The pressure on Gareth Taylor mounts after Liverpool fell to their fourth straight loss in the Women’s Super League, beaten 1-0 by London City Lionesses.
Liverpool are one of only two sides – along with West Ham – who remain pointless at this stage of the campaign, failing to score in three away games on the bounce for the first time since January 2020. They only managed one shot on target at Hayes Lane.
London City are the latest beneficiaries of the Reds’ struggles, sealing their second win of the season thanks to an 89th-minute penalty. Given four of the nine spot-kicks awarded in the WSL this term have been against London City, it was about time they were aided by one themselves.
Defender Elena Linari smashed hers in off the crossbar after Liverpool goalkeeper Rafaela Borggrafe collided with Nikita Parris in the box. A second look might have revealed Parris’ contact arrived first but the eventual outcome was no less justified.
London City, who kept their first clean sheet since promotion, are up to seventh, while more misery on Merseyside means Liverpool stay second bottom, with the fewest goals of any side (one) – scored on the opening weekend.
Villa score two belters to beat West Ham
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between West Ham and Aston Villa.
Another of the WSL’s strugglers fell to a 2-0 defeat on Sunday, with Aston Villa scoring two stunners to condemn West Ham to a seventh consecutive loss – their longest losing streak in the competition.
The run also represents the Hammers’ worst-ever start to a WSL campaign, with no side conceding more goals (16).
Rehanne Skinner had clearly set her team up to frustrate and then hit on the break, a feat they managed for the best part of an hour, before being opened up by a fine Kirsty Hanson strike. Rachel Daly and Hanson had both squandered chances before that.
Dutch defender Lynn Wilms put the game beyond West Ham seven minutes later with a sublime free-kick from the edge of the area. No side have faced more shots than the east Londoners this term, who find themselves rock bottom with a -14 goal difference.
Spurs move third after Brighton win
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton.
A manager whose prospects are far more hopeful is Martin Ho, who has overseen four wins from five in his new role at Tottenham. Spurs were 1-0 victors over Brighton in their latest outing, a result which moves them third – level on points with Manchester City.
Summer signing Cathinka Tandberg scored her third of the season after Jessica Naz’s low cross from the left evaded every Brighton defender. Spurs have also registered more clean sheets (four) than any other side.
Brighton struggled to create in the absence of Fran Kirby to knit play together, meaning the service to the front three was restricted. Rosa Kafaji and Michelle Agyemang toiled but were caught offside more times (four) than they managed efforts on target (two).
Leicester peg back Everton
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Highlights from Leicester City against Everton in the WSL.
Noemie Mouchon arrived late from the bench to cancel out Ornella Vignola’s opener in a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Mouchon’s 81st-minute leveller was her first since recovering from an ACL injury suffered 12 months ago.
No team have fallen 1-0 behind in more WSL matches since the start of last season than slow starters Leicester, losing 15 of those, but their powers of recovery on this occasion earns a valiant point.
