Brighton have been one of the stories of the season so far, and head into matchday seven of the Women's Super League season in third place.

Yet the Seagulls will face a huge test when they travel to face Arsenal on Friday, in one of two matches taking place that day to kick off the WSL weekend.

League leaders Manchester City are also in action on Friday, taking on Tottenham.

On Sunday, reigning champions Chelsea - fresh from a 5-0 win at Goodison Park - are back on Merseyside to play Liverpool.

Four of the bottom five play each other, with Crystal Palace taking on Everton and West Ham going up against Leicester City, with Manchester United, who drew 1-1 with Arsenal last week, rounding out the weekend against Aston Villa.

Here, we delve into the pre-match facts, and take a look at the Opta supercomputer's predictions, for each of the fixtures.

ARSENAL V BRIGHTON

Arsenal are unbeaten under interim boss Renee Slegers, and despite Brighton's fantastic start to the season, the Gunners are predicted to claim the points.

They have a whopping 82.1% chance of victory on Friday, with Brighton's win probability at just 6.8%. The threat of a draw is 11.2%.

Arsenal have a perfect record against Brighton in the WSL, winning all 12 of their meetings with them in the competition by an aggregate score of 44-2. Only Manchester City have a better 100% record against an opponent in the competition (16/16 v Everton).

Brighton, though, have won four of their six league games this season (D1 L1), just one fewer victory than they managed across the whole of last season (W5 D4 L13). This is the Seagulls' best start after six matches of a WSL campaign.

Arsenal are winless in their last three home games in the league (D2 L1) – only once have they had a longer run without a win on home soil in the competition (six between May-October 2014). Brighton, though, have never won back-to-back away matches in the competition (they beat Crystal Palace in their last away game).

Nikita Parris has been in fine form for Brighton, and she will go up against her former club. No player has scored more goals in the WSL against their old teams than Parris (nine, level with Ellen White).

Beth Mead could be the player to really stand out for Arsenal. Against no side does she have more combined WSL goals and assists than Brighton (12 – seven goals, five assists).

MANCHESTER CITY V TOTTENHAM

Arsenal are the most likely side to win, according to Opta's model, this weekend, but league leaders Man City are just behind them.

City came out on top in 81.8% of the supercomputer's 10,000 pre-match simulations ahead of their game against Tottenham, whose win probability is 6.9%. 

Spurs' only win on their four previous trips to face City in the WSL came in September 2021, coming from behind to win 2-1 (L3).

City have won eight of their nine WSL meetings with Tottenham (L1), winning the last five in a row by an aggregate score of 16-1.

Only Chelsea (20) have scored more goals in the 2024-25 WSL than Tottenham (12 – level with Man City), however only Palace (16) have conceded more goals than Spurs (14) this term.

City have gone unbeaten through their opening six games of a WSL season for the fourth time after 2016, 2017-18 and 2018-19, while they have never lost in the competition when playing on a Friday (W3 D1), beating reigning champions Chelsea in their only such game last season (1-0 away).

LIVERPOOL V CHELSEA

Sonia Bampastor has had a brilliant start to life at Chelsea, and the Blues are expected to keep up that excellent form when they face Liverpool.

Chelsea's win likelihood is 73.1%, while there is a 15.1% probability of a draw, while Liverpool's chances are rated at 11.8%.

Bompastor could become the first manager to win each of their first four away games in the WSL. Chelsea have already scored 14 goals on the road this season, with the previous most scored under a manager after four away games being 11 by Jonas Eidevall's Arsenal. 

Matt Beard, meanwhile, has won four of his 10 WSL meetings with Chelsea as Liverpool manager (D1 L5) – including his most recent in May 2024 (4-3) – with Nick Cushing (five) and David Parker (five) the only managers to win more games in the competition against the Blues.

Chelsea have won their opening five games of a WSL season for the very first time and could be the sixth team to win their first six matches of a campaign after Arsenal (2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23) and Man City (2016, 2017-18).

This will be the 23rd WSL meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea with only Arsenal and Chelsea meeting more often in the competition (28 times).

Despite the Blues being favourites for this one, it is worth noting Chelsea won four consecutive WSL away games against Liverpool between September 2015 and March 2019 but are since winless in their last three such trips (D1 L2).  

CRYSTAL PALACE V EVERTON

Things are not going well for Everton this season. They are bottom of the pile and without a win to their name.

They visit Palace on Sunday, and the supercomputer is anticipating a tight contest. The hosts' chances are rated at 37.3%, with Everton's at 36.3%. The draw is at 26.4%.

