Pernille Harder's hat-trick handed Bayern Munich a winning start to their Women's Champions League campaign, beating Arsenal 5-2 in Group C. 

Harder, who scored 24 times in 48 appearances for Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea, once again haunted the Gunners, striking her first goals in the competition in almost two years.

After three games in the Women’s Super League, Arsenal sit sixth, having won once and drawn twice, with the latest defeat piling more pressure on head coach Jonas Eidevall. 

The Gunners started brightly and took the lead in the 30th minute when Katie McCabe's delivery was swept home by Mariona Caldentey. 

However, the hosts drew level two minutes before the break when Georgia Stanway's searching ball picked out the head of captain Glodis Viggosdottir, who towered over her marker to loop the ball beyond Manuela Zinsberger. 

Bayern then took the lead in the 56th minute as a fast break saw Sydney Lohmann finish at the near post, only for Eidevall's side to respond nine minutes later when McCabe's corner was headed home by Laia Codina. 

But the German champions found themselves back in front soon after with a corner routine of their own, with Harder netting her first of the encounter with a header from Carolin Simon's cross. 

The Dane then notched her second with another well-taken header, before sealing her treble with an effort from close range, despite the best efforts of Zinsberger. 

Harder recorded a staggering 1.59 expected goals (xG) tally of 1.59 to Bayern's 1.89 total, with Arsenal wasteful with their chances, with six of their nine shots on target but unable to trouble Maria Grohs for the most part. 

Elsewhere in the other early kick-off, Hammarby recorded a historic 2-0 victory over Austrian side St. Polten at the Tele2 Arena for their first triumph in the group stage of the competition. 

Vilde Hasund handed the hosts an early lead in the 18th minute with a brilliantly taken finish, striking the ball low into the bottom corner following Ellen Wangerheim's lay-off. 

The victory was sealed two minutes from time by substitute Cathinka Tandberg, who took a touch and placed the ball beyond Carina Schluter to put them top of Group D ahead of Manchester City's star-studded clash with Barcelona. 

Arsenal right-back Emily Fox says the chance to play in the Champions League drew her to the club as she relishes the "craziness" of the competition.

Fox joined the Gunners in January from NWSL side North Carolina Courage and has since made 18 appearances for them in all competitions.

She has proved a key figure for not only Arsenal since her move but also the United States, as she played in every game for Emma Hayes' side at the Paris Olympics, helping the team to win a fifth gold medal.

Fox has started all seven of Arsenal's matches across all competitions this season and was part of the team that overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Hacken 4-1 and qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Ahead of her debut in the tournament proper against Bayern Munich, Fox revealed the tournament played a key role in her decision to join Arsenal.

"I'm super excited. It's one of the main reasons why I decided to come to Arsenal," Fox said.

"Starting on Wednesday, playing Bayern Munich, I'm looking forward to it. All the late-night games and the craziness - I think we got a glimpse of it with all of our qualification games. I'm really excited."

Arsenal started the week with a frustrating 0-0 draw with Everton in the Women's Super League, and have the defending champions, Chelsea, next up after Bayern.

With the North London side fighting in four competitions this season, Fox has urged the team to take each game as it comes in order to get the best out of themselves.

"I think really just focusing on each and every game and not looking too far ahead," she added when asked what she had learned from the Olympics.

"I think, for example, this week we have three games in one week, which is a lot. So, I think really being present with that because it can get a little crazy if you look at it spread out and zoomed out."

Arsenal will also face Juventus and Valerenga in the Champions League group stage, with their campaign beginning on Wednesday in Munich.

Jonas Eidevall says Arsenal are going to take a "full throttle" approach as they look to begin the Champions League on a high against Bayern Munich.

Arsenal survived a scare to qualify for the group stage of the competition, coming from behind after a first-leg loss to Hacken to win 4-1 on aggregate.

Having missed out on qualification last year, the Gunners make a return to the Champions League in a group that also includes Juventus and Norwegian side Valerenga.

Arsenal did meet Bayern the last time they played in the tournament, with Eidevall's side turning around a deficit to progress to the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory.

The Swede is relishing the test ahead of them on Wednesday and plans to push his team just as hard in the Champions League as he does in the Women's Super League.

"For me, the Champions League is very special," Eidevall said when asked where the European competition ranks in his priorities.

"We are in four competitions, but the Champions League and the league will always be very special to me and to the team.

"Right now, we are in a situation where we need to go full-throttle in both of them."

In the WSL, the Gunners are unbeaten, though they have won just one of their three matches so far, and were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Everton last time out.

Arsenal had 21 shots in that game, but only managed five on target, as they accumulated 0.74 expected goals, also hitting the post.

They have scored just three goals in the league this season and will come up against a free-flowing Bayern, who have scored 18 times in their opening five Frauen-Bundesliga matches.

While Eidevall was frustrated by their lack of a clinical edge against the Toffees, he hopes they can continue their staunch defensive play.

"[Looking at the defence] is the positive way to look at it," added Eidevall. "We are putting such high standards on ourselves, and we are so demanding on ourselves.

"When something is not working that becomes the focus, but defensively against Everton we played a very solid game, we were pressing really well.

"[Bayern] are really strong in counter-attacking. They move with a lot of paces and that part you have to look out for. They are looking really strong on their set-pieces so far this season.

