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.

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. 

Vivianne Miedema has undergone "successful surgery" on her left knee, Manchester City have confirmed. 

The Netherlands forward, who moved from Arsenal in the close season, has scored two goals and provided one assist in five appearances for City across all competitions this season.

However, Gareth Taylor's side must now make do without Miedema, as she prepares for a spell on the sidelines to undergo her rehabilitation.

The Women's Super League's all-time leading scorer has struggled with injuries since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in December 2022, which forced her to miss the following year's World Cup.

And it is unclear how long the 28-year-old will be unavailable for City.

"Manchester City can confirm that Vivianne Miedema has undergone a successful surgery on her left knee," the club wrote on X.

"The Dutch international will now begin a period of rehabilitation at the City Football Academy, working closely with the Club's medical team. Everyone at City would like to wish Vivianne a full and speedy recovery."

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. 

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. 

Gareth Taylor said "lessons would be learned" from Manchester City's Women's Champions League win over St. Polten on Wednesday. 

Having beaten reigning champions Barcelona last week, Alanna Kennedy got City off to a fast start with a fine strike from distance that cannoned in off the post. 

However, Melanie Brunnthaler and Kamila Dubcova handed the Norwegian side the lead, only for Aoba Fujino and Mary Fowler to seal the triumph for City at the Generali Arena. 

The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.18 from their 17 shots, though only seven of their attempts were on target. 

And ahead of their Women's Super League clash with Aston Villa this weekend, Taylor is hoping his players will learn from underestimating an opponent. 

"I'm just really pleased to get the three points," he said. "I thought it was a difficult game on a really difficult pitch, people at home might not have realised that," Taylor said. 

"You could see how bobbly it was, so we couldn't really play centrally and the space was out wide.

"It took us a while to recognise that, but when we did we switched the play multiple times and really caused them problems.

"I think it was a bit of a lesson learned. When you play teams like Polten, people expect an easy three points; these games certainly aren't."

"It was a hell of a hit," he said. "To be honest, I wasn't sure when she took the strike it was the right call, but she proved me wrong," Taylor said. 

Taylor was also surprised it was Kennedy who opened the scoring in stunning fashion, with the defender netting her only her second goal since her move from Tottenham in 2021. 

"It was a hell of a hit," he said. "To be honest, I wasn't sure when she took the strike it was the right call, but she proved me wrong," Taylor said. 

"She set herself nicely, and we should've had more. We missed some chances to increase our lead and that's what can happen if you don't take them.

"You leave yourself susceptible to a couple of set plays which we needed to deal with better. But we made some changes and then obviously it was nice to go and win the game.

"I liked what we did at the end of the game as well in controlling the final ten minutes. It's important and not easy to do because they were an energetic team who pressed hard."

Arsenal also claimed a victory on Wednesday, earning their first triumph in the competition after a humbling defeat to Bayern Munich in their opening game. 

The Gunners swept aside Valerenga at the Emirates, with Emily Fox, Caitlin Foord, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo on target. 

It marked the first win of a new era at the club following Jonas Eidevall's departure earlier in the week. The Swede ended his three-year tenure shortly after their league defeat to Chelsea. 

And despite a “hectic” couple of days, interim boss Renee Slegers thought her team handled the disruption in the perfect manner.

“There have been a lot of emotions,” Slegers said. “I have always respected Jonas a lot and I have always enjoyed working with him.

“I think he did good things for the club for three or four years. I was sad and many others are too.

“It has been about managing emotions and trying to stick to the task ahead of us and what we needed to do to perform. It has been a couple of hectic days.”

The Dutch coach could not fault her squad’s togetherness, noting that they organised a meeting after Eidevall’s announcement to discuss the “drastic” news.

“I am happy for them and credit to them. They also got together yesterday and felt that they need to step up and I think that is what you see today on the pitch,” said Slegers.

“All credit to the team, you don’t want this drastic thing to happen to them and for them to get into this self-reflection moment, but I think it was good they did it, and now it is about maintaining that.”

Manchester City made it two wins from two in the Women's Champions League, after coming from behind to beat St. Polten 3-2.

The Women's Super League leaders at least temporarily leapfrogged Hammarby to the Group D summit after Mary Fowler's late header sealed the points at the Generali Arena.

City made a positive start and broke the deadlock after just six minutes thanks to a superb 25-yard strike from Alanna Kennedy.

St. Polten goalkeeper Carina Schluter made a superb double-save to thwart Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Aoba Fujino, while Fowler hit the crossbar before the hosts levelled in the 41st minute through Melanie Brunnthaler.