Everton's two points is their joint-worst tally at this stage of a WSL campaign along with 2014, when they were relegated, and 2018-19 (finished 10th).

Everton are, however, unbeaten in their last eight WSL games against newly-promoted opposition (W6 D2), winning each of their last four such away games by an aggregate score of 14-0.  

Palace have lost all three of their home games in the WSL without scoring, conceding 11 goals in the process; only three teams have lost each of their first four matches on home soil in the competition: Yeovil Town in 2017 (-9 GD), Aston Villa in 2020 (-11 GD) and Leicester City in 2021 (-8 GD).

WEST HAM V LEICESTER CITY

West Ham are unbeaten in three previous home games against Leicester in the WSL (W2 D1), drawing this fixture 1-1 last season, and the Hammers are expected to end their wait for a win this season when they face the Foxes on Sunday.

Leicester won just 25.6% of the model's simulations, while West Ham won 48.6%.

West Ham are, however, the team that is most likely to finish bottom of the WSL this term, according to the supercomputer.

The Hammers are winless in their last 15 WSL games (D6 L9) while their two points from six games this term is their worst return at this stage of a top-flight campaign (D2 L4).

Indeed, West Ham have won fewer points (12 – W2 D6 L10) than any other ever-present team in the WSL in 2024, while they have lost each of their last five league games in the month of November, since beating Leicester 1-0 in 2022.

Leicester, though, have won just one of their last 13 away games in the WSL (D6 L6), a 1-0 victory at Everton in January.

MANCHESTER UNITED V ASTON VILLA

Rounding off this round of matches is Man Utd's home game against Villa.

Marc Skinner's team, who are still unbeaten, are backed to get the win at 73.4%, with Villa having a slender 11.2% chance.

With just two points from six games, Villa have had their worst start to a WSL campaign (D2 L4) and this is the first time they have gone winless across their opening six matches.

Villa have lost all four of their away meetings with United in the WSL, conceding 15 goals and netting just once in the process, with that sole goal coming in this fixture last season when losing 1-2.  

United may be unbeaten, though they have drawn their last two WSL games. The Red Devils could draw three successive league matches for the first time since November 2021.

Their success has been built on solid foundations this season. United have conceded just two goals after five league games, facing fewer than 10 shots in three of those matches.

Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the Women's Super League season by thrashing Everton 5-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday.

They took the lead in the 14th minute when Kadeisha Buchanan's teasing delivery was headed beyond Courtney Brosnan by Agnes Beever-Jones.

The visitors then struck twice shortly before the break, first through Erin Cuthbert, who dispossessed Veatriki Sarri before sending a left-footed effort into the bottom corner. 

Guro Reiten then got herself on the scoresheet, squeezing the ball in at Brosnan's front post after being picked out by Sjoeke Nusken's searching ball into the box. 

Chelsea continued to dominate after the interval, but had to wait until the 82nd minute to notch their fourth through Wieke Kaptein's fine effort into the roof of the net. 

Just over a minute later, Ashley Lawrence rounded off a fine team move to tap home Oriane Jean-Francois' cross to seal yet another win for Sonia Bompastor's Blues. 

Data Debrief: Brilliant Blues march on

The triumph saw manager Bompastor become the third manager to win their first five games in the WSL, after David Parker and Jonas Eidevall. 

And it was arguably the most dominant win her tenure. The Blues racked up 26 shots compared to Everton's six, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 3.16 compared to their opponents' measly 0.37.

Chelsea have now equalled their longest winning run in the WSL against a single team, with the victory over the Toffees their 10th in a row, going level with their current win streaks against Tottenham and West Ham. 

With the first international break of the campaign now in the rearview mirror, all eyes are back on the Women's Super League for matchday six.

Manchester City beat Aston Villa to ensure they stayed top of the pile, but Chelsea, the only side to win all of their games this season, are hot on their heels at the summit. 

Manchester United's winning start was halted by Brighton, though they are still unbeaten ahead of taking on Arsenal in what will be Marc Skinner's 100th game in charge.

There is a London derby in the offing, with Spurs taking on West Ham, while there are also important fixtures for sides at the wrong end of the table, with Everton and Aston Villa, along with the Hammers, searching for their first win of the campaign. 

But which of those sides will emerge victorious on matchday six? We turned to the Opta supercomputer to get its latest set of WSL predictions.

MANCHESTER UNITED V ARSENAL

The weekend's action kicks off with a blockbuster encounter at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium, with Renee Slegers hoping to maintain her excellent start as the Gunners' interim boss.

Slegers' first WSL match in charge ended in a 2-0 triumph over West Ham. Arsenal have now won their last three away games in the division and could win four in a row on the road in the league for the first time since December 2022 (eight).

