Roundup of Women’s Super League (WSL) action across matchweeks 9-18, as a titanic title battle took shape.
Chelsea continued their title defence amidst Emma Hayes’ decision to leave at end of season, yet found themselves under pressure as Manchester City and Arsenal eyed a title charge, whilst Bristol City and West Ham kept scrapping for survival.
Now, here is a roundup of all the action across matchweeks nine to 18.
Week 9
Alessia Russo’s brace plus goals from Beth Mead and Amanda Ilestedt saw Arsenal thrash Chelsea 4-1 at home to go second and only behind the Blues on goal difference, despite Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd’s brief equaliser for the visitors.
Lauren Hemp’s brace saw Manchester City beat Aston Villa 2-1 to stay third, although City did have to come from behind at home after Danielle Turner had put the Villains in front.
Goals from Hannah Blundell, Ella Toone, Melvine Malard and Hayley Ladd saw fourth-placed Manchester United win 4-0 at Tottenham.
Sophie Roman Haug cancelled out Amalie Thestrup’s close-range strike as Liverpool battled back to a 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City.
Karen Holmgaard’s second-half header saw Everton scrape a 1-0 win at rock-bottom West Ham.
Elisabeth Terland’s late brace saw Brighton snatch a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester, after Lena Petermann and Jutta Rantala had put the Foxes 2-0 up.
Week 10
Lauren James, Erin Cuthbert and Sam Kerr all found the net for Chelsea in a ruthless 3-0 away win at Bristol City, although Niamh Charles was red carded in injury-time for a foul.
Arsenal missed a chance to keep pace with Emma Hayes’ Blues after they suffered a shock 1-0 loss at North London rivals, Tottenham as Martha Thomas netted a 58th minute winner for Spurs.
Man City consequently moved up to second on goal difference as Khadija Shaw scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Everton, as Jill Roord also scored for City whilst Aurora Galli netted a consolatory goal for the Toffees.
Taylor Hinds bundled in a 68th minute winner as Liverpool came from behind to win 2-1 at Man Utd, after Ella Toone had put the Red Devils into a third minute lead only for Liverpool to pull level through Millie Turner’s own-goal.
Petermann’s opening goal was cancelled out by Honoka Hayashi as ten-women West Ham fought back for a 1-1 draw to move off the foot of the table, despite Hawa Cissoko’s red card following a double booking.
Adriana Leon 63rd minute winner handed Villa a 1-0 home win over Brighton, although the hosts finished a player down after Mayumi Pacheco was sent off in the 89th minute.
Week 11
James’ hat-trick saw Chelsea beat Man Utd 3-1 to stay top of the table despite Ladd having reduced Utd’s half-time deficit to 2-1 at the break.
Shaw’s hat-trick plus Gemma Bonner’s own-goal and Chloe Kelly’s penalty saw Man City thrash Liverpool 5-1 to keep the pressure on in the title race.
Mead struck a first-half injury-time winner as Arsenal beat Everton 2-1 after Caitlin Foord’s opening goal was cancelled out by Katja Snoeijs’ equalising goal.
Grace Clinton’s brace plus goals from Celin Bizet and Jessica Naz saw Tottenham win a seven-goal thriller at West Ham, during which Risa Shimizu, Viviane Asseyi and Amber Tysiak netted for the Hammers.
Rachel Daly struck a 16th minute winner as Aston Villa beat Midlands rivals, Leicester in a 1-0 away win.
Terland’s brace plus Katie Robinson’s goal saw Brighton win 3-2 at home to rock bottom Bristol City, as Abi Harrison and Carrie Jones twice equalised for the Robins.
Week 12
James’ brace plus a goal from Fran Kirby saw Chelsea safely win 3-0 at Brighton to preserve their place at the top of the table.
Amy Turner’s own-goal and Shaw’s strike saw Man City stay second with a 2-0 win at Tottenham.
Second-half goals from Vivianne Miedema and Foord saw Arsenal win 2-0 away at Liverpool.
Nikita Parris’ first-half brace proved enough for Man Utd to win 2-1 at home to Aston Villa, despite Daly’s second-half consolatory goal for the Villains.
Janice Cayman curled in a 53rd minute winner as Leicester scraped victory at Everton.
Goals from Hayashi and Asseyi saw West Ham boost their survival hopes with a 2-1 win at Bristol City, despite Thestrup’s consolatory goal for the hosts.
Week 13
Guro Reiten’s penalty brace and Cuthbert’s strike fired league leaders, Chelsea to a 3-0 home win over Everton.
Late goals from Hemp and Kelly saw Man City maintain their pressure in the title race with a 2-0 victory at home to Leicester.
Arsenal’s title ambitions took a huge blow with a shock 2-1 loss at West Ham as Cissoko netted a 58th minute winner for the Hammers after Asseyi’s penalty cancelled out Russo’s goal which had put the Gunners ahead at half-time.
Parris’ brace saw fourth-placed Man Utd defeat Brighton 2-0 in a comfortable home win to boost their chances of Champions League qualification.
Marie Hobinger’s 18-yard injury-time strike saw Liverpool snatch a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham, in which Bizet had put Spurs in front.
Comeback goals from Thestrup and Jones saw Bristol City fight back twice for a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, having fallen behind to Jordan Nobbs’ opening goal then Leon’ 60th minute strike.
Week 14
Shaw’s clinical 14th minute strike proved enough for Man City to beat league leaders, Chelsea at Kingsmeadow and move level on 34 points apiece.
