Well, another gameweek is in full swing and we start this post with an apology, for what will be a slightly different (and shorter) blog this week. This week Team WOSO Analysis has been following AFC Bournemouth’s Europa League journey, before then stopping on the way back to see one of the Saturday WSL kickoffs – and somehow forgot to pack either laptop or tablet – so this post is being written on a phone, on a train!
With this in mind, this week we take a look at just one key fixture from last week in each league, and look ahead to one from this week.
WSL
Last Sunday saw Manchester United’s start of season woes continue, as they lost 5-0 at home to Chelsea, the biggest defeat of the WSL season so far. Whilst the result was perhaps not entirely unexpected, with United having never come out on top against Chelsea in a league fixture, the manner of the loss will have been a concern with the home team managing just 1 shot on target for the second game in a row. The result put them rock bottom of the table, with 0 points after the opening 2 fixtures.
With 4 out of 7 fixtures having already taken place this weekend, Sunday’s fixtures provide Tottenham Hotspur the opportunity to climb up to 3rd in the table if they can beat West Ham, with 2nd being attainable should they claim a five goal margin. Spurs have scored 4 goals in their opening 2 fixtures, a stat which made them 4th highest scorers in the league going into this gameweek. However they come up against a West Ham team who managed to secure their first 3 points of the season last weekend against London City Lionesses, in a game where they had only 35% possession but ultimately proved more clinical.
WSL2
In WSL2, the losers of last season’s relegation playoff Leicester City continued their perfect start, as they aim to return to the WSL at the first time of asking. They secured a 4-2 win at the King Power against Durham, putting 7 shots on target for the second match in a row – with only Southampton creating more chances per game so far this season.
This weekend Newcastle host Sheffield United, with Newcastle hoping to make it 3 wins out of 3 whilst Sheffield United will be desperate to secure their first points of the season. With Newcastle being the only team in the second tier not to have conceded yet this season, the challenge awaiting a Sheffield United team who have conceded an average of 2 goals per game in their opening fixtures is a big one.
FAWNL Northern Premier Division
In the Northern Prem, Rugby Borough continued their flawless start to the season with a 0-2 away win at Middlesbrough making it 4 wins and 4 clean sheets from their opening fixtures – a feat only matched by Southern Prem leaders Oxford United.
Second place Huddersfield Town have not dropped points since their opening day draw away at Norwich, and will hope to keep the pressure on the leaders this weekend as they head to bottom of the table Hull City. Hull have conceded at least twice in all 4 of their opening fixtures, whilst failing to score in half those games. However they can perhaps take comfort in Huddersfield’s failure to keep a clean sheet yet this season, suggesting that Hull could have chances to trouble the home side if they can improve their own defence.
FAWNL Southern Premier Division
Finally, in the Southern side of Tier 3, last weekend AFC Bournemouth dropped points for the first time this season, in a 1-1 draw at Lewes, leaving only Oxford United and Fulham on maximum points. The result was the third time this season that Lewes have scored just once in a game (they failed to score against leaders Oxford United), and was their second 1-1 draw of the campaign.
Fulham’s game against AFC Wimbledon originally scheduled for today has been rearranged until November to allow AFC Wimbledon to replay the controversial FAWNL Cup fixture against Crystal Palace PGA, which was abandoned when Wimbledon were 6-0 up. This means Oxford United have the chance to go 3 points clear at the top of the table, albeit with a game in hand, when they host Plymouth Argyle. This match pits the league’s highest scorers (with 17 goals in 4 games) and tightest defence (with 4 clean sheets in 4 games) against a team who have not scored since their opening day 4-2 loss at Swindon, and who have conceded 19 times in those 4 fixtures. Unfortunately for struggling Plymouth it seems likely this fixture has only one outcome.
As mentioned, this weeks blog is a shorter one, but we’d still 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 when only the top 2 tiers will be in action, with the next round of the FAWNL Cup being the focus for Tier 3 teams. Get in touch by dropping us a mention via @WOSODataUK on X or Instagram!
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