Seven matchweeks down, and the Women's Super League has officially entered its "what on earth is going on?" era. Welcome back to another WSL round-up, where the football is entertaining, the defending is occasionally optional, and the drama is being delivered faster than a Manchester derby equaliser. Matchweek 7, played across Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, gave us two massive derbies, a long-awaited Arsenal victory, a Chelsea comeback, a first league win for Birmingham City, a five-goal thriller at Goodison Park and a Manchester City side discovering that winning every single match is apparently not compulsory. And with the league table beginning to take shape, some clubs are looking towards the summit while others are already staring nervously at the trapdoor. There were 21 goals across seven matches, some absolute screamers, defensive disasters and enough late drama to keep football fans entertained until Matchweek 8. So, without further ado, let's get stuck into the action. -------------------------------------- Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Arsenal: North London is Red, and Arsenal Have Finally Found the Win Button! Scorers: Cathinka Tandberg (Tottenham); Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo (Arsenal) Well, well, well. Look who has finally decided to win a league match again. After five consecutive WSL matches without victory, Arsenal arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium desperately needing three points. Renée Slegers' side had not won in the league since beating Brighton on the opening weekend. For a club with Arsenal's ambitions, that's not exactly the sort of form you want heading into a North London derby. And naturally, Tottenham decided to make matters even more complicated. Cathinka Tandberg opened the scoring with a header from a corner, giving Spurs the lead and leaving Arsenal supporters wondering whether they should simply start preparing for another frustrating afternoon. But Georgia Stanway had other ideas. The midfielder produced an absolute thunderbolt from distance, with the ball flying in off the underside of the crossbar despite Lize Kop getting her fingertips to it. Some players announce their arrival with a handshake. Stanway apparently prefers to introduce herself to the Arsenal league scoresheet by attempting to remove the paint from the crossbar. It was her first WSL goal since joining Arsenal in the summer, and what a way to get off the mark. The second half brought a worrying moment when Tottenham defender Alice Sombath suffered an injury and had to leave on a stretcher. Hopefully, she makes a full and speedy recovery. Arsenal eventually got their opportunity to take the lead when substitute Ella Morris was penalised for handball. Up stepped Alessia Russo. And when Russo sees Tottenham on the fixture list, she must start checking whether there's a loyalty programme. Her converted penalty was her ninth WSL goal against Spurs, more than she has scored against any other league opponent. Arsenal held on to secure three enormous points and, perhaps more importantly, some much-needed confidence. For Tottenham, this was their third consecutive league defeat. They competed but managed only five shots, with just one on target. The bigger picture: Arsenal have finally stopped their winless run, but one victory doesn't instantly solve every problem. They must now build momentum rather than treating this derby win as a one-off revival. Tottenham, meanwhile, need to rediscover their attacking rhythm before a promising start to the campaign becomes a distant memory. Verdict: Arsenal have remembered that the objective of football is to win. Tottenham have been left wondering why Russo seems to have a personal subscription to scoring against them. -------------------------------------- Brighton & Hove Albion 3–0 West Ham United: Seagulls Soar While the Hammers Get Absolutely Blown Away! Scorers: Maisie Symonds, Fran Kirby, Kiko Seike Brighton versus West Ham on a wet and windy south coast afternoon. What could possibly go wrong? Well, if you're West Ham, quite a lot. Arturo Ruiz's Brighton entered the contest searching for their second league win of the season, while Rita Guarino's West Ham were desperate to find some consistency. The first half wasn't exactly a festival of clear-cut opportunities, but Maisie Symonds decided that the match needed something special. After a Brighton cross was cleared, Symonds unleashed a remarkable long-range strike that swerved into the top corner. The goalkeeper could probably have brought a step ladder and still struggled to reach it. An early contender for Goal of the Month? Absolutely. Brighton continued to control proceedings after the interval, and Fran Kirby doubled their lead in the 63rd minute, arriving at the back post to convert after a deflected delivery from Marisa Olislagers. Then came Kiko Seike. The Japanese forward raced towards goal and produced a delightful chip over the goalkeeper to make it 3–0. That's her fourth league goal of the season, and she is rapidly becoming a player opposing defenders would rather not see running towards them. Two Brighton goals inside three minutes had effectively taken the match away from West Ham. Ruiz described the display as a complete performance, while Guarino was left reflecting on mistakes that her side simply cannot afford to keep making. The bigger picture: Brighton now have something