Page 4 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.2 2022-23

The new WSL season belatedly got underway on the weekend and the six
games produced 22 goals and two surprise results.
Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion kicked off the campaign
on Friday night and it was the Gunners who made an ominous start with
a 4-0 victory. After Kim Little had given Arsenal a first half lead, Stina
Blackstenius added a second five minutes after the break and Beth Mead
wrapped up the points with a brace.
Manchester Utd matched Arsenal’s scoreline the following day,
also winning 4-0 against Reading FC Women. Maya Le Tissier marked her debut for
United with two goals inside the opening 25 minutes, either side of a Katie Zelem penalty,
and Alessia Russo completed an impressive star with the four before half time.
Champions Chelsea travelled to newly promoted Liverpool and swept into an early
lead via a Fran Kirby penalty but after the break, the Reds hit back to record a stunning 2-1
win. Both of Liverpool’s goals also came from the penalty spot, both converted by Katie
Stengel, to earn a perfect start for Matt Beard’s side.
The game of the weekend was at Aston Villa where the home side also achieved a
notable success, 4-3 in a see-saw encounter against Manchester City. Alisha Lehmann
and Rachel Daly gave Villa a two-goal lead, which was halved on the stroke of half time by
Laura Coombs. Khadija Shaw then levelled the scores and Coombes netted her second to put
City ahead for the first time, but back came Villa with Kenza Dali quickly equalising and Daly
was to have the final say with her second goal, to clinch a tremendous result for her side.
Tottenham Hotspur began the new Arsenal 4 (Little 28, Blackstenius 50, Mead 63,83)
campaign in the same way that they had ended Brighton & Hove Albion 0
the last one, with a victory against Leicester -
City. Ashleigh Neville was again on the Manchester Utd 4 (Le Tissier 4,25, Zelem pen 14,
scoresheet and Drew Spence added the second Russo 35)
Reading FC Women 0
just before half time, before a Spence own goal -
reduced the arrears for the home side during the Aston Villa 4 (Lehmann 22, Daly 32,76, Dali 58)
second half. Manchester City 3 (Coombs 45,55, Shaw 53)
-
Tottenham were the only away team to West Ham Utd 1 (Evans 45)
win on the weekend, and the only ones to avoid Everton 0
defeat, as West Ham Utd opened up with a 1-0 - Leicester City 1 (Spence og 58)
victory over Everton. Lisa Evans settled matters
Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Neville 35, Spence 45)
in the Hammers’ favour when she headed in the -
only goal of the game, during first half injury Liverpool 2 (Stengel pen 67, pen 87)
time. Chelsea 1 (Kirby pen 3)
BARCLAYS WSL P W D L F A Pts GD
ARSENAL 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 4
MANCHESTER UTD 1 1 0 0 4 0 3 4 LEADING SCORERS
ASTON VILLA 1 1 0 0 4 3 3 Laura COOMBS Manchester City 2
1
LIVERPOOL 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 1
Rachel DALY Aston Villa 2
1
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 1 0 0 2 1 3 Maya LE TISSIER Manchester Utd 2
WEST HAM UTD 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 1
-1
MANCHESTER CITY 1 0 0 1 3 4 0 Beth MEAD Arsenal 2
Katie STENGEL Liverpool 2
CHELSEA 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 -1
LEICESTER CITY 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 Stina BLACKSTENIUS Arsenal 1
-1
EVERTON 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 -1
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 -4
READING FC WOMEN 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 -4
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