Chelsea end Arsenal’s unbeaten run as WSL matchweek four delivers derby wins and six-goal draw

Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, ending Arsenal’s 20-game Women’s Super League unbeaten run and moving within two points of leaders Manchester City. Alyssa Thompson scored the only goal in the 39th minute. The result was the defining turn in a fourth round of matches that also brought Liverpool a Merseyside derby win and left City with four victories from four games.

Chelsea halt Arsenal’s run

Arsenal had chances to take the lead before Thompson scored. Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey both struck the post in the first half, according to Sky Sports. Chelsea then capitalised when Anneke Borbe saved Keira Walsh’s shot and Thompson converted the rebound. The WSL’s account recorded 18 Arsenal shots across the match, but only two on target.

Sky Sports said Arsenal’s league unbeaten run had stretched back to October 2025. Chelsea’s victory was their third league win of the season. Arsenal finished the weekend seven points behind City, with a meeting between the sides scheduled for 4 October. Those gaps describe the table after four matchweeks, not where either team will finish.

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers told Sky Sports she was ‘Very disappointed’ with the defeat. She described the team’s difficulties as ‘a cocktail of things’ and said Arsenal needed to earn the right to discuss the title race after dropping points. She also said she believed in her players and expected the goals and points to come.

Liverpool take the derby points

The win ended Liverpool’s run of five consecutive home defeats against Everton, according to the league. The WSL also said Liverpool had now won consecutive Merseyside derbies for the first time since a three-match sequence across 2013 and 2014. Those records gave the result significance beyond the three points, although both sides still had most of the league season ahead of them.

City stay perfect; Tottenham keep pace

Manchester City maintained their perfect league start with a 1-0 win at Charlton Athletic on Saturday. Captain Alex Greenwood scored with a free-kick shortly before the 36th minute. The WSL reported that City had 79% of possession, though Charlton created early chances and goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse made five saves to keep the margin to one goal. Charlton remained without a point after four league games.

Tottenham stayed two points behind City in second place after beating Aston Villa 4-0. The game was goalless at half-time, then Victoria Pelova scored twice and Caitlin Dijkstra and Cathinka Tandberg also found the net. The league counted 35 Tottenham shots, following 42 the previous weekend, and said Spurs were the first WSL side to record at least 35 shots in successive league games.

Villa, by contrast, had six shots, according to the league’s account. They remained without a win this league season, with their last league victory coming against Leicester City in March. Tottenham’s volume of chances and second-half scoring settled this match; the result alone cannot establish how either side’s season will develop.

First goals, first win and a late equaliser

London City Lionesses beat Brighton 2-0 on Saturday. Alexia Putellas scored in the 29th minute, her first WSL goal since joining London City in the summer, and Lucía Corrales added a goal in second-half stoppage time. The result gave London City three wins from their first four league matches, while Brighton were still seeking their first victory.

Manchester United earned their first league win of the season with a 2-1 victory over West Ham. Elisabeth Terland headed United in front after nine minutes, and Andrea Medina scored the second. Viviane Asseyi converted a late penalty for West Ham, but United held on. The defeat was West Ham’s third in four league games, according to the WSL roundup.

Birmingham City and Crystal Palace drew 3-3 after the lead changed hands. Océane Hurtré put Birmingham ahead after 40 seconds, which the league called the season’s fastest WSL goal to that point, and scored again later in the first half. Palace came back and went ahead through second-half goals by Bethany England and Lexi Lloyd-Smith, before Suzu Amano equalised for Birmingham in the 87th minute.

The league said Birmingham had scored three goals in a top-flight match for the first time since April 2022. Palace, meanwhile, missed a chance to claim their first win since the opening weekend. Across matchweek four, the completed results left City top, Tottenham second and Chelsea third, with Arsenal facing City next on 4 October.