Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter breaks down the big talking points from the latest Women’s Super League fixtures and explores the key stories at the heart of the women’s game.
Is the title fight over? Let’s think again
“We know that the title race is probably over,” manager Sonia Bompastre admitted after Chelsea’s loss to Arsenal on Saturday. It’s a candid confession from the Blues manager, but it’s not something we’ve heard before. Bompastor’s concession evokes an interesting sense of déjà vu.
When Emma Hayes told us in the 2023/24 farewell season that the WSL title belonged to Manchester City, everyone believed her statement to be true. She is a fascinating character, but on top of that, in May Chelsea were six points behind leaders City with two games in hand.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastre said: “The title race is over.”
Perhaps City have achieved a long-awaited victory. But this is eight-time champions Chelsea, and they know how to stage a comeback. Bompastre knows that, just as Hayes did when he led City to the title on goal difference.
Mr. Bompastre’s rhetoric is smart and deliberate. Inside the walls of Cobham, there is no acceptance that the title has been lost and the only thing that exists is a determination to regain control by any means necessary. But making outsiders think Chelsea have conceded defeat is a useful tactic ahead of a crucial meeting with league leaders next weekend. The mind games have begun.
It’s important to remember that it’s still only January and nothing is set in stone, despite Andriy Jeglac’s side taking a commanding nine-point lead heading into Sunday’s showdown at the Etihad. It was just five days ago that Chelsea kicked City out of the League Cup. There are many more legs to this story.
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Highlights of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Chelsea
Since the start of last season, Chelsea have averaged 2.1 points per game in traditional top-four games compared to City’s record of 0.9 points in the same period, and will face Chelsea and Arsenal on consecutive weekends starting in February. A 9-point cushion can quickly be reduced to 3 points.
Of course, despite all this speculation, it’s worth pointing out that Chelsea have been far from their best all season. Their 34-game unbeaten run in the league was halted by 10th place Everton last month, and their struggles in front of goal have been a consistent theme. In the loss to Arsenal, they wasted five big chances and only one of their 18 shots went on target, underperforming their total xG by 4.89. This is the worst ratio of any team in the league.
But don’t be fooled. Chelsea don’t think their race is going well, and neither should front-runners Manchester City. Sunday’s matchup will prove that.
Hanson at the heart of Arroyo’s approach
Aston Villa’s Kirsty Hanson has scored for all WSL forwards this season. Her latest goal against Manchester United may have been a waste, but it served as a reminder of the talent being honed by head coach Natalia Arroyo.
After not scoring in 33 consecutive games from May 2023 to March 2025, Hanson has scored 10 goals in 16 games since then. Only Bunny Shaw (13 points) and Shequiera Martinez (11 points) scored more points in this run.
Last week marked the one-year anniversary of Arroyo’s arrival at Villa Park, and Hanson’s turnaround coincided with that. Her changes have been significant, with Villa now able to press and counter in the methodical style designed by Arroyo.
It’s no surprise that Hanson is one of only two players (along with Everton’s Ornella Vignola) to have scored more than once in the league from fast-breaks this season, and it’s no coincidence that she and teammate Ebony Salmon are tops for total fast-breaks (six each).
Such a tactical change suits Hanson’s directness and ability to advance the ball quickly, stretching Villa’s defense in a way that makes it even more difficult to predict. She had 10 touches in the opposition box against Man United, tied for the most of any player across the WSL weekend, and has been more consistently impactful in the final third, scoring in three of Villa’s previous four wins.
Lucky number 13 for Liverpool
Liverpool achieved their first win of the season on their 13th try. The result will come as a relief to under-pressure manager Gareth Taylor, but scoring two goals after 93 minutes is hardly a stress-free way to win a football match. Still, Taylor is in no position to complain.
What’s interesting is how they allowed Tottenham more possession and yet won the xG battle by a bigger margin than they had all season. It’s not exactly a perfect advertisement for Taylor’s ball-centric blueprint.
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Highlights of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Tottenham
Liverpool completed 132 fewer passes than Spurs, but had a higher proportion of long balls than usual, with 35 touches inside the opposition box compared to 11 for the visitors. No team completed more passes over the weekend, and no team had a higher xG value (2.03).
So, here’s some food for thought. Is reducing possession dominance and increasing the threat at the top end the only way to climb out of the bottom of the table? Taylor may have to accept that substance is far more beneficial than his preferred style for now.
Read WSL’s last column
In my last column, I analyzed how Taylor had to adapt his style to pick up points at Liverpool, and the new approach that gave Manchester City a boost.
