West Ham United Women vs Manchester United Women. Women's Super League.
Victoria RoadAttendance2,104.
Lucia Garcia and Hannah Blundell score first Manchester United goals in 2-0 victory over West Ham at Victoria Road; Rachel Daly's early penalty and Emily Gielnik's late strike see Aston Villa beat Leicester 2-0; Lee Geum-Min and Katie Robinson give Brighton 2-1 win over Reading
Monday 26 September 2022 10:08, UK
Lucia Garcia and Hannah Blundell scored their first goals for Manchester United as Marc Skinner's side continued their perfect start to the new Women's Super League season with a 2-0 win over West Ham at Victoria Road.
Garcia, a summer signing from Athletic Bilbao, raced onto a through ball to open the scoring five minutes into the second half.
Blundell, who arrived from Chelsea last year, then doubled the visitors' lead when she guided a strike into the bottom corner after connecting with a cut-back on the edge of the box (55).
Despite West Ham's Lucy Parker having a goal ruled out for offside, Marc Skinner's side deserved the win that sees them maintain their 100-per-cent start to the season following last weekend's 4-0 victory over Reading.
West Ham remain on three points after two matches as they missed the chance to begin a WSL season with two consecutive wins for the first time.
Rachel Daly's early penalty - her third goal of the season - and Emily Gielnik's late strike earned back-to-back wins for Aston Villa as they defeated Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
After impressively beating Manchester City 4-3 on the opening weekend, Carla Ward's side backed up that result with a controlled performance against a Leicester team who were looking for a response to last week's 2-1 defeat by Tottenham.
But in just the third minute, a clumsy challenge from Leicester's Erin Simon on Kirsty Hanson in the box gave Daly the perfect opportunity to continue her fine goalscoring form.
The Foxes were unable to hit back against Villa, who sealed the win thanks to substitute Gielnik's smart finish late on (86).
The victory means Carla Ward's side have won two consecutive games in the WSL for the first time in the club's history.
Brighton responded to last week's heavy loss at Arsenal by beating Reading at the Amex Stadium.
Goals from Lee Geum-Min and Katie Robinson put the hosts in control on the south coast before Charlie Wellings opened her account for Reading with a consolation strike in stoppage time.
Reading dominated possession in the first half but failed to register a shot on goal, whereas Brighton regularly peppered Royals goalkeeper Grace Moloney.
The hosts' pressure paid off towards the end of the half when Moloney fumbled a cross from the right, allowing Lee - who had fluffed her lines on two previous occasions - to turn the ball home (40).
Reading were much improved in the second half but somehow remained behind when Natasha Dowie shot wide from just yards out when presented with an open goal.
Katie Robinson then struck against the run of play after being set up by Lee, meaning Wellings' powerful late strike was too little, too late for the visitors.
The result sees Brighton earn their first points of the season while Reading remain rooted to the bottom of the table having lost their opening two games.
West Ham travel to Chelsea in the Women's Super League on Wednesday (kick-off 7.05pm). Leicester make the trip to Everton the following evening (kick-off 6.30pm).
Aston Villa do not play again until October 15 when they take on West Ham at home (kick-off 12.30pm).
Manchester United host Brighton on October 16 (kick-off 12pm). Arsenal travel to Reading later in the day, live on Sky Sports Football (kick-off 6.45pm).
Sky Sports - All 35 games will be available across Sky Sports' flagship channels, including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky Sports News - Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Barclays FA WSL fans can enjoy Sky Sports News (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the league and its storylines throughout the season.
Inside the WSL - Hosted by award-winning broadcaster and journalist Jessica Creighton, Inside the WSL is a comprehensive round-up of all things Barclays FA Women's Super League and women's football. Airing weekly on Sky Sports Premier League, the half-an-hour show will review and preview matches, including in-depth analysis and exclusive player interviews. Viewers can expect gripping behind-the-scenes access as well as a summary of all the action both on and off the pitch.
Sky Sports Social - Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports' main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @SkySportsWSL will continue to be the home of all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.
Sky Showcase - All Sky customers will benefit from being able to watch the opening weekend fixtures on Sky Showcase (channel 106) without a Sky Sports subscription. This channel is designed to curate some of the top shows, films and sports from across Sky's channels.
Sky Sports digital - Follow all the latest from the WSL across SkySports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage and in-game clips from games live on Sky Sports. You can watch free match highlights from every WSL game this season on Sky Sports' digital platforms and YouTube channel.
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