positive to build upon. Their attacking quality is evident, but reproducing performances like this consistently will determine whether they can climb further up the table. West Ham, on the other hand, have suffered five league defeats already. The Hammers aren't exactly hammering their opponents at the moment. If anything, they're repeatedly getting hit with their own toolbox. Verdict: Brighton were flying, Symonds produced a spectacular strike, and West Ham experienced a south coast storm they'd probably rather forget. -------------------------------------- Crystal Palace 1–3 Chelsea: You Can Score First, but Apparently Chelsea Still Get the Final Say! Scorers: Molly Bartrip (Palace); Melvine Malard (2), Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea) Right then. Chelsea. Still unbeaten. Still winning. Still finding ways to turn uncomfortable situations into three points. At this stage, Sonia Bompastor's side could probably be trailing in the 89th minute and their supporters would simply shrug and say, "Give it a moment." But Crystal Palace certainly didn't make life easy. Jo Potter's side took a surprise lead through Molly Bartrip, who converted from Fuka Tsunoda's corner. It was Bartrip's first WSL goal in four years and marked the first time Palace had scored against Chelsea. It also meant Chelsea were behind in a league game for the first time this season. For a while, Palace supporters had every reason to dream. Goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin produced important saves, while Allyson Swaby made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Lucy Bronze. Chelsea were creating chances but couldn't find the breakthrough. And Melvine Malard was having a particularly eventful afternoon. She missed an open goal. Yes, an open goal. But rather than allowing that moment to define her match, she responded with a stunning strike from distance into the top corner. Talk about making amends. Malard then completed the turnaround after brilliant work from Sandy Baltimore, who supplied the cross for her compatriot to finish. And just to make absolutely certain Chelsea would leave with all three points, Malard won a penalty that Baltimore converted. Malard finished with five shots on target and 15 touches inside the opposition penalty area. She even had another effort ruled out for offside, preventing what would have been a hat-trick. The bigger picture: Chelsea end Matchweek 7 top of the WSL on goal difference, with six victories and one draw from their opening seven matches. They have now demonstrated that they can win when dominating from the start and when forced to recover from falling behind. That ability to respond to adversity is the hallmark of a serious title contender. Palace deserve credit for their resilience, particularly during the first half, but sustaining that level of defensive concentration against Chelsea for 90 minutes is extremely difficult. Verdict: Crystal Palace briefly threatened to rewrite the script, but Chelsea found the ending they wanted anyway. Malard went from missing a sitter to being the star of the show. Football really does have a sense of humour. -------------------------------------- Birmingham City 1–0 Charlton Athletic: Seven Games In, and Birmingham Finally Get Their First Win! Scorer: Wilma Leidhammar There are three things you can almost guarantee in football. Someone will complain about refereeing decisions. Someone will insist the league table doesn't matter yet. And when two teams desperate for a victory meet, the tension can be almost unbearable. Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic arrived at St Andrew's with both clubs searching for their first league win of the campaign. Something had to give. Fortunately for Birmingham, Wilma Leidhammar had other plans for Charlton's afternoon. Amy Merricks' side dominated large periods of the match, finishing with 60% possession and 20 shots. But finding the net was proving rather more difficult. Lisa Naalsund came close with an ambitious effort that struck the crossbar and bounced down around the goal line, while Océane Hurtré was denied by an impressive Sophie Whitehouse save. You could almost hear Birmingham supporters asking whether the goalposts had signed a contract with Charlton. Then came the breakthrough. Lily Crosthwaite supplied the ball, and substitute Leidhammar finished at the near post to score her first WSL goal. And there is a lovely bit of footballing irony here. Leidhammar scored both Birmingham goals against Charlton in the WSL 2 title decider back in May. Five months later, different division, same opponent, same player causing the damage. Charlton must be absolutely sick of seeing her. For Birmingham, the victory lifts them away from the bottom two. For Charlton, the situation is becoming increasingly concerning. Seven matches. Seven defeats. Zero points. They have matched the seven-game losing starts made by West Ham and Liverpool last season. The bigger picture: Birmingham finally have a foundation to build upon, although their finishing must improve if they want to avoid being dragged back into trouble. Charlton urgently need results. Individual performances and moments of promise are all well and good, but league tables don't award points for trying hard. Verdict: Birmingham's wait is over. Charlton's continues. And Leidhammar might want to check whether she's become the most unpopular person in the Charlton