Women's Super League

Ciara Fleming
BBC Sport journalist

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Brian Sorensen will have liked plenty of what he saw from his Everton side on Sunday afternoon, but he will have been left with a very familiar feeling of frustration as they fell to yet another avoidable defeat.

The Toffees dominated possession 54.8% to West Ham's 45.2%, registered an expected goals ratio of 2.19 to West Ham's 1.77, and had five more shots at goal than their hosts.

However they failed to beat their opponents in the area that matters most: goals.

As Kelly Gago and Katja Snoejis missed golden chances to open the scoring inside the opening quarter of an hour, West Ham striker Shekiera Martinez had one chance and grabbed it.

Then Viviane Asseyi slammed home her penalty to give West Ham a two-goal cushion.

While the visitors remained in the contest, in reality the second goal sealed West Ham's win. Everton have yet to come from behind to win this season.

In fact they have scored more than one goal on just one occasion, their shock 2-1 win over Manchester City before the winter break.

Their only other victory this season was also by a one goal margin, their 1-0 Merseyside derby victory in November.

Everton's four point gap to the relegation spot remained in tact as Crystal Palace also lost on Sunday. However if goals continue to be a problem it may only be a matter of time before the division's newcomers overtake them.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Stamford Bridge

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Chelsea were already strong favourites to retain their WSL title following Manchester City's defeat by rivals Manchester United last weekend but it feels like they have one hand on the trophy now.

A 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge was enough to see them pull nine points clear at the top.

It is a gap that is perhaps more damaging for their rivals psychologically, and not just mathematically.

Chelsea have not lost a game in any competition this season so it is unlikely they will slip up now, not with a gap this big and not having wrapped up the last five successive league titles.

Buoyed by the return of Lauren James from injury, and a second successive WSL start for Catarina Macario, Chelsea's depth proved the difference against Arsenal as it so often has.

Substitute Guro Reiten delivered the goods from the penalty spot after the returning James produced a moment of magic, weaving through Arsenal's defence to earn Chelsea a spot kick.

Now Chelsea's ambitions are even bigger - to win a quadruple and go unbeaten throughout the entire season - and so far they have swept aside any competition.

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

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There is nothing better in football than a last-minute winner.

One scored by a new signing on debut, in a game that you look to have thrown away, it is that much more special.

Olivia Holdt's 95th-minute free-kick at Crystal Palace is certainly one that Tottenham fans and players alike can savour.

Of course, having been 2-0 up at half-time against the bottom side in Women's Super League, Spurs will know that there really should have been no need for such a dramatic ending.

Manager Robert Vilahamn will no doubt go over the issues that allowed Palace to draw level in the second half with his team in the days to come.

But the moment Holdt's curling strike hit the back of the net, those Spurs frustrations melted to nothingness, replaced by elation at snatching victory at the last.

Spurs have aspirations of closing the gap to the top four in the second half of the campaign and these it is this sort of win that might give them the momentum to do so.

As for Holdt, you only have to look at the Denmark midfielder's record at Rosengard - and Hjorring before that - to see that she has an eye for goal.

But however many she goes on to score for Tottenham, it is going to be hard to top her first. She could not have asked for a more perfect start.

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Stamford Bridge welcomed its biggest crowd for a WSL match as 34,302 saw Chelsea claim a 1-0 win over Arsenal. Here is what the managers of both clubs had to say after the game

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor: "I'm really pleased with the result. As you could see in the game, it was really fine margins. These performances are on the edge. It can go one way or the other way but it went our way which I'm really pleased with.

"If you analyse our performance, it was a tough game. We didn't control everything in the game but were able to score the goal that gave us a great result. We just think we want to take it game by game, making sure we make the right decisions to bring great results. We are far away yet to have won something. We have not won anything yet so need to keep the right mentality.

"It was a perfect afternoon in terms of that announcement [of Naomi Girma signing] and the result. I'm really pleased to have Naomi with us. She is a very talented player. She will bring a lot of quality to the squad, even though it is already very talented. Having Naomi will bring more options for me because I can play a back three or a back four defensive system so I think it's good."

Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers: "We played some really good football at times. What was lacking was the goals. We created one or two chances that were good enough chances to score from. You know you won't get much against Chelsea. Next time we need to be more clinical. We knew it would be very tight today with small margins and details that matter.

"We're improving as a team. How we handle different phases of the game, we do that better and better. Psychologically we are in a state where we can stay in the game no matter what happens in the game and I think that is important in top games like this so I'm very happy with that development. We could have been more clinical with the chances. We are disappointed with the loss.

"There is 10 points now between us so it's a much bigger mountain to climb so we are very aware of that. We had our slips at the start of the season and you never know when other teams are going to slip. We will keep on playing our games and winning our games, that is all we can do. You never know what the future holds."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

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Girma's talents are no secret and she is widely regarded as one of the best female footballers.

Former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, now the USA manager, said last year Girma was the world's best centre-back and she will no doubt be pleased to see her old club scoop her up.

Having enjoyed a taste of silverware with the USA and San Diego, Girma arrives in England with ambitions to win more trophies, particularly in the Champions League, and is believed to have had discussions with Hayes about what to expect from Chelsea.

Lyon offered higher wages and were prepared to match the transfer fee that Chelsea eventually had accepted by San Diego, but Girma's preference was always to join the Blues.

It is manager Bompastor's most significant signing to date and the club believe Girma will take them one step closer to a first European title.

The long-term deal agreed is also a statement of intent from Chelsea – that they are able to attract the world's best talents and, hopefully, keep them.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport journalist at Villa Park

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An unsurprising outcome, but the journey there was anything but straightforward for Manchester City in an exciting game.

For the second successive week, a match featuring City ends 4-2 - but this time Gareth Taylor's team are on the winning end of the score line.

While the defensive errors which cost them against Manchester United were absent here, they were still too easily cut open twice by Villa.

But at the other end City are looking sharp again as Vivianne Miedema returns to full fitness, Jess Park continues to grow and Khadija Shaw picks up valuable minutes.

For Villa, they have the difficult task of following this game with the visit of champions Chelsea next weekend.

Their new manager Natalia Arroyo will be in place by then. What tweaks she can make to stem the Blue tide remains to be seen.

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

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Chelsea forward Lauren James could make her first appearance in the Women's Super League in over three months after overcoming injury and illness.

James suffered a calf issue in October and returned to action earlier this month, playing 46 minutes in Chelsea's Women's FA Cup win over Charlton.

However, she missed last weekend's 5-0 win against West Ham through illness, but is in contention to feature against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (12:30 GMT).

"LJ is back in the squad, she practiced normally this morning, so it's good news," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said on Friday.

Chelsea face an Arsenal side under the leadership of Renee Slegers, who replaced former boss Jonas Eidevall on an interim basis before being appointed permanent manager.

There are now six female managers in the WSL, something that Bompastor feels is good for the growth of the game.

"In this league it's good to have women in charge," she said.

"I'm glad that Renee got the job. It's good for the women's game to have two big teams in England with female managers. It shows we habve the capacity and quality to be in those positions."

Here are the other key lines from Bompastor's news conference:

• Chelsea have no injury concerns other than the long-term absentees

• Bompastor congratulated on the work Slegers has already done at Arsenal: "They are in a good run. They look more confident on the pitch, you can see the difference."

• Bompastor said the players are excited to play in an 'electric' atmosphere in-front of over 30,000 fans at Stamford Bridge.

• The French coach isn't looking at the seven-point lead Chelsea have on Arsenal in second place: "We take it game-by-game and focus on how we play."

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Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn is confident that he will get new additions to his squad before the transfer window closes on 30 January.

Spurs have signed Netherlands goalkeeper Lize Kop from Leicester and Denmark midfielder Olivia Holdt from Rosengard for undisclosed fees.

Asked before Tottenham's trip to Crystal Palace in the Women's Super League on Sunday (14:00 GMT) if he expects more arrivals, Vilahamn replied: "probably."

Vilahamn wants Spurs - sixth in the Women's Super League table and eight points behind fourth-place Manchester City - to close the gap between themselves and the top four, but said they won't spend beyond their means.

"We don't just sign players, we want to sign players that benefit us. If you don't nail the right player in the right position then we don't just take anyone," Vilahamn said.

"I feel really backed by the club. We have the potential in this group to close the gap, but they [top four] sign new players and keep going.

"I strongly believe we are going to close that gap but it's a matter of time."

Here are the other key lines from Vilahamn's news conference:

• Vilahamn said that Holdt could make her debut but will be assessed on Saturday, while Amy James-Turner has started training but is being monitored every day.

• He added that China winger Wang Shuang could leave the club on loan having struggled for minutes.

• Vilahamn believes that Crystal Palace - bottom of the WSL - are "better than people expect."

• After a five-game unbeaten run ended against West Ham in the League Cup on Wednesday, Vilahamn wants his side to "play better football and be sharper in the technical things. I don't think anyone in the team is really happy with how we performed in all the games."

• Vilahamn said that striker Martha Thomas is "upgrading herself all the time" and is growing in self-confidence.

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Leicester City have signed Wales goalkeeper Olivia Clark on a permanent deal from FC Twente.

The 23-year-old, who is preparing to represent Wales in their first major tournament at Euro 2025, is a replacement for goalkeeper Lize Kop, who left Leicester to join Tottenham last week.

Clark agreed terms on a two-year contract when she joined FC Twente from Bristol City in August but has struggled for regular game time in the Dutch league.

She becomes Leicester City's first signing of the January transfer window but manager Amandine Miquel hopes to continue adding to her squad.

Clark's international team-mate Esther Morgan has joined Sheffield United from Scottish Premier League side Hearts.

Morgan joined Hearts in 2023 after spells at Tottenham Hotspur, where she came through the club's academy, and loans at Leicester City, Coventry United and Sunderland.

"I'm delighted. It's a really exciting opportunity for myself and I just can't wait to get playing and get out with the girls now," Morgan said.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

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Arsenal's momentum was "not positive" the last time they faced Chelsea and suffered defeat at Emirates Stadium, says manager Renee Slegers.

Chelsea's 2-1 win in October was the last match under former manager Jonas Eidevall as he resigned a few days later.

Slegers, who was assistant manager at the time, says they now have "belief" and hope to show that in Sunday's crucial derby with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

"The momentum with us at that time was not positive. We came away from Munich with a loss and had to go straight into a home game against Chelsea," said Slegers.

"If you look at the stats, we actually did quite well in that game. But Chelsea won the game so we know the details we need to focus on.

"We have belief in what we are doing at the moment. We know what we want to do on Sunday. It will be exciting to see where we are at."

Here are more key lines from her news conference:

• Caitlin Foord was taken out of the squad and Lia Walti came off early in the match on Wednesday as precaution. Both players trained on Friday.

• Alessia Russo is enjoying her football and getting the best out of herself at the moment, says Slegers.

• The Dutchwoman understands there is a big rivalry between the two clubs but she is focused on Arsenal being as successful as they can be.

• She also says it is good to see "more opportunities" for female coaches like herself and Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

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West Ham's progression in the Women's League Cup puts them in a "good position" for the league games coming up, says manager Rehanne Skinner.

They currently sit three points above the relegation spot in the Women's Super League and Skinner hopes they can build momentum against Everton on Sunday.

"Obviously I'm delighted with the performance on Wednesday night. We have a lot of games coming up and it gave us opportunities," said Skinner.

"It was a really good game for us that puts us in a good position for the games coming up.

"We want to win as many games as we possibly can. The belief and confidence comes out of winning games, no matter what competition that is in."

Here are more key lines from Skinner's media conference:

• Goalkeeper Katelin Talbert can use her loan spell with Aston Villa as an opportunity to move up the pecking order, says Skinner.

• "Every transfer window is important" to try to recruit new players and West Ham are keen to "evolve" some more areas.

• Everton could have a "new identity" because of new signings but West Ham are "ready for what they are capable of".

• Skinner also says the squad size is moving in the right direction and they are getting into a better position to cope with playing in various competitions.

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Assistant manager Scott Rodgers said "it's been nothing but positive" for Liverpool since the winter break.

The Reds have only played once in January, beating Brighton 2-1 in their first game back.

But the return of injured players, plus new players added in the January transfer window have given the group a lift.

"It's added bodies to the group and made training more competitive," Rodgers said. "It's been nothing but positive for us since Christmas and long may that continue.

"It's been a really good week, really positive. The group are in good spirits. We needed that win. We said we wanted to get off to a good start in the second half of the season. Not only did we win the game but I thought the performance was really good as well."

Here are more key lines from Rodgers - who was speaking to the media instead of boss Matt Beard - before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Leicester (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

• On getting a first WSL win at St Helens Stadium, he said: "We always knew it was going to come".

• On being confident winning away from home after winning six and drawing two so far on the road: "With this group of plays we go into any game thinking we can get a result and we should do. Providing we apply ourselves right we are always going to be a match for anyone."

• He said Fuka Nagano showed once again she is "world class" and added: "She is unbelievable. She can unlock pictures, she can unlock defences and pick out passes."

• Sophie Roman Haug "isn't far away" and is in contention but will not be rushed back.

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa interim boss Shaun Goater says he won't overthink his tactics when facing former club Manchester City.

Goater spent five years as a player with City, and last season acted as an assistant to manager Gareth Taylor. On Sunday Villa will host City at Villa Park in the Women's Super League (kick-off 12:00 GMT).

"I look forward to this, the fact it's City adds a little more interest, but for the team and the players it's another game, a big and important game," Goater said.

"Gareth knows me, my thoughts and how I see the game, and likewise I know Gareth and know how he looks to play. But for me it's not a case of overthinking."

Goater has overseen three wins and one draw in all competitions since becoming interim manager in December following the dismissal of Robert de Pauw, and admitted he wanted the role on a permanent basis.

However, Natalia Arroyo will take permanent charge of the team following Saturday's game at Villa Park, with Goater returning to his role as attacking coach.

"They want to put on a good show with the new manager watching, they're in pretty good form so it's a chance for them to go out and express themselves," Goater said.

Here are the other key lines from Goater's news conference:

• Missy Bo Kearns and Lucy Staniforth will be out for 'another couple of weeks', while Rachel Corsie could be out longer after suffering a 'lapse' in her recovery from a knee injury.

• Goater said he has held brief conversations with Arroyo but match preparation has limited their contact

• The draw against Everton last weekend was frustrating and "felt like a loss" after conceding in the 89th minute.

• Goater warned that while City have not been at their best recently, they are a team that "has the quality to only need moments in games when they reach the top levels".

• When asked how he improved Villa, Goater said: "It was about getting confidence back in the team. Another thing was our build up, [we] need to have a good build up so we can arrive in the final third with the numbers to be able to have opportunities."