But they face a stern test against the Red Devils, who have only lost one of their last four home games against the Gunners in the WSL (W2 D1), and following 3-0 wins over West Ham and Tottenham, are looking to win their opening three home games of a WSL season for the first time.

This will be Skinner's 100th game in charge of United in all competitions – his win rate (62.6%) with the club is by far his best with a team across his managerial career (47% at Birmingham City, 21% at Orlando Pride).

Opta's model is forecasting a tight encounter. United are handed a 35.1% win probability of emerging victorious, compared to Arsenal's 38.9%, while a draw is given a 26% chance of happening. 

BRIGHTON V LEICESTER CITY

Brighton enter the weekend just outside the top three on goal difference following their 1-1 draw with United before the international break, and are on a three-game unbeaten run.

The Seagulls are unbeaten at home in the league this season (W2 D1) and could go four home games in a row without defeat in the WSL for the very first time.

However, they have struggled against Leicester on home soil in recent years. 

Leicester are unbeaten on their last two trips to Brighton in the WSL (W1 D1), and the Foxes will be full of confidence after ending a run of 12 league games without a victory when they beat Everton last time out. 

Brighton's win probability is a hefty 53.1%, with Leicester given a 22.9% chance and 24% of the match simulations finishing all square. 

CRYSTAL PALACE V MANCHESTER CITY

WSL leaders Man City make the trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace, who have lost their first two home games in the WSL by an aggregate score of 0-8 upon their return to the top-flight. 

Gareth Taylor's team will become the fourth side to play 200 games in the WSL after Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton – with their 142 wins after 199 matches are already the most by a team across their first 200 games in the competition.

City have also done well against promoted teams. They have won 23 of their 24 games in the division against such opponents, netting 88 goals and conceding just nine times. The only exception was a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in May 2023.

Lauren Hemp will also be looking to continue her fine form. She has now both scored and assisted in 16 different WSL games, with Vivianne Miedema (20) the only player to do so more often in the competition

City are overwhelming favourites, winning 78.3% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, while Palace have just a 9.4% chance of earning their second win of the season. A draw is only 10.1% likely. 

TOTTENHAM V WEST HAM

Tottenham, meanwhile, will be hoping to bounce back from their 5-2 defeat to Chelsea when they take on West Ham, who find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table after five games.

Spurs have lost three consecutive league matches for the first time under manager Robert Vilahamn, only losing more times across their opening five games in a WSL season in 2020-21 (four), but have won three of their last four home London derbies in the WSL (L1) after winning just one of their first 11 in the competition (D3 L7).

The Hammers have won only one of their five away meetings with Tottenham in the WSL (D2 L2) and are winless in their last 14 league games (D6 L8), with only six teams ever going longer without victory in the competition – it is the longest ever unwanted streak by a London club in the competition.

They are given just a 21.7% chance of earning a first win of the season with a draw assigned at 23.1%, while Tottenham are given a 55.2% win probability.

ASTON VILLA V LIVERPOOL

Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to Villa Park, with both sides hoping to ignite their seasons with a victory after disappointing draws against Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively last time out. 

The supercomputer makes this fixture the toughest to call on matchday six, with Villa given a 35.4% chance of victory to Liverpool's 38.6%. The draw threat is at 26%.

Villa won their first ever WSL meeting with Liverpool 1-0 in November 2022 but are winless in their three games against the Reds since (D1 L2).

They have also failed to win their opening five league games for the second season in a row, the sixth team to do so in back-to-back campaigns in the WSL.

Liverpool completed a league double over Villa last season and have also enjoyed games away from Merseyside. They are unbeaten in their last seven away games in the WSL (W5 D2), having never before gone eight in a row on the road in the competition without suffering a defeat.

EVERTON V CHELSEA

The weekend concludes at Goodison Park, where Chelsea will be looking to make it five WSL wins from five under new boss Sonia Bompastor.

The former Lyon coach is aiming to be the third manager to win their first five games in the WSL after David Parker and Jonas Eidevall (both of whom beat Everton in their fifth game). The Frenchwoman has also won 19 of her last 20 away league games as a manager (L1).

And she has reason to be confident of achieving that feat. Chelsea have won each of their last nine WSL games against the Toffees, only ever going on a longer winning streak in the competition against West Ham and Tottenham (current streaks of 10 wins).

Everton are also winless in their 19 previous WSL games against the reigning champions (D3 L16), failing to score in 10 of the last 12, while also failing to record a victory in their last three league matches at Goodison Park. 

