While week 1 of the WSL was packed with goals and excitement, week 2 gave us a real glimpse of what the teams are capable of. Defending champions Chelsea kicked off the weekend with a Friday night away game against Crystal Palace. The newly promoted side started with confidence, showing they can play some lovely, fluid football. But as the game wore on, Chelsea’s quality became too much to handle. Just before half-time, Palace’s defense got caught out on a quick counter, with Aggie Beever-Jones slotting home the opener.

At 0-1 down at the break, Palace could still be proud, but the gulf in class between the two sides became all too clear in the second half. Palace threw numbers forward, but Chelsea were ruthless. Lucy Bronze smashed in her first goal for Chelsea (an absolute screamer), followed by strikes from James, Reiten (twice), Bjorn, and Macario, sealing a dominant 7-0 victory.

Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory on the road against Leicester City. A defensive lapse from CJ Bott allowed Alessia Russo to tee up Frida Leonhardsen-Maanum, who coolly slotted home the game’s only goal. Making her debut for the Gunners, Daphne van Domselaar was the standout performer, pulling off a series of spectacular saves that ultimately sealed the win.

However, it wasn’t an easy ride for Arsenal, who looked fatigued throughout much of the match. With Steph Catley and Leah Williamson still sidelined, the defense was stretched thin. A bold decision to deploy Caitlin Foord at left-back nearly backfired, but van Domselaar came to the rescue with a brilliant 1v1 stop to preserve the three points.

Three teams that could challenge the top 3 or 4 this season—aside from Brighton—are Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool looked dominant in their match against West Ham, with Olivia Smith giving them a deserved lead. Despite controlling the game, they failed to extend their advantage, and West Ham’s Riko Ueki snatched an equalizer against the run of play, leaving the game at 1-1.

Sunday evening saw a thrilling clash between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs took the lead through a Summanen penalty, awarded after Paula Tomas brought her down in the box. Villa pressed hard for a response but couldn’t seem to find a way through—until substitute Adriana Leon netted an equalizer. In the 88th minute, Lucy Parker delivered a superb cross to Rachel Daly, who nodded it home, seemingly sealing all three points for Villa. But in dramatic fashion, Amanda Nilden refused to give up on a loose ball in stoppage time, and her persistence paid off as she found Beth England, who tapped in a 96th-minute equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw.

The game of the weekend

The Women’s Football Blog’s game of the weekend was Manchester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Brighton, fresh off a promising week 1, had the chance to show their mettle against top-tier opposition in Manchester City. The first half saw Brighton playing fluid, confident football, with Poppy Pattinson standing out as a key player. They created chance after chance but couldn’t find the back of the net.

The match was played at a breakneck tempo, with both teams eager to attack at every opportunity, making for a thrilling, end-to-end contest. Yet, as often happens, when a team lacks the clinical edge, the more seasoned side strikes first. Just before the break, Kirsten Casparij broke down the left and set up Bunny Shaw, who calmly finished to give City a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Brighton tried to replicate their energetic first-half display but appeared to have run out of steam. Despite their best efforts to maintain their style, the spark wasn’t quite there, and City began to find more chances. In the end, it was Shaw’s first-half goal that made the difference, securing all three points for Manchester City.