"They are well-organised; they are a good team, but so are we. While they have strengths, they also have weaknesses, and we need to exploit them."

As we gear up for another edition of the Women's Champions League, the excitement around this iconic club competition is as tantalising as ever.

This season's tournament, which starts on Tuesday, brings with it new managers and big moves from some top players, as the best and brightest across women's European football go toe-to-toe.

Sixteen teams have qualified and will now battle it out to be crowned champions of Europe in Lisbon next year.

The tournament will welcome Celtic and Galatasaray, who have become the first teams from Scotland and Turkiye, respectively, to reach the group stage in this current format.

There are also debutants in the form of Swedish side Hammarby, who turned heads in the qualifying rounds by knocking out last season's quarter-finalists Benfica.

After trailing in the first leg, Hammarby managed to claim a historic victory. No team had ever previously overturned a first-leg deficit in a Women's Champions League qualifier.

Barcelona are the reigning champions after they beat Lyon in the final back in May.

The growth and strength of the Women's Super League has been reflected in this year's final 16. With Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all qualifying, England are now only the third nation to have three teams reach the group stage of the competition, with Germany and France having done so previously.

Europe's best are ready to battle it out, but who are the contenders, and which players could light up the 2024-25 edition?

The main contenders

Holders Barcelona will have a fight on their hands to retain their trophy this season, but they also have a strong chance of making more history themselves.

Barca are striving to become only the second club to win a third consecutive Champions League, and they will also bid to equal Lyon's record of appearing in five straight finals, with the French side having achieved the feat between 2016 and 2020.

Barca grew into a dominant force under former boss Jonatan Giraldez, who is now coaching Washington Spirit. 

Former assistant coach to Giraldez, Pere Romeu, will have to see if he can continue the club's quest for trophies, but the bar has been set high by that quadruple last season.

Teams will be looking for the chink in the Catalans' armour. Defensively, Barca were generally excellent last season, though they did have a slight defensive underperformance, conceding 1.6 goals more than would have been anticipated based on their expected goals against (xGA) figures in the Champions League, albeit when discounting own goals, that underperformance dropped to 0.6.

They also had the meanest defence in the competition when it came to clean sheets, keeping six to help them win nine games. 

The best sides in front of goal last season were, unsurprisingly, the two teams that reached the final – Barca and Lyon. They netted 36 times each across 11 games apiece.

Lyon, although under new leadership, are the most successful side in the history of the competition, winning eight titles, and they are difficult to look past as the team to beat.

Their free-shooting, free-flowing attacking system under former coach Sonia Bompastor saw them produce a whopping 270 attempts on goal last term, an average of 24.5 per game. Barca (237) were second for shots, and shot conversion rate (15.19%), meanwhile.

Lyon's xG was a tournament-leading 35.4, while Barca's 29.11 ranked second – however, Barca greatly overperformed their xG.

Indeed, their 6.89 xG overperformance was the highest positive differential in last season's competition, proving their finishing was of an exceptionally high standard.

It will not all be about Barca and Lyon, though. Two other former continental champions, Arsenal and Wolfsburg, are sides who will see themselves as ready to dethrone Barca and taste European glory once more.

Wolfsburg are six-time finalists and two-time champions, so they should never be discounted. Nor should Bayern Munich, who have won the Frauen-Bundesliga title in the last two seasons.

Bayern went out in the group stage last season, only winning one of their six games, but they should fare better this time around. 

And while they are yet to go all the way in Europe, Chelsea and Manchester City could also be forces to be reckoned with.

English trio to challenge

Bompastor led Lyon to victory as their captain in 2011 and 2012 and as their head coach in 2021, an incredible feat that nobody else has achieved in the tournament's history.

She now finds herself in charge of English Champions Chelsea and will be keen to lead her new side to their first Champions League title.

Chelsea, who reached the semi-finals, had the best shot conversion rate (15.38%) in the 2023-24 tournament, scoring 20 goals from 130 shots.

Bompastor will hope to build on her own success and knowledge of the competition and become the first manager to lead an English side to European success since Arsenal's victory in the 2006-07 season.

Despite winning everything there is to win domestically under previous boss Emma Hayes, this is a trophy that has evaded the Blues and they are desperate for success. They lost 4-0 in a humiliating final outing versus Barcelona in 2020-21.

Serial winner Lucy Bronze has been brought into the Chelsea fold by Bompastor, and a huge factor in that transfer was her experience of Champions League success. The ambitious defender will aim to become only the second player, after Conny Pohlers, to win the competition with three different sides, previously lifting the trophy with Lyon and Barcelona.

City, meanwhile, are appearing in the group stages for the first time since the competition's format was changed in 2021 and Gareth Taylor and his team will be keen to show Europe's best why they have pushed Chelsea all the way in the WSL in recent seasons. 

Last season's star players

Kadidiatou Diani was the leading scorer in last season's Champions League, netting eight goals, and she will be as dangerous as ever in Lyon's attacking line.

Those goals came from 4.77 xG — that 3.23 overperformance was higher than any other player in the competition. She was not only the highest goalscorer, but her finishes were a level above what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances she had.

Ada Hegerberg is the all-time leading scorer in the competition with 64 goals. However, she underperformed her tournament-leading 7.33 xG by 2.33 last campaign, so there's scope for improvement for the 29-year-old.

