The massive information out of the weekend was Chelsea dropping factors within the Girls’s Tremendous League (WSL) for simply the third time this season, giving Arsenal and Manchester United surprising hope of a late-season title chase.
Elsewhere in England, Aston Villa claimed their first league win since December with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur‘s winless run stretched to seven after a 1-1 draw away to Leicester Metropolis and regardless of some late drama, Manchester Metropolis noticed out a 2-1 win away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
In Italy, Inter struck twice in stoppage time to assert an unlikely win at house to Juventus as Como heaped the distress on Napoli with a 2-0 sin in Cercola. Over in Spain’s Liga F, a second-half brace from Ana Azkona handed Athletic Membership a win over Deportivo La Coruña after fellow Basque facet Eibar had triumphed over Levante.
Within the Frauen-Bundesliga, Carl Zeiss Jena claimed their first win of the season away to Köln earlier than Lineth Beerensteyn stole the present for Wolfsburg firing in 4 of the most effective towards Essen. Lastly, in France, a wholesome 4-0 win over Fleury was sufficient for Lyon to substantiate their high of the desk end with three video games to spare as Paris FC clinched the third playoff berth behind Paris Saint-Germain.
Can Arsenal, Man United make a title race after Chelsea stumble?
It has been fairly the month for Chelsea. After beating Manchester Metropolis within the League Cup closing after which toppling Nick Cushing’s facet once more to achieve the semifinals of the Champions League, this weekend’s conflict with mid-table West Ham regarded a reasonably routine task.
Nonetheless, there’s all the time scope for an upset within the WSL and so it proved on Sunday, because the Hammers got here from 2-0 down to grab a late level towards the league leaders because of a stoppage-time equaliser from Shekiera Martinez. Sonia Bompastor’s facet regarded a way from their finest as they didn’t win a league sport for less than the third time this season. Elsewhere, victories for Manchester United and in-form Arsenal — 2-0 over Everton and 4-0 at Crystal Palace respectively — have added an surprising layer of jeopardy to the title race.
In fact, Chelsea stay the overwhelming favourites, with a six-point cushion on the high of the WSL desk. However, with 4 matches nonetheless to play this time period, Bompastor’s facet have proven they’re fallible, and their commitments in Europe might take their toll within the coming weeks. Arsenal even have Champions League engagements on the horizon, however with ahead Alessia Russo arguably within the type of her profession, they actually have the potential to push Chelsea all the best way. And with United nonetheless to host the league leaders at Leigh Sports activities Village, there might nonetheless be lots to play for between now and the top of the marketing campaign. — BL
Aston Villa increase survival hopes as Liverpool underwhelm
When the ultimate whistle blew at St Helens Stadium on Sunday, the aid from Aston Villa boss Natalia Arroyo was palpable. Till this weekend, Arroyo was but to see her crew decide up some extent within the WSL since being appointed head coach again in January.
Towards Liverpool, Villa confirmed the form of preventing spirit they may want in abundance to make sure what has been a dismal marketing campaign doesn’t finish in relegation. The guests got here from behind on Merseyside to clinch their first league win since December, with Kirsty Hanson‘s strike and an personal aim from Jenna Clark cancelling out Marie Hobinger‘s earlier penalty.
The victory sees Villa transfer 4 factors away from bottom-placed Crystal Palace, and there have been loads of positives for Arroyo and her gamers to hold into the ultimate 4 video games. That stated, Liverpool have been abject for a lot of the competition and might want to enhance drastically if they’re to have any hope of beating Chelsea within the FA Cup semifinals after the worldwide break.
With star ahead Olivia Smith sidelined, Liverpool struggled to create probabilities towards Villa and lacked the aptitude and tenacity they’ve proven since Amber Whiteley took interim cost of the membership in February. After struggling a heavy defeat to Arsenal final week, this was not the response followers may have been hoping for. — BL
Inter’s stoppage-time shocker
There is not any query that Inter’s lack of consistency has been their Achillies heel this season, too usually leaving the exhausting work of the crew for naught. One factor Inter have proven this marketing campaign, as they’ve picked up from the place they left off from final time period, isn’t any scarcity in endeavour and pluck. With patchy type coming into their conflict towards Juventus on Sunday, the Nerazzurre received the battle of wits towards the would-be champions, hanging in and staying the course to win 3-2 regardless of falling behind twice.
In earlier seasons, there would have been no comeback from the hosts after Sofia Cantore‘s 88th-minute strike, however Inter continued to drive ahead and two minutes after successful a penalty Tessa Wullaert transformed, Haley Bugeja despatched the ball in direction of aim for Elisa Polli to prod house within the ninety fifth minute.
Though the Bianconere stay seven factors clear on the high with 4 video games to play, there’s little query that they have been wavering over the second section of the season and are actually and not using a win of their final three outings. For a crew that is regarded so assured for the reason that first matchday of the season, primed to reclaim their title after two seasons from the summit, there may be perhaps a bit of trigger for concern for Massimiliano Canzi and his crew’s lack of ability to recover from the road and wrap the title up. — SL
QUICK HITS
EIGHT: A day of positives. As Eric Idle as soon as recommended, it is properly price specializing in the intense facet of issues. For Brighton on a irritating afternoon at house, there have been loads of positives to take from their loss towards Manchester Metropolis. Towards a Metropolis crew with some extent to show after a depressing run of video games towards Chelsea, it was the Seagulls who bossed the possession and ended up firing twice as many pictures at aim as their opposition, however they have been undone by sloppy ending. Certainly, the one aim the hosts might muster got here in stoppage time from second-half substitute Charlie Rule, on her return to motion for the primary time in 15 months. It was by no means going to be in regards to the completed product from Brighton in Dario VidoÅ¡ić’s first season, however they’ve proven, after they have sufficient gamers match, they are not a facet to be pushed round.
SEVEN: Première Ligue attracts to its predictable conclusion. For the 18th time in 19 seasons, Olympique Lyonnais have completed high of the standings in France. However, because of the arrival of the playoff section (launched final season), that is solely half the story for the Fenottes. Lyon claimed the highest spot with a 4-0 win over Fleury, placing them past the attain of second-placed PSG who hammered six previous Saint-Étienne, with Paris FC’s 2-0 loss to Montpellier doing little to cease them from claiming the third berth. With three match weeks nonetheless left of the common season, Dijon are in pole place to assert the final semifinal spot as final season’s fourth-place finisher, Stade de Reims, have been pushed into the relegation zone as their winless run has stretched to seven video games.
SIX: Beerensteyn’s golden break. Unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League by a rampant Barcelona, Wolfsburg returned to league motion needing to maintain themselves within the combine for European qualification subsequent season. Regardless of taking the lead via Marina Hegering, Lilli Purtscheller hauled Essen degree and that would have been sufficient to knock the Wolves off target. Nonetheless, discovering the again of the online 4 instances — despite skying a second half penalty — Lineth Beerensteyn pulled the hosts away from any hazard to maintain them nipping at Frankfurt’s heels and despatched herself 5 targets away from Laura Freigang within the golden boot race. Following a bruising and insipid sport towards the Catalans, it might have been a aid for followers to see the Wolves put in an aggressive, attacking displaying.
FIVE: Levante proceed to teeter. So much has been stated in regards to the monetary woes of Levante and the gamers the ladies’s crew has misplaced during the last 12 months and a half, as has their slid into the underside reaches of Liga F however because it stands, Levante usually are not within the relegation zone. Nonetheless, with a lone level appearing as a buffer between themselves and Actual Betis, the Granotes as soon as once more squandered the possibility for some very important respiratory area as their fell to a 1-2 loss at house to Eibar. Undone simply quarter-hour in by a luxurious strike from Mariana Cerro, the hosts struggled to get better in a significant away, clearly lacking the attacking expertise they as soon as had, with Eva Alonso‘s aim within the 83rd minute a mere conciliation.
FOUR: Como’s blueprint for achievement. Targets from Alex Kerr and teenager Zara Kramžar have been sufficient for Como to assert their tenth win of the season away to a struggling Napoli facet. Simply three factors off qualifying for the championship section, Como have been one of many success tales of the season. A crew freshly minted forward of the 2024-25 season, owned by the Mercury/13 group, with a unique outlook on soccer possession, it hasn’t all the time been easy crusing for the Azzurre this season however there is not any query, their first season has been a success.
THREE: Jena declare first dub. With only one crew set for relegation this season (as three come up from the two.FBL), there was a certain quantity of respiratory area for each Köln and Carl Zeiss Jena this season with Turbine Potsdam all the time set for the boomerang again down. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless been a season of actual battle for each groups, who’ve usually regarded like they simply need the season to be over with to allow them to return to the drafting board. And with Effzeh having proven some enhancements this calendar 12 months, few would have anticipated Jena to choose up their first win of the season in Cologne on Friday evening however when Paula Hoppe failed to carry onto Isabella Jaron’s swirling strike, Melina Reuter fired house the free ball giving the guests a uncommon result in maintain onto one thing they did with aplomb even after being diminished to 10 simply 10 minutes later.
TWO: Luckless Spurs. With only one aim — a conciliation in a 2-1 loss to Man Metropolis — of their final six outings, Drew Spence‘s neat volley simply after the hour on the King Energy Stadium can solely have been a aid for the Lilywhites as they discover themselves as brief on luck as type. Finally, it was one other likelihood for a win not taken by Spurs, however after falling behind to an personal aim from Josefine Rybrink — her second in as many video games — their first level since January needs to be one thing to mollify the guests in Leicester.
ONE: Azkona retains Athletic within the hunt. There may be nonetheless loads of soccer left to be performed in Liga F and only one level adrift of third-placed Atlético Madrid, Athletic Membership will really feel they have essentially the most to play for because the league heads into its final six match days. Though the Basques have not been free-scoring this season, Ane Azkona has been one in every of their higher attacking weapons and though her brace on Sunday was comparatively run of the mill, it is the all-important field ticking and sport navigation Athletic must sustain with in the event that they wish to return to the Champions League for the primary time for the reason that 2016-17 season. — SL
