Everton claimed their first Women's Super League victory of the season by overcoming rivals Liverpool 1-0 in Sunday's Merseyside derby.

Katja Snoeijs converted a contentiously awarded penalty late in the first half at Goodison Park, and despite handing the initiative to Liverpool for much of the game, Everton came away with a much-needed win that lifted them off the foot of the table.

Honoka Hayashi's goal against Crystal Palace in Everton's previous fixture had ended a run of 611 minutes without a Toffees player netting in the WSL, and the Japanese midfielder was the player fouled by her compatriot Fuka Nagano, with the referee pointing to the spot despite the challenge seemingly taking place just outside the box.

Liverpool, who attempted 569 passes – their highest total this season – could not find the equaliser despite mustering 17 shots and 1.5 expected goals (xG), with 0.78 of Everton's 0.9 xG taken up by Snoeijs' spot-kick.

Reds boss Matt Beard has now failed to win any of his last eight meetings with Everton in the WSL since winning 2-1 away from home with West Ham in October 2018 (D2 L5).

Everton, meanwhile, won at Goodison Park in the WSL for the first time at the fifth attempt, in what was their final match in the competition at the iconic stadium.

Aston Villa edged out Palace 3-2 in a five-goal thriller at Villa Park, with Ebony Salmon scoring a last-gasp winner.

Villa looked set to be denied their first win of the season when Annabel Blanchard made it 2-2 with just four minutes remaining.

Yet Salmon popped up in the 94th minute to lash home after pouncing on a loose ball on the edge of Palace's area.

My Cato put Palace ahead on the half-hour, but quickfire goals from Anna Patten and Rachel Daly put Villa ahead at the break.

Villa are now unbeaten in their last seven WSL matches against promoted teams, while manager Robert de Pauw avoided becoming the first boss since Jonathan Morgan in November 2021 to fail to win his first eight games in charge of a team in the competition.

In Sunday's other game, Manchester United downed Leicester City 2-0 to get back to winning ways after a run of three straight draws.

Norwegian duo Elisabeth Terland and Celin Bizet Ildhusoy got the goals for the Red Devils at the King Power Stadium, with Marc Skinner's side in fifth, six points adrift of leaders Chelsea, though the same number of points ahead of Liverpool in sixth.

Matters might have been different had Leicester's Hannah Cain not squandered a golden chance in the 38th minute when she somehow fired wide from point-blank range.

Marc Skinner says Manchester United "know where they are headed" but "need a little bit of calm" after a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

United maintained their unbeaten start to the season but were not at their best against Villa as they struggled to create chances after a slow start to the match.

The Red Devils managed just one shot on target, which came through Ella Toone in the 73rd minute, with Villa having the better of the chances as they created 1.94 expected goals compared to the hosts' 0.62.

It was a third consecutive draw for United after winning their first three games of the league season, and Skinner admitted his frustration at the lack of wins in recent weeks.

"It's OK, I'm allowed to not be happy - just as they are," Skinner told BBC Sport.

"I was not happy because the game is fierce. At Manchester United, there is a massive expectation, and you have to be ready to hold yourself."

"We want to push up the table, qualify for Europe and win leagues. But we are a brand-new team. The number of players I have had to buy to try and close the gap, and the actual time we have had together, we have had to accelerate. Not many teams in the world have to do it that quickly.

"We need a little bit of calm, we know where we are headed."

At the full-time whistle, the team was booed while there were also chants of “Skinner out” from the fans at Leigh Sports Village, but Skinner remains undaunted.

"Part and parcel of being Manchester United manager, everyone can have their opinion," Skinner said about the jeers.

"That's the job. For me, what I know is I can deliver winning football for this club. We've won the FA Cup and we are still unbeaten, and you still get that opinion, which is fine by me.

"It doesn't deter me. It is about making sure our players are in the right space for a game of football."

Villa, meanwhile, are one of two teams still without a win in the WSL this season, though they did register their third point under Robert De Pauw.

While it was an improved showing from the Villans, they remain second from bottom in the table and the Dutchman expressed his disappointment at not being able to secure that elusive first victory.

"I am a little bit sick of good performances without the three points. That frustrates me still," De Pauw told Sky Sports.

"We are doing everything. We leave no stone unturned each week, but still, it doesn't happen. We have to keep believing, keep the faith, as Jurgen Klopp once said.

"We can fight and play good football. It is time to reward ourselves."

