For the first time since the season began every team in Tiers 1-3 is scheduled to play this weekend, with a bumper 23 games to look forward to across the 3 divisions on Sunday (with one game in each of WSL and WSL 2 having been played before we push publish on this weeks blog!) Here we take a look at some of this weekend’s big fixtures – but not before we look back at the opening weekend of WSL action.
Last weekend’s round up
After the opening weekend Liverpool and Sunderland find themselves top of WSL and WSL2 respectively, with both top teams scoring 4 times on the opening weekend, a feat that both teams only managed once in last seasons league campaign (incidentally, for Sunderland that achievement also came on the opening weekend of last seasons campaign). Liverpool’s away win came against a newly promoted Charlton side who secured only 24% possession and managed only 2 shots all game – and who were also the only team across both divisions not to manage a shot on target on the opening weekend. Whilst Charlton will not have been so worried about the possession – having been ranked 11/12 teams for average possession in their promotion season in WSL2 (averaging 40.5% possession per match), their failure to register a shot on target will be a concern as they look to compete in the top tier.
Elsewhere in London, opening night saw London City Lionesses secure their first league win against Manchester United, on the 3rd time of asking, with a 2-1 win, in a game where London City Lionesses simply created more chances, with United’s goal being their only shot on target. United will point to Eva Olid needing time to bed in her style of play, but with LCL starting 4 of their summer signings for the first time they too could argue that time was needed to adjust.
Elsewhere in the top tier Manchester City secured their 13th home league win in a row, a record that stretches back to May 2025, with a dominant 3-1 win against newcomers Birmingham City this time out. Crystal Palace secured a win against Everton on their return to the top flight, and will be pleased to have beaten a team they couldn’t beat during their last WSL campaign in 2024/2025, although perhaps the biggest number from this game was the 4 substitution breaks Palace took, meaning the match result is currently under investigation. Chelsea failed to get a win at Stamford Bridge against Villa, despite a huge 35 shots, although only 25% of those were on target. Tottenham Hotspur scored 3 or more goals in a home league game for the first time since September 2024 on their way to a 3-1 win over West Ham United, whilst Arsenal beat Brighton 1-0.
In WSL 2 the season kicked off with a 0-0 draw between promoted sides Watford and Burnley – the only goalless fixture of the weekend. Other highlights included Southampton securing an away win against Durham, a result they will be delighted with after a challenging summer for the club financially, which has led not just to player departures but to the teams league home moving from St Mary’s Stadium, where they have been resident for the last 4 seasons, to Eastleigh’s Silverlake Stadium.
Leicester begun life in WSL2 with a 0-1 win against Sheffield United, in a match that also saw the first red card of the WSL and WSL2 season, and they will be happy to have created 7 shots on target, having averaged just 2.1 per game in last seasons doomed WSL campaign. Elsewhere newcomers Wolves struggled as they lost 2-0 at Newcastle, whilst Ipswich and Nottingham Forest played out a 1-1 draw.
Gameweek preview
With 25 games this weekend it is hard to pick out the highlights, but the weekend has already begun with a result that could be surprising to many, with West Ham United securing their first points of the season against a London City Lionesses side who had 65% possession, and 3 more shots on target than their opponents, but finished the game with a 1-2 loss, with LCL’s 1.31 xG illustrating that shots on target don’t tell the full story. In WSL2 Newcastle have become the first team in the top 2 tiers to get 2 wins to their name, with a 0-1 away win to Bristol City.
In the fixtures yet to come in the WSL this weekend Arsenal host Crystal Palace, looking to extend a run of home league wins that stretches back to January, whilst the last time they were beaten at home in the league was October 2024.
Manchester United and Chelsea meet in the lunchtime kick-off with both teams hoping to secure their first league win of the season, whilst Eva Olid will hope United can secure their first ever league win against Chelsea, in a fixture in which Chelsea have put 6 past United on 2 occasions.
Aston Villa had the leakiest defence in the league at home last season, conceding 26 times at home, but they did manage a clean sheet against the champions Manchester City in March, who they host this weekend. City had more shots on target than any team in the league last weekend, so Villa’s defence will have to be on top form if they are to hope for a repeat of that 0-0.
Elsewhere 2 of the league’s 3 highest goal-scorers face off as Liverpool host Spurs, with Livepool’s Grace Fisk and Spurs’ Kirsty Hanson having both bagged a brace last weekend.
In WSL2 promoted Burnley play their first home game of the season as they host Sunderland at Turf Moor. Burnley only created 3 shots on target in their opening fixture so will hope to present more of a challenge against a team who scored 4 on the opening weekend.
Southampton put more shots on target (12) than any other team in the league last weekend, and this weekend they welcome Ipswich Town to their new home at the Silverlake Stadium. Last weekend Ipswich scored with their only shot on target so Southampton will fancy their chances of continuing their perfect record against Ipswich in WSL2.
Elsewhere, Leicester lost nearly 75% of their home league games last season so will hope they can get off to a better start at the King Power this season, as they host Durham, in a fixture that has produced goals on all of the last 7 meetings between the teams in all competitions.
In Tier 3 just 2 teams retain a clean sheet after 3 gameweeks, and Rugby Borough will hope to maintain theirs as they visit a Middlesbrough side who have scored only once this season. In fact, every league game Middlesbrough have participated in this season has seen only one goal – a record that we expect could change against a Rugby Borough side who scored 5 on the opening league weekend, and who have scored 10 and 7 respectively on their first 2 FA WNL Cup outings of the season.
The other clean sheet belongs to Oxford United who sit top of the Southern Premier Division having scored an average of 4 per game in their league outings so far this season, with no reply. They travel to a Hashtag United side who conceded 4 on their visit to AFC Bournemouth 2 weeks ago.
In the Northern Premier Division Huddersfield Town are the only other side to have not seen a loss in the league yet this season – they host Derby County who secured their first points of the season in a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough 2 weeks ago.
Boldmere St Michaels have one of the leakiest defences in the league having conceded 9 times in the first 3 fixtures, although they did keep a clean sheet on the opening weekend – another of those 1-0 fixtures involving Middlesbrough. They visit a Norwich City side who have only scored 3 times so far this season, but find themselves 5th having picked up 4 points from an opening 3 games that has included playing both of the league’s top 2 teams.
In the Southern Premier Division Plymouth Argyle have conceded 11 with no reply in their last 2 league fixtures – this weekend they play host to a Portsmouth side who scored 4 in their last game, suggesting things may not get any easier yet for them.
The league currently has 3 teams on maximum points – all 3 play away from home this weekend – alongside Oxford’s visit to Hashtag United AFC Bournemouth visit a Lewes side who have only one point from their opening fixtures, whilst Fulham visit fellow promoted side Swindon Town, who haven’t picked up any points since their opening day victory at Plymouth.
It’s set to be a busy Sunday for women’s football and with so many games it’s definitely been a struggle to pick out the highlights! We’d love to hear from you if you think we’ve missed something, or if there’s a number we need to be taking a look at next weekend ahead of another full weekend of league fixtures. Get in touch by dropping us a mention via @WOSODataUK on X or Instagram!
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