Chelsea cut the gap at the top as West Ham claim first win, Palace & Everton draw
Chelsea extended their winning start to the Women’s Super League in routine fashion as Sonia Bompastor’s side cruised past Liverpool to win 3-0 at St Helens.
A sixth straight victory for the Blues moves them within a point of leaders Manchester City who have played one game more this season. In brushing aside Liverpool, Chelsea became the sixth side in the history of the competition to win their first six matches.
Liverpool were the last side to beat Chelsea in any competition in this same fixture last season. A 4-3 loss in May represented the last time Chelsea tasted defeat in any form and that seemed to buoy Liverpool who started quickly. However, Chelsea weathered Liverpool’s early excitement, drawing Reds ‘keeper Rachael Laws into a couple of huge saves.
Chelsea had to wait 37 minutes to find a breakthrough, but one quickly became two as the Blues netted twice in five minutes. Mayra Ramirez opened the scoring before, Laws, who had been credited for her vital early stops, played a lax pass towards Guro Reiten who punished the ‘keeper’s over-confidence with a well-taken finish from distance.
Aggie-Beever Jones, who was introduced in the second half, scored her fourth of the season late on to secure all three points for her side.
West Ham clung on for their first win of the Women’s Super League season after Viviane Asseyi’s first-half goal was enough to beat Leicester 1-0.
Manuela Pavi picked up the assist from the opener, scored by the French forward late in stoppage time at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
The hosts limited Leicester to a handful of chances and the visitors rarely looked close to capitalising.
The Irons’ first clean sheet of the season moves them up to ninth in the table, one place below their opposition but level on five points apiece.
Honoka Hayashi’s second-half header proved enough for Everton to salvage a 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.
The visitors looked set to fall to another defeat after Indiah-Paige Riley put Palace in front after just 29 seconds but Hayashi’s effort saw them snatch only their third point of the season.
It was a nightmare start for Everton, who failed to deal with My Cato’s dribble into the box before the Sweden international squared for Riley to slot home the early opener.
But the visitors responded well with Hayashi striking the woodwork just three minutes later and Heather Payne coming close to teeing up a leveller after Palace keeper Shae Yanez was robbed in the box.
Everton finally got their equaliser in the 70th minute when Hayashi headed in a cross from Veatriki Sarri to notch only their second goal of the season.
The result leaves this season’s WSL newcomers Palace two points clear of Sunday’s opponents.