dressing room. -------------------------------------- Everton 2–3 Aston Villa: Three Goals Down, Two Goals Back, and a Goodison Park Rollercoaster! Scorers: Holly McNamara, Noémie Mouchon (Everton); Noelle Maritz, Amalie Vangsgaard (2) (Villa) If you wanted a match that perfectly demonstrated why supporting a football team is hazardous to your blood pressure, Goodison Park was the place to be. Aston Villa arrived with interim head coach Brian Sørensen returning to face his former employers. And football, being football, decided that the reunion needed an extra helping of drama. Villa struck first through Noelle Maritz after excellent work from Amalie Vangsgaard. Then Vangsgaard decided to take matters into her own hands. Spotting Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan off her line, she produced an audacious chip from outside the penalty area. Absolutely outrageous. The sort of finish that makes a goalkeeper immediately reconsider every decision they've made in the previous ten seconds. Villa led 2–0 at half-time. And shortly after the restart, Maritz returned the favour by creating an opportunity for Vangsgaard, who finished to make it 3–0. At that stage, Everton appeared to be heading towards a thoroughly miserable afternoon. But somebody clearly forgot to tell them the match was supposed to be over. Holly McNamara reduced the deficit with just over ten minutes remaining. Then Noémie Mouchon sent in a cross that looped over Villa goalkeeper Akane Okuma and into the net. Suddenly, it was 3–2. The comfortable Villa victory had transformed into an exercise in desperately watching the clock. Villa supporters were probably contemplating whether checking the final score rather than watching the closing minutes might have been better for their health. But Sørensen's side survived. Aston Villa secured consecutive league victories, stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches and became the first visiting team to win at Goodison Park this season. Vangsgaard was outstanding, contributing two goals and an assist, registering eight shots and recording 12 touches in Everton's penalty area. The bigger picture: Villa are gaining momentum after a difficult earlier period, and Sørensen has given them a welcome boost. Everton will take encouragement from their late comeback, but allowing an opponent to establish a three-goal lead is hardly a sustainable strategy. The result leaves Villa level on points with Everton, although the Toffees remain above them on goal difference. Verdict: Villa brought the goals, Everton brought the late chaos, and Sørensen walked away from his old stomping ground with all three points. Sometimes football reunions really are awkward. -------------------------------------- Liverpool 2–2 London City Lionesses: Defensive Chaos, Goalkeeping Drama and a Late Escape! Scorers: Beata Olsson, Jana Fernández (Liverpool); Freya Godfrey, Kadidiatou Diani (London City) There are entertaining 2–2 draws. There are frustrating 2–2 draws. And then there are matches where you wonder whether both teams have collectively agreed to make defending considerably more difficult than necessary. Welcome to Liverpool against London City Lionesses. Liverpool were seeking to end a difficult run of league results, while London City arrived looking to continue their impressive winning momentum. The home side struck first after Mapi León brought down Jenna Clark inside the penalty area. Beata Olsson stepped up and converted. One-nil Liverpool. So far, so good. Unfortunately for Gareth Taylor's side, things were about to get rather messy. Liverpool goalkeeper Khiara Keating held onto possession for too long, allowing Freya Godfrey to steal the ball and score into an empty net. That's the sort of moment goalkeepers see replayed in their nightmares. And it got worse. An attempted defensive header from Alejandra Bernabé back towards Keating went wrong, allowing London City to capitalise. Daniëlle van de Donk provided the delivery, and Kadidiatou Diani scored. From 1–0 up to 2–1 down. Liverpool had effectively handed London City two opportunities wrapped in gift paper. And Christmas is still two months away. To their credit, Liverpool responded strongly after the interval. They dominated possession, eventually finishing with 69%, and continued applying pressure as London City attempted to protect their advantage. Natalia Ramos forced a save from Elene Lete, while Cornelia Kapocs struck the crossbar with a dipping cross. Eventually, Liverpool found an equaliser when Kapocs delivered into the penalty area and Jana Fernández bundled the ball into her own net. It wasn't the most glamorous goal, but Liverpool weren't exactly going to complain. London City's winning streak ended, although they remain in the top three. Liverpool, meanwhile, dropped to tenth and have still not won a league match since their Merseyside derby victory a month ago. The bigger picture: Liverpool showed admirable determination to rescue a point, but the individual errors that contributed to both London City goals must be addressed. London City will be disappointed not to protect their advantage, especially given the opportunity to consolidate their position near the top. Verdict: Liverpool managed to rescue themselves after creating their own problems. London City will wonder how three points became one. And neutral supporters got a thoroughly entertaining afternoon of footballing