Amid a men’s international window, the women’s domestic leagues around Europe delivered a blockbuster weekend of derbies and grudge matches. In the Women’s Super League (WSL), Arsenal eased to a 3-0 win over local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, before Manchester City suffered their first loss of the season as new leaders Chelsea hit two goals in five minutes at Stamford Bridge to keep their perfect run going.
The WSL weekend also saw two 3-2 nailbiters as Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa prevailed over West Ham and Crystal Palace, while struggling Everton squeaked to their first win of the season in a Merseyside derby against Liverpool, and Manchester United got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City.
The derbies weren’t just reserved for the WSL, however. Barcelona showing their class to run out 4-0 winners away at Real Madrid, Lyon humbled Saint-Étienne with an 11-0 rout, and Rangers claimed the Old Firm honours with a 3-2 victory against Celtic.
The Clásico disappoints, once more
In recent years the talk has been of Real Madrid getting stronger and more competitive; possibly to the point where they could even beat the great Barcelona. But this talk is still premature. As, for the 15th time in their 15-game history, Barcelona emerged victorious in the Clásico one again this weekend with their fifth 4-0 win over Las Blancas.
There have been times when Madrid have seemed to be getting closer to their dream, but that has often been more about Barca looking off colour than Madrid rising to the occasion. Indeed, while Madrid have improved as a team in Liga F and Europe, with manager Alberto Toril boasting more firepower than ever before, they continue to shrink when sharing a pitch with the reigning Champions League holders.
Since March 2023 when they won 1-0, Barcelona have won their last four Clásico meetings by an aggregate score of 16-0. The gap to third-placed Madrid is now eight points but it is seemingly a chasm Las Blancas won’t traverse any time soon. — Lawson
Chelsea send statement of intent
Chelsea’s quest for a sixth-consecutive WSL title got a significant boost with a 2-0 victory over rivals Manchester City on Saturday. In a top-of-the-table clash that could prove pivotal in the title race, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor became the first manager in WSL history to win her opening seven league games and City’s first defeat of the season saw their own impressive unbeaten run of six wins and a draw come to an end.
However, despite their usual dominance, Chelsea had to wait until the 75th minute to break the deadlock and it took two goals in quick succession from Mayra Ramírez and Guro Reiten to seal the win.
Afterwards, Bompastor praised her side for keeping City “controlled” and though City were missing star forward Lauren Hemp due to a knee injury, the Blues expertly neutralised star striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw to prevent the visitors from growing into the game.
Now top of the league, with a game in hand against Manchester United at Kingsmeadow next weekend, Chelsea have the opportunity to extend their lead to five points and put significant pressure on the chasing pack with eight of 22 matches played. The reigning champions appear unstoppable and, despite having to adjust to new management after the summer exit of the legendary Emma Hayes, they’ve reaffirmed their dominance and sent a clear signal to the rest of the league: the title is theirs to lose. — Keogh
Slegers advances chances of landing Arsenal job
After the resignation of Jonas Eidevall, Arsenal’s season has taken a dramatic turn for the better under interim manager Renée Slegers, who has guided them to an unbeaten run of six games. And their transformation was on full display in a dominant 3-0 triumph in the North London derby that was fluid, controlled, and arguably their best performance of the season.
Arsenal are now playing with confidence and composure, a stark contrast to the uncertainty that plagued them under Eidevall. Their attacking play has become purposeful, with incisive passes into the final third replacing the ineffective and uninspired buildup that previously stifled their creativity and goal scoring opportunities.
But while they have reignited their push for European contention and are beginning to look like genuine title challengers, with Chelsea yet to drop a single point, the Gunners will require consistent excellence throughout the rest of the season if they are to close the six-point gap to the league leaders.
Whether or not Slegers wants to take on the role permanently, her results — including a 4-0 win over Juventus and a 5-0 drubbing of Brighton — make a compelling case for her appointment. Arsenal are in no rush to name a replacement, but their continued resurgence under her guidance will only strengthen her claim. — Keogh
Quick hits
NINE. Penalty error mars Merseyside derby. At the eighth time of asking, Everton finally won a WSL game this season, 1-0 over rivals Liverpool. But the only goal of the match was a contentious one, as Fuka Nagano clearly caught Japan teammate Honoka Hayashi outside the box, resulting in a penalty that Katja Snoeijs tucked away. The decision was close enough that Hayashi fell into the box, but it was still an error that had Liverpool boss Matt Beard furious afterwards. Unquestionably, the Reds should have done more with their chances and perhaps the three points won’t be decisive for the Toffees by the end of the season, but the sheen was certainly taken off the victory by such a poor call.
