Women's Super League

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Just when it looked like Chelsea had left the door ajar for Manchester City to shake up the title race, Everton produced a superb performance and were deserved winners.

When a near-invincible title rival presents you with an opportunity to move within three points of them, you simply have to take it.

Lucy Hope and Honoka Hayashi scored the goals for Everton in the first half, but in truth their advantage should have been greater. A late Mary Fowler penalty was scant consolation.

City have had to deal with an increasingly long injury list, and to their credit have played well while doing so. But on Sunday Gareth Taylor's side lacked energy and bite in the final third and didn't ask enough questions of the Toffee's organised back line.

Some City fans will be experiencing a sense of deja vu. At the end of last season Chelsea appeared to throw the title away, only for City to collapse at home to Arsenal and allow Emma Hayes' side to win a fifth consecutive title.

The winter break has certainly come at a good time for City, with Lauren Hemp, Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema expected to return in the new year.

Unfortunately for City and indeed neutrals hoping for a WSL champion that isn't called Chelsea, Sonia Bompastor's side haven't even reached top gear yet.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Alessia Russo is in superb form.

With a simple finish against Liverpool the 25-year-old scored her sixth goal in five WSL games - and she later won a penalty although her team-mate Mariona Caldentey failed to convert.

Under previous manager Jonas Eidevall this season Russo scored just once, and that was in a 6-0 Champions League qualifier win over Rangers.

Russo is now flourishing in Renee Slegers' system.

As for Arsenal, well the final WSL weekend of 2024 fell in their favour.

On Saturday champions Chelsea were held by Leicester and on Sunday title rivals Manchester City were beaten by Everton.

With their 1-0 win over Liverpool, Arsenal kept in touch.

The winter break probably comes at a bad time for the Gunners who are one of the form teams in the WSL.

They started the season with just one win in four, but, thanks to Russo, have since won five of their past six in the league.

Manchester City missed the chance to close the gap on Women's Super League leaders Chelsea as Everton beat them in the league for the first time. Here is what the managers said after the game.

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor: "It is disappointing. I think we were a bit flat today. We looked like a team who have played quite a few games recently. We didn't seem to have much energy in team.

"I thought we were controlling the game for large parts but the first half especially we were giving away too many counter attacks, sometimes not being patient enough with our play.

"We suffered a little bit going the other way when Everton had chances and made the most of them but you'd still expect us to deal with that.

"In the second half we were chasing the game. Everton had got something to hold onto which makes it really difficult."

On injuries: "Any team would miss the likes of Viv [Miedema] Alex [Greenwood], Bunny Shaw. It's tough for us, no doubt about that. I'm sure Bunny today would have a say in that game but it is what it is, tough. The team are doing the best they can, they have done really well this season in that sense."

Everton manager Brian Sorensen on win: "Super, super important. We have a break now and we go on the break with beating City for the first time ever is of course a big result.

"Credit to the girls, they stuck to the plan, I think we could have been leading by more at half-time. Second half, we just needed to see the game out.

On his different game plan: "I said to the girls there was nothing to worry about because we know that we can send a team out to grind out a result and do a job. Do we want to play like this every week? No, but we also have to respect that Man City are a very, very good team and they dismantled Leicester last week, so you have to respect that. So we made a different approach… and it worked."

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton have built a brilliant home record in 2024 although if it was not for one moment of magic from an unlikely source, their unbeaten run would have come to an end on Saturday.

With her side trailing 1-0, left-back Marisa Olislagers was in the right place at the right time to hit a super volley into the far corner and rescue a late point for the Seagulls.

The 24-year-old's shot was perfect. Hit with power from a tight angle her volley dipped beyond the keeper.

Olislagers joined Brighton from Twente this summer, and her leveller against Tottenham was her first strike for the club. Not a bad way to open your account!

The result meant Brighton stayed fifth and maintained their six-point lead over Tottenham in sixth.

The Seagulls also stayed unbeaten in front of their own fans this season with four wins and two draws.

Both sides were playing their final fixture of 2024, and, brilliant equaliser aside, each manager looked reasonably happy at full-time.

Brighton 1-1 Tottenham

Ciara Fleming
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Reuters

Sonia Bompastor's side arrived at King Power Stadium aiming to set a new record with 10 wins from 10 in the Women's Super League but old foe Amandine Miquel proved one opponent too many as the sides played out a 1-1 draw.

Having met frequently during their time managing in France, Bompastor was wary of Miquel's ability to "surprise."

The Foxes boss kept true to form, setting up her side to frustrate the league leaders and in the main reduce them to long range efforts and speculative set pieces.

It was a truly outstanding rearguard performance with centre halves Sophie Howard and Sari Kees rock solid at its core. Wieke Kaptein's second half equaliser was the only blot on their pristine copy book.

With Chelsea picking up just one point their lead at the top now stands at six, instead of the expected eight, which hands title rivals Man City the opportunity to cut it down to just three with a win at Everton on Sunday.

