Mar 31, 2025, 06:00 AM ET
The massive information out of the weekend was once Chelsea shedding issues within the Girls’s Tremendous League (WSL) for simply the 1/3 time this season, giving Arsenal and Manchester United surprising hope of a late-season name chase.
In other places 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 Town and in spite of some past due drama, Manchester Town noticed out a 2-1 win away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
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In Italy, Inter struck two times in stoppage time to say an not likely 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 passed Athletic Membership a win over Deportivo Los angeles Coruña after fellow Basque aspect 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 display for Wolfsburg firing in 4 of the most efficient in opposition to Essen. In any case, in France, a wholesome 4-0 win over Fleury was once sufficient for Lyon to verify their best of the desk end with 3 video games to spare as Paris FC clinched the 1/3 playoff berth in the back of Paris Saint-Germain.
Can Arsenal, Guy United make a name race after Chelsea stumble?
It is been somewhat the month for Chelsea. After beating Manchester Town within the League Cup ultimate after which toppling Nick Cushing’s aspect once more to achieve the semifinals of the Champions League, this weekend’s conflict with mid-table West Ham seemed a somewhat regimen project.
On the other hand, there may be at all times scope for an disillusioned within the WSL and so it proved on Sunday, because the Hammers got here from 2-0 all the way down to clutch a past due level in opposition to the league leaders because of a stoppage-time equaliser from Shekiera Martinez. Sonia Bompastor’s aspect seemed a way from their highest as they didn’t win a league recreation for best the 1/3 time this season. In other places, 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 name race.
In fact, Chelsea stay the overpowering favourites, with a six-point cushion on the best of the WSL desk. However, with 4 fits nonetheless to play this time period, Bompastor’s aspect have proven they’re fallible, and their commitments in Europe may take their toll within the coming weeks. Arsenal even have Champions League engagements at the horizon, however with ahead Alessia Russo arguably within the type of her profession, they indisputably have the prospective to push Chelsea the entire method. And with United nonetheless to host the league leaders at Leigh Sports activities Village, there may nonetheless be masses to play for between now and the tip of the marketing campaign. — BL
With 4 video games ultimate within the Girls’s Tremendous League season, may Arsenal or Manchester United make a past due push to overtake leaders Chelsea? Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC by way of Getty Pictures
Aston Villa spice up survival hopes as Liverpool underwhelm
When the general whistle blew at St Helens Stadium on Sunday, the comfort from Aston Villa boss Natalia Arroyo was once palpable. Till this weekend, Arroyo was once but to peer her group pick out up some extent within the WSL since being appointed head trainer again in January.
In opposition to Liverpool, Villa confirmed any such combating spirit they are going to want in abundance to make sure what has been a dark marketing campaign does no longer result in relegation. The guests got here from in the back of on Merseyside to clinch their first league win since December, with Kirsty Hanson’s strike and an personal objective from Jenna Clark cancelling out Marie Hobinger’s previous penalty.
The victory sees Villa transfer 4 issues transparent of bottom-placed Crystal Palace, and there have been a variety of positives for Arroyo and her gamers to hold into the general 4 video games. That stated, Liverpool have been abject for a lot of the competition and can wish to support significantly if they’re to have any hope of thrashing Chelsea within the FA Cup semifinals after the global ruin.
With celebrity ahead Olivia Smith sidelined, Liverpool struggled to create probabilities in opposition to Villa and lacked the aptitude and tenacity they’ve proven since Amber Whiteley took period in-between fee of the membership in February. After struggling a heavy defeat to Arsenal closing week, this was once no longer the reaction fanatics may have been hoping for. — BL
Kirsty Hanson’s objective helped Aston Villa beat Liverpool to say a primary Girls’s Tremendous League win of 2025. Jan Kruger/Getty Pictures
Inter’s stoppage-time shocker
There is not any query that Inter’s loss of consistency has been their Achillies heel this season, too ceaselessly leaving the exhausting paintings of the group for naught. Something Inter have proven this marketing campaign, as they have picked up from the place they left off from closing time period, is not any scarcity in endeavour and pluck. With patchy sort getting into their conflict in opposition to Juventus on Sunday, the Nerazzurre gained the fight of wits in opposition to the would-be champions, putting in and staying the direction to win 3-2 in spite of falling in the back of two times.
In earlier seasons, there would had been no comeback from the hosts after Sofia Cantore’s 88th-minute strike, however Inter endured to power ahead and two mins after profitable a penalty Tessa Wullaert transformed, Haley Bugeja despatched the ball against objective for Elisa Polli to prod house within the ninety fifth minute.
