her long-awaited return.

The 25-year-old came on in the 74th minute, replacing goalscorer Mariona Caldentey, for her first appearance since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury while on international duty for the Netherlands in June 2024.

"It is great to be back," said Pelova, whose family were among the crowd during Arsenal's 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool, a result that kept the Gunners' hopes of winning the Women's Super League alive.

"I'm happy my family is here and they could see me back. When you are back on the bench that is the hardest mentally. Every game you want to come on. You are back in the team but you are not back. That was the hardest part."

Gunners boss Renee Slegers was delighted her player's injury nightmare was over and said: "You saw her last season how good she is. She has worked so hard coming back. It's lonely sometimes not being out with the team on the grass.

"She has had great support. I'm so happy for her that she is back now. She loves football. You saw she is so comfortable on the ball and I am so happy she is back for us."

Arsenal closed the gap to Women's Super League leaders Chelsea to five points with a dominant 4-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday evening. Here's what both managers had to say post match:

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers: "We always want to be at the highest level, we always want to be dominating and playing the way we did. I'm happy with a lot of things we did today and it sets us up well for [Champions League] on Wednesday."

On playing with high intensity from the start: "We always want to come out with intensity and start games well. We definitely did that today. If you prepare yourself really well you can come out from the first minute and dominate."

On the title race: "We need to push. We can do whatever we can do. If their [Chelsea's] position slips, we want to be ready, we want to be there."

Liverpool interim boss Amber Whiteley: "I don't think we managed distances well enough first half. Second half we were a bit deeper. Arsenal were brilliant first half and put us under a lot of pressure. Second half we were more difficult to break down.

On what went wrong for her side: "We need to be braver with the ball. It wasn't like us tonight. We didn't look like we had the same belief going forward. We need to be better with the ball and look after it a lot better."

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The games are running out for Crystal Palace as they look to avoid an instant return to the Championship.

Palace, managed by Leif Smerud, gained a vital 3-1 win over Aston Villa to boost their hopes of staying in the Women's Super League last week, but could not build on that as they fell to a disappointing 3-0 loss to Everton on Saturday.

The Eagles had chances to take the lead and could not take them, before they conceded two headed goals, one from Justine vanhaevermaet and one from Sara Holmgaard, either side of the half-time break.

Kelly Gogo added a third in injury time to give the scoreline a flattering feel, but this was a good chance to pick up some much-needed points for Palace that was not taken.

Meanwhile for Everton, this was a big step towards safety after they had been in danger of being sucked into the relegation battle.

Palace's relegation rivals, Villa and Leicester, are at home on Sunday, against Manchester United and Brighton respectively and will now have a chance to pull clear of Smerud's side.

The Eagles have matches against the current top two sides next. They entertain second-placed Arsenal on 30 March before a trip to unbeaten leaders Chelsea on Sunday, 20 April.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton forward Rikke Madsen spoke to the BBC after her special comeback after giving birth to her daughter was capped off with a proposal from her boyfriend Martin: "I've been waiting for this moment for so long now. Ever since becoming pregnant I've been aiming to get back as quick as possible. I am very impatient. I have been so motivated to come back and play with this team, for this club.

"Today my little baby is turning five months so it is so nice to be back. Ending off with my boyfriend asking him to marry him, that was a little twist. I did not expect that.

"I had no idea I was going to come on and I had especially no idea he was going to propose to me. The first thing I said to the other girls was that I hate surprises, but this one was alright."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City interim boss Nick Cushing said his side are preparing to face a "better version" of Chelsea in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

After losing the League Cup final to the Blues on Saturday, City ended Chelsea's 31-game unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

They meet again at Etihad Stadium this weekend with Sonia Bompastor's side eight points clear at the top of the WSL, and fourth-placed City needing victory to maintain their top-three challenge.

"We saw that on Wednesday night that the most difficult part of the game is to be consistent against a top team," said Cushing. "That's why the best are the best.

"We're in fourth because our league form hasn't been consistent enough."

Cushing, who took interim charge last week, added: "For me, if you don't believe in that performance then you're never going to believe.

"Chelsea are a top team and they played really well but I expect Chelsea to come hugely motivated.

"I saw their manager and Lucy's [Bronze] press conference that they didn't believe the performance was at their level so we have to prepare to play a better version of Chelsea."

Here are the key lines from Cushing's news conference:

• Khadija Shaw, Aoba Fujino and Rebecca Knaak remain out alongside long-term absentees Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp.

• Cushing said he is likely to rotate the squad to "bring in some fresh legs".

• He expects Chelsea to be "far more aggressive, far more intensive".

• Cushing thought defender Gracie Prior was "excellent" on Wednesday.

• On Prior, he added: "To go into a game against a world-class striker and have a high level game is something she should be really proud of".

• His decision to take Lily Murphy off at half-time for matchwinner Vivianne Miedema was a "pre-planned" decision.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor says it is important to "stay with the facts" after Manchester City ended the Blues' 31-game unbeaten run.

City, who lost to Chelsea in Saturday's League Cup final, avenged that defeat with a 2-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

It was Chelsea's first defeat of the season and their first under Bompastor, who succeeded Emma Hayes as manager in May.

However, Bompastor said they needed to look at the positives as they continue their bid for a historic quadruple.

"The facts at the minute, we lost an important game, but we're still alive for the next round," said the former Lyon boss.

"And in this situation, what is really positive? We still have one leg to play. We are not dead in the Champions League.

"When you look at the bigger picture, we are top of the table in the league, we already won one trophy, and we are qualified [for the semi-finals] in the FA Cup. So all these elements bring us some confidence as well."

Here are more key lines from Bompastor's news conference before Chelsea meet City again in the Women's Super League on Sunday (kick-off 14:30 GMT):

• Sam Kerr will not return from injury before the international break.

• There are no new injuries from Wednesday's defeat.

• Bompastor said "it's always difficult to lose games" but they've had "really constructive and positive" reflection after the 2-0 loss.

• Chelsea do not feel "any pressure" going into Sunday's game.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr will not return before the international break in April, says Blues manager Sonia Bompastor.

The 31-year-old Australia international has not played for more than a year after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament during training in January 2024.

She returned to individual training in January but Bompastor says Kerr is not yet ready to return to the playing squad.

"We go week by week, and maybe after the international break we'll have a better idea when she will come back with us," she said.

Chelsea have three more matches before the international break - two against Manchester City and one against West Ham.

Last week Kerr was included in Chelsea's 25-player squad for the Champions League knockout stages, but she was not involved as the Blues lost their quarter-final first leg to Manchester City, with the return on Thursday at Stamford Bridge.

Australia interim coach Tom Sermanni had previously said he was hopeful Kerr would be available for his side's two friendlies against South Korea between 4-7 April.

In February, Kerr was found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment, after calling a Metropolitan Police officer "stupid and white".

Despite her involvement in the court case, Chelsea have remained behind the forward, who made her senior Australia debut aged just 15.