At the bottom the point takes Leicester level with Aston Villa and Everton on six, and one clear of bottom side Crystal Palace.

How important could the result at King Power stadium prove to be? Only time will tell. For now it certainly sparks extra intrigue at both ends of the table.

Chelsea's 100% start to the season was ended by Leicester City after a battling 1-1 draw from the home side at King Power Stadium on Saturday. Here is what the managers said after the game.

Leicester's Amandine Miquel: "We were willing to give them a lot of trouble, it went very well because we scored on a rare occasion that we had, we have to be honest, we didn't have that many, but to be able to lead against this type of team and hold it so long is very important mentally for our team to move on from here.

"We tried to come out from the back, we wanted to attract them and it worked well with our different combinations that were to move up the pitch. And for once we had a bit more technical quality, which allowed us to get close to the goal and to keep the ball more. It's all down to technical quality sometimes."

Chelsea's Sonia Bompastor: "Really frustrated about the performance today and the result. When we talk abut ambitions we need to turn our words into action and I need the players to be ready from the start of the game.

"I give credit to Leicester because they were strong defensively. It was mentally tough. We have more talent than that and we should be able to beat this team today. If you have ambitions to finish at the top of the table then you cannot drop points like we did today.

"It's good now to see how we react from that and we analyse the performance to see how we move forward. We will stay together no matter what as that's really important."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton manager Dario Vidosic says there is "still a long way to go" but he is "proud" of how his players have performed so far this season.

Vidosic joined in the summer and oversaw a busy transfer window as Brighton invested to help their ambitions of breaking into the WSL's top three.

The Seagulls currently sit fifth in the table with five wins from nine matches as they head into Saturday's match against Tottenham (17:30 GMT).

"We maybe sometimes forget it's only nine games. From where we were at the start to where we are now…" said Vidosic.

"We went to the home of the champions last week and I was very proud of our efforts and the way we played. We put the fight to them.

"We are trying to figure out different ways that we can be effective. That's something we can be proud of. The players deserve their flowers.

"They have done really well but we know it's only nine games in. A long way to go, much for us to improve but we have to be very thankful for their efforts."

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Vidosic says he is "satisfied" with where Brighton are at this season despite some disappointing performances in the Women's League Cup.

• He says the squad have faced "hurdles and been challenged" at times this season and are learning to cope with the "new pressure" of being near the top.

• Tottenham have "lot of facets of their game they are very good at", says Vidosic and he expects a tough encounter.

• All teams are looking to finish on a "positive note" before the winter break, so Brighton have to be ready for that, insists Vidosic.

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Gareth Taylor said Manchester City are still waiting for the results of Alex Greenwood's scan on a knee injury suffered on Thursday.

City's captain was taken off on a stretcher in the first half of the 2-0 Champions League win over St Polten after an awkward collision with St Polten's Melanie Brunnthaler.

"The game was really late by the time it finished and late before I made contact with Alex," Taylor said. "She was ok but we are awaiting the results of her scan and are continuing to assess her.

"Hopefully she is ok because she has been crucial to what we have done not just this season but seasons past. Our thoughts are with Alex and we hope it's a speedy one."

Here are more key lines from Taylor's news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Everton (kick-off 12:30 GMT)

• Bunny Shaw has seen a specialist and "needs more extensive investigation" on a lower leg injury after missing Thursday's game. "Similar to Alex, we are waiting for more medical information before we can hatch a plan," Taylor said.

• Taylor said he will not use injuries as an excuse despite City's growing injury list: "We are missing big players. I have not hid away from that. We are having a tough time at the minute with injuries but there is no whinging about it at all from anyone."

• He praised Lily Murphy after scoring her first senior goal on Thursday and added: "She was exciting to watch, had really good opportunities and probably could have scored a hat-trick. Really pleased she got a goal because that will give her a lot of confidence."

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace boss Laura Kaminski said "there is positivity" heading into the second half of the season.

Palace are currently bottom of the Women's Super League, level on points with Leicester and only one point behind both Everton and Aston Villa.

"We are really happy with the players we brought into this journey," Kaminski said. "We know there have been opportunities to get more points on the board and that is what is so frustrating and disappointing. But there is light, there is positivity.

"The players deserve a lot of credit because they have come a long way and grown. As the second half of the season approaches us, fingers crossed we can put those lessons into good use.

"We are in and amongst it. Nobody is promoted or relegated right now. We are the newly-promoted side and the expectation was for us to be around the bottom. We are still with the pack, we are amongst it and there are positive signs."

Here are more lines from her news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against Manchester United (kick-off 14:00 GMT)

• She said playing Marc Skinner's side is "a big challenge, but we are certainly up for it".

• She added: "This game closes the league before Christmas so the group are really confident around giving it their all. We have worked so hard and had some tough lessons."

• She said Palace "feel very comfortable" with both of their home venues and "really want to pick up points at home because that's important for us".

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Matt Beard said he and his players had a "heart-to-heart" on Monday to look at how they can move forward.

The Reds lost 4-0 to Manchester United on Sunday and currently sit seventh in the Women's Super League, nine points off the top four.

They bounced back with a 4-0 win over Everton in the League Cup on Wednesday.

"We had a bit of a heart-to -heart on Monday," Beard said. "We were saying we can't feel sorry for ourselves with the position we have had this year with injuries. It has happened, we have to get our heads down and get on with it.

"I just reminded players of basic fundamentals, the DNA of what has made us successful. I have been back here four years, this is the first time that we have had a bit of a blip.

"We went from the Championship to the Women's Super League where we finished seventh. We then finished fourth. We are not a million miles away from that top group. If we can finish sixth that would be an unbelievable achievement. We overachieved last year. We are doing a good job for where we are."

Here are more key lines from his news conference before Sunday's game against Arsenal (kick-off 14:30 GMT)

• Beard said the winter break "is coming at the right time for us and said in the new year he should have "pretty much a full squad to choose from apart from Sophie Lundgaard".

• He said it was a relief to get the first win at St Helens: "It was important we got that win done and dusted and hopefully we can move forward now."

• It was "the best news we could have got" with Leanne Kiernan's scan and Beard said she will be back in the new year.

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Rehanne Skinner said West Ham are "moving in the right direction" heading into the winter break.

The Hammers had a difficult start to the season but are full of confidence after three successive wins in all competitions.

Victory over Aston Villa will see West Ham head into the winter break five points clear of Sunday's opponents.

"We have dropped points in a couple of games we should have had more out of so we are a fraction behind where I wanted us to be at this point.

"They were tough games but across the board we have reduced the volume of goals we have conceded in comparison so last year. Our goal difference going the other way is improving game on game.

"We are moving in the right direction. We are going to go into this Christmas breakin a very positive place."

Here are more key lines from Skinner's news conference before Sunday's game (kick-off 14:00 GMT)

• On the current momentum, she said: "That is testament to the players. For us moving forward we want to make sure we stick at it consistently."

• Making it four successive wins "is the ultimate goal" and Skinner said "it puts us in a position we would have liked to be in by Christmas if we can do that".

• On facing Aston Villa in their first game since Robert de Pauw's departure, she said: "We know their attacking threat going forward and that can be a problem. We just have to make sure we are more diligent on the road."

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester manager Amandine Miquel hopes to "spice it up" against Chelsea in this weekend's Women's Super League match.

Miquel spent seven years at French club Reims where she became familiar with Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor, who was in charge at Lyon.

The two Frenchwomen go head-to-head again on Saturday and Miquel hopes to live up to Bompastor's expectations of throwing surprises.

"It's true. Over the years in France when we played Lyon we tried to spice it up a bit and throw some surprises to make it not nice for them. With Chelsea, why not?" said Miquel.

"We will see. We have a few strange ideas and we will see if we try them or not. We have some options.

"[Bompastor] is a manager that I know well because I played her a lot in France and before she was manager at Lyon, she was the head of the academy.

"It doesn't make it easier. To prevent [Chelsea] from having a very good day will need us to give 200% and to be running a lot."

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

• Miquel says the players will be given a "long time off" over the winter break to recover "physically and mentally"

• She admits it has been a "hard" period with one win from nine matches, which leaves them level on points at the bottom of the WSL table

• Leicester have been hit hard with injuries and Miquel says in an "ideal world" all her players would be fit in January but that will not be the case.

• She hopes her side can show their qualities against Chelsea and come away having "no regrets and feeling that we gave everything".

Ellie Thomason
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham boss Robert Vilahamn said Saturday's Women's Super League game against Brighton is a "deal breaker" if his side want to finish in the top five this season.

Spurs recorded their highest-ever WSL finish last season as they ended the campaign in sixth place under Vilahamn.

Tottenham are currently sixth in the WSL and play a Brighton side on Sunday who sit six points above them in fifth.

"In one way it is a little bit of a deal breaker if we want to compete in the top five or six," Vilahamn said.

"On the other hand there are many games left after this. Even is we lose tomorrow and we are consistent after the new year we can still push for the top five.

"They had a good start to the season so I don't think anyone expects us to go there and smash them. We know if we have a good day we have a good chance to beat them. We want to be higher than Brighton in the table. If we want to compete with them this season we need to have a good result in this game.

"It will be very good if we go into the winter break with four wins in a row but the main thing is we keep growing and developing and the result will come."

Here are more key lines from Vilahamn's news conference before Saturday's game (kick-off 17:30 GMT)

• Vilhaman is pleased with the character shown by his players in their three successive wins. "It's a big thing to show the character and potential of this group. A lot of people thought we couldn't defend but we showed we can do that."

• He added: "When you become consistent that is when you are a top team. This is a journey and to build a team that are going to be a top team you need to go through tough teams. The last three games have shown we can come back from tough games."

• Becky Spencer has returned to training but will "probably not be in the squad" to face Brighton.