Despite the xG underperformance, she still tallied up an impressive five goals to finish tied for fifth in the charts, along with Caroline Hansen, Tabitha Chawinga, Marie-Yasmine Alidou and Sam Kerr.

Lyon's Selma Bacha created the most chances in last season's competition (35), registering 4.12 expected assists (xA), though she only provided two assists in total.

Barcelona's Hansen (33) was second-highest for chances created, but led the way for xA (4.66) and assists (five), level with her team-mate Aitana Bonmati and just ahead of Bronze and Roma playmaker Manuela Giugliano (both four). 

Between the sticks, St. Polten's Carina Schluter was the busiest goalkeeper, making 43 saves, though Chelsea's Zecira Musovic boasted the best save percentage (81.82%) of any shot-stopper to play at least 90 minutes.

Jennifer Falk, of BK Hacken, was the best-performing goalkeeper when it came to goals prevented, however, conceding 10, which is 3.85 fewer than would have been anticipated based on the quality of shots she faced, according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model.

The groups

Four groups of four teams will battle it out to reach the knockout stages. There are some top ties to look forward to before we get to the last eight, and undoubtedly there will be some surprises along the way.

Group A boasts two former champions with 10 titles between them in Lyon and Wolfsburg. The two sides have met in finals of the tournament on four occasions, with Lyon victorious in three of those instances.

But Wolfsburg, who thrashed Fiorentina in qualifying, have lost some huge names over the summer. Germany midfielder Lena Oberdorf, Poland forward Ewa Pajor and Netherlands defender Dominique Janssen all exited ahead of the new campaign.

Pajor has made a fantastic start to life at Barcelona, scoring six goals already, and generating the highest xG of any player in the top five leagues so far in 2024-25 (6.56).

Roma will join the two giants from Germany and France. Their best finish in the tournament saw them progress to the last eight on their competition debut in 2022-23. 

The group's final side, Galatasaray, battled hard through the qualifying rounds and stamped their mark on the competition by knocking out three-time quarter-finalists Slavia to become the first Turkish team to reach the group stage.

Group B has served up a familiar matchup with Chelsea and Real Madrid being drawn together for a third consecutive year.

Dutch Champions Twente will bring an attacking brand of football to the tournament and should not be underestimated. They scored 20 goals to qualify for the group stages. Debutants Celtic, meanwhile, will also look to make their mark.

Group C could be considered the group of death, with former champions Arsenal, Bayern and surprise package Juventus, who caused the biggest upset of the qualifying rounds, going head-to-head.

The Bianconere became the first team to knock out Paris Saint-Germain before the quarter-finals since Tyreso in 2013-14, ending the dreams of English number one Mary Earps after her big move from Manchester United.

Group D will host the most exciting fixture of the group stages as holders Barca take on Man City in the opening game. The teams have met previously in a quarter-final in 2020-21, with Barca going on to win the tournament that year.

St. Polten have qualified for the fourth time in five seasons, and Hammarby have shown they are not scared of the bigger sides by knocking out one of last year's quarter-finalists Benfica in the qualifying rounds. 

The tournament promises to be exciting, with some intriguing storylines to follow from top to bottom.

Will Barcelona win a third straight crown, can Lyon extend their record number of titles, or is it time for an English champion for the first time since 2007? We can't wait to find out. 

Arsenal missed the chance to keep pace with Women's Super League leaders Manchester City on Sunday, but Liverpool grabbed the standout result.

Liverpool edged Tottenham 3-2 thanks to Marie-Therese Hobinger's last-gasp penalty.

Having netted her first goal of the season in the 75th minute, Hobinger doubled up to win it for the Reds deep in stoppage time.

Ashleigh Neville fouled Sophie Roman Haug, and Hobinger made no mistake to seal Liverpool's first win of the season.

Neville had turned provider for Tottenham's second equaliser of the game at Gaughan Group Stadium, when she crossed for Clare Hunt to score in the 83rd minute.

Liverpool took the lead early on through Cornelia Kapocs, before Taylor Hinds' own goal handed Spurs a leveller.

The Reds' Merseyside rivals Everton, meanwhile, frustrated Arsenal by holding the Gunners to a 0-0 draw.

Everton have been hit by serious knee injuries to Inma Gabarro and Aurora Galli this season, but the Toffees showed plenty of resilience to pick up their first point of the campaign at Emirates Stadium.

Emily Fox went closest for Arsenal when she hit the post early in the first half, but in spite of having 21 shots, the Gunners accumulated only 0.74 expected goals (xG).

Annabel Blanchard, meanwhile, netted twice to propel Crystal Palace to their first victory of the season, as they beat Leicester City 2-0.

Earlier in the day, Man City defeated West Ham 2-0.

Aston Villa's Jordan Nobbs is now the outright leader for Women's Super League appearances after playing her 193rd game.

The midfielder started on Saturday, though she could not help Villa avoid a 4-2 defeat to Brighton, who were inspired by full debutant Nikita Parris.

While Nobbs could not mark her special day with a victory, there can be no taking away from the 31-year-old's achievement.

Nobbs' tally includes eight appearances in the WSL Spring Series. Before Saturday, she was level with Chelsea's Sophie Ingle, who is out injured.