EIGHT. Horan’s bumper hat trick. It was a weekend of women’s derbies which, despite massive historic imbalances, included the Derby Rhônealpin between Olympique Lyonnais and AS Saint-Étienne in France. With Saint-Étienne having taken notable strides this season, there was a faint hope that the game wouldn’t be a blowout, however that’s exactly what it was as the French champions put on one of their best displays of the season to win 11-0. For all Lyon’s blistering prowess in attack, it was again USWNT midfielder Lindsey Horan who filled her boots, hitting a first half hat trick, before adding a fourth after the hour.
SEVEN. Villa claim dramatic first win. It had been coming, but Aston Villa finally managed to get over the line thanks to Ebony Salmon’s last-gasp rocket against a resilient Crystal Palace side. Although it was dramatic and the hosts still need to be better with the ball, there was something of the old Villa in their style of play and dynamism moving forward. Aside from a clash with in-form Arsenal, Villa should see their remaining games of the calendar year as a chance to finally pick up some momentum.
SIX. Narrow wins keep Frankfurt and Leverkusen in the hunt. After 10 games, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen are all jostling for position in Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga, two points behind leaders Wolfsburg. Although Bayern eased to a win 5-0 against lowly Jena this weekend, both Frankfurt and Leverkusen were made to work for their respective triumphs over Hoffenheim and Leipzig. Though neither team can boast the same depth as the usual top two, it’s Eintracht who boast both the most goals scored (32) and least conceded (5) this season. And with multiple leagues devolving towards a duopoly, the scrap at the top end in Germany makes a pleasant change.
FIVE. Chmielinski double stuns Juventus. Everything was going so well for Juventus before their dismal second-half showing against Arsenal in the UWCL last week, but a visit from Serie A strugglers Sassuolo should have been a chance for an immediate reset for a team yet to lose in the league this season. Yet Juve had no answer when Gina Chmielinski equalised in each half and while the eventual 2-2 draw may only prove to be a slight stumble for the Bianconere, it made the title hopefuls look beatable.
FOUR. United still have work to do. After their 2-0 win over Leicester, Man United boss Marc Skinner praised his team, saying they were playing like themselves again. But that’s an assertion that doesn’t pass the eye test. Although they were noticeably bereft in front of goal, Leicester were well in the game until Elisabeth Terland’s strike deep into first-half stoppage time. Even after the break, as United warmed into the game, they didn’t scythe through the injury-hit Foxes and while the win was deserved, United still feel a long way removed from the side who battled to second place two seasons ago.
THREE. Chacón gives Levante something to smile about. It’s been a torrid time for 12th-placed Levante this season. The side were forced to transfer their best players this summer due to financial issues, before the deadly flashfloods that hit the region left both Valencian teams out of action for the first two weeks of the month. But in the weekend’s clash with Real Betis, the Granotas picked up a much-needed boast thanks to a goal in each half from Ivonne Chacón — including an audacious rabona — as they managed to snag their second win of the season and leapfrog their opponents in the table.
TWO. Composed Brighton hold off Gorry and West Ham. Brighton bounced back from a drubbing at the hands of Arsenal and kept their composure amid West Ham’s mini-fightback for win that keeps them in the top three. But the brightest moments of the game both belong to West Ham midfielder Katrina Gorry. The Australia international fired in a five-minute double from range to help the Hammers come back from 2-0 down, but Fran Kirby’s effort sealed the win. And, for a side who had only managed four goals in their first seven games, it highlighted the need for everyone to pitch in.
ONE. Cornet’s cracker seals Old Firm win. In their second meeting in as many months, Rangers managed to squeak past the same Celtic side that ran Chelsea close in the midweek UWCL clash. Playing cat and mouse all game, with Celtic twice equalising after the Blue Belles had pulled ahead, Chelsea Cornet’s sublime half-volley secured all three points for Rangers to keep them just one point adrift of leaders Glasgow City. On course to collide again twice in the second half of the season, the Old Firm is beginning to heat up in the SWPL. — Lawson