Manchester City moved three points clear at the Women's Super League summit following a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Jess Park, Jill Roord and Khadija Shaw were all on target as Gareth Taylor's side extended their unbeaten start to the season, moving onto 16 points after their opening six games.

City quickly established authority in their 200th WSL match, and took the lead five minutes before half-time through Park's long-range strike.

The visitors doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart, as Roord pounced on a loose ball and calmly slotted home.

Katie Stengel struck the post for the hosts before City put the contest to bed 17 minutes from time, with Shaw heading home Park's cross for her fourth goal of the season.

Taylor's side are three points clear of Brighton and Hove Albion, who leapfrogged Chelsea to second place after Nikita Parris scored the only goal as they edged out Leicester City.

West Ham remain rooted to the foot of the WSL table after Camila Saez's bizarre late own-goal condemned them to a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham.

Riko Ueki's opener was cancelled out by Beth England early in the second half, before Saez unwittingly lobbed her own goalkeeper from 18 yards to hand Spurs the points in stoppage time.

The winless Hammers remain on two points with an inferior goal difference keeping them below Aston Villa, who are also still seeking their first win of the campaign after losing 2-1 to Liverpool.

Taylor Hinds' first-half brace did the damage for the Reds at Villa Park, where Gabi Nunes' strike soon after the restart proved a mere consolation for the hosts.

Manchester City moved three points clear at the Women's Super League summit following a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Jess Park, Jill Roord and Khadija Shaw were all on target as Gareth Taylor's side extended their unbeaten start to the season, moving onto 16 points after their opening six games.

City quickly established authority in their 200th WSL match, and took the lead five minutes before half-time through Park's long-range strike.

The visitors doubled their advantage within five minutes of the restart, as Roord pounced on a loose ball and calmly slotted home.

Katie Stengel struck the post for the hosts before City put the contest to bed 17 minutes from time, with Shaw heading home Park's cross for her fourth goal of the season.

Taylor's side are three points clear of Brighton and Hove Albion, who leapfrogged Chelsea to second place after Nikita Parris scored the only goal as they edged out Leicester City.

West Ham remain rooted to the foot of the WSL table after Camila Saez's bizarre late own-goal condemned them to a 2-1 defeat against Tottenham.

Riko Ueki's opener was cancelled out by Beth England early in the second half, before Saez unwittingly lobbed her own goalkeeper from 18 yards to hand Spurs the points in stoppage time.

The winless Hammers remain on two points with an inferior goal difference keeping them below Aston Villa, who are also still seeking their first win of the campaign after losing 2-1 to Liverpool.

Taylor Hinds' first-half brace did the damage for the Reds at Villa Park, where Gabi Nunes' strike soon after the restart proved a mere consolation for the hosts.

In just five weeks, there have already been unexpected major twists and turns in the Women's Super League.

Arsenal, tipped to be title contenders, are in search of a new manager following Jonas Eidevall's departure and sit in fifth, while Chelsea are breathing down Manchester City's neck at the top.

Manchester United and, perhaps unexpectedly, Brighton are pushing them, while it is also tight at the bottom, with three sides yet to earn their first win.

But what, or who, have been the biggest stories so far? We take a look at the Opta data to find out.

The surprise package

Before the season began, Brighton, under new manager Dario Vidosic, were the favourites to be relegated, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 26.4% chance of finishing bottom of the table.

Instead, the Seagulls have blown away the competition, occupying fourth spot heading into the international break. They are unbeaten in three, with Nikita Parris haunting her old club to earn a 1-1 draw with Man United before the break.

Brighton have scored the second-most goals in the WSL (10, level with Tottenham), but from the fifth-fewest shots (48), proving just how clinical they have been by outperforming their 8.48 expected goals (xG).

 

Only Manchester City (3,273) and Arsenal (2,792) have completed more passes in the WSL this season than Brighton’s total of 2,467. This average of 493 passes completed per game is comfortably their most in a single campaign (their previous best was 296 per game last season).

Unsurprisingly, their chances of being relegated have now dropped to just 0.7%, and Vidosic will be eager to kick on.

Revitalised United not missing Earps

Lots of talk in pre-season centred around United's high-profile departures, including club captain Katie Zelem, Lucia Garcia, Parris and, perhaps most importantly, goalkeeper Mary Earps.

After a disappointing 2023-24, in which they finished fifth and conceded 20 goals more than in the season prior, it looked like the Red Devils might endure another campaign without a title fight.

However, those worries may have been for nought, with United making an unbeaten start and only dropping their first points in last weekend's draw with Brighton.

