Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action
Maanum’s revenge hands Eidevall a dilemma
We had Beth Mead’s revenge tour after she was dropped from Team GB contention before the Olympics. Now the Frida Maanum revenge tour has swung into gear. The Norway midfielder has grabbed her chance to impress after spending the start of the season, and much of her time since joining Arsenal from the Swedish side Linköping, coming off the bench. The 23-year-old has four goals in five games following her strike in the 4-0 win at Leicester since she was named in the starting XI ahead of Vivianne Miedema and her impressive form has given Jonas Eidevall a headache as manager. Miedema has been granted a leave of absence to “rest and recharge” before the international break but when she returns she has the task of unseating the in-form Maanum, or reclaiming her place up top ahead of Stina Blackstenius. Having so many world-class options in a squad is a blessing but for Eidevall it could also prove a headache. Suzanne Wrack
Hemp shines on Mukandi’s day to forget
Emma Mukandi had a game the Reading captain would rather forget after scoring two own goals in her team’s 3-o defeat to Manchester City. Lauren Hemp was at the centre of the action for both goals, sweeping in dangerous deliveries into the area after being left unmarked by Reading’s defence. Mukandi, who was scrambling to stop the onslaught from Hemp, toed in the first to give City the lead and the second ricocheted off a thigh. Bunny Shaw, who has been scoring regularly in the WSL, made it 3-0 to the visitors with a header. Hemp was the star, however; a menace all game and it’s no surprise as she has now been involved in 13 goals in her last 13 games. Renuka Odedra
Seagulls sore amid a Dagenham downpour
Apocalyptic weather circled Dagenham during the warm-up for West Ham’s home game with Brighton. But while the weather cleared, what followed on the pitch remained stormy – two teams playing out a nine-goal thriller that illustrated the WSL at its chaotic best. It had been a challenging week for Brighton after an 8-0 drubbing to Tottenham and Hope Powell’s subsequent departure as manager. Things did not look good on Sunday for the visitors when they fell behind within two minutes, but they rallied, led by the inspired Danielle Carter. By half-time she had notched her first two goals of the season and one assist, setting up Veatriki Sarri for Brighton’s third goal. A Victoria Williams’ own goal allowed the hosts a glimmer of hope but the visitors responded – Elisabeth Terland and Jorja Fox both scoring their first goals for the club. Just as Brighton appeared in control, mayhem erupted – Viviane Asseyi struck twice in quick succession to provide a photo finish. Seven minutes of injury time followed but the Seagulls clung on, backs against the wall, to register an important victory. Sophie Downey
United’s crumble is a cause for concern
There were positives for Manchester United to take from their defeat to Chelsea. The 3-1 scoreline was far from reflective of the balance of the game, with Erin Cuthbert’s added-time strike making a close game look slightly one-sided. However, there were also several areas of concern for United. For all their positive passages of play, they struggled to create chances. In the first half it was one shot on target apiece but in the second it was five to one in favour of Chelsea. More significant, though, was the collapse of United’s shape after they fell behind for the first time this season. Having not conceded a single goal in their five games before this meeting, the hosts let in two in four minutes. The players looked rocked after Chelsea had taken the lead and suddenly their defensive strength crumbled. They refound their flow after Alessia Russo pulled one back but by then it was too late. SW
Match report: Manchester United 1-3 Chelsea
Cards galore as Beard fumes over penalty
Rachel Daly scored her fifth WSL goal of the season as Aston Villa won 1-0 at Liverpool. Kirsty Hanson was brought down by Rachel Laws, who couldn’t stop Daly from dispatching the subsequent penalty. That’s when the frustration bubbled to the surface at Prenton Park. Robert Massey-Ellis reached into his pocket seven times as yellow cards were dished out in a fashion reminiscent of Oprah Winfrey giving away cars. Bookings were given for silly fouls and some seemingly obvious Villa tactics designed to tick down the clock. Annoyance from the Liverpool camp, who are now winless in five consecutive games, continued after full time. Speaking to BBC Sport, Matt Beard questioned the penalty’s validity. “I’ve watched it back. I have respect for the referee but it’s not a penalty,” the manager said. “It’s frustrating because I don’t know what a penalty is any more.” RO*