Geyse’ own-goal plus goals from Cloe Lacasse and Kim Little saw Arsenal reignite their title aspirations with a 3-1 home win over Man Utd, in front of a record WSL crowd of 60,160 fans at the Emirates Stadium.
Ceri Holland scored a 53rd minute winner then was red carded as Liverpool scraped victory at Brighton.
Nobbs scored a 60th minute winner as Aston Villa won 2-1 at Tottenham after Leon’s 23rd minute goal was cancelled out by Turner’s equaliser.
Yuka Momiki, Saori Takarada, Cayman, Rantala and Denny Draper all scored in a 5-2 comeback win at home to Bristol City, despite Ffion Morgan having put the Robins in front before Thestrup added a second goal.
Late goals from Martina Piemonte and Galli saw Everton beat West Ham 2-0 at home.
Week 15
Nathalie Bjorn, Mayra Ramirez, Rytting-Kaneryd and Catarina Macario all found the net as Chelsea won 4-0 at Leicester.
Shaw and Hemp both found the net as Man City survived a late scare to beat Everton 2-1 at home, despite Hanna Bennison’s 60th minute consolatory goal for the Toffees.
Alessia Russo smashed in a 49th minute winner as Arsenal beat Tottenham 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium in front of 60,050 fans.
Asseyi’s late equaliser saw West Ham hold fourth-placed Man Utd to a 1-1 draw at home, after Rachel Williams had put the Red Devils into a fourth-minute lead.
Grace Fisk and Roman Haug found the net for Liverpool in a 4-1 victory at Aston Villa which was capped by Emma Koivisto’s brace, whilst Sarah Mayling netted Villa’s sole goal from a 37th minute penalty.
Terland scored twice for Brighton in a 7-3 win at Bristol City with Pauline Bremer, Tatiana Pinto, Madison Haley, Vicky Losada and Robinson also on the scoresheet for the Seagulls, whilst Megan Connolly, Brooke Aspin and Thestrup netted for the Robins.
Week 16
Sjoeke Nusken’s brace plus James’ deflected strike saw Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, despite a 30 minute delay to kick-off after Arsenal had brought the wrong socks as part of their kits.
Hemp, Mary Fowler, Shaw and Laura Coombs all scored as Man City won 4-1 at Brighton to stay second on goal difference, although ex City player – Lee Geum-min netted in injury-time against her former team.
Lisa Naalsund’s brace saw Man Utd defeat rock-bottom Bristol City 2-0 as the visitors finished with ten players, following Jamie Lee-Napier’s 82nd minute red card.
Leanne Kiernan, Missy Bo Kearns and Roman Haug fired Liverpool to a 3-1 home win over West Ham, although Riko Ueki denied the Reds a clean sheet with an injury-time consolatory strike.
Matilda Vinberg’s second minute goal saw Tottenham snatch an early winner at home to Leicester.
Elise Stenevik’s late goal and dismissal saw Everton beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa through second-half goals from Kenza Dali and Ebony Salmon.
Week 17
Aggie Beever-Jones’ early strike sent Chelsea on their way to a routine 2-0 win at West Ham, capped by Erin Cuthbert’s late volley.
Jess Park’s first-half brace plus Shaw’s strike barely seconds into the second-half saw Man City thrash Man Utd 3-1 in the Manchester derby, despite Kerstin Casparij having converted Hannah Blundell’s cross into her own net to deny City a clean sheet.
Second-half goals from Victoria Pelova, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Stina Blackstenius saw Arsenal come from behind at half-time to win at Villa, after Salmon had fired Villa into a 35th minute lead.
Liverpool moved up to fourth with a goalless draw at Everton in the Merseyside derby.
Bethany England’s second-minute strike saw Tottenham seal a clinical victory at a spirited Bristol City
Terland struck a 85th minute winner for Brighton in a 3-2 win at Leicester, where Rantala had put the Foxes ahead before Haley and Robinson turned the game around for the Seagulls until Petermann restored parity for the hosts.
Week 18
Shaw’s brace coupled with goals from Hemp and Park saw Man City thrash Liverpool 4-1 to move top of the table, whilst Chelsea weren’t in league action as they instead lost 1-0 to Arsenal after extra-time in the WSL Cup Final as Stina Blackstenius scored a 116th minute winner.
Toone’s brace plus goals from Millie Turner and Leah Galton saw Man Utd come from behind to beat Everton 4-1 at home, after Snoeijs had intercepted Maya Le Tissier’s 10th minute backpass to fire the Toffees into a first-half lead.
Daly rescued Villa a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester with a 75th minute strike, after Leon had put the Villains ahead only for Momiki and Sam Tierney to put the Foxes ahead in their first game following Willie Kirk’s sacking for alleged misconduct following an investigation.
West Ham held Brighton to a goalless draw which marked the eighth league game this season in which neither team found the net.
| Position | Team | Played | Points | Goal Difference |
| 1 | Manchester City | 18 | 46 | +37 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 17 | 43 | +36 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 17 | 37 | +19 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 18 | 31 | +16 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 18 | 29 | +1 |
| 6 | Tottenham | 17 | 25 | -6 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 18 | 20 | -13 |
| 8 | Brighton | 18 | 18 | -15 |
| 9 | Leicester | 18 | 17 | -11 |
| 10 | Everton | 18 | 15 | -18 |
| 11 | West Ham | 18 | 13 | -18 |
| 12 | Bristol City | 17 | 6 | -28 |