Parris' goal was the first they had conceded this season, as Phallon Tullis-Joyce has seamlessly filled Earps’ place between the sticks. She has faced 15 shots on target and has prevented 2.7 goals, according to Opta's expected goals on target model (xGoT).

 

With Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner forming a strong partnership in front of her, they have conceded the second-fewest shots in the WSL (41) and with Grace Clinton firing up top, Marc Skinner looks to have found a solid balance in his team.

Rytting Kaneryd propels Chelsea forward

Sonia Bompastor has picked up where Emma Hayes left off with Chelsea, but she already knows she is in a title battle, even after Arsenal's surprisingly slow start.

With the likes of Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema in strong form, City currently have the advantage, sitting top of the pile, though they have played a game more.

But the Blues have a driving force of their own in Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – she scored the first goal of the Bompastor era and was also the star of the show in their 5-2 win over Tottenham last time out. 

 

She has already racked up a league-high five goal contributions, half of what she managed across the whole of last season. Her six chances created are the second-most in the Chelsea team, making 1.7 per 90 minutes, and she will be key to their title hopes if she can maintain this level.

Lower table struggles

There is also an intriguing look to the foot of the table, with West Ham, Aston Villa and Everton all sitting level on two points.

The Hammers have not been able to put last season's struggles behind them yet and have netted just twice, underperforming their 3.51 xG – the lowest total accumulated by any team so far.

Villa will feel the most hopeful of the group, with Rachel Daly seemingly back to her best with three goals so far, but they need to start seeing out wins – they have dropped eight points from winning positions after being pegged back by City last time out, more than any team.

Everton's season, meanwhile, has been hampered by fitness woes, with Inma Gabarro and Aurora Galli suffering anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the first two games.

They have scored just once, an own goal by Camila Saez against West Ham, meaning they have the biggest xG underperformance, having created 4.42.

 

Can Liverpool or Spurs put themselves in the fight?

At the moment, the middle of the table is tight, with Leicester City and Crystal Palace recording one win apiece, with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham unable to make a statement start despite promising ends to last season.

The Reds did beat Spurs, only to drop points against West Ham and Palace to make life tricky. They have also conceded as many goals as they have scored (seven), leaving Matt Beard with questions to ponder over the break.

Spurs have a similar problem, having conceded 11 times in their last three outings alone.

They are scoring goals though, outperforming their xG of 7.74 with 10 goals, but Robert Vilahamn knows they need to shore up their defence if they want to challenge the sides above them.

Manchester City returned to the top of the Women's Super League table by fighting back for a 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Joie Stadium.

City were knocked off the summit on goal difference when Manchester United and Brighton played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday, and they had to do things the hard way to restore their three-point lead.

Gabi Nunes' flick handed winless Villa the lead against the run of play after 20 minutes, with the visitors then sitting deep and daring City to break them down.

Gareth Taylor's team were frustrated until the 62nd minute when Lauren Hemp spotted Sabrina D'Angelo off her line and came up with a fine lob to level.

Hemp then turned provider as City completed the turnaround eight minutes later, jinking down the left-hand side to tee up Roord for her first goal since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Villa remain 10th in the table with just two points from five matches, while City could see Chelsea pull within one point of them when they host Tottenham later on Sunday.

Data Debrief: City comeback queens again

City have now collected seven of their 13 points in the WSL this season from losing positions – the most of any team in the competition. 

This was their first home win when trailing at half-time since beating Villa last December, and Robert de Pauw's team have already dropped eight points from winning positions this term – the most in the division. 

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.

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.

Sonia Bompastor made a winning start to her reign as Chelsea head coach on Friday against Aston Villa, but highlighted areas of improvement her side need to make.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's 36th minute strike proved to be the difference at Kingsmeadow, though the Blues were made to work for their triumph. 

The hosts ended the game with four shots on target from their 13 attempts compared to Aston Villa's five from their 13 shots, while the Villans also hit the woodwork twice.

Robert de Pauw's side also registered an expected goals (xG) total of 0.97 to Chelsea's 0.87 and ended the game with more possession (52.5%). 

Bompastor acknowledged her side's difficulty in front of goal, but was pleased overall with her players' efforts in their opening game of the WSL season. 

"In a high level game, when you are not able to get the second goal, you just give more confidence to the opposition," Bompastor said. 

"Today, maybe we should've scored more goals, been more efficient and that would've changed the game for sure.

"We had some great moments in the game. We still have to work on some others, but I'm just happy with the three points. It's always good to start with a win."

