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• Chelsea shake off fatigue against Man Utd to extend winning run

  Chelsea had to overcome fatigue, and survive a late scare, to beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

  Guru Reiten's 17th-minute penalty proved decisive at Kingsmeadow in a rearranged fixture that was postponed earlier in the campaign due to Chelsea's Champions League exploits.

  United came close to ending Sonia Bompastor's remarkable winning run and keeping their unbeaten start going when Melvine Malard's effort clattered the crossbar, but Chelsea escaped unscathed to move five points clear of Manchester City at the top.

  The Blues are just the second team in WSL history to win their first eight games of a season, after Arsenal in 2018-19.

  And Bompastor was particularly pleased with how her team, who mustered 2.1 expected goals (xG) to United's 0.2, shrugged off the tiredness to get the job done.

  "I think it was a tough game today, we were expecting that," Bompastor told the media, as reported by the Press Association.

  "United do not concede a lot of goals so we knew they were coming with a good defensive organisation, and we had to have a really good game with the ball.

  "Especially with the wind today, it was difficult for us to build and to play more, so I am just a bit disappointed at the fact we couldn't play more.

  "Sometimes the most important thing is to get the three points, especially because we have been in a run playing five games in two weeks. I think the players are a little bit fatigued as well."

  Chelsea have now won 11 consecutive WSL matches, which is their longest-ever winning run in the competition. The last team to have a longer winning run in the competition were Man City last season between November and April (14 in a row).

  Maika Hamano and Sjoeke Nusken had early opportunities for the Blues, before Mayra Ramirez was brought down by United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who was unable to keep out Reiten's composed spot-kick.

  Reiten has now netted six goals in her eight WSL appearances this term.

  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd wasted a good chance to put Chelsea further in front, when she elected to shoot rather than pass and her effort was blocked by Maya Le Tissier.

  That profligacy might have proved costly in stoppage time, but the woodwork came to Chelsea's rescue after Malard got a shot off following a neat bit of skill to evade Millie Bright.

  "Chelsea are the best team in the country, they're the champions for a reason. We said we would give everything from the off and the players have given everything," said United boss Marc Skinner, who was without injured striker Elisabeth Terland.

  "Both teams had to play the conditions, but the pride I feel for the team and their commitment to what we're doing, and know we can do, I'm proud of their performance. For us it was about being calculated and always opening up more in the second half, we changed shape in the last 15 minutes to really give an attacking threat.

  "We opened up, Chelsea took a few more opportunities. You have to balance the game, you go toe-to-toe with Chelsea and they probably win against most teams."

• Marta and Orlando Pride celebrate first NWSL championship

  Brazil legend Marta and the Orlando Pride became National Women's Soccer League champions for the first time after a 1-0 win over Washington Spirit.

  Barba Banda scored the only goal after 37 minutes as the Pride celebrate glory in Kansas City.

  It marks the Pride's first league title, while it is also the first NWSL honour for 38-year-old Marta.

  "I didn't expect ever [to be] in this moment here, but I believe so much that God knows what time is the right time for things to happen," Marta told CBS after the culmination of her eighth season in Orlando.

  "This means so much. Playing with these players, it's something really special that I never had at any other club, so I'm so happy."

  Match-winner Banda became only the third player to score in each of her first three NWSL playoff games after Megan Rapinoe and Amy Rodiguez, while her four strikes in the playoffs is a post-season record.

  Moreover, the Pride's maiden championship-winning season saw them record 14 wins by exactly one goal (regular and post-season), four more than any other team in a single campaign.

  Marta added: "Winning meant everything. We showed what we are capable of when we work together. This victory is for everyone who believes in us."

• 'It's an honour' - Flick delighted by Messi's Barcelona praise

  Hansi Flick says it is an "honour" to hear Lionel Messi praise Barcelona's start to the season.

  Flick took over as Barcelona head coach in May, with the club making an impressive start to LaLiga, as they sit top on 33 points after 13 matches.

  They have won 11 of their games, losing the other two, while they are sixth in the Champions League table, just three points behind leaders Liverpool.

  Messi, who spent 17 years at Barcelona before leaving to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, recently described Flick's team as "spectacular", in particular lauding his use of young players in the team.

  The German has not shied away from using academy players during his time at Barcelona so far, with Lamine Yamal the standout of the bunch after he carried last season's form into this campaign.

  Yamal is the only player across Europe's big five leagues to complete 25+ dribbles (34), create 25+ chances (26), have 25+ shots (39), score 5+ goals (five) and provide 5+ assists (seven).

  When asked how he felt about Messi's comments, Flick was delighted.

  "It's an honour to hear the best player in history say that he likes this Barca," he told reporters.

  "He follows the team closely, he has his heart set on this club, that means a lot to the youngsters and to the team."

  Barcelona return to LaLiga action when they travel to Celta Vigo on Saturday, looking to extend their lead at the top of the league.