With the international break underway, and England’s 1-3 win meaning they have one foot in the next round of World Cup qualifiers, attention for us turns back to the domestic game. No WSL or WSL2 action this weekend but we still roundup the biggest numbers from last weekend, and then look ahead to a full weekend of fixtures in Tier 3.
WSL & WSL2 roundup
Both Manchester City and Newcastle United went out last weekend hoping to keep their 100% winning starts to the league season, and in doing so keep their firm grip on the top spot of WSL and WSL2 respectively. City faced an Arsenal side who hadn’t won since the opening day, and who had managed just 2 goals in their opening 4 fixtures. This time out, Arsenal had marginally more possession and 9 shots on goal compared to City’s 5, which allowed them to twice take the lead, either side of half time. However, City ended up winning 4-2, leading to one very uncomfortable number for Arsenal fans – that they are now 10 points behind the league leaders after just 5 games.
The WSL2 league leaders visited bottom of the table Durham, taking 3 points thanks to a 0-3 scoreline. Newcastle showed themselves to be a team who uses possession well – having only 4% more possession than Durham, but creating 16 shots to Durham’s 6. Durham have conceded more goals than any other team in WSL2 so far this season, conceding an average of 3.2 goals per game, and so must look to return from the international break with a tighter defence, as well as needing to improve on their scoring return which currently sits at just one goal per game.
Staying with WSL2, newcomers Burnley were promoted this summer having scored 63 goals in their FAWNL Northern Premier Division campaign – the second highest scorers that season, and 20 goals higher than the 3rd placed team. However they are currently the lowest scoring team in the top 2 tiers of women’s football, having scored just once in their opening five games, and averaging just 2.4 shots on target per game – the lowest in WSL2. On last weekend’s visit to Nottingham Forest they didn’t manage a single shot on target, whilst Forest put 10 of their 24 shots on target on their way to a 2-0 win. As a result Forest find themselves with the highest average shots on target per game in the leage, at 6.6, although this has currently only converted to an average of 1.6 goals per game, so there is still work to do!
Elsewhere Sunderland were hoping to continue their unbeaten run as they welcomed Leicester City, last season’s relegated team from the WSL. At half time the teams went in level, but 2 second half goals for Sunderland left Leicester with their 3rd loss in a row, and only 6 points from a possible 15. They will spend the international break in the bottom half the table, a position undoubtedly disappointing to a team who would hope to be back in the WSL as soon as possible.
Returning now to the WSL, perhaps the biggest game of the weekend saw London City Lionesses visit Spurs – the league’s top scorers, who started the weekend in 2nd place. Prior to the game, beyond their visit to bottom of the table Charlton which they won 1-4, LCL had not scored more than 2 goals in either a league or cup game this season, compared to Spurs’ average of 3.75 goals per game. However, by the time the half time whistle went London City found themselves with a 3 goal cushion, in part thanks to 2 goals from Alexia Putellas who now finds herself 5th in the WSL goalscorer rankings for this season, with Spurs’ Pelova getting a second half goal to put herself joint first in those same rankings. However, that was not to be enough, with London City managing only 41% possession, yet creating 10 shots on target to win 1-6.
Elsewhere in the WSL, Manchester United hosted Liverpool in their 250th competitive game, securing their 2nd league win of the season courtesy of a goalkeeping error. Liverpool did test Tullis-Joyce, having over double United’s shots on targets, and will be disappointed not to have scored, with the game finishing 1-0.
Brighton picked up their first league win of the season, coming from behind to beat bottom of the table Charlton Athletic 5-1. The goal that gave Charlton the lead was only their second-ever WSL goal, providing some early hope, but Brighton, struggling themselves this season, became the first team this season to put 5 past Charlton, in a dominant display which saw them have 76% possession and create 25 shots to Charlton’s 3.
Tier 3: 51 and out
In Tier 3, the biggest number of the weekend was the end of Fulham’s 51 game unbeaten run in the league, as Exeter City claimed their second win of the season to beat Fulham 1-2. The run has seen Fulham secure back to back promotions, now sitting in 3rd place in the Southern Premier Division, with a game in hand on the teams above them.
The South’s other 2 unbeaten teams this season went head to head as Oxford United travelled to AFC Bournemouth, with the hosts seeing their 6 game unbeaten run, stretching back to the end of last season, come to an end as Oxford secured a 0-1 victory. Oxford now have 6 wins from 6 games, some achievement for a team who only secured 12 wins in the whole of their 25/26 league campaign.
