Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action | OneFootball

Everton declare start of ‘hunting season’

The Everton manager, Brian Sørensen, said his team would hunt down the clubs above them after a third win in five WSL matches moved them 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Everton were bottom in November and Sørensen says they will continue to look up after beating Crystal Palace 3-0. “We’ve been fighting for our lives for the last one and a half seasons, in terms of our squad and availability, and always every game was: ‘OK, which 11 players do we have?’ Whereas now, we have a squad. We can sit down and say: ‘what does the end of the season look like?’ We’re not far from the teams above us, so it’s hunting season now.” TG

Cuthbert revels in ‘booster’ role

After Erin Cuthbert supplied the match-winning header in stoppage time at Manchester City to cap an inspirational substitute performance and secure Chelsea’s comeback victory, she revealed she was described as the team’s “aggressivity booster” in pre-season by the manager, Sonia Bompastor. “That was Sonia’s translation. Whenever the team needs a lift, looking to me when I come off the bench, it’s just about inflicting energy. Because we were starting to gain momentum in the game when I came on. We were on the ascendancy and the goal was coming.” Asked where that second-half display ranked this season, Cuthbert said: “In terms of creating chances and xG, it was pretty high. To not let Man City out of their half, at times where they felt they couldn’t breathe and we were creating really clearcut chances – it’s certainly up there, especially against such a good team. We’re going to have to have an even better one on Thursday.” That is when Chelsea will try to overturn a 2-0 deficit against City in their Champions League quarter-final second leg. TG

Report: Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea

Spurs falling short in final third

Despite having plenty of opportunities Tottenham lacked quality in the final third in their 2-0 defeat at West Ham. This was a fifth consecutive WSL loss It is in front of goal where they are struggling, especially in the absence of the injured Beth England, who has eight goals this season. Spurs have recorded fewer than five shots in four WSL games this season but that was not the case against West Ham. They dominated and hit the woodwork twice through Martha Thomas and Eveliina Summanen. Whether bad luck or the lack of finishing spark was to blame, Spurs need a backup with the same prowess and consistency as England. RO

Foord and Caldentey fire Gunners

Arsenal produced one of their best performances of the season at the Emirates on Saturday with an intense, high-octane display to dismantle a recently rejuvenated Liverpool. Between the energetic pressing of Caitlin Foord, starting for the first time since the defeat by the same opponents in the FA Cup a fortnight before, and the technical dynamism of Mariona Caldentey, they dominated pretty much every metric to race into a 3-0 lead at half-time. Arsenal became the first WSL teamto score four or more goals in six consecutive home league matches, an illustration of how they have in general (despite the odd blip) improved at breaking teams down since Renée Slegers took over. It was a day to forget for Liverpool’s Jasmine Matthews, who experienced the ignominy of scoring two own goals. Both were unfortunate, desperate attempts to clear Arsenal’s waves of pressure, but it will have been a long journey home for the defender. SD

Leicester halfway to perfection

Leicester opened a six-point cushion to bottom-placed Crystal Palace with a morale-boosting 3-2 victory over Brighton. If Amandine Miquel were to show an illustration of the way she wants her side to perform, it would have been that first half at the King Power. Her team lay in wait for Brighton, defensively solid and offensively efficient. With every turnover, they looked for the pace of Hannah Cain and Shana Chossenotte down the flanks, exploiting the space the visitors left them. It was not a complete performance by any means and a second-half wobble almost allowed Brighton to come back. Yūka Momiki missed a penalty, spurning the opportunity to put Leicester 4-1 ahead, before Fran Kirby dispatched her spot-kick for the Seagulls moments later. It led to a tense finale, but Leicester showed their defensive character to hold on for a vital three points. SD

United inch closer to Champions League

Manchester United underlined their Champions League credentials with an emphatic 4-0 win against Aston Villa. It was a dominant display by United, with Elisabeth Terland the star of the show. She scored twice, taking her league total to nine this season, and an assist wrapped up an impressive performance by the Norwegian. Grace Clinton, who chipped the keeper from 40 yards for the third goal, spoke about the importance of obtaining European football: “We definitely want to be pushing for Champions League. Keep pushing, you never know what’s going to happen with the league.” With five games left, United are seven points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester City. RO

Header image: [Composite: Guardian pictures]