For the first time this season, the WSL kicked off on a Saturday instead of the usual Friday. Brighton & Hove Albion took on Aston Villa, two teams that had impressed in the opening weeks, though Brighton had 3 points to show for it, while Villa had just 1. This match also marked a milestone for Jordan Nobbs, who set the record for most WSL appearances with 193 (and counting). She’s the only player to have featured in all 15 seasons of the league—an incredible achievement.

Villa struck first, and who else but Rachel Daly found the net in the 13th minute. But Brighton hit back quickly, with goals from Nikita Parris and Pauline Bremer. In the second half, Villa earned a penalty, and Daly slotted it home again. Then came some drama—Villa’s Maz Pacheco got a controversial red card after what looked like a simple block on a Brighton attacker. Katie Robinson stepped up and buried the resulting penalty. In the chaos, Villa’s Sarah Pattinson picked up a yellow for dissent, and moments later, she was sent off with a second yellow for the same thing.

With both sides down to 10 players, Villa pushed hard for an equalizer, but it was Brighton who sealed the win on the counter, with Agmeyang scoring a classy goal. (4-2).

On Sunday, Manchester City took on West Ham United. West Ham has struggled this season to make an impact in games, and their bad luck continued when Viviane Asseyi had a goal controversially ruled out for offside—it really wasn’t. City, meanwhile, kept creating chances, and it was Lauren Hemp who broke the deadlock in the 10th minute. Despite relentless pressure for a second, City just couldn’t find the net again. That changed in the 70th minute when Gareth Taylor brought on Bunny Shaw, who immediately set up Mary Fowler to tap in and seal the 2-0 win.

Arsenal, meanwhile, hosted Everton in a match that ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw. Once again, Arsenal struggled to break down a deep-lying defense. Their play was slow, and the lack of width from the wingers made things too congested in the middle of the pitch. Frida Maanum, Beth Mead, and Mariona Caldentey barely got on the ball, and Alessia Russo was almost invisible. After using all five substitutes, with Lia Wälti and Steph Catley coming on in the 80th minute, Arsenal finally showed some urgency—but it was too little, too late.

For Crystal Palace, it was a dream weekend after a tough start to the season. They secured a 2-0 away win against Leicester City. Palace’s quick passing led to their first goal, scored by Blanchard, who later doubled the lead by converting a penalty to seal the 2-0 victory. 

The game of the weekend

The Women’s Football Blog’s game of the weekend was Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool, and it was a wild one. In a bizarre turn of events, Liverpool actually scored five times but still managed to win just 3-2. Liverpool started strong, with a fantastic strike from Kapocs giving them an early lead. However, as in their previous two matches, they couldn’t find a second goal. To make matters worse, they lost Lundgaard to an ACL injury midway through the first half.

Right after the break, Liverpool conceded an own goal from Hinds, leveling the score. But Höbinger restored Liverpool’s lead with a stunning free kick. Then, in the 87th minute, Bonner deflected a shot from Hunt into her own net, resulting in a second Liverpool own goal and tying the game at 2-2. Just when it seemed like Liverpool might throw away another lead this season, they were awarded a controversial penalty in the 95th minute, and Höbinger coolly converted to secure a dramatic win.