Round-up as Arsenal win 2-0 at Liverpool in the WSL; first-half goals from Lia Walti and Frida Maanum give the visitors all three points; Man Utd overcome Leicester 1-0 thanks to Nikita Parris's header; West Ham beat Reading 3-2; Arsenal and United stay joint top of the table
Monday 24 October 2022 08:21, UK
Arsenal and Man Utd overcame Liverpool and Leicester respectively to keep up their 100 per cent starts to the WSL season, while Chelsea kept pace with win at Brighton.
Chelsea had to work hard to keep pace with leaders Arsenal and second-placed Manchester United, whom they trail only on goal difference having played a game more after a 2-0 win at Brighton.
The much-changed champions endured a frustrating evening for long periods after seeing first-half penalty appeals for Victoria Williams' challenge on Jessie Fleming waved away and Beth England's 47th-minute strike ruled out for offside with Seagulls keeper Megan Walsh standing firm.
They finally got their noses in front when England tapped home after Niamh Charles' 58th-minute shot had hit the underside of the crossbar, and substitute Pernille Harder made sure of the points with a second four minutes from time.
Chelsea striker Beth England, speaking on Sky Sports:
"We didn't think the game was going to go ahead with how waterlogged the pitch had been, you saw in the game that it held up a bit. We know this is a tough ground to come to against our bogey team. We're just chuffed to get the two goals and the clean sheet."
On Chelsea's opener and the confusion around the scorer: "I think it's Niamh's, I'm pretty sure I saw the ball go over the line before I put it in. Is it mine? I'm buzzing but Niamh deserves that, I've been training so hard with her. I'm happy but bless Niamh."
Chelsea general manager Paul Green:
"We were well worth the victory, well worthy winners.
"Tough place to come, tricky conditions on the back of Thursday night in Paris, getting home in the early hours of Friday. One day to prepare for this game so overall we're really delighted we got the victory. We struggled here in the past, and we had to be patient tonight but we kept going and we got the opening through Beth and sealed it through Pernille.
"Beth coming into the team, as well as a few others, have really acquitted themselves well and showed the strength and depth that we've got in our squad which is going to be important because it's going to be a long season and we want to compete challenge for all the trophies we're in. Delighted for Beth to get off the mark and Pernille to seal it for us."
Earlier in the day, Arsenal returned to the top of the Women's Super League after beating Liverpool 2-0 at Prenton Park for a record-equalling 12th straight league victory.
The visitors led 2-0 at half-time thanks to well-taken goals from Lia Walti (15) and Frida Maanum (22), the former with a sweetly-struck volley, before the latter doubled their advantage with an eye-catching solo strike.
That was enough to gain all three points in front of a record WSL crowd at Tranmere Rovers as Jonas Eidevall's team recorded a record-extending 10th successive WSL clean sheet.
As a result, Arsenal returned to the top of the table, where they were later joined by Manchester United after their 1-0 win at Leicester City.
Eidevall chose to stick with the same XI who made a statement with a 5-1 rout of European champions Lyon in midweek - perhaps no surprise but that did mean another seat on the bench for star forward Vivianne Miedema as Manuum kept her place.
But though Liverpool made a bright start in front of a record crowd of 3,348, Eidevall's decisions were soon justified.
Megan Campbell's block denied Beth Mead a sixth goal of the season before Stina Blackstenius' cross narrowly missed Caitlin Foord's outstretched toe.
But Arsenal led in the 14th minute as Steph Catley's corner was only half-cleared and Walti hit a fine strike through the crowded penalty box.
It was 2-0 in the 23rd minute as Manuum showed her strength, shrugging off two defenders before powering a shot past Rachael Laws from close range.
Liverpool were on the ropes, and two minutes later Foord cut in from the left and hit a shot which found the outside of the far post.
Liverpool, yet to score from open play this season, kept battling but struggled to create openings, lacking both the pace and the precision to open up Arsenal.
Their best chance came when Catley blocked Taylor Hinds' low cross and was relieved to see the ball bounce just wide of the post after looping up and past the helpless Manuela Zinsberger, and the half ended with Kim Little blazing over
for Arsenal.
Liverpool wanted a penalty three minutes into the second half when Catley appeared to strike her own arm with a clearance, but referee Anthony Backhouse was unsighted and Zinsberger saved from Emma Koivisto when the ball fell to Liverpool's Finnish right-back.
Having threatened every time they went forward in the first half, Arsenal were more muted after the break as Liverpool enjoyed more time on the ball, but Laws needed to make a good save from Foord after Mead drove forward just after the
hour.
Eidevall sent on Miedema 13 minutes from time but the final chance fell to Mead, denied by Laws from close range in stoppage time.
Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has insisted he is only interested in silverware - not records - despite Arsenal's record-equalling run.
"That doesn't fill the trophy cabinet," he said when asked about the records. "Of course by doing these records it increases the likelihood of something that we can achieve together. But no, it doesn't bother me much."
Asked if Maanum's performance made it harder for Miedema to get back in the side, Eidevall said: "Everyone at Arsenal has to work hard, that's an obligation that comes with representing this club, in training and in games we
are a team, we go 100 per cent.
"That doesn't only apply to Viv, it applies to everyone."
Liverpool were cheered on by a Prenton Park record crowd of 3,348 but suffered a third straight league defeat.
Head coach Matt Beard was unhappy Liverpool did not get a penalty when Steph Catley struck a clearance against her own arm early in the second half, but said he could have few complaints with his side's performances.
"Over the course of the game we've done well," he said. "When you play the top teams it's tough. I said to the girls at half-time, everything Arsenal touch at the moment turns to gold.
"We didn't get the rub of the green, there was a clear penalty that wasn't given. I'm not happy with (referee Anthony Backhouse's) view, he said it bounced and hit her but she kicked it against her arm. That could have changed the
game.
"But I thought we responded well to the second goal because that was a bitter blow."
Elsewhere on Sunday, Manchester United's excellent start to the season continued with a 1-0 win over bottom side Leicester thanks to a Nikita Parris strike, but they would have hoped for more goals that would have put them clear at the top.
In a tightly fought contest at the King Power Stadium, the visitors made the crucial breakthrough when captain Katie Zelem's free kick was headed in powerfully by Parris for the striker's first WSL goal for her new team since joining from Arsenal in the summer.
There were few scares for United after that, with Marc Skinner's side moving level on points with Arsenal, while the two teams also have the same goal difference.
Meanwhile, West Ham survived a late scare at Victoria Road as Reading came back from 3-0 down to make it 3-2 with a quarter of an hour to go. The Hammers had led thanks to Viviane Asseyi's quickfire double after skipper Dagny Brynjarsdottir nodded them ahead early on - but the home side held on and are in fifth place on nine points, just behind Everton, who beat Aston Villa 1-0 on Saturday, on goal difference.