She has started 158 games in total, and taken part in a hugely impressive 124 wins - only now-retired Stephanie Houghton has won more WSL matches (127).

Nobbs has scored 58 goals in the competition, a figure bettered by just six players, while only eight players have provided more assists than her 31. She has created 312 goalscoring chances for her team-mates, with Beth Mead (339) having crafted more.

The majority of Nobbs' appearances came for Arsenal, as she played 157 times for the Gunners. Saturday's loss at Brighton marked her 36th WSL match for Villa, who she joined in 2023.

Her 21 starts in the 2016-17 campaign, meanwhile, has marked the most matches she played in from the off during a single season.

Nobbs, who has won 71 caps for England, has won the WSL on three occasions (2011, 2012 and 2018-19), winning the FA Cup four times.

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall slammed the "amateurish behaviour" of the Women's Super League, who he feels are damaging English teams' chances of success in European competition.

The Gunners are one of three English teams competing in the Women's Champions League group stages this season, along with Manchester City and Chelsea.

All three are due to commence their campaigns in midweek, but while Arsenal and City are in WSL action on Sunday, Chelsea's scheduled clash with Manchester United was postponed due to player welfare concerns.

Eidevall's side, who face Bayern Munich on Wednesday, then take on the Blues three days later, and the head coach feels his side are at a "sporting disadvantage" with their fixture congestion.

"It's not a good situation," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's clash with Everton. "There are 16 teams involved in the Champions League, how many teams are playing on Sunday, October 6?

"We are, that is one. If it was only us, it would be an Arsenal problem - but it's also Man City. The only two teams that are playing are English teams. The only other team scheduled to play was Chelsea.

"[It's the] first time that three [English] teams reach the group stage. [It] should be celebrated, but it's now a problem. It's very important for the whole league that we are successful in Europe.

"Now, obviously, it's worse for us because of the amateurish behaviour of no plan and taking away the game like Chelsea.

"It puts us into play on Sunday, then Wednesday away at Bayern Munich, who don't play Sunday, then we return to play Chelsea on Saturday (October 12).

"[That is] less preparation than our opponents. We have been handed a sporting disadvantage in two huge games for us."

Nevertheless, Eidevall insists his players will tackle the busy period head on, rather than feel sorry for themselves.

"We won't lie down and give up because the situation is tough," he said. "We will dig deeper than we ever have before, but what needs to change is the approach to Champions League football and respect to the supporters.

"It's not good enough to blame UEFA, the only one who hasn't acted on the information is the WSL."

As we gear up for matchday three in the Women's Super League, the chasing pack have an opportunity to make ground on Chelsea and Manchester United, who are both unbeaten so far.

The Opta Supercomputer is here to give the inside track on whom the winners and losers may be as we look ahead to each match-up.

Chelsea and United will not be in action due to fixture congestion as a result of the Blues' Women's Champions League fixture on Tuesday next week. This will therefore be an early chance for Manchester City, Tottenham, and Arsenal to make inroads.

WSL history could be made this weekend too – if Jordan Nobbs laces up her boots and is selected for Aston Villa in their match away at Brighton, she will break the record for all-time appearances.

If Nobbs is selected by new Villa boss Robert de Pauw, she will reach a staggering 193 appearances in the competition, 13 years and 175 days since she debuted in the WSL for Arsenal against Chelsea in April 2011.

Stephanie Houghton (127) is the only player to have featured in more wins than Nobbs (124) and the Villa midfielder will be confident she can surpass the now-retired City defender this season.

At the bottom of the table, newcomers Crystal Palace will want to banish the memory of their 7-0 drubbing by champions Chelsea and try and get their first points on the board.

Everton, meanwhile, have been struck by misfortune, losing midfielder Aurora Galli and forward Inma Gabarro both to anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

Let's check out the Opta supercomputer's match predictions.

BRIGHTON V ASTON VILLA

Kicking off the weekend's action, Brighton will welcome Aston Villa to the Broadfield Stadium in the only match on Saturday. Dario Vidosic's side have made an impressive start under the new manager, beating Everton 4-0 in their opening fixture and narrowly losing 1-0 to Man City last time out.

Only City (31) have recorded more open play sequences of 10+ passes in the WSL this season than Brighton (28), who in their opening home match recorded their best-ever pass accuracy in a league match (87.8%) and their second-most passes ever in a game in the competition (550).

However, despite Brighton's early good form, the Opta supercomputer has them at only 36.1% to get the home win and 26.2% for the draw. Villa have won just one of their last eight WSL matches (D3 L4), though the exception was a 1-0 away win at Brighton on the penultimate matchday of last season. The Opta Supercomputer is edging them ahead of the hosts to get the win, at 37.8%.

De Pauw (D1 L1) will be looking to avoid becoming the second Villa manager to go winless across their first three games in the WSL after Gemma Davies (L3), who did so back in October 2020. Two of the Villans' previous three managers in the competition picked up their first away win at Brighton, though.

MANCHESTER CITY V WEST HAM

West Ham have had a difficult start to their campaign, only picking up one point so far, though that did come in dramatic fashion when they fought back to draw with Liverpool. They travel to the Joie Stadium to face a City team aiming to make it two wins from two home games.