With two 0-0 draws, the highlight of the remaining games was Real Bedford scoring 3 goals in a league game for the first time since the opening day of the season, and just like in that game the visitors conceded once to secure a 1-3 scoreline, this time against struggling Plymouth Argyle.
In the Northern Premier, Huddersfield visited Stoke holding on to a run of 4 consecutive league wins, whilst Stoke had not failed to win a league game at home so far this season, with those 3 home games having an aggregate scoreline of 10-1. However, both runs came to an end with the game finishing 2-2. The result meant that Rugby Borough’s 3-0 win against Liverpool Feds was enough to leapfrog Huddersfield and return to top spot.
For the 5th time this season in just 6 outings, Middlesbrough were involved in a 1-0 scoreline, with visitors Peterborough being the scorers and winners, to secure their first away league win of the season. Meanwhile West Brom, who went into their game against Derby on the back of 3 consecutive league wins for the first time since March, went better than their 25/26 longest run by securing a 0-3 win at Derby County, the same scoreline as when they met on the same weekend in October 2025. The Baggies will however hope that this time they can keep the form going; this time last year the 0-3 victory was the last in a 3 game winning streak which was followed up with only one win in their next seven league outings.
Weekend preview
Arguably 2 of this weekend’s biggest clashes come in the Southern Premier Division, at opposite ends of the table. At the top end, second-place Bournemouth, who last weekend hosted the team directly above them, this weekend play host to the team in third. Fulham will hope to put the disappointment of their record breaking run coming to an end behind them. Although Bournemouth sit in second, their goal return this season has not been particularly impressive, with an average of just 1.5 goals per game, compared to Fulham’s 2.6 goals per game. However their defence has not conceded more than one goal in any league game this season, even keeping the league’s top scorers to only a single goal last weekend, so Fulham will face a stern test and will know that both attack and defence will need to be on their A-game,
At the bottom end of the table Cheltenham Town and Plymouth Argyle are the only teams in tier 3 not to have secured a win this season, although the former have at least secured 2 draws. Plymouth will make the trip to Cheltenham hoping for a better away day than they have seen so far this season, having conceded 14 goals in their 3 away games this season, with the last two both having been 5-0 wins for their hosts. In contrast Cheltenham have secured score draws in both of their last 2 home games, so will be hoping they may go one better as both teams look to secure their first win of the season.
The day’s other games in the South include Swindon, who have not won since the opening day, visiting high flying Oxford United. Last weekend was the first time this season that Swindon have kept a clean sheet, but that defence will face a huge test against a team whose average of 3.83 goals per game so far this season is a greater return than any other team in the top 3 tiers – and whose own defence is yet to concede a goal this season.
In the Northern Premier Division the league’s top scorers travel to Peterborough United, with Huddersfield hoping to keep their unbeaten streak – the only team in the North not to have suffered a loss yet this season. With Peterborough having conceded an average of 2.67 goals per game so far this season, Huddersfield will hope to add further to their goal tally.
Despite not having won a league game since the opening day, Boldmere St Michaels head to Rugby Borough having scored at least once in every game this season. This record is likely to be tested against the league’s tightest defence, with Rugby not having conceded at home this season; their 1-0 loss at West Brom being the only time they have not kept a clean sheet this season.
In the days other highlight, Stoke City, who have lost only once this season head to Liverpool Feds. Despite only having lost once this season so far, Stoke City have yet to find an away win, a drought that stretches back to February. Feds have won 2 of their 3 home games so far, but have failed to win 2 consecutive games this season, alternating between wins and losses in a pattern which would see them win this weekend were it to continue! Whilst both teams have averaged just over 2 goals per game so far this season, Feds have conceded more than double Stoke City’s tally, and so Stoke’s tighter defence could prove the edge in this game.
With a full gameweek last weekend, and all 24 tier 3 clubs in action this weekend, we’ve tried to find the biggest numbers, but we’d love to hear from you if you think there’s a big number we’ve missed. Equally let us know if there’s a number we need to be taking a look at next weekend when WSL and Tier 3 clubs will be in action, with WSL2 taking a further break for Subway Players Cup action. Get in touch by dropping us a mention via @WOSODataUK on X or Instagram!
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