Page 6 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.33 2022-23

Chelsea have returned to the top of the Barclays WSL, with two matches
left to play, after they ran out 4-0 winners away to West Ham Utd on
Wednesday night.
The Blues led at half time through a thirteenth minute goal from
Niamh Charles and three minutes after the restart, Pernille Harder kept
up her good form as she doubled their advantage with her fifth goal in
three games. Sophie Ingle put the result beyond doubt just after the hour
and Erin Cuthbert added the final goal in injury time.
The first of those two remaining games for Chelsea will be on Sunday against
Arsenal, who started the evening’s double header of matches with a 4-1 victory at Everton.
The scoreline was goalless in the opening half hour but then the Gunners ran riot with four
goals in a thirteen minute spell. Caitlin Foord opened the scoring and Katie McCabe quickly
added a second. After Foord got on the scoresheet again, Lotte Wubben-Moy headed in from
a free kick to make it four just ahead of the interval. Katja Snoeijs headed in a late
consolation for the Toffees but the result was enough to keep Arsenal’s title hopes alive,
although their night was soured by yet another potentially serious injury to a key player,
when Lia Walti was stretchered off during the second half after being on the receiving end
of a fierce challenge.
The penultimate round of matches will be played over the weekend and it is
mathematically possible for Chelsea to be crowned as Champions. If they were to win
against Arsenal - who need nothing less than a victory to stand any chance of landing the
title themselves - and second placed Manchester Utd fail to beat Manchester City, the
title will be theirs once again. Should Chelsea not beat Arsenal though, United would be
right in the reckoning with a win of their own.
There are also important clashes at the other end of the table with two of the current
bottom three - Tottenham Hotspur and Reading FC Women - meeting each other.
Spurs will go into the game knowing that a win would preserve their WSL place whilst
Reading will be seeking to at least avoid defeat. Leicester City play host to West Ham
Utd, knowing that a victory in that match would go a long way towards achieving safety. In
the other games, Brighton & Hove Albion
travel to Everton looking to seal their place in
Everton 1 (Snoeijs 86)
the top flight next season and Aston Villa take Arsenal 4 (Foord 29,39, McCabe 33, Wubben-Moy 42)
on Liverpool in what is now a mid-table clash, -
Villa requiring a point to make absolutely West Ham Utd 0
Chelsea 4 (Charles 13, Harder 48, Ingle 64,
certain of finishing in fifth place. Cuthbert 90)
BARCLAYS WSL P W D L F A Pts GD
CHELSEA 20 17 1 2 61 15 52 46
MANCHESTER UTD 20 16 2 2 53 11 50 42 LEADING SCORERS
ARSENAL 20 15 2 3 49 12 47 Rac Aston Villa 20
37hel DALY
25
MANCHESTER CITY 20 14 2 4 46 21 44 Khadija SHAW Manchester City 18
ASTON VILLA 20 10 3 7 42 34 33 Beth ENGLAND Tottenham Hotspur 10*
8
EVERTON 20 8 3 9 25 32 27 Leah GALTON Manchester Utd 10
-7
LIVERPOOL 20 6 4 10 21 35 22 -14 Chelsea 10
Sam KERR
WEST HAM UTD 20 5 2 13 19 41 17 -22 Manchester Utd 10
Alessia RUSSO
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 20 4 4 12 25 60 16 -35
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 20 4 2 14 25 44 14 -19
LEICESTER CITY 20 4 1 15 13 46 13 -33
READING FC WOMEN 20 3 2 15 22 50 11 -28
news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk