Arsenal defeated defending Barclays FA Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, while Brighton beat West Ham in Sunday’s second match.
Arsenal 3-2 Chelsea (Att: 8,705)
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 West Ham United
Gunners get off to great winning start
Arsenal were in front through Vivianne Miedema, stepping inside Jess Carter to beat Ann-Katrin Berger on her near post.
Mana Iwabuchi shot over the bar when she should have doubled the lead, then with Ji So-yun was denied an equaliser, only for the resulting corner to be slotted home by Erin Cuthbert.
Early second-half drama saw Guro Reiten’s cross hit the home crossbar, Beth Mead then sent away by Miedema to fire her side back in front.
Fran Kirby chipped over the angle in stoppage-time as Arsenal held out to take the points.
Brighton beat ten-player Hammers
West Ham had Hawa Cissoko sent off for handball in the box from a follow-up shot, after MacKenzie Arnold had initially saved a shot, Inessa Kaagman then fired home an unstoppable penalty.
Brighton doubled their lead before the break, the ball falling kindly for Lee Geum-min, who slotted home under pressure.
Claudia Walker had a couple of powerful effort from outside the box for the Hammers but neither quite found the target.