They are given a measly 9% chance of halting the Blues' winning run, and an 11.6% chance of holding their opponents to a draw. Chelsea, meanwhile, are given a win probability of 79.4%, the highest of any team on matchday six. 

Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati scooped the Ballon d'Or Feminin for a second successive year following more club and international success last season. 

Bonmati fought off competition from Barcelona team-mates Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo as well as Lyon's Ada Hegerberg to win the prize. 

The Spaniard enjoyed another stellar year, helping Barca to the Women's Champions League crown, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Lyon in the final.

She finished with the most goal involvements (11, six goals and five assists) in last season's competition.

Bonmati made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals from midfield and setting up 17 more.

She was also part of the Spain side that followed up their World Cup success by winning the first edition of the Women's Nations League, scoring in the final against France. 

Her success sees her follow club and international team-mate Alexia Putellas in winning back-to-back Ballons d'Or.

Hansen finished as the runner-up, with Paralluelo coming third, making it a Barca top three in Paris. 

The first Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy was won by former Chelsea boss and current United States head coach, Emma Hayes. 

Hayes ended her 12-year stint with the Blues at the end of last season, and went out on the back of clinching her seventh Women's Super League title.

The 48-year-old then led the USWNT to glory in her first tournament in charge, with her side claiming gold at the Paris Olympics.

Spanish and European champions Barca, unsurprisingly, retained the Women's Club of the Year, having won the inaugural award in 2023.

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.

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor has called for goalline technology to be introduced in the women's game following a controversial incident in Sunday's win over Tottenham.

The Blues continued their fantastic start under Bompastor with a 5-2 Women's Super League victory at Kingsmeadow.

However, the match was not without incident, as Spurs' first goal, which cancelled out Maika Hamano's opener, came in contentious fashion.

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was adjudged to have bundled the ball over her own goal-line from Amanda Nilden's wayward pass.

Hampton received a yellow card for her protests, with replays showing the ball had not crossed the line, and Bompastor believes the introduction of goal-line technology must be forthcoming.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Bompastor said: "I just think in this type of situation we just need to help the referees. From what I was watching the game it's difficult to say if the ball was in or out. I just feel like if the technology is in for the men's game why don't we have the same?

"I think it will help the referees and for the assistant referee I think that's a hard call to make. If you're unsure it's really difficult but that's the way it is. The referee takes some decisions, and we have to accept that.

"If the technology is here we should use it. It's about having a budget - it costs money. If we want to look professional we just have to have the same thing as the men's game."

Chelsea regained the lead when Nilden put through her own net just before half-time, and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's magnificent volley put them two goals to the good in the 70th minute.

Sandy Baltimore made it 4-1 four minutes later, slotting home a rebound after Guro Reiten's penalty came back off the post, with Rytting Kaneryd having the final say in stoppage time after Eveliina Summanen had pulled one back for Spurs.

Rytting Kaneryd got all three of her shots on target, while she also laid on the assist for Chelsea's opener.

"I hope she's going to grow again," Bompastor said of Rytting Kaneryd, whose first goal came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.04.

"She scored some great goals and her performance was really high. I think she's confident right now on the pitch, understands exactly what I expect from her, has good chemistry with her team-mates and I think she's really helping the team to perform and get the good results."

Asked if it was the best performance of her career, Rytting Kaneryd told Sky Sports: "I feel like I keep on taking steps every day, every game. I feel like I'm in a good shape right now so maybe it was, who knows."

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scored twice as Chelsea overcame Tottenham 5-2 at Kingsmeadow to make it four wins from four in the Women's Super League.

Maika Hamano and Sandy Baltimore were also on target for Sonia Bompastor's side, who maintained their perfect start to the league season and moved to within a point of leaders Manchester City.

Rytting Kaneryd was involved as the Blues broke through in the 10th minute, racing into the area before pulling the ball back for Hamano to tuck away.

Spurs levelled in controversial fashion 11 minutes later when Hannah Hampton was adjudged to have palmed the ball over her own goal-line while attempting to retrieve Amanda Nilden's wayward cross.

The hosts regained the lead when Nilden put through her own net just before half-time, while Rytting Kaneryd's magnificent volley put them two goals to the good in the 70th minute.

Baltimore made it 4-1 four minutes later, slotting home a rebound after Guro Reiten's penalty came back off the post following a Clare Hunt handball.

Spurs pulled one back through Eveliina Summanen's neat free-kick, but Rytting Kaneryd had the final say with a wonderful individual goal in stoppage time, putting the icing on the cake.

Data Debrief: Bompastor continues perfect start

Bompastor appears to have made a seamless transition into the Chelsea dugout since taking over the reins from Emma Hayes.

The Frenchwoman has become only the third manager to win her first four WSL matches in charge, along with David Parker (with Birmingham City in 2011) and Jonas Eidevall (in 2021 with Arsenal).

Tottenham, meanwhile, are without a win since the opening day of the season and have now conceded a league-high three penalties in five games.

Sonia Bompastor was pleased by Chelsea's efficiency in their Women's Champions League win over Twente but has been dealt a possible injury blow to Lauren James.

The Blues won 3-1 on Thursday, with Aggie Beever-Jones, Maika Hamano and Guro Reiten before Nikee van Dijk's consolation.

But they were forced to play without Lauren James, who pulled out of the game after sustaining a foot injury in the warm-up.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd replaced her for the match and was one of Chelsea's more influential attacking players, getting the assist for the opening goal.

However, with Tottenham next up in the Women's Super League, Bompastor is not sure if James will be available, while the winger is also set to link up with England next week.

"In the last moment of the warm-up she felt something in her foot," Bompastor said.

"At the moment it's too early for me to say something else about LJ. We will have to assess her [on Friday] in London and see how she feels."

Bompastor made seven changes from their win over Arsenal for their trip to the Netherlands, with Beever-Jones and Hamano among those brought in.

Beever-Jones had four shots, creating 0.51 expected goals (xG), while also having seven touches in the box and creating one chance.

Chelsea dominated overall, also having 31 touches in the opposition box to Twente's 31, and entered the final third 74 times.

And the manager was delighted with the front-footed approach her side took as they maintained their 100% start under her.

"I'm really happy with the first half," said Bompastor.

"We started the game strongly. We were efficient, being able to score really quickly. We saw some good movement from the players. For me, we just got the three points, which is really important. We are top now, which is the main goal.

"Also, we had the opportunity to rotate and manage some players. Some players could rest in preparation for the game on Sunday.

"It just shows how much quality there is in the group, and also how much I trust everyone in the group. Some of them were able to start and play 90 minutes in the Champions League.

"It's good to have the quality in the group to make sure we can rotate and play every single game with a lot of competition." 

Sonia Bompastor's perfect start to life at Chelsea continued on Thursday as the Blues beat Twente 3-1 to go three points clear at the top of their Women's Champions League group.

Having overcome Real Madrid in their Group B opener last week, Chelsea cruised to victory in the Netherlands to strengthen their grip on top spot.

Aggie Beever-Jones saw her 25-yard strike deflect in for a seventh-minute opener, and Chelsea were 2-0 up within 18 minutes as Maika Hamano lobbed goalkeeper Olivia Clarke.

Guro Reiten scored Chelsea's third from the penalty spot when Lieske Carleer fouled Mayra Ramirez just after the hour mark, with Nikee van Dijk netting a consolation for Twente five minutes later.

In the other match in Group B, Madrid got up and running with a resounding 4-0 victory over Celtic, with Scotland's Caroline Weir among the goals for Los Blancos.

Weir curled in a terrific opener from distance after just seven minutes, though Celtic then held firm and stayed in the contest until the latter stages.

However, Signe Bruun, Caroline Moller and Linda Caicedo all got on the scoresheet in the final 20 minutes as Madrid put some gloss on the scoreline at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium.

They were not the only convincing winners on Thursday, as Roma crushed Galatasaray 6-1 to go top of Group A on goal difference, with captain Manuela Giugliano scoring twice and laying on two assists.

The other game in Group A saw European heavyweights Wolfsburg and Lyon go head-to-head, with the French giants leaving Germany with a statement 2-0 victory.

Wolfsburg's Alexandra Popp joined Wendie Renard as the only players to make 100 Women's Champions League appearances, but the French centre-back overshadowed her by nodding in an eighth-minute opener.

Lyon had the better of the contest throughout, finishing with 2.75 expected goals (xG) to Wolfsburg's 0.83, and they killed the match from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half, Lindsey Horan scoring after Melchie Dumornay was felled by Janina Minge. 

Manchester City are the team leading the way in the Women's Super League standings with 10 points from four games, ahead of Sunday's home clash with Aston Villa.

However, it is Chelsea and Manchester United – who saw their scheduled matchday three meeting postponed – who boast the only two perfect records in the division.

Both sides have recorded three wins from as many games ahead of potentially testing fixtures this weekend.

While Marc Skinner's United go to Brighton, who have taken nine points from four matches in a fine start, Chelsea host Tottenham in a big London derby.

Elsewhere, Renee Slegers takes charge of Arsenal for the first time in the WSL following the exit of Jonas Eidevall, with a trip to West Ham marking her first league assignment following Wednesday's 4-1 Women's Champions League victory over Valerenga.

But which way will those games – and the three other contests taking place on matchday five – go? We turned to the Opta supercomputer to get its latest set of WSL predictions.

BRIGHTON V MANCHESTER UNITED

The weekend's action begins at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, with both Brighton and United having a chance to go top of the table ahead of Sunday's matches.

Dario Vidosic's team beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last time out, and their return of nine points from four matches is the best start Brighton have ever made to a WSL season. In 2023-24, they needed 11 games to reach the same tally.

They are, however, winless in their last six WSL meetings with United, drawing one and losing five since a 1-0 home triumph in April 2021. Skinner's side are yet to concede this season, and there has only previously been five instances of a team starting a WSL campaign with four straight wins without shipping a goal – one was United in 2022-23.

They are given a 63.4% chance of victory on the south coast, with Brighton only assigned a 17.1% win probability and a 19.5% likelihood of earning a draw.

MANCHESTER CITY V ASTON VILLA

City enter the weekend top of the tree, winning three straight since playing out a 2-2 draw with fellow title hopefuls Arsenal on matchday one.

In a run stretching back to November 19, 2023, City have won 18 of their last 20 matches in the WSL – in this time, they have won 10 more points than any other side (55).

Khadija Shaw's double handed them a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on their last league outing, taking her to 15 goals in 13 WSL matches in 2024, seven more than any other player and more than two ever-present clubs (Leicester City with 12 and West Ham with 14) have managed.

City are overwhelming favourites, winning 84% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, while Villa have just a 5.9% chance of earning their first win of the season, having started with two draws and two defeats. A draw is given a 10.1% likelihood. 

LIVERPOOL V CRYSTAL PALACE

Liverpool's own unbeaten start was halted by City last time out, but they are favourites to get back on track against a Palace team with one win and three defeats to their name.

The Reds' win probability is a hefty 63.3%, with Palace given a 17.2% chance and 19.5% of the match simulations finishing all square. 

Liverpool should be wary, however, as they won 10 straight games against newly promoted opposition in the WSL between 2016 and 2018 but have since only won two of six matches against such opponents (one draw, three losses).

Palace, meanwhile, earned their first WSL win at Leicester last time out on the road. The only two promoted teams to win as many as two of their first three away WSL matches are Tottenham in 2019 and Villa in 2020.

WEST HAM V ARSENAL

The biggest story to emerge from the WSL this week came from north London, as Arsenal parted company with Eidevall after taking just five points from four WSL matches.

Only once have the Gunners had fewer points through their first four matches of a WSL season, picking up a solitary point from their first four outings in 2014. They did, though, beat Valerenga in midweek for a winning start under interim boss Slegers.

Arsenal have won nine of their 11 games against West Ham in the WSL, but only one of the last three (one draw, one loss). However, the supercomputer still gives them a whopping 73.3% chance of travelling back across the capital three points better off.

West Ham, meanwhile, are on the longest current winless run in the WSL (13 games – six draws, seven defeats), since they beat Arsenal 2-1 back in February. The Hammers have not scored more than once in a single match in that run.

They are given an 11.7% chance of adding to the Gunners' woes with another memorable victory, and a 15% chance of holding their opponents to a draw.

LEICESTER CITY V EVERTON

Along with West Ham and Villa, Leicester and Everton are the remaining two sides still waiting on their first victory of the WSL season. Will either team change that on Sunday?

The supercomputer makes this fixture the toughest to call on matchday five, with Leicester given a 35.2% chance of victory to Everton's 38.8%. The draw threat is at 26%.

The Foxes will have to overcome their goalscoring woes to have any chance of a result, though. Since hammering Bristol City 5-2 in February, Leicester have scored just six goals in 12 WSL matches, failing to net in each of their last three matches.

Everton, meanwhile, have failed to score with any of their 37 shots in the WSL this season – their one goal came via an own goal from West Ham's Camila Saez. Neutrals might be best advised not to expect a thriller.

CHELSEA V TOTTENHAM

The weekend's action is rounded off at Kingsmeadow, as Sonia Bompastor looks to continue her perfect start to life in the Chelsea dugout against Tottenham.

Bompastor is looking to become only the third manager to win her first four WSL matches in charge, along with David Parker (with Birmingham City in 2011) and Eidevall (with Arsenal in 2021).

Including stoppage time, Chelsea have spent 73.7% of their time on the field in winning positions in the WSL this season, the second-highest percentage behind United (75.8%). However, the Blues have faced more shots than they've attempted (30 vs 29) when leading, whereas last season they had 137 more shots than their opponents when winning.

