Threat of punishment ruins Palace’s big day
Kirsty Howat’s 60-second cameo deep into injury time could ruin what was a memorable day for Crystal Palace on their return to the top flight. An impressive 1-0 victory over Everton was celebrated emphatically by Jo Potter and her players but that joy would have been replaced by concern and frustration not long after. On Sunday evening WSL Football revealed that there had been a breach of the rules – the Eagles used four different substitute windows rather than the regulated three – which had not been picked up by either the coaching staff or the match officials. An investigation has now been launched with punishment to be decided (there is a potential for the result to be overturned). The needless error has put a dampener on what should have been a positive afternoon thanks to England Under-23s forward Lexi Lloyd-Smith’s winner on her WSL debut. Sophie Downey
Chelsea must sharpen their claws
It was not the first time Chelsea have struggled to kill off games under Sonia Bompastor and, on the basis of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa after an almost excessively dominant performance, it seems the issues of last season have not been put to bed. “I think in a few games we had last season we were in the same scenarios,” said Bompastor. “So, yeah, if you analyse the performance today and the statistics of the game you can say that it’s crazy we couldn’t win the game.” It felt all too familiar, with last season’s 1-0 defeat to Everton in December, which ended a 585-day unbeaten run in the WSL, particularly springing to mind. Then, Chelsea accrued 79% possession, had 30 shots and hit the woodwork three times but came away with a loss. The fear for Chelsea fans will be that, in the 10 months since that defeat, the issues that were becoming increasingly evident have not been resolved. Suzanne Wrack
Match report: Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
Signings shine on competitive debut for Arsenal
Much has been made of Arsenal’s recruitment over the summer with many believing that Renée Slegers now has a team primed to challenge for the title. Four of their new signings started in the 1-0 win over Brighton, with two standing out. Recognition of Lisa Baum’s potential came to the fore with a series of impressive showings in pre-season. The 19-year-old caught the eye on her WSL debut on Sunday not just for her well-taken goal but for her direct, positive style of play. Meanwhile, Georgia Stanway showed exactly why Slegers was so keen to bring her in. The England international has added balance to the midfield, allowing Mariona Caldentey to operate more creatively. Stanway controlled the middle of the park, ranking first for touches – at 131, she had 25 more than anyone else – joint top for accurate passes (86%), first for passes into the final third (23) and second for chances created (2). SD
Role model Hemp brings up double century
“Just give her the ball and then something happens!” Andrée Jeglertz said of Lauren Hemp after her 200th appearance for Manchester City. The England winger was on typically strong form during the 3-1 victory over Birmingham City and became only the fourth Manchester City player to reach that landmark of appearances. Jeglertz was full of praise for the 26-year-old and continued: “One thing that is fascinating with Lauren is, if you come and watch one of our training sessions, she has the same joy for playing football. It’s also shown in the games. Our job is to put her in situations where she can show how good she is. [She] shows young players what it’s about. They need to love to go to work and love to go to the football field. It’s not just a job. It’s also an identity.” Tom Garry
Maestre masters the melting pot
Many believe the biggest challenges faced by the London City Lionesses manager, Eder Maestre, is integrating a squad that has experienced a high turnover of players and balancing the demands of an expectant cast of superstars. There have been eight arrivals this summer and seven players have departed. Teams that have experienced a high turnover of players after a strong WSL season have previously struggled. On Friday night, however, Maestre’s team showed signs they could buck that trend with a 2-1 win over Manchester United. It wasn’t always the prettiest of performances but fledgling connections were forming in Bromley, with the individual quality of players helping to cut across any lack of cohesion. Gelling players is not easy though. “I think it’s one of the most challenging situations for any coach,” said Maestre. “We have talented players, but we have a clash of cultures. I’m trying to align everybody in the same place, trying to create something big where everybody can feel represented … I’m very happy with the performance. ” SW
Match report: London City Lionesses 2-1 Manchester United
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Are Charlton strong enough to stay up?
It was a worrying start to the season for Charlton Athletic fans, as the newly promoted side were convincingly beaten on home turf by the club that finished second from bottom in the WSL last season. Not only that, Charlton failed to register a shot on target during Liverpool’s 4-0 victory and the hosts could only manage two efforts off target, as Gareth Taylor’s visitors’ enjoyed 76% of the possession. It had been a much closer-fought affair when the two sides met on the same ground on April in the Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals, when Liverpool eventually squeezed through after extra-time, but the Merseyside club appear to have strengthened significantly over the summer whereas Charlton clearly have significant work to do. TG
Hanson makes instant impact for Spurs with debut double
Kirsty Hanson wasted no time making her mark at Tottenham, scoring twice on her debut to secure a 3-1 victory over West Ham after joining from Aston Villa this summer. The forward opened her account with a first-time finish after an assist from Signe Gaupset and then produced a superb left-footed strike into the top corner. Hanson was the third-highest scorer in the WSL last season, behind Bunny Shaw and Alessia Russo, with 12 goals in 22 matches. She was one of several key transfers made during the window with the club believing she will add a new dimension to their attack. Speaking to Spurs Women social media about her performance, the manager, Martin Ho, said: “The movement for her first one was outstanding, and the second was a wonderful strike. When she’s in those positions with that quality and control, she’s really hard to play against. There’s lots more to come from Kirsty.” Réshma Rao