Even though the Bianconere stay seven issues transparent on the best with 4 video games to play, there may be little query that they have got been wavering over the second one section of the season and are actually with out a win of their closing 3 outings. For a group that is seemed so confident for the reason that first matchday of the season, primed to reclaim their name after two seasons from the summit, there may be perhaps somewhat motive for worry for Massimiliano Canzi and his group’s incapacity to recover from the road and wrap the name up. — SL
QUICK HITS
EIGHT: A day of positives. As Eric Idle as soon as steered, it is neatly value specializing in the intense aspect of items. For Brighton on a irritating afternoon at house, there have been a variety of positives to take from their loss in opposition to Manchester Town. In opposition to a Town group with some extent to end up after a depressing run of video games in opposition to Chelsea, it was once the Seagulls who bossed the ownership and ended up firing two times as many pictures at objective as their opposition, however they have been undone via sloppy completing. Certainly, the one objective the hosts may muster got here in stoppage time from second-half replace Charlie Rule, on her go back to motion for the primary time in 15 months. It was once by no means going to be in regards to the completed product from Brighton in Dario Vidošić’s first season, however they have proven, when they’ve sufficient gamers have compatibility, they are no longer an aspect to be driven round.
SEVEN: Première Ligue attracts to its predictable conclusion. For the 18th time in 19 seasons, Olympique Lyonnais have completed best of the standings in France. However, because of the arrival of the playoff section (offered closing season), that is best 1/2 the tale for the Fenottes. Lyon claimed the highest spot with a 4-0 win over Fleury, placing them past the achieve of second-placed PSG who hammered six previous Saint-Étienne, with Paris FC’s 2-0 loss to Montpellier doing little to prevent them from claiming the 1/3 berth. With 3 fit weeks nonetheless left of the common season, Dijon are in pole place to say the closing semifinal spot as closing season’s fourth-place finisher, Stade de Reims, had been driven into the relegation zone as their winless run has stretched to seven video games.
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SIX: Beerensteyn’s golden ruin. Unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League via a rampant Barcelona, Wolfsburg returned to league motion wanting to stay themselves within the combine for Ecu qualification subsequent season. In spite of taking the lead thru Marina Hegering, Lilli Purtscheller hauled Essen stage and that can have been sufficient to knock the Wolves off direction. On the other hand, discovering the again of the online 4 instances — regardless of skying a moment 1/2 penalty — Lineth Beerensteyn pulled the hosts transparent of any threat to stay them nipping at Frankfurt’s heels and despatched herself 5 targets transparent of Laura Freigang within the golden boot race. Following a bruising and insipid recreation in opposition to the Catalans, it might had been a aid for fanatics to peer the Wolves installed an competitive, attacking appearing.
FIVE: Levante proceed to teeter. So much has been stated in regards to the monetary woes of Levante and the gamers the ladies’s group has misplaced during the last yr and a 1/2, as has their slid into the ground reaches of Liga F however because it stands, Levante aren’t within the relegation zone. On the other hand, with a lone level performing as a buffer between themselves and Actual Betis, the Granotes as soon as once more squandered the risk for some necessary respiring house as their fell to a 1-2 loss at house to Eibar. Undone simply quarter-hour in via a luxurious strike from Mariana Cerro, the hosts struggled to get well in a significant away, obviously lacking the attacking ability they as soon as had, with Eva Alonso’s objective within the 83rd minute a trifling conciliation.
FOUR: Como’s blueprint for luck. Objectives from Alex Kerr and teen Zara Kramžar have been sufficient for Como to say their tenth win of the season away to a suffering Napoli aspect. Simply 3 issues off qualifying for the championship section, Como had been some of the luck tales of the season. A group freshly minted forward of the 2024-25 season, owned via the Mercury/13 workforce, with a special outlook on soccer possession, it hasn’t at all times 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 group set for relegation this season (as 3 arise from the two.FBL), there was a certain quantity of respiring house for each Köln and Carl Zeiss Jena this season with Turbine Potsdam at all times set for the boomerang go into reverse. However it is nonetheless been a season of actual combat for each groups, who have ceaselessly appeared like they simply need the season to be over with so they are able to return to the drafting board. And with Effzeh having proven some enhancements this calendar yr, few would have anticipated Jena to select up their first win of the season in Cologne on Friday evening but if Paula Hoppe failed to carry onto Isabella Jaron’s swirling strike, Melina Reuter fired house the unfastened ball giving the guests an extraordinary result in grasp onto one thing they did with aplomb even after being decreased to 10 simply 10 mins later.
TWO: Luckless Spurs. With only one objective — a conciliation in a 2-1 loss to Guy Town — of their closing six outings, Drew Spence’s neat volley simply after the hour on the King Energy Stadium can best had been a aid for the Lilywhites as they to find themselves as quick on good fortune as sort. In the long run, it was once some other probability for a win no longer taken via Spurs, however after falling in the back of to an personal objective from Josefine Rybrink — her moment in as many video games — their first level since January will have to be one thing to mollify the guests in Leicester.
ONE: Azkona assists in keeping Athletic within the hunt. There’s nonetheless a variety 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 were given essentially the most to play for because the league heads into its closing six fit days. Even though the Basques have not been free-scoring this season, Ane Azkona has been one in all their higher attacking guns and even supposing her brace on Sunday was once slightly run of the mill, it is the all-important field ticking and recreation navigation Athletic wish to stay alongside of in the event that they wish to go back to the Champions League for the primary time for the reason that 2016-17 season. — SL
