Kirsty Howat’s 60-second cameo deep into injury time could ruin what was a memorable day for Crystal Palace on their return to the top flight. An impressive 1-0 victory over Everton was celebrated emphatically by Jo Potter and her players but that joy would have been replaced by concern and frustration not long after. On Sunday evening WSL Football revealed that there had been a breach of the rules – the Eagles used four different substitute windows rather than the regulated three – which had not been picked up by either the coaching staff or the match officials.
An investigation has now been launched with punishment to be decided (there is a potential for the result to be overturned). The needless error has put a dampener on what should have been a positive afternoon thanks to England Under-23s forward Lexi Lloyd-Smith’s winner on her WSL debut. Sophie Downey It was not the first time Chelsea have struggled to kill off games under Sonia Bompastor and, on the basis of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa after an almost excessively dominant performance, it seems the issues of last season have not been put to bed.
Then, Chelsea accrued 79% possession, had 30 shots and hit the woodwork three times but came away with a loss. The fear for Chelsea fans will be that, in the 10 months since that defeat, the issues that were becoming increasingly evident have not been resolved. Suzanne Wrack Much has been made of Arsenal’s recruitment over the summer with many believing that Renée Slegers now has a team primed to challenge for the title.
Four of their new signings started in the 1-0 win over Brighton, with two standing out. Recognition of Lisa Baum’s potential came to the fore with a series of impressive showings in pre-season. The 19-year-old caught the eye on her WSL debut on Sunday not just for her well-taken goal but for her direct, positive style of play.
Meanwhile, Georgia Stanway showed exactly why Slegers was so keen to bring her in. The England international has added balance to the midfield, allowing Mariona Caldentey to operate more creatively. Stanway controlled the middle of the park, ranking first for touches – at 131, she had 25 more than anyone else – joint top for accurate passes (86%), first for passes into the final third (23) and second for chances created (2).
SD “Just give her the ball and then something happens!” Andrée Jeglertz said of Lauren Hemp after her 200th appearance for Manchester City. The England winger was on typically strong form during the 3-1 victory over Birmingham City and became only the fourth Manchester City player to reach that landmark of appearances. Jeglertz was full of praise for the 26-year-old and continued: “One thing that is fascinating with Lauren is, if you come and watch one of our training sessions, she has the same joy for playing football.
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