Page 4 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No18 2021-22

The Barclays FA WSL

Neither of the top two teams in the Barclays FA WSL played over the
weekend and this gave the chasing teams an opportunity to catch up
ground on them.
Manchester Utd were first in action on Saturday as they played
host to Birmingham City, who were fresh from their shock victory over
leaders Arsenal the week before. This time though, the Blues were to
come crashing down to earth and United capitalised on a fast start by
taking a twelfth minute lead through Katie Zelem, with Leah Galton
adding a quickfire double. United made it four just before half time as
Ella Toone crashed a shot against the bar, before it cannoned back into the net off the
unfortunate Emily Ramsey. Alessia Russo headed in the final goal after the break to complete
a 5-0 win and a result which takes her side level on points with second placed Chelsea.
Manchester City meanwhile kept up their improved form with a fourth victory in a
row, a 3-0 success away to Aston Villa which leaves them just two points off a top two place.
City also made a flying start to the game, taking a fourth minute lead through a deflected shot
from Georgia Stanway. Vicky Losada finished off a good move for their second just before
half time and with fifteen minutes remaining, Stanway completed the scoring with her
second after being set up by Janine Beckie.
A win would have taken Tottenham Hotspur up into second place as they hosted
West Ham Utd on Sunday night. A tightly contested first half ended goalless but shortly
asfter the interval, Spurs took the lead when Jiali Tang was brought down in the area and
Rosella Ayane slotted home the resulting penalty. Tottenham pressed hard for a second
against their ten-player opponents but a resilient Hammers side, who have only been beaten
twice so far this season, salvaged a point and their fifth draw of the campaign when Kate
Longhurst headed in an equaliser deep into injury time.
Leicester City had dropped to the bottom of the table seven days earlier but they
bounced back on Sunday to win 1-0 against
Brighton & Hove Albion and climb back up a Manchester Utd 5 (Zelem 12, Galton 16,18, Ramsey
og 44, Russo 71)
place again. The important moment of the game Birmingham City 0
came nine minutes in the the second half as Jess -
Sigsworth raced down the right in pursuit of a low Aston Villa 0
Manchester City 3 (Stanway 4,75, Losada 40)
pass and crossed for Shannon O’Brien to tuck a
-
shot into the far corner of the net from twelve Leicester City 1 (O’Brien 54)
yards. Leicester’s second victory of the season Brighton & Hove Albion 0
therefore took them off the bottom of the table at - Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Ayane pen 54)
the expense of Birmingham. West Ham Utd 1 (Longhurst 90)
BARCLAYS FA WSL P W D L F A Pts GD
ARSENAL 10 8 1 1 30 5 25 25
CHELSEA 9 7 0 2 27 6 21 21 LEADING SCORERS
MANCHESTER UTD 11 6 3 2 24 13 21 Samantha KERR Chelsea 9
11
5
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 11 6 3 2 13 8 21 Vivianne MIEDEMA Arsenal 7
MANCHESTER CITY 11 6 1 4 28 18 19 Fran KIRBY Chelsea 6
10
READING FC WOMEN 10 5 1 4 12 12 16 Kim LITTLE Arsenal 6
0
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 11 5 0 6 12 16 15 -4
Lauren HEMP Manchester City 5
1
WEST HAM UTD 10 3 5 2 13 12 14 Georgia STANWAY Manchester City 5
EVERTON 10 3 2 5 9 16 11 -7
ASTON VILLA 11 3 1 7 6 25 10 -19
LEICESTER CITY 12 2 0 10 6 24 6 -18
BIRMINGHAM CITY 12 1 1 10 6 31 4 -25
Issue no. 18 - 20 January 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk