Liverpool kicked off the new Barclays Women’s Super League season with victory over Arsenal, Manchester United fought back to beat ten-player Aston Villa.
Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United (Att: 12,533)
Everton 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool (Att:54,115)
Bristol City 2-4 Leicester City (Att: 4,312)
West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool got the only goal of the game at Arsenal, as Missy Bo Kearns picked out Miri Taylor to give them a 48th-minute advantage in front of the WSL’s record attendance. Reds’ Rachael Laws had to claw away a Lotte Wubben-Moy header and turn a Frida Maanum strike over the bar in keeping a clean sheet.
Manchester United came from behind late on to win at ten-player Aston Villa. The hosts’ Kirsty Hanson was sent off against her former club but within two minutes Rachel Daly had fired her sided in front with a shot on the turn. The lead lasted about as long with Lucia Garcia levelling after a corner, then in the second minute of an extra eight, super-sub Rachel Williams headed home the winner for United from a Millie Turner cross.
Chelsea beat Tottenham but had something of a nervous finish after the visitors pulled one back. Chelsea led at half-time with a well-directed Mia Fishel header from a Niamh Charles cross, while Zecira Musovic and Millie Bright kept out successive effort from Tottenham’s Martha Thomas. Guro Reiten thought she had the ball over the line early in the second half but a goal was later confirmed when Lauren James volleyed in another Charles delivery. Spurs replied in the 76th minute, Musovic not holding onto a Grace Clinton effort and Thomas tucking home the loose ball. The Chelsea keeper redeemed herself by denying Jess Naz the equaliser.
Manchester City came away from West Ham 2-0 winners, despite a second-half dismissal. Lauren Hemp opened the scoring for City three minutes into the second half, finding the top corner from outside the box. Chloe Kelly saw her penalty saved by the Hammers’ Mackenzie Arnold but Jill Roord did double the lead as Laia Aleixandri contributed her second assist. City lost Leila Ouahabi to a straight red but her side survived the last 20 minutes or so without conceding.
JILL ROORD GETS HER FIRST WSL CITY GOAL!!!
⚒️ 0-2 🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/42cuATNAjl
— Man City Women (@ManCityWomen) October 1, 2023
Brighton’s Elisabeth Terland took just three minutes of the new season to score at Everton and struck again inside the first quarter of an hour from a Katie Robinson through ball. Megan Finnigan replied on 65 minutes from a Hanna Bennison corner but the Seagulls took the points back to the south coast.
Terland at the double…🥶😮💨 #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/8qqjmbXrCq
— Brighton & Hove Albion Women (@BHAFCWomen) October 1, 2023
Leicester City overcame an early deficit to defeat Bristol City at Ashton Gate, where Carrie Jones found the net for the Robins from outside the box. Aimee Palmer replied from a similar distance in first-half stoppage time and the second half was not ten minutes old before both Shannon O’Brien and Lena Petermann had put the Foxes in control. Jutta Rantala got the Foxes’ fourth, with Amalie Thestrup then converting a penalty for Bristol.
A four-midable performance to start our #BarclaysWSL campaign 😍#BCILEI pic.twitter.com/GpOuJdpheg
— LCFC Women (@LCFC_Women) October 1, 2023