City are looking to go unbeaten across their opening three games of a WSL campaign for the eighth time (including the 2017 Spring Series) – prior to this season, only Chelsea (nine) and Arsenal (eight) had done so more times in the competition than the Citizens (seven).

Opta's model predicts City to get the job done, giving them a huge 87.3% chance of victory. City have won 10 of their 11 WSL meetings with West Ham and half of those victories have come with them scoring at least four goals.

The Opta model is damming of the Hammers' chances of getting the win, at 4.5%, and gives more chance of a draw, at 8.2%. West Ham are winless in their last six away games in the WSL (D1 L5) and could equal their longest-ever run without victory on the road in the competition.

Both Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema have opened up their accounts for the season and West Ham should be wary of the duo.

Shaw has scored 13 goals in her 11 WSL appearances so far in 2024, currently the best goals per game rate (1.18) by a player in a single calendar year in the competition's history (minimum three appearances).

ARSENAL V EVERTON

Arsenal will be aiming to avoid defeat in their opening three games of a WSL campaign for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, though they did fail to do so last season (W1 D1 L1).

Everton will travel south with little hope of victory, and they are only given a 7% chance compared to Arsenal's 81.5%; at 11.4%, a draw also seems unlikely.

The Toffees could break an unwanted record this weekend. Having lost both of their league games this season, should they suffer another defeat, then they will become the first team in WSL history to lose 100 games.

The Gunners started the season as expected in a tight exchange with Man City on the opening day and then a slender away win at Leicester City.

Jonas Eidevall has won 49 of his 68 matches in the WSL (D9 L10) and victory against Everton this weekend would make him the second-quickest manager to reach 50 wins (69 games), behind only his predecessor Joe Montemurro (66 games).

One to watch in this match will be Frida Maanum, who has scored the opening goal in both of Arsenal's WSL games this season. She could become the first player to put the Gunners 1-0 up in three consecutive matches in the competition.

TOTTENHAM V LIVERPOOL

Tottenham have enjoyed a strong start to the season and sit third heading into the weekend. They welcome Liverpool to Brisbane Road - Matt Beard's side have yet to register a win so far.

The Supercomputer calculates Spurs will continue their good form and snatch the win (40.3%) as opposed to a 33% chance of victory for the Reds, though a draw is also a likely outcome.

Building on their form from last season, Spurs have scored a wealth of goals in the opening weeks. Only Chelsea (seven) have had more different goalscorers this season than Tottenham, with each of Spurs' six league goals coming via a different player.

This will not be a walk in the park, though. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six WSL games, last going longer without defeat in the league in September 2016 (eight). Only Man City (nine) are currently on a longer unbeaten run away from home than the Reds (six – W4 D2).

LEICESTER CITY V CRYSTAL PALACE

Amandine Miquel has had a mixed start to her tenure as Leicester boss. She is the Foxes' fifth manager in the WSL, but she could be the fourth to fail to win their first three games in charge, with Lydia Bedford in 2021-22 the only one to avoid that fate.

Opta's model is backing Miquel to change the record, though, with a home win the result in 47.6% of the supercomputer's simulations, while the likelihood of a draw is 26.1% and Palace are given a 26.3% chance.

Newly promoted Palace could be the fifth team to lose each of their first three games in the WSL but only the second to lose their first three matches in the competition without scoring a single goal, after Brighton in 2018-19. 

Leicester, meanwhile, have won all four of their previous WSL games against newly promoted opposition, with Man Utd (10/10) the only other team to have a 100% record against such teams.

Leicester forward Jutta Rantala was directly involved in five goals in two appearances against newly promoted opposition last season, scoring twice and assisting once away to Bristol City in October and scoring and assisting at home to the Robins in February. She will fancy her chances against a Palace side that conceded seven goals last time out.

Khadija Shaw opened her account for the Women's Super League season as Manchester City beat Brighton 1-0 to get their first win on the board.

Shaw was the runaway top scorer in the WSL last season, and she got up and running for the 2024-25 campaign with a neat close-range finish from Kerstin Casparij's low cross late in the first half of Sunday's clash at Joie Stadium.

Her goal was one of seven shots the Jamaican had throughout the contest, with Shaw having gone close on three occasions prior to breaking the deadlock.

Mary Fowler and Jessica Park both went close to extending City's lead after the break, while Lauren Hemp stung the palms of Sophie Baggaley.

The only disappointment for Gareth Taylor will have been that his side failed to make their dominance count for a second goal, with City mustering 3.03 expected goals (xG) to Brighton's 0.76.

"We got the job done," defender Alex Greenwood told BBC Sport.

"Sometimes in this league, you have to win ugly. I thought off the ball today we were better. Against Arsenal, we struggled with that at times, but we have worked really hard on that, and I thought we saw an improvement in that.

"This league is getting tougher and tougher every year, and we saw that with Brighton, it was a tough game. We take the win and the clean sheet all day."

Arsenal, who drew 2-2 with City last week, also got their first win on the board, with Frida Maanum's second-half strike proving decisive in a 1-0 defeat of Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Alessia Russo capitalised on an error from Catherine Bott, with the former Manchester United forward keeping her cool to set up Maanum for a simple finish, as Arsenal claimed a seventh straight WSL win over Leicester.

There was a thrilling finale in Aston Villa's clash with Tottenham, as three goals in 20 minutes saw the points shared in a 2-2 draw.