Bompastor replaced Emma Hayes as Chelsea's head coach in May and is aiming to keep the Blues' reign as WSL champions going for a sixth successive season. 

While only in the infancy of her tenure, Bompastor believes there will be plenty more to come from her side, with the win highlighting the areas in which Chelsea had to adapt and where they can improve.

"We started well," Bompastor said. "I sometimes think about what we've been working on, we didn't recognise during the game where we should have played. 

"But you have to take into account the scenario of the game, especially the second half because Aston Villa were trying to score and put a lot of pressure on us.

"When the opposition is putting you under pressure, you have to be able to find maybe a more direct style of play beyond their backline.

"That's the way it works sometimes, because if you keep playing short when the opposition is pressing you, it is sometimes difficult.

"Being smart and trying to find a different style is also important when you want to win the game."

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's first-half goal was enough to secure Chelsea a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, getting Sonia Bompastor off to a winning start in the Women's Super League.

In a tightly contested tie that could have gone either way, the reigning champions showed their quality to earn the first three points of the WSL season.

Missy Bo Kearns almost got the first goal of Robert de Pauw's reign at Villa 13 minutes in, but was narrowly wide of netting on her debut, while Guro Reiten narrowly missed two glorious chances for the hosts.

Rytting Kaneryd scored the winner in the 36th minute – it looked like she had overrun the ball, but she expertly cut back inside to whip a lovely shot past Sabrina D'Angelo into the back of the net.

Villa made a lightning-quick start to the second half, with Kenza Dali's early cross being met by Rachel Daly, but her looping header only rattled Hannah Hampton's crossbar.

The visitors then had two brilliant opportunities to level the score in stoppage time, but Hampton superbly defended her clean sheet, first denying Daly before tipping D'Angelo's header onto the crossbar.

Data Debrief: Off to a flyer

Chelsea's game against Aston Villa is the first time they have played a game in the WSL without Emma Hayes in the dugout since July 2012 (a 4-2 loss under Matt Beard).

Bompastor ensured the reigning champions got off to a winning start though, maintaining their 100% record against Villa by stretching their run to nine wins in a row.

In the opposite dugout, though De Pauw is still waiting for his first win and goal in charge of the Villans, he did get a small slice of history, becoming the first Dutch manager to manage a game in the WSL.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's first-half goal was enough to secure Chelsea a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, getting Sonia Bompastor off to a winning start in the Women's Super League.

In a tightly contested tie that could have gone either way, the reigning champions showed their quality to earn the first three points of the WSL season.

Missy Bo Kearns almost got the first goal of Robert de Pauw's reign at Villa 13 minutes in, but was narrowly wide of netting on her debut, while Guro Reiten narrowly missed two glorious chances for the hosts.

Kaneryd scored the winner in the 36th minute – it looked like she had overrun the ball, but she expertly cut back inside to whip a lovely shot past Sabrina D'Angelo into the back of the net.

Villa made a lightning-quick start to the second half, with Kenza Dali's early cross being met by Rachel Daly, but her looping header only rattled Hannah Hampton's crossbar.

The visitors then had two brilliant opportunities to level the score in stoppage time, but Hampton superbly defended her clean sheet, first denying Daly before tipping D'Angelo's header onto the crossbar.

Data Debrief: Off to a flyer

Chelsea's game against Aston Villa is the first time they have played a game in the WSL without Emma Hayes in the dugout since July 2012 (a 4-2 loss under Matt Beard).

Bompastor ensured the reigning champions got off to a winning start though, maintaining their 100% record against Villa by stretching their run to nine wins in a row.

In the opposite dugout, though De Pauw is still waiting for his first win and goal in charge of the Villans, he did get a small slice of history, becoming the first Dutch manager to manage a game in the WSL.

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).

 

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor is excited to begin her maiden Women's Super League campaign when the Blues face Aston Villa on Friday evening.

Bompastor joined the club in the summer after three successful years at Lyon, which includes three straight Division 1 Feminine titles and a Champions League win in 2022.

She will be following the hugely popular Emma Hayes, who enjoyed plenty of success of her own at Chelsea before moving on to coach the United States' women's team, but Bompastor insists the attention should not just be on her as her side aim to retain their title.

She said: "I just feel like it's not only about me. I think it's about Chelsea. It's also about the players, you know, and we feel ready.

"We are the holders of the title, and we want to start the league strongly tomorrow night."

Chelsea and Hayes were victorious in each of the last five editions of the WSL and her successor believes she possesses enough quality in her squad to challenge on all fronts this season.

