The big news out of the weekend was Chelsea dropping points in the Women’s Super League (WSL) for just the third time this season, giving Arsenal and Manchester United unexpected hope of a late-season title chase.
In Italy, Inter struck twice in stoppage time to claim an unlikely win at home to Juventus as Como heaped the misery on Napoli with a 2-0 sin in Cercola. Over in Spain’s Liga F, a second-half brace from Ana Azkona handed Athletic Club a win over Deportivo La Coruña after fellow Basques, Eibar had triumphed over Levante.
In the Frauen-Bundesliga, Carl Zeiss Jena claimed their first win of the season away to Köln before Lineth Beerensteyn stole the show for Wolfsburg firing in four of the best against Essen. Finally, in France, a healthy 4-0 win over Fleury was enough for Lyon to confirm their top of the table finish with three games to spare as Paris FC clinched the third playoff berth behind Paris Saint-Germain.
Can Arsenal, Man United make a title race after Chelsea stumble?
It’s been quite the month for Chelsea. After beating Manchester City in the League Cup final and then toppling Nick Cushing’s side again to reach the semifinals of the Champions League, this weekend’s clash with midtable West Ham looked a fairly routine assignment.
But, in the WSL, there’s always scope for an upset and so it proved on Sunday as the Hammers came from 2-0 down to snatch a late point against the league leaders thanks to a stoppage-time equaliser from Shekiera Martinez. Sonia Bompastor’s side looked some way from their best as they failed to win a league game for only the third time this season. Elsewhere, victories for Manchester United and in-form Arsenal — 2-0 over Everton and 4-0 at Crystal Palace respectively — have added an unexpected layer of jeopardy to the title race.
Of course, Chelsea remain the overwhelming favourites, with a six-point cushion at the top of the WSL table. But, with four matches still to play this term, Bompastor’s side have shown they are fallible, and their commitments in Europe could take their toll in the coming weeks. Arsenal also have Champions League engagements on the horizon but, with forward Alessia Russo arguably in the form of her career, they certainly have the potential to push Chelsea all the way.
And, with United still to host the league leaders at Leigh Sports Village, there could still be plenty to play for between now and the end of the campaign. — BL