Tottenham may not be equipped to take advantage, though. They have shipped the most goals in the WSL since matchday two (eight) after keeping a clean sheet against Crystal Palace on the opening day.

They are given a measly 5.4% chance of causing an upset, and a 9.5% chance of earning a draw. Chelsea's 85.1% win probability is the highest of any team this weekend. 

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor explained why Catarina Macario was left out of the squad to face FC Twente in their second Champions League group game.

Having brought a squad of 22 players, Macario was not among them, despite having featured in Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Arsenal last weekend.

The Brazilian joined the Blues from Lyon on a free transfer last year, and has scored two goals in 10 appearances after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) prior to her arrival at Stamford Bridge. 

While her attacking threat will be missed against Twente, Bompastor said her absence was part of the bigger picture for Chelsea.

"Catarina we are building some minutes and building on her fitness," said Bompastor.

"It’s part of the plan and her own process. We work a lot individually with every player and try to give them what they need to be fit and back to their best version.

"We just felt it was a good decision to have her staying in London and working individually with some staff. She will be ready for the game on Sunday.’

Chelsea have won four matches out of four in all competitions since Bompastor took over before the start of the season.

Travelling to play Twente, who also started their Champions League campaign with a victory earlier in the month, the Chelsea manager is targeting a continuation of their form.

She highlighted Lauren James as a potential difference maker ahead of Thursday's match, pointing out that her talents mean she can fill multiple roles in the same match.

"LJ can play in different positions. With the ball she has so much talent" Bompastor said.

She is able to play in the central corridor or in a wide position. She can also play as a false forward, so she has all the ability to play in different positions.

"In my game model I can use her in different positions, I don’t have only one position I think she can fit best.

"LJ is a player who needs to touch the ball. Sometimes she needs to drop a little bit and touch the ball to make sure she is confident in the game.

"This is something we are learning from each other, and making sure she goes in a position where she can have the most impact for the team.

"She is unbelievable when she is able to make an impact higher in the pitch, scoring, assisting, crossing as in the last game against Arsenal. This is what we want from her."

Bompastor also gave an update on long-term injury absentee Sam Kerr, who is currently recovering after a ruptured ACL in January.

"Sam is doing good," said Bompastor."Mentally she is in a good place. We see her every day, even if she’s not involved in training sessions.

"She brings some positive things to the team being around even if she’s not training collectively. She brings so much to the squad."

Jonas Eidevall failed to concede Arsenal's hopes of winning the Women's Super League title after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Emirates on Saturday. 

The defeat leaves Arsenal in sixth place in the early-season standings having taken just five points from their opening four games of the season. 

Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore handed the visitors a two-goal advantage early on, with Caitlin Foord's fine individual effort before half-time proving to be just a consolation. 

It brought an end to a dismal week for Eidevall, having watched his side lose their Champions League opener 5-2 to Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

"It certainly doesn't help, but as I said before, the only way is to go game by game," Eidevall said on his side's hopes of winning the title after their poor start to the campaign. 

"We are disappointed with the result and the start today, but I am very proud of the heart that the players showed."

But following Chelsea's first two goals, it was Arsenal who were in the ascendency, creating the better of the chances in north London but failing to make them count. 

The Gunners registered 20 attempts during the contest, but only four of which were on target, rarely troubling visiting goalkeeper Hannah Hampton for the most part. 

Though Arsenal find themselves already four points behind the early-season pacesetters, Eidevall still believes he is still the right man to lead the Gunners forward. 

"I gave my absolute everything. You can see that the players certainly gave everything on the pitch too, and that is the thing you can control," Eidevall said. 

"I think the way that the players played with the heart on the pitch, I can't ask for anything more," he added when asked if he had the backing of his players. 

"It showed in the way that they played that they were giving their absolute everything on the pitch."

Chelsea, meanwhile, continued their fine start under Sonia Bompastor, building on their impressive win against Real Madrid in midweek with a triumph over their fierce rivals. 

But it was anything but comfortable for the Blues, who managed an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.35 from their efforts during the second half. 

"For sure it was a tough game, we were expecting that. It's always good to win, three points are three points," Bompastor said.

"But I wish my team were able to play the ball better in the second half. The quality of the players we have, we should be able to produce more.

"Good moments, we need to enjoy them and have fun."

Sonia Bompastor continued her perfect start to life as Chelsea head coach after sealing a 2-1 win over London rivals Arsenal, piling more pressure on Jonas Eidevall. 

