Barclays WSL
Brighton & Hove Albion delivered a commanding performance to defeat Arsenal 4-2 at home on Bank Holiday Monday, denying the Gunners a
chance to secure second place in the Barclays Women’s Super League before the final matchday.
Fran Kirby opened the scoring with a superb curling strike on 16 minutes, but Caitlin Foord levelled for Arsenal just before the half hour mark. Brighton
regained the lead through Jelena Cankovic’s stunning volley before the interval. Cankovic struck again after the break, lobbing Arsenal goalkeeper
Manuela Zinsberger, before Kiko Seike capitalised on defensive errors to score a fourth. Mariona Caldentey’s injury time curler was little consolation for
Arsenal, who now face Manchester United in a decisive clash for second place. Brighton, meanwhile, are well placed to secure fifth, the highest finish in their history following a first ever victory against Arsenal.
Manchester United clinched Champions League qualification with a dramatic 2-2 draw against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford. City surged into a 2-0 lead before half time through quickfire goals from defenders Laia Aleixandri and Rebecca Knaak. United fought back with Grace Clinton’s header before the break and Melvine Malard’s equaliser with 20 minutes remaining. Despite Aoife Mannion’s red card for a second yellow, United held firm to secure third place, leaving City’s hopes of a higher finish in tatters.
Champions Chelsea maintained their unbeaten run with a hard fought 1-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs started brightly, testing Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton early, but the Blues capitalised on a counter attack, Catarina Macario scoring the decisive goal from the penalty spot after being fouled by Ashleigh Neville. The second half saw Spurs’ Eveliina Summanen narrowly miss with a free kick, while Chelsea’s Maika Hamano was denied by a fine save from Spurs goalkeeper Lize Kop, who also produced a double save to thwart Ashley Lawrence and Sjoeke Nusken. Chelsea’s resilience ensured they took all three points.
Everton secured a 2-0 Merseyside derby win over Liverpool at Anfield, marking only their second away victory of the season. Katja Snoeijs struck early in the sixth minute, continuing her fine form against the Reds. Liverpool responded with pressure, as Taylor Hinds struck the bar, but Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan stood firm with several key saves. Karen Holmgaard doubled Everton’s lead with twenty minutes left, and despite Sara Holmgaard’s late red card, Liverpool could not find a way back, handing Everton the bragging rights.
Crystal Palace and Leicester City played out an entertaining 2-2 draw, with late goals stealing the show. Leicester’s Hannah Cain scored in first half stoppage time, but Palace equalised through Annabel Blanchard’s penalty in the 67th minute after Josie Green was fouled. Shannon O’Brien appeared to have won it for Leicester in the fourth minute of added time, only for Abbie Larkin to strike four minutes later, ensuring the points were shared.
Aston Villa continued their recent strong form with a 3-2 victory over West Ham United. Ebony Salmon gave Villa an early lead, but West Ham responded with goals from Shekiera Martinez and Rieko Ueki to put themselves in front. Rachel Daly levelled before half time, and Chastity Grant’s second half strike—her third goal in a week—sealed the win for Villa. The Hammers battled but could not find an equaliser in their final home match of the season.
Leading scorers:
12 - Alessia Russo (Arsenal);
12 - Khadija Shaw (Manchester City);
10 - Shekiera Martinez (West Ham Utd);
9 - Elisabeth Terland (Manchester United);
8 - Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea);
8 - Grace Clinton (Manchester Utd);
8 - Beth England (Tottenham Hotspur);
8 - Guro Reiten (Chelsea);
7 - Viviane Asseyi (West Ham Utd);
7 - Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal);
7 - Rachel Daly (Aston Villa);
7 - Beth Mead (Arsenal);
7 - Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City);
7 - Olivia Smith (Liverpool);
6 - Mary Fowler (Manchester City);
6 - Fran Kirby (Brighton & Hove Albion);
6 - Frida Maanum (Arsenal);
6 - Catarina Macario (Chelsea);
6 - Nikita Parris (Brighton & Hove Albion);
(League matches only)