chaos. -------------------------------------- Manchester United 1–1 Manchester City: City's Perfect Record Is Gone, and United Refuse to Roll Over! Scorers: Elisabeth Terland (United); Khadija Shaw (City) And finally, the Manchester derby. The big one. A meeting between two clubs with serious ambitions, plenty of attacking talent and an awful lot at stake. Manchester City arrived having won all six of their opening league matches. Six played. Six won. Maximum points. And for a while, it looked like Andrée Jeglertz's side might make it seven. But Manchester United had other ideas. Eva Olid's team approached the contest with a disciplined tactical plan, frustrating City's attacking players throughout a physical first half. United defended compactly, restricted space and looked to threaten on the counterattack through players including Ella Toone, Andrea Medina and Elisabeth Terland. The opening 45 minutes finished goalless. City were finding opportunities difficult to create, and United were demonstrating that their opponents wouldn't have everything their own way. But then Khadija Shaw began to assert herself. Making her 100th WSL appearance, Shaw once again demonstrated why she is one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition. She found space against Dominique Janssen, turned and fired past Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Her eighth league goal of the campaign. One hundred appearances, another goal, and another reminder that giving Bunny Shaw space inside the penalty area is rarely a sensible idea. City led 1–0. United, however, refused to surrender. Jess Park struck the woodwork, Julia Zigiotti Olme fired an effort over, and the home side continued searching for a breakthrough. And as the clock ticked towards stoppage time, City's missed opportunities started to look increasingly expensive. Shaw attempted to clear the ball with a header, but it fell into the path of Terland. The Norwegian forward reacted brilliantly, striking a powerful effort into the net. One-all. Cue celebrations at one end and considerable frustration at the other. Manchester City's perfect winning record was over. They remained unbeaten, but after six consecutive victories, they had finally dropped league points. And for United, it was further evidence of their resilience. Olid's side extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions and finished the weekend fourth in the standings. The bigger picture: City remain major title contenders, with Shaw continuing to lead their attack. But the derby exposed the importance of converting chances when opponents are still within striking distance. United deserve enormous credit for remaining competitive and finding a response when the game appeared to be slipping away. A late equaliser against an opponent that had won every league match this season is a considerable confidence boost. Verdict: Manchester City discovered that having a perfect record doesn't guarantee a perfect ending. United refused to go quietly, and Terland ensured that Manchester's bragging rights would have to be shared. -------------------------------------- So, What Have We Learned After Matchweek 7? 1. Chelsea have the mentality of champions. Six wins from seven matches and still unbeaten. More importantly, they have shown that falling behind doesn't necessarily mean dropping points. Palace gave them a genuine challenge, but Malard and Baltimore ensured Chelsea finished the weekend top. 2. Manchester City are human after all. After six victories in six matches, the winning streak had to end eventually. A draw at Manchester United is hardly a disastrous result, but City will know they let an opportunity slip away. The title race is far from settled. 3. Arsenal's victory could be a turning point. Beating Tottenham away from home is always significant, but doing so after five league matches without victory makes this particularly important. The question now is whether Arsenal can turn one victory into a sustained run. 4. Manchester United are becoming extremely difficult to beat. Nine unbeaten in all competitions is no accident. They have shown tactical discipline, resilience and an ability to recover from setbacks. The next challenge is turning that consistency into more victories. 5. Aston Villa are quietly building momentum. Two consecutive league wins and five unbeaten across all competitions represent encouraging progress. Vangsgaard's form gives Villa a genuine attacking threat, although their late defensive wobble at Goodison showed there is still work to do. 6. Brighton might be finding their rhythm. A 3–0 victory, three different goalscorers and a spectacular strike from Symonds. Could this be the performance that gets their season moving? 7. The relegation battle is already getting uncomfortable. Birmingham have finally secured their first victory, while Charlton remain pointless after seven matches. West Ham's five defeats are also a growing concern. It's only October, but nobody wants to spend the winter watching the teams above them disappear over the horizon. -------------------------------------- Matchweek 7 Awards: The Completely Unofficial Ceremony Player of the Week: Amalie Vangsgaard (Aston Villa) Two goals, one assist and a magnificent chipped finish against Everton. She had a hand in every Villa goal and was the outstanding attacking performer at Goodison Park. Melvine Malard deserves an honourable mention for her decisive brace against Palace. Goal of the Week: Maisie Symonds (Brighton) A wonderful long-range strike into the top corner against West Ham. Georgia Stanway's thunderbolt against Tottenham deserves serious consideration too. The Goal of the Month judges have certainly got some homework to do. Comeback of the Week: Chelsea From 1–0 down to 3–1 winners against Crystal Palace. They might not always make things easy, but they certainly know how to get the job done. Most Relieved Supporters: Arsenal Five league matches without victory. North London derby away from home. Three points secured. You could probably hear the collective sigh of relief across north London. Most Dramatic Match: Everton 2–3 Aston Villa Three goals down, two goals back and a frantic finish. Someone really should have checked the blood pressure of the Villa supporters at full-time. Biggest Reality Check: Manchester City Six successive league wins, and then along came Elisabeth Terland. Nobody said the unbeaten run had to end, but the perfect winning record certainly did. Much-Needed Victory Award: Birmingham City Finally off the mark, and against a Charlton side they also defeated in last season's second-tier title decider. Wilma Leidhammar evidently enjoys this particular fixture. -------------------------------------- Looking Ahead to Matchweek 8: More Drama on the Horizon? The next round of fixtures already offers plenty of intriguing storylines. Everton vs Manchester United (Saturday 31 October) United will want to build on their Manchester derby performance, while Everton need to recover quickly from their defeat to Aston Villa. Can United maintain their unbeaten run, or will Everton find the response they desperately need? Arsenal vs Aston Villa (Sunday 1 November) Arsenal have finally returned to winning ways, but Villa arrive with growing confidence. Will Slegers' side build on their derby success, or could Villa cause another upset? London City Lionesses vs Manchester City (Sunday 1 November) Now this could be fascinating. London City have shown they can compete near the top, while Manchester City will be determined to bounce back after dropping their first league points. Can London City make life even more difficult for the title contenders? West Ham United vs Liverpool (Sunday 1 November) Two sides desperately searching for improved results. Both need points, both have defensive issues to address, and neither will want another disappointing afternoon. This has all the ingredients for either a tense tactical battle or absolute chaos. Brighton vs Crystal Palace (Sunday 1 November) Brighton arrive after an impressive victory over West Ham, while Palace will look to take the positives from their first-half performance against Chelsea. Can the Seagulls make it consecutive league victories? Birmingham City vs Tottenham Hotspur (Sunday 1 November) Birmingham finally have their first win, while Spurs have now lost three league matches in succession. Momentum versus mounting pressure. Something has to give. Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea (Sunday 1 November) Top of the table against a side that has lost all seven matches. On paper, Chelsea will be overwhelming favourites. But this is football, and strange things have happened before. Can Charlton produce the shock of the season, or will Chelsea continue their unbeaten march? -------------------------------------- Final Thoughts: Seven Matchweeks Down, and Nobody Is Getting a Quiet Weekend! Matchweek 7 had just about everything. Arsenal finally ended their winless run by beating their biggest rivals. Chelsea maintained their unbeaten start and climbed to the summit on goal difference. Manchester City dropped points for the first time this season, with Manchester United showing that resilience can be just as important as attacking quality. Aston Villa continued their resurgence, Brighton produced one of their strongest performances of the campaign, and Birmingham finally had something to celebrate. Meanwhile, Liverpool and London City served up plenty of drama, Tottenham endured another frustrating defeat, and the pressure continued to grow on West Ham and Charlton. There is still an enormous amount of football to be played, but the emerging storylines are fascinating. Can Chelsea maintain their unbeaten run? Will City's first dropped points prove to be a minor inconvenience or the beginning of a more competitive title race? Has Arsenal's North London derby victory finally turned their season around? Could Manchester United emerge as genuine title challengers? And how long can Charlton afford to wait for their first point? One thing is certain: the WSL is giving us drama, goals and plot twists by the bucketload, and we're only seven matchweeks into the season. If this is what October looks like, goodness knows what we're in for when the title race really heats up. Over to you, r/soccer: Who impressed you most during Matchweek 7? Was Stanway's thunderbolt or Symonds' screamer the best goal of the weekend? Have Arsenal finally turned the corner? Are Chelsea already establishing themselves as the team to beat, or can City and United push them all the way? Which club should be most concerned about its start to the season? And which Matchweek 8 fixture are you most looking forward to? Seven weeks down. Plenty more to come. The WSL scriptwriters are certainly earning their wages this season.   submitted by   /u/MonthRemarkable9919 [link]   [comments]