In an end-to-end encounter that the Gunners dominated for the majority, goals from Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore sealed a sixth victory of the season for Chelsea. 

The Blues opened the scoring in the fourth minute after Arsenal failed to clear Baltimore's corner, with Millie Bright flicking the ball on to Ramirez, who hooked it over her shoulder and in. 

A dominant start was further rewarded 12 minutes later when Lauren James skipped to the byline before standing the ball up at the back post for Baltimore to nod beyond Daphne van Domselaar from close range. 

But Arsenal grew into the contest after going two goals down, claiming their just rewards two minutes before the interval when Caitlin Foord broke into the Chelsea box before curling an effort in off the far post to hand the hosts a lifeline. 

The Gunners felt they should have had a penalty early in the second half when James barged Lotte Wubben-Moy off the ball as they continued to mount pressure on the Blues' backline. 

And they almost snatched a point late on when Katie McCabe picked out Stina Blackstenius, with the Swede sending a strike crashing off the crossbar as Chelsea held on in the closing stages to seal an already huge victory in the title race.

Data Debrief: Blues not brilliant, but win again

Chelsea continued their excellent start under Bompastor in the Women's Super League but struggled in the second half against Arsenal's endless wave of pressure. 

The Blues ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.98 from their 11 shots compared to Arsenal's 2.74 from their 20 attempts on Hannah Hampton's goal.

Arsenal's Alessia Russo was perhaps the most guilty of spurning her side's best opportunities, ending the encounter with more shots on target (four) and touches in the opposition box (12) than any other player on the pitch. 

Arsenal are "envious" of the era of dominance over the Women's Super League enjoyed by rivals Chelsea, admitted Katie McCabe ahead of Saturday's derby between the sides.

Chelsea have won five straight WSL crowns, edging out Manchester City on goal difference last season to give Emma Hayes a triumphant send-off before she joined the United States.

Now under the stewardship of former Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea are the only team in the WSL with a perfect record this term, winning their opening two matches before seeing last week's clash with Manchester United postponed.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have already played out home draws with Man City and Everton, ramping up the pressure ahead of Saturday's game at the Emirates Stadium.

Asked by reporters how it felt to see Arsenal's rivals dominate year after year, full-back McCabe said: "It always hurts.

"You want that to be you. You are in a team sport to be lifting trophies with your team-mates.

"Of course you are envious of them being successful. What we can do is focus on ourselves and put one foot in front of the other. Hopefully, by the end of the season, that will be us."

While Chelsea approach this weekend's headline fixture as favourites, they were trounced 4-1 in this exact game last December, with Alessio Russo scoring twice in one of just three league defeats the Blues suffered all campaign.

Looking back at that victory, McCabe said: "We take those moments as positives and bring it in and really instil that winning mentality into the team.

"We already did it last year, so it's not a new thing for us. It is about controlling ourselves, controlling our gameplan and what we want to do in the game and applying it."

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor says the Blues are focusing purely on their own form as they bid to continue their flawless start to her reign against Arsenal.

Taking over from legendary boss Emma Hayes, Bompastor has overseen back-to-back Women's Super League wins over Aston Villa (1-0) and Crystal Palace (7-0).

The Blues saw their matchday three fixture versus Manchester United postponed last week, but a victory over rivals Arsenal in Saturday's lone WSL game would take them top of the table.

Arsenal were tipped as candidates to end Chelsea's five-year reign at the summit of the English game in pre-season, only to draw two of their opening three matches, but Bompastor is not concerned with others' results.

"The players are really focused on themselves and on the team. I just want them to stay focused on the job we have to do. We prepare for every game in such a professional way," Bompastor said.

"For me, Arsenal is no different from the other teams we have been facing, so we focus on ourselves. 

"We know what we need to do tomorrow to get a good result and a great performance, that's it. This game is worth three points, the same as the other ones. 

"Of course it's a derby, a special game in that way, but it's just three points in the end. We have our ambitions, our goals, and this game will bring three points if we are able to win, that's it. I'm just focused on my team and what we need to do."

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four home meetings with Chelsea in the WSL (two wins, two draws), but they have not won back-to-back home games against them since June 2013 (a run of three in a row).

They meet a Blues side in fine goalscoring form, winning their last five WSL games by an aggregate scoreline of 23-0 in a run dating back to Hayes' reign, though they have not won six straight league matches without conceding since April 2021.

Bompastor added: "We feel great. We had the last training session this afternoon and the weather was perfect, we really enjoyed it! The team is in a really good dynamic so we feel good.

"We played on Tuesday and we had a good result. We were able to manage the week the way we wanted to and I think we are ready for tomorrow, a big game and a derby."