LONDON – Midfielders Lia Waelti and Frida Maanum both netted in the first-half as Arsenal grabbed a 2-0 win away to Liverpool to go top of the Women’s Super League, with Manchester United drawing level with them thanks to a 1-0 win over Leicester City.
The results leave nothing between Arsenal and United in the early going, with the two sides tied on 12 points and having scored 11 goals scored while conceding none.
Waelti opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 15th minute, snapping up a clearance from a corner and belting it into the net, and Norway international Maanum made it 2-0 seven minutes later with a powerful run and finish.
Champions Chelsea had to battle hard on a sodden pitch but eventually won 2-0 away at Brighton & Hove Albion to stay third, level with the leaders on points but behind on goal difference and having played a game more.
West Ham United survived a late scare as Reading came back from 3-0 down to make it 3-2, but the Hammers held on and are in fifth place on nine points, behind Everton, who beat Aston Villa 1-0, on goal difference.
Also, Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw scored either side of the break to help Manchester City to a comfortable 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Reuters reported.
Manchester United’s excellent start to the season continued with a win over bottom side Leicester thanks to a Nikita Parris strike, but they would have hoped for more goals that would have put them clear at the top.
After being held to a 0-0 draw by Leicester for more than half an hour, Manchester United produced their opportunity to seize control of the game.
Katie Zelem played a huge role in United’s latest win in the Women’s Super League to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal.
Zelem, who is known for her sharp accuracy on set-pieces, stepped to take a free-kick as a sea of red shirts waited in the box.
The skipper swung in her cross, straight onto the head of Nikita Parris who nodded home her first WSL goal for United.
Zelem maintained an 81 per cent passing accuracy throughout the match and completed 100 per cent of her attempted tackles.
She also created the most chances of any other player in the match (3) and contributed three interceptions. Zelem’s performance earned her a Player of the Match rating of 8.2/10.
It was a solid display both offensively and defensively from the skipper and she will undoubtedly be delighted to see her team neck-and-neck with Arsenal.
The Gunners currently lead the WSL table but nothing separates them from United. Both sides have earned 12 points from four fixtures, scored 11 goals, and conceded none.