Spurs led through Eveliina Summanen's 23rd-minute penalty at Villa Park, but Adriana Leon and Rachel Daly flipped the match on its head.

However, Villa's hopes of claiming a memorable victory were dashed when Bethany England netted deep in second-half stoppage time.

Manchester United made it two wins from two as Grace Clinton's fourth-minute goal downed her former club Everton 1-0.

United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made good stops to deny Karoline Olesen and Inma Gabarro before the latter had to be taken off following a lengthy treatment for an injury.

West Ham, meanwhile, hit back late on to frustrate Liverpool in a 1-1 draw.

Liverpool's club-record signing Olivia Smith had put the Reds ahead early on, but a fine header from Riko Ueki ensured the spoils were shared.

Manchester City will face Champions League holders Barcelona in their first group-stage appearance in the competition after the draw was made on Friday. 

City, who were knocked out in first-round qualifying in the 2022-23 season by Real Madrid, will also face SKN St Polten of Austria and Swedish side Hammarby. 

Women's Super League champions Chelsea, who finished as runners-up in the 2020-21 edition, have been handed a tough draw to reach the knockout stages. 

Sonia Bompastor's side will face Celtic, who have reached this stage of the competition for the first time in their history, along with Real Madrid and FC Twente. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal, who sealed their spot in the group stage with an emphatic 4-1 aggregate win over Hacken, have also been dealt a difficult group. 

The Gunners will compete against German champions Bayern Munich, Italian giants Juventus and Norwegian side Valerenga in Group C. 

Lyon, who have won the competition a record eight times, have been placed in Group A alongside Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray. 

Group A

Lyon, Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray. 

Group B

Chelsea, Real Madrid, Twente and Celtic. 

Group C

Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Juventus and Valerenga. 

Group D 

Barcelona, Manchester City, SKN St. Polten and Hammarby. 

Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League group stage after overcoming a first-leg deficit to beat Hacken 4-0 at Meadow Park.

The first leg in Sweden threw up a shock 1-0 defeat, but Jonas Eidevall's side were up to the task, with Lia Walti and new signing Mariona Caldentey turning the scoreline on its head in the first half.

A brilliant strike from Beth Mead then ensured their progress, before substitute Frida Maanum added some more gloss to the scoreline late on.

The Gunners produced a much better performance in front of goal than in the reverse fixture. Arsenal may have had fewer shots on Thursday (14) and failed to convert any of their four big chances, but the emphatic scoreline is what matters most.

They join fellow Women's Super League side Manchester City in the draw, with Gareth Taylor's side cruising past Paris FC.

Their job was all but done after a crushing 5-0 win in the first leg, but Khadija Shaw's double, following Chloe Kelly's early opener, secured them an 8-0 aggregate win.

With another clean sheet under their belt in the competition, City have reached the group stage for the first time since 2020-21, when they fell to Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

There was more despair in the French capital as Paris Saint-Germain, last season's semi-finalists, suffered a shock defeat to Juventus.

PSG have reached at least the quarter-finalists in each of the last five seasons and were mainstays in the competition, but after suffering a 3-1 loss in Turin, their hopes of a comeback were soon squashed.

Sofia Cantore scored just two minutes in to set Juve on course for a 2-1 victory in the game, and a 5-2 aggregate scoreline, getting their name in the hat for the first time in two years.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid secured their place in the competition, as did Celtic, who will play in the Champions League group stage for the first time since it was introduced in 2020-21 after a 3-0 aggregate win over Vorskla Poltava.

And a special mention for Roma, who emphatically brushed aside Servette 7-2 in the second leg to secure a 10-3 aggregate victory.

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has confirmed Leah Williamson will miss Thursday's Women's Champions League second-round tie against Hacken due to concussion protocol.

Williamson did not feature in the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, and is one of three absentees unavailable for the must-win game with Hacken at Meadow Park. 

Eidevall also revealed that both Steph Catley and Lina Hurtig will also miss the game against the Swedish side. 

The visitors hold a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg, with Tabitha Tindell's goal enough for the victory at the Bravida Arena last week. 

"I don't have a timeframe on Leah's injury at the moment. It's guided by our medical team," Eidevall said. 

"When I have something more concrete to communicate, I will do that. She sustained the concussion during an incident in training.

"If we don't qualify, I would definitely consider that a failure. We need to get into the groups."

The latest instalment of the Women's Super League returns this weekend, with the opening round of fixtures offering plenty of insight as to what this season may hold. 

Sonia Bompastor started her quest for Chelsea's sixth straight title with a triumph against Aston Villa, with the Blues again kickstarting the action on matchday two.

The defending champions make the short journey to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, while Sunday's action features both Manchester City and Arsenal after their enthralling encounter at the Emirates. 

Elsewhere, Manchester United will be hoping to build on their emphatic first week showing against Everton, with Liverpool and West Ham squaring off in their attempts to get their respective campaigns up and running. 

But who does the Opta supercomputer predict will emerge victorious this time around? 

CRYSTAL PALACE V CHELSEA

Bompastor started her tenure as Chelsea head coach with a win, but the Blues were made to work for their triumph at Kingsmeadow in last week's curtain-raiser. 

However, Chelsea remain overwhelming favourites to stay perfect against newly-promoted Crystal Palace, winning 88.4% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, compared to 7.3% for their opponents.

