Smith announces her arrival in style
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Highlights from the WSL match between Arsenal and newly promoted London City Lionesses.
Olivia Smith’s then-record £1m transfer fee may have already been eclipsed this summer but there was no outshining her on the pitch at the Emirates on Saturday.
Having stepped up from Liverpool’s seventh-placed finish last season to a side with genuine WSL title credentials and with that price tag around her neck – all after only turning 21 a month ago – she could’ve easily taken time to settle in north London.
But nothing of the sort. Afforded space out wide by London City Lionesses’ attacking wing-backs, she took full advantage to drive at the newly-promoted side’s defence.
After being told to “be herself” by Renee Slegers ahead of kick-off, she announced her arrival by drifting in off the flank before spotting half a yard of space and firing in a rocket of an equaliser which was past Elene Lete before she could move.
It was not just the quality of the goal, it was its importance in a game which could’ve proved a banana skin for Arsenal.
The early signs suggest the noise around Smith and the added pressure on her will not faze her. And that Arsenal’s £1m outlay may have been well spent.
Ron Walker
Trio shine as Man Utd cruise to win
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Highlights from the WSL game between Manchester United and Leicester.
Man Utd’s trio of goalscorers – Melvine Malard, Ella Toone and Elisabeth Terland – began the WSL season with a bang. They were a joy to watch together.
Between them, they should have scored another hatful of goals and combined beautifully throughout to punish a wounded Leicester team.
The stats tell the story. Toone had the most shots (6), Terland the most touches in the opposition box (11) while Malard created the most chances (4).
All three looked as if they had never been away – sharper already than times last season. Playing two Champions League qualifiers, in which Toone and Terland shared all five goals, would have helped with that.
While Man Utd will have tougher tests this season – Leicester sacked Amandine Miquel just 10 days before the start of the new campaign – they have won all three games so far in all competitions.
That will surely give them a boost, coupled with the return of some key injured players.
Charlotte Marsh
Sorensen’s subs help Everton to derby win
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Highlights from the WSL game between Liverpool and Everton.
The early signs at Anfield pointed to a comfortable home victory following Liverpool’s opener in the 12th minute from Cornelia Kapocs and their dominance on the ball.
A moment of magic from Ornella Vignola ignited Everton’s performance and her debut only snowballed from there. Three goals in the Merseyside derby is quite a way to endear yourself to the fanbase.
The lead looked like a slender one at the break – a smash and grab, some might say. But the game was won at half-time when Brian Sorensen made three substitutions without hesitation, despite his team holding a 2-1 advantage.
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Everton’s Ornella Vignola scored a hat-trick against rivals Liverpool at Anfield to give them a winning start to the WSL season.
Karen Holmgaard, Ruby Mace and Clare Wheeler added grit to the midfield and as a result, those ahead of them thrived in the open spaces whenever the Toffees dispossessed Liverpool.
Vignola’s dream debut will grab the headlines – and rightfully so. But Sorensen deserves a lot of credit for this comeback victory.
Patrick Rowe
Lessons to learn for London City
Kosovare Asllani scored from the penalty spot for London City Lionesses against Arsenal to give them a surprise 1-0 lead
The London City Lionesses have made quite the impact since winning promotion to the WSL – even before kicking a ball.
Multiple incomings of real pedigree arrived in the transfer window, including a big-money signing in Grace Geyoro on Deadline Day.
But just how would London City perform on the pitch? Could they show signs of being able to beat the drop back into the WSL2?
The short answer is – yes they could. Facing European champions Arsenal at the Emirates on the opening day is not the ideal start and, for a short while, London City looked like pulling off quite the opening-weekend shock when they went ahead through Kosovare Asllani’s penalty.
In the first half in particular, they were a fair match for Arsenal with some neat football. But, after the break, Arsenal’s quality and WSL nous shone through. London City’s early cohesion began to break down, which may not be a surprise given the number of new faces.
As boss Jocelyn Precheur told Sky Sports in pre-season, London City had nothing to lose and everything to learn from the trip to north London. There were positive signs that they will continue to be competitive as the season progresses.
Charlotte Marsh