They completed the turnaround eight minutes after the restart when Sarah Mattner-Trembleau found Kamila Dubcova, who swivelled and fired home.

However, the visitors were level within four minutes, as Fujino turned home Chloe Kelly's cross at the far post for her first City goal.

And City secured three points 10 minutes from time when Fowler rose to meet Lauren Hemp's corner and nod beyond Schluter.

St. Polten have now won just one of their 15 matches at home in the Champions League, with that sole victory coming against Zurich in December 2020 (2-0). 

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich made it back-to-back wins in Group C with a 2-0 victory over Juventus, who suffered their first home Champions League defeat in seven matches.

Linda Dallman put the visitors in front on 17 minutes at Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora while Pernille Harder – last week's hat-trick hero against Arsenal – wrapped up the win in the 73rd minute.

Gareth Taylor has brushed off the idea of a rift between himself and Chloe Kelly after reports of the forward making a possible exit.

Reports earlier this week suggested that Taylor and Kelly had a falling out which has seen her playing time limited for Manchester City at the start of the Women's Super League campaign.

Kelly was an influential figure last term for City, making 21 appearances in the top-flight and creating the second-most chances of any player in the league (51), behind only Manchester United's Katie Zelem (57).

However, she has made just two appearances in the WSL so far this campaign and only started one of those games.

The 26-year-old is in the final year of her contract, but Taylor has played down the rumours of a breakdown in their relationship over her contract.

"There is no news on the contract. The story was a non-event, especially after such a solid performance," Taylor said in a press conference ahead of their Champions League meeting with St. Polten.

"Chloe has been great and is working hard. She understands that things are slightly different to last season. We have been able to strengthen, but she has contributed.

"Like the rest of the players, you have to be ready. Chloe has been great in that sense and is really aligned. She is with the team and is working so hard with the team.

"She is doing everything we are expecting of her. She has contributed in the limited time already and that is what we are looking for."

City began their Champions League campaign with a statement 2-0 victory over reigning champions Barcelona at the Joie Stadium last week.

Taylor's side are the favourites for their clash against St. Polten on Wednesday, having won their previous two encounters with the Austrian team in 2017-18, both by a 3-0 scoreline.

While the manager acknowledged that it may look like an easy tie on paper, his side will not underestimate their opponents.

"People probably see it as a game that is won before it is played, but I don't at all," he added.

"They were in the game for large parts against Hammarby and at 1-0 that game could easily have been drawn.

"It's a big game for us and an opportunity to build on a great moment last week."

Khadija Shaw hailed Manchester City's comeback victory over Liverpool as "fine margins" will decide the Women's Super League.

City striker Shaw was twice on target at Anfield on Sunday in the second half, netting a late winner with a ferocious finish from close range.

That capped a remarkable turnaround for the visiting City, who had earlier trailed from Olivia Smith's stinging 41st-minute strike.

Victory lifted City to the top of the league after four games, and last season's top WSL scorer Shaw referenced the importance of such wins in what is expected to be another tight division.

"It's a very important win because we know how tight this league is," Shaw told Sky Sports. "Fine margins will decide the championship.

"We knew it was going to be tough but we wanted to stick to what we know we are capable of doing.

"It was very difficult as they went with five at the back; credit to Liverpool. We spoke at half-time about how we can cause problems with balls into the box. I got the goal so it worked!"

The victory also ended a fantastic week for City, who beat Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

City are now unbeaten in their opening four WSL matches for the first time since 2019-20, and last year's runners-up look well set to challenge again this term.

Such a start would not have been possible without Shaw, however, as the forward shrugged off the challenge of Niamh Fahey and lashed into the top-right corner to secure the points for Gareth Taylor's team.

"For me, I knew where the goal was and so I positioned myself in between the ball and the defender," Shaw said of her late heroics.

"I just focused on hitting it as hard as possible and getting it on target."

Liverpool were without manager Matt Beard due to illness, though his assistant Scott Rogers felt the Reds deserved a share of the spoils at home.

"I thought we deserved a point from the game," Rogers said. "We frustrated them for large periods which was part of the game plan and we were dangerous on the counter.

"We got our goal from Olivia Smith from that kind of situation in the first half. We limited them to two shots on target in the whole game and we had three, so that tells you a lot about the game.

"We didn't have a lot of the ball but I felt we were in control in periods. We made one or two defensive errors towards the end and they punished us."

Khadija Shaw continued her impressive form, scoring twice, including a dramatic 92nd-minute winner, to lead Manchester City Women to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Women’s Super League on Sunday. The victory moved City to the top of the league table with 10 points from four matches.

Shaw, who has been instrumental for City this season, was the difference-maker once again as her late header sealed all three points for her team in a hard-fought contest at Anfield. City came into the game on a high, following up their recent win over Barcelona with another statement performance.

Liverpool opened the scoring with Olivia Smith's long-range effort, a right-footed strike from outside the box that gave the hosts the lead. City responded through Shaw, who leveled the match with a right-footed shot from the center of the box, finishing expertly in the top right corner after a precise through ball from Laia Aleixandri.

Shaw nearly put City ahead earlier when her left-footed shot struck the post, following another assist from Aleixandri. However, it wasn’t until injury time that Shaw finally completed the comeback. In the 92nd minute, Lauren Hemp delivered a perfect cross from the wing, and Shaw rose highest to head the ball into the bottom left corner, sealing a dramatic victory for City.

The win propels Manchester City to the top of the table with 10 points, though they have played one more game than Chelsea, Manchester United, and Brighton and Hove Albion, all of whom are on nine points after three games.

With Shaw continuing her red-hot form, City look well-positioned for a strong title challenge this season.

Manchester City took a "step forward" in their European "journey" by beating Women's Champions League holders Barcelona 2-0, so says Gareth Taylor.

City ran out winners on Wednesday thanks to goals from Champions League debutant Naomi Layzell and Khadija Shaw at Joie Stadium.

Aitana Bonmati and Claudia Pina were among those to go close for Barca, but City held firm for a memorable win.

"It's right up there, definitely," said Taylor of the performance from his side, who have won two of their opening three Women's Super League matches, too.

"The performance in the first half especially was top. We knew at some point we would have to weather the storm and we did that tremendously well.

"I felt we could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up in the first half due to the opportunities we created and the pressure we put on them."

Taylor was asked by DAZN if City could claim European glory this year, and replied: "Yes.

"We have taken a step forward tonight. We are super-honoured to be in the competition and enjoying the journey."

For Layzell, it was a Champions League bow to remember.

"To do that, scoring and assisting when she was playing out of position against Barcelona, is unbelievable," Taylor said of the 20-year-old, who was signed from Bristol City in the summer.

"It is special. I think if you get to know Naomi then you will say it doesn't surprise you. She is very humble and coachable. She's playing in a non-favoured position at right-back because she is a centre-back. She will be on cloud nine."

While City celebrated a famous victory over European royalty, there was no such joy for Arsenal, who were beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich.

The match was in the balance at 2-2 until Pernille Harder scored a 15-minute hat-trick as Bayern went on to snap a four-game winless run in the Champions League.

"It’s a football game at a high tempo and obviously we're very disappointed with the result and the way things turned out in the second half," said Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, who is reportedly under pressure following a run of just one win from the Gunners' opening three WSL fixtures.

"We played a good first half. I think Bayern came out with a lot of energy in the second half and they were very effective on set-pieces. We weren't good at defending those, and that's why we couldn't get a better result today."

Naomi Layzell enjoyed a dream Women's Champions League debut as her goal and assist helped Manchester City stun holders Barcelona 2-0 on Wednesday. 

Layzell was playing her football in the Women's Super League last season with relegated Bristol City, but was the star of the show at the Joie Stadium. 

City were making their first appearance in the competition since falling to a 4-2 quarter-final loss to the Catalan side in March 2021, and exacted their revenge with a plucky display.

The hosts, however, almost found themselves a goal behind with just three minutes on the clock when Caroline Hansen took aim and saw her effort cannon off the post, shortly before Lauren Hemp struck the woodwork with a strike of her own. 

City grew into the contest and almost got the goal their performance merited in the 35th minute when Vivianne Miedema teed up Khadija Shaw, only to see her effort saved by Cata Coll.

But from the resulting corner, Gareth Taylor's side got their noses in front as Miedema brilliantly headed the ball back into the danger area, with Layzell sliding in to mark her Champions League debut with a goal. 

Barcelona had only failed to score once in their past 79 games heading into the encounter, and improved after the interval in their search for an equaliser. 

Aitana Bonmati forced Ayaka Yamashita into making a smart save down to her right, with substitute Claudia Pina going close from distance as City were forced to withstand a relentless wave of pressure from the defending champions. 

But the hosts landed a sucker punch in the 77th minute on the counter, with Layzell turning provider for Shaw, with the striker riding the challenge of Patri Guijarro before rounding Coll to seal a memorable triumph for City. 

The Citizens ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.68 compared to Barca's 1.5, despite having four fewer shots than their opponents. 

Taylor's side sit level on points with Hammarby in Group D, after the Swedish side beat Austria's St. Polten 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in Group C, Juventus edged out Norwegian side Valerenga to kickstart their campaign with a victory at the Intility Arena. 

Sofia Cantore's 29th minute strike proved to be the difference, with the Italian curling a fine right-footed effort beyond the grasp of Tove Enblom against the run of play. 

Juventus continued to struggle throughout the contest, with Valerenga registering 25 shots, with six of those on target, ending with an xG total of 2.2. 

Massimiliano Canzi's side go level with Bayern Munich at the top of the Group C following the German side's 5-2 thumping of Arsenal. 

Naomi Layzell enjoyed a dream Women's Champions League debut as her goal and assist helped Manchester City stun holders Barcelona 2-0 on Wednesday. 

Layzell was playing her football in the Women's Super League last season with relegated Bristol City, but was the star of the show at the Joie Stadium. 

City were making their first appearance in the competition since falling to a 4-2 quarter-final loss to the Catalan side in March 2021, and exacted their revenge with a plucky display.

The hosts, however, almost found themselves a goal behind with just three minutes on the clock when Caroline Hansen took aim and saw her effort cannon off the post, shortly before Lauren Hemp struck the woodwork with a strike of her own. 

City grew into the contest and almost got the goal their performance merited in the 35th minute when Vivianne Miedema teed up Khadija Shaw, only to see her effort saved by Cata Coll.

But from the resulting corner, Gareth Taylor's side got their noses in front as Miedema brilliantly headed the ball from the back post and back into the danger area, with Layzell sliding in to mark her Champions League debut with a goal. 

Barcelona had only failed to score once in their past 79 games heading into the encounter, and improved after the interval in their search for an equaliser. 

Aitana Bonmati forced Ayaka Yamashita into making a smart save down to her right, with substitute Claudia Pina going close from distance as City were forced to withstand a relentless wave of pressure from the defending champions. 

But the hosts landed a sucker punch in the 77th minute on the counter, with Layzell turning provider for Shaw, with the striker riding the challenge of Patri Guijarro before rounding Coll to seal a memorable triumph for City. 

The Citizens ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.68 compared to Barca's 1.5, despite having four fewer shots than their opponents. 

Gareth Taylor's side sit level on points with Hammarby in Group D, after the Swedish side beat Austria's St. Polten 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in Group C, Juventus edged out Norwegian side Valerenga to kickstart their campaign with a victory at the Intility Arena. 

Sofia Cantore's 29th minute strike proved to be the difference, with the Italian curling a fine right-footed effort beyond the grasp of Tove Enblom against the run of play. 

Juventus continued to struggle throughout the contest, with Valerenga registering 25 shots, with six of those on target, ending with an xG total of 2.2. 

Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood is excited by the challenge that competing in the Champions League will bring to the club as they aim to win it for the first time.

They face Barcelona at home on Wednesday in their opening match in Group D, having failed make it past the qualifying rounds in the previous two years.

City ensured they would avoid the same fate this time around though, with an emphatic 8-0 aggregate victory over Paris FC.

The significance of being in the competition was not lost on Greenwood.

"It's the pinnacle to win the Champions League. To win this competition is another level," she said.

"It's exciting. I'm looking forward to that. We belong here, we've missed out and been frustrated by that."

Barcelona have won the tournament in three of the last four seasons, while they were beaten finalists in 2021-22, losing 3-1 to Lyon.

City last faced the Spanish giants in their last appearance in the competition, losing 4-2 on aggregate in the 2020-21 quarter-final before Barcelona went on to win their first Champions League.

Despite being knocked out, City did win 2-1 in the home leg in 2021. Of the team that played that day, only England team-mates Greenwood and Chloe Kelly remain at the club.

"I don't remember it clearly, but I do remember the game," said Greenwood.

"Our team has changed so much since then. The way we prepare is different, we look different now and are a lot more prepared."

One familiar face who could line up against Manchester City on Wednesday is Keira Walsh, who moved from them to Barcelona for a then world-record transfer fee of approximately £400,000 in September 2022.

"I could speak about Keira all day, she’s an incredible footballer," said Greenwood.

"What she does off the ball and on the ball, she's an incredible player. She's improved and added assists to her game, hopefully not tomorrow!"

Meanwhile, Gareth Taylor believes his club are about to face the biggest challenge they possibly could.

"I would say they are the best team in the world, especially over the period of the last four or five years," he said.

"Barcelona have really dominated this last three-year period. In terms of that taking the pressure off us, not at all. We've worked tremendously hard to be here.

"The cream always rises to the top. We want to see the best players on the best stage and this is what it is."

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.