Chelsea have also won each of their last eight games without conceding when facing an opponent for the first time in the WSL, last losing 4-0 away to Sunderland in July 2015.

But despite their dominance under Emma Hayes, the Blues have failed to win their opening away game in each of the last six WSL seasons (D4 L2), since beating the Black Cats 6-0 in the 2017-18 campaign.

MANCHESTER CITY V BRIGHTON

On Sunday, Brighton are the opponents as Gareth Taylor's City aim to get their first win on the board following last week's 2-2 draw at Arsenal.

Despite the visitors starting their own campaign with a 4-0 triumph against Everton, the Seagulls are handed just a 4.5% chance of a victory in our pre-match simulations, with the Citizens given a huge 87.3% win probability. 

However, City hold a favourable record over their opponents, winning nine of their 11 WSL meetings with Brighton, but they did lose this exact fixture last season 1-0 (D1). 

Vivianne Miedema found the net on her Citizens debut last week, and she has had a hand in 15 goals in 10 games against Brighton (seven goals and eight assists) with only Miedema herself against Bristol City (14 goals and five assists) having more goals and assists combined against a single club in WSL history.

EVERTON V MANCHESTER UNITED 

After putting West Ham to the sword in their opening game of the new season, United arrive at Walton Hall Park with confidence ahead of facing Everton. 

The Red Devils have been given a 58.7% chance of emerging victorious, while the Toffees are predicted at 20.2% to win, with the likelihood of a draw coming in at 21.1%.

United have won their opening away game in each of their last four WSL seasons, including all three under Marc Skinner, while also prevailing in four of their five away league games against Everton, including a 5-0 win in this fixture last season, their biggest ever success on the road in the competition.

Everton have never beaten United in 10 previous WSL meetings (D2 L8), with Man City the only other team the Toffees have failed to beat in the competition (P16 L16).

LEICESTER V ARSENAL

After a thrilling encounter with Man City last time out, Jonas Eidevall's Arsenal travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester, looking to get their title charge up and running.

The visitors are assigned a 74.7% chance of a win, with the Foxes victorious in 11% of our pre-match simulations and 14.3% finishing all square.

One player for Leicester to watch out for will be Alessia Russo. She has scored in each of her last four WSL appearances against the Foxes, including a hat-trick for Man United last year – the striker has scored more top-flight goals against the Foxes (six) than any other opponent.  

The Foxes have lost all six of their WSL games against Arsenal by an aggregate scoreline of 23-2, conceding four or more goals in four of those games.

WEST HAM V LIVERPOOL 

Following on from the men's EFL Cup clash in midweek, West Ham's women welcome Liverpool to the Chigwell Construction Stadium, with both in search of three points.

But it is the Reds who are favoured in the pre-match simulations, winning 46.2% of those, while the Hammers are given a 29.2% chance of a win, with a draw given a 24.6% chance of happening. 

West Ham have won just one of their last 17 home matches in the WSL (D7 L9), having won six of their previous 17 such games in the competition (D4 L7).

But Liverpool have not enjoyed recent trips to the capital, winning just one of their last 12 away WSL games in London (D3 L8), beating Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates last year.

ASTON VILLA V TOTTENHAM

The weekend's action concludes at Villa Park, with Aston Villa's gutsy showing against defending champions Chelsea making them favourites against Tottenham. 

Robert de Pauw's side were victorious in 43.8% of our pre-match simulations. Spurs are given a 29.4% chance of victory, and 26.8% chance of earning a point. 

Spurs, however, are unbeaten in their last three away games in the WSL (W2 D1) with their final two matches on the road last season ending 2-2 (vs. Man United and Everton) - no team has ever avoided defeat in three consecutive away games in the competition when also conceding multiple goals.

Villa have lost just one of their last five WSL meetings against this weekend's opponents (W3 D1), but that sole loss did come in this fixture last season, losing 4-2 at the Bescot Stadium.

Arsenal and Manchester City played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in their opening Women's Super League clash on Sunday.

The WSL's all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema marked her City debut with a goal against her former club at the Emirates Stadium, where Beth Mead snatched a share of the spoils late on.

Miedema's deflected effort in the 42nd minute cancelled out Frida Maanum's early opener.

Maanum's close-range strike came just 45 seconds after Miedema had arrowed a shot wide after capitalising on slack play from her former team.

Caitlin Foord had a goal narrowly disallowed for offside early in the second half, and Arsenal's frustrations were compounded when Jessica Park put City ahead with a stunning effort from the edge of the box, with the ball clipping in off the underside of the crossbar.

Yet Arsenal fought back in the 81st minute as Mead nudged in on the rebound after Rosa Kafaji struck the woodwork.

Data Debrief: Sweet sixteen for Miedema

It just had to be her. Former Arsenal heroine Miedema has now scored against all 16 of the opponents she has faced in the WSL, with Bethany England (18/18) the only player to hold a better 100% such record in the competition.

But Mead had the final say. She is the leading goalscorer in the history of the WSL when it comes to the opening weekend, having now netted eight such goals.

The Women's Super League returns with a bang this weekend, with upheaval at the top of the table offering the promise of another thrilling campaign.

Chelsea gave Emma Hayes a triumphant send-off by edging out Manchester City on goal difference for their fifth straight title, but will former Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor be able to replicate her success?

Aston Villa are the opponents for her first game at the helm on Friday, while Sunday's action features a huge clash between potential title challengers Arsenal and City.

Elsewhere, Manchester United start their bid to improve on last season's disappointing fifth-placed finish against West Ham, while newly promoted Crystal Palace face a tough trip to Tottenham.

But who does the Opta supercomputer expect to start 2024-25 with three points?

CHELSEA V ASTON VILLA

Unsurprisingly, given their recent dominance of the division, Chelsea are overwhelming favourites to beat Villa – who finished seventh in 2023-24 – in Friday's curtain-raiser. 

They won 85.1% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, with Villa given just a 5.5% chance of victory and the draw deemed a 9.5% likelihood. 

Kingsmeadow was a real fortress under Hayes, and Bompastor will be desperate to retain the fear factor in her debut season. Chelsea have won 35 of their last 37 home league games, drawing one and losing one.

The Blues have, however, only won two of their six opening matches of a WSL campaign as the reigning champions, drawing two and losing two. One of those victories did come last term, though, as they beat Tottenham 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

MANCHESTER UNITED V WEST HAM

Old Trafford plays host to the first of two games on Saturday, as Marc Skinner's United take on West Ham, looking to kick on after ending a largely disappointing 2023-24 campaign with FA Cup glory.

They are assigned a 71.5% chance of a win, with West Ham victorious in 12.6% of our pre-match simulations and 15.9% finishing all square.

This will, of course, be United's first league game since Mary Earps departed for Paris Saint-Germain. The Red Devils suffered their heaviest-ever WSL defeat in her final game, going down 6-0 to Chelsea on home soil on the final day of last season. 

Phallon Tullis-Joyce will hope for a quiet outing after stepping up to replace Earps as number one, and she may get her wish against a West Ham side that accumulated a miserable 15 points last term. Their seven away losses in 2023-24 was a joint-high among all WSL teams (also Bristol City).

BRIGHTON V EVERTON

Just one place and four points separated Everton from Brighton in the final standings, and the supercomputer struggles to separate them ahead of their clash at Broadfield.

The Toffees are slight favourites with a 40.6% win probability, compared to Brighton's 33.7%, while 25.7% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations finished level.

Everton will hope to continue their momentum from the end of 2023-24, having ended the season on a four-game unbeaten streak (two wins, two draws), their longest of the campaign. They could go five without losing for the first time since October 2020.

Brighton's major arrival ahead of the new season is Chelsea great Fran Kirby, who has five goal involvements in eight WSL appearances against Everton, scoring on both of her starts versus them.

ARSENAL V MANCHESTER CITY

The headline fixture of the opening matchday takes place at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as two of the sides most likely to challenge Chelsea for their crown – Arsenal and City – go head-to-head.

The supercomputer makes the Gunners favourites on home soil, with Jonas Eidevall's team winning 42.6% of our pre-match simulations. City are assigned a 30.7% chance of victory, and a 26.7% chance of earning a point.

Vivianne Miedema's move from Arsenal to City has added further intrigue to this fixture. She netted 80 times in 106 league appearances for Arsenal to become the WSL's all-time leading scorer, netting against all 15 opponents she has faced in the competition. Arsenal will be the 16th different team she has faced – will she return to haunt them?

City have won each of their last eight away league games, with the only longer such run in WSL history also being by City – a 12-match sequence between July 2016 and January 2018.

Arsenal, though, have won each of their last three WSL meetings with City, and they boast the most prolific player in the history of the opening matchday in the competition, with Beth Mead previously hitting seven goals on the first weekend, including two braces.

TOTTENHAM V CRYSTAL PALACE

Crystal Palace edged out Charlton Athletic to win the Women's Championship title last season, reaching the WSL for the first time. They will be the 19th different team to compete in the division and the first debutants since Leicester City in 2021.

Excluding the inaugural 2011 campaign, only one of 10 teams has ever won their first WSL match, Sunderland beating Liverpool 2-1 in 2015 (one draw, eight defeats).

The Eagles are not given much hope of replicating that feat by the Supercomputer, which assigns them just an 11.5% chance of victory to Tottenham's 72.7%. The draw is given a 15.8% likelihood.

Tottenham have a decent record on the opening day, too, only starting one of their last four WSL campaigns with a defeat (two wins, one draw), which came against champions Chelsea last season. 

LIVERPOOL V LEICESTER CITY

Matt Beard is the only coach among the 12 WSL teams to have previously won the title, and his Liverpool side ended a promising 2023-24 campaign in fourth. They will be confident of getting underway with a win this term, with the supercomputer giving them a 60.2% chance of beating Leicester.

The Foxes, who would have been in relegation trouble if not for Bristol City's struggles last term, are given an 18.9% chance of victory, and a 20.9% likelihood of earning a draw.

Liverpool and Leicester also met on the final day of last term, the Reds winning 4-0. Seven teams have previously met on the final matchday of one WSL campaign and the opening weekend of the next, but only three have won both such meetings (Man City v Notts County, Tottenham v Birmingham, and Tottenham v Leicester).

Only Arsenal (nine) and Chelsea (seven) have won their opening game of a WSL season more often than Liverpool (six), who have started four campaigns with a victory under Beard (one defeat).