London City Lionesses may have lost 2-1 to champions Manchester City, but their performances and league position have shown their European aspirations are far from unrealistic. Aided by Arsenal’s poor start, London City are third in the WSL table and were frustrated to end the day with a six-point gap to the top two after dominating in Bromley. They are more used to it.
When you have this consistency and you are very used to playing these kinds of games, maybe you have more experience.” Maestre’s team have a three-point lead over fourth-placed Tottenham and if they continue their upwards trajectory and qualify for the Champions League, Uefa will be forced to tackle the possible scenario of two Michelle Kang-owned clubs, London City and OL Lyonnes, qualifying sooner than they perhaps anticipated. Suzanne Wrack Match report: London City Lionesses 1-2 Manchester City It was groundhog day for Arsenal against Aston Villa with the Gunners going a goal down for the fifth time this season. Get one chance early on, take it and then capitalise on the fact that Slegers’ side just cannot break down a low block.
How Slegers, her staff and the squad arrest this malaise is the big unanswered question. The wins against Tottenham and Benfica felt like the seeds of a turnaround in fortunes, but they papered over cracks that will be exposed again until they make more of their dominance in the final third. SW WSL roundup: Arsenal stall against Villa despite Russo strike There is significant concern over Lauren James’s fitness after she suffered another injury against Charlton.
The 25-year-old was forced off the pitch after pulling up off the ball in the 35th minute. It was the only blemish on an otherwise enjoyable afternoon for the league leaders who ran out 6-0 winners at the Valley. Defender Nathalie Björn marked her first start after months on the sidelines with the opener.
Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones ended her barren spell, scoring her first league goal since September 2025. There was also an emotional moment for the young Italian midfielder Giulia Dragoni who opened her Chelsea account after coming off the bench. Sophie Downey WSL roundup: James injured in Chelsea’s win over Charlton As she led Tottenham out at St Andrew’s, Drew Spence wrote herself into the history books.
Her start against Birmingham marked her 217th in the WSL, making her the competition’s new all-time record appearance maker. It is the latest accolade of a decorated career that has seen her win five league titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups. The 34-year-old Jamaica international featured in the inaugural WSL season back in 2011 with Chelsea where she spent 14 years before switching to Spurs in 2022.
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