"When you're Chelsea, you just want to win every single title," said Bompastor.

"You want to compete in every competition, and we know all the teams will be ready. It will be tough, but we feel ready, and you know, the players are really competitive."

Bompastor is wary of the threat of Villa, who have enjoyed a productive pre-season under new manager Robert de Pauw.

She said: "If you look at Aston Villa's results, they had a good pre-season with good results. In their last game they beat Manchester City, who last night beat Paris FC 5-0."

"We have a lot of respect for Villa, they have a good quality squad, and they had good results, so we know the first game will be important.

"We just want to focus on ourselves and be able to start the league as strongly as we can."

Gareth Taylor says that Manchester City will "come back fighting" after losing out on the Women’s Super League title on the final day.

City beat Aston Villa 2-1 thanks to goals from Mary Fowler and Lauren Hemp on Saturday, but ultimately fell just short, missing out to Chelsea on goal difference.

Emma Hayes led the Blues to a fifth consecutive WSL title with a 6-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford, having made up their inferior goal difference with an equally impressive 8-0 win over Bristol City two weeks ago. 

Taylor has reflected on a "mix of emotions" after narrowly missing out on being champions.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, he said: "I feel really proud of the team's performance. The mad thing is we could have maybe scored double figures today quite easily. That's the difference.

"To win 18 games in the season and still come up short is not easy but we have. It's been a big push from the team, we've worked incredibly hard, and we'll come back fighting."

When asked what lessons City can take from this season, Taylor added: "We need to improve in all areas. We have to have potentially better options from the sidelines. I think that's really key.

"I'm so enthusiastic about the way we played today. A lot of the stuff we did was really good. That's what inspires me to get up in the morning and fight for next season's title."

Goalkeeper Khiara Keating became the youngest-ever Golden Glove winner in her breakout season, as the 19-year-old kept nine clean sheets in 22 league games and conceded just 15 goals in total.

While disappointed about Saturday’s outcome, Keating looked back on the highlights of her season.

She said: "Obviously we are disappointed. We wanted to go out and win a trophy today. We knew what we had to do, and we didn't quite get it done.

"Hopefully next season in the Champions League we can show what we're about and go and win some trophies.

"From a personal point of view, my breakout season had a lot to prove at the start of the season, everyone was kind of.. Not doubting but wondering what I'd be like. I hope I've shown everyone what I can do.

"Gaz [Taylor] put his faith in me to go and play how I play and that is what I needed to go out there and do what I did this season."

Mayra Ramirez turned in a stellar performance to propel Chelsea to the WSL title in Emma Hayes' final match in charge as the Blues thrashed Manchester United 6-0.

Earlier in May, Hayes – who is ending a 12-year stint in charge of the Blues to become the United States coach – had all but given up on claiming a fifth straight WSL crown.

Yet Chelsea's 8-0 victory over Bristol City two weeks ago, combined with Manchester City's defeat to Arsenal, opened the door, and after beating Tottenham in midweek, the Blues knew a win, while maintaining their positive goal difference, would be enough.

And they made sure there was no room for error with an incredible first-half display inspired by Ramirez, who scored twice and set up goals for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Sjoeke Nusken at Old Trafford.

Melanie Leupolz got in on the act early in the second half as Chelsea's celebrations began in earnest, with Fran Kirby netting late on to complete the rout on her farewell appearance.

Ultimately, City – likely deflated by the news coming from Old Trafford – held up their end of the bargain, but shorn of top goalscorer Khadija Shaw, Gareth Taylor's team could only beat Aston Villa 2-1.

City were constantly chasing their title rivals, with Ramirez and Rytting Kaneryd putting Chelsea 2-0 up at United inside eight minutes.

Mary Fowler nudged City ahead at Villa Park, though when Taylor's team went in at the interval, they will have seen additional goals from record signing Ramirez and Nusken had all but sewn up the title for Chelsea already.

Leupolz has scored her first WSL goal in over two years to add further gloss for Chelsea when they came back out from the restart in Manchester, and City were then hit by a further blow when Rachel Daly equalised for Villa.

Lauren Hemp, who had assisted Fowler's opener, restored City's lead, though it was never going to be enough, with Kirby's farewell goal ensuring Chelsea finished with a goal difference of 53 compared to their rivals' 46.

Chelsea are now unbeaten across their last nine WSL games that have come on the final day of the season, while the Blues are now nine WSL matches without loss against United, having won eight of those fixtures.

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