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.
Do Arsenal have a creativity problem?
The weekend’s fixture calendar was favorable for Manchester City. They had the chance to prove themselves first with the derby win and got the job done with a 3-0 win, which is important in such a close contest. Don’t underestimate the value of pressure in a title fight.
Chelsea tend not to like to follow, they tend to lead. Arsenal have become accustomed to being chased in recent years, but a late start has ensured that the Women’s Super League title is already beyond them. And it’s only November.
No previous winner has won more goals than the Gunners have already conceded (11). It was the worst start to a WSL campaign since 2014.
So what’s the problem? The simple answer is that Arsenal are lacking creativity. They took off in September, scoring nine goals in their first two games. In fact, they have scored 60 goals in 21 games and remain the league’s top scorers in 2025. But since then, they’ve become too one-dimensional and predictable.
Renee Slegers’ intricate, methodical brand of football only works when backed up by a consistent end product. Their conversion rate (12.59 per cent) is lower than Everton, who are 10th this season.
Does Arsenal have a creativity problem?
Arsenal have reached the final third with more touches inside the opposition box (360) than any other team, but their patient and sometimes slow build-up gives their opponents time to set up their defence.
“Arsenal can’t get into the final third fast enough,” Sky Sports’ Rachel Corsey said after the draw with Spurs on Sunday. “Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius do the same thing. It’s easy to defend that. The delivery is neither dangerous nor dynamic.”
Sleasure’s team has the lowest forward pass completion percentage (33.5) in the division. That approach is intentional. But that means they have to work harder to break down organized defenses, a tactic Spurs used cleverly on Sunday.
“Tottenham were ready to draw,” recalled Sky Sports’ Jizzy Christiansen. “They showed no intention of winning the game at all. They were quite modest. I say that in a positive way. From Arsenal’s point of view they were completely ineffective.”
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Arsenal head coach Lennie Sleggers and Caitlin Ford explain their frustration after the North London derby stalemate.
The problem with sticking to a particular style is often the lack of a Plan B. At various points this season, Slegers substitutes have changed games and saved points. The percentage of goal contributions by subs (10) was the highest of any team. But relying on a game-changing impact off the bench week after week comes with obvious risks.
Comparing last season’s 3-0 win at Spurs to this year’s stalemate on the heat map, there is a clear disconnect between the areas of activity they are choosing to play in. Twelve months ago, Arsenal showed a more balanced and clinical performance, taking just under 64 seconds to take the lead. This meeting was even more lopsided. The disconnection is visually obvious.
Arsenal and Spurs’ 0-0 draw revealed a clear disconnect between the units
“It’s difficult at the moment,” coach Sleggers admitted after the game. And if it continues to fall further behind its competitors, the situation will become even more difficult.
The moment when Man City take control
While Arsenal and Chelsea have stumbled, missing out on back-to-back league wins for the first time since January 2022, Manchester City continues to go from strength to strength. Under Andriy Jegrats, they developed a knack for revealing specific opposition weaknesses. The devil is in the details.
Manchester United have conceded the fifth most xG goals from corner kicks this season. What does Jeglarz do? He places maximum emphasis on winning set pieces and making first contact on deliveries. City generated six corners in the first half against the Etihad, with Rebecca Knaack opening the scoring after Bunny Shaw’s knockdown. A routine that had obviously been rehearsed that week.
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Manchester United.
In general, United haven’t conceded too many goals, but timing is key here. When are they most vulnerable? Mark Skinner’s side conceded more goals in the period before half-time (31 to 45 minutes) than in any other phase of the game, and that’s when City struck with their second and third goals. The match ended before the break.
City’s eight straight league wins are a reminder of their collective strength. The combination of talent and profiles is one of the company’s greatest strengths. They have a good mix of technicians and tacklers in midfield, with Yui Hasegawa and Laura Blindkilde-Brown proving the perfect partnership. They had width in goal and each of the three units contributed to Saturday’s scoreline.
And they are no longer bound by the need to drive the opposing team into oblivion. Their belief at the top end meant they weren’t afraid to concede more possession to their rivals. “We have so many different ways of attacking: crosses, center plays, set pieces,” said Yegratz. “We have quality in every position. We got to this point sooner than I expected.”
Consistency is currently the biggest challenge. The lack of European competition has clearly helped in this regard, with all three teams taking part in Champions League matches in midweek dropping points. Of course, that’s not City’s concern. If competitors continue to underperform, their only obligation is to ensure that they are positioned to make a profit.
Players to watch: Nagano and Olson
Liverpool are now at the bottom of the league thanks to West Ham’s first win of the season. But there is still hope on Gareth Taylor’s side. Few teams can restrict Chelsea like they did in Sunday’s 1-1 draw.
Fuka Nagano has shown great command in midfield and has been an integral part of Liverpool’s change in style under manager Taylor, while Beata Olsson has shown he can score, scoring for the third week in a row. They are building toward something recognizable, but now they need results to support overall improvement.
Fuka Nagano’s fighting spirit puts Liverpool in an advantageous position for future growth
Read last week’s column
In last week’s column, I discussed the controversy that saw Arsenal’s loss to Chelsea reignit the debate over the introduction of VAR in the women’s game.
