Chelsea’s record-breaking 34-game unbeaten run in the Women’s Super League came to a shock end on Sunday as Everton stunned the defending champions 1-0 at Kingsmeadow, handing Sonia Bompastor her first defeat as Blues boss.

Honoka Hayashi’s 12th-minute strike proved decisive despite Chelsea dominating possession and creating numerous chances. The hosts either produced wayward finishes or found Ireland international Courtney Brosnan in inspired form, making two outstanding first-half saves from Catarina Macario and Alyssa Thompson.

A goalmouth scramble in stoppage time epitomized Chelsea’s frustration – two goal-