WSL: Champions Chelsea start season with win

WSL defending champions Chelsea kicked off the 2023-24 season with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Spurs looked lively at the start, but it was Chelsea that opened the scoring when Mia Fishel rose above her marker to nod Niamh Charles' dinked cross beyond Rebecca Spencer.

Chelsea came out strong after half-time and were rewarded with their second via Lauren James, who volleyed home after a ball was cleared off the line by Tottenham's Ashleigh Neville.

Tottenham didn't wilt after going down two, and Robert Vilahamn's side cut the deficit in half when Martha Thomas dashed in to fire the ball home from between Celsea keeper Zećira Mušović's ankles.

In Sunday's early game, Manchester United came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park.

Last season's Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly opened the scoring for the hosts in the 76th minute right after her strike partner Kirsty Hanson was shown straight red for coming in with a high boot on a tackle.

United fired right back, though, and Lucía García scored to put the game back on level terms before Rachel Williams headed home in stoppage time to seal the three points.

Liverpool pulled off a shock win in North London, holding Arsenal without a goal a taking home maximum points to start the season with a 1-0 victory at the Emirates.

New-comer Miri Taylor scored the game's only goal as Liverpool had the measure of the hosts throughout the match, forcing them out wide and denying them the direct play they were desperate

The composed performance throughout from the Reds saw them travel back to Merseyside with three points in their back pocket.

Willie Kirk's somewhat new-look Leicester City won 4-2 and gave Bristol City a match to forget upon their return to the WSL despite the hosts taking the lead at Ashton Gate through a smart shot from Carrie Jones.

Back to haunt her former club, Aimee Palmer lashed a goal into the top left corner from outside the box to restore parity before the break with Shannon O'Brien's slalomed finish putting the Robins on the back foot early into the second half.

Making her Leicester debut, Lena Petermann nodded in a third for the visitors before Jutta Rantala scored to leave the hosts needing a miracle. Even with Amalie Thestrup reducing the deficit from the spot two minutes later, there would be no late comeback for Bristol, setting the tone for what is sure to be a taxing season.

Manchester City got their first win in the bag with little fuss in East London coming out the better on a 2-0 decision against West Ham United.

City controlled the match from the whistle and gave up very little of the ball during the first half, making the home defence work for their half-time clean sheet.

Yet it only took three minutes for Lauren Hemp to open the scoring after the restart. Comfortably on top, Jill Roord cut through the defence before easing the ball into Mackenzie Arnold's bottom left corner just seven minutes after Hemp's opener.

Reduced to 10 when Leila Ouahabi was shown a straight red for a clash with Emma Harries 20 minutes from time, Gareth Taylor's side stood strong, keeping their shape and not letting West Ham change the tempo to see out the win.

Brighton picked up their first win on Merseyside since 2021 with a measured performance away to Everton and a 2-1 victory. Having bagged a brace against the Toffees back in April, Elisabeth Terland fired the visitors ahead in the third minute, mopping up the scraps after Katie Robinson had clattered the bar with a hopeful effort.

Needing just a further 11 minutes to complete her brace, Terland got the better of Emily Ramsey once more, this time having been found well by Robinson, undescoring the Seagull's superiority on the match.

Taking their foot off of the pedal after the break, Brighton found themselves put under pressure from an Everton team growing into the game, with Megan Finnigan finding the back of the net from a whipped in corner.

Despite, the Toffee's better efforts, they couldn't find a second, leaving them at the wrong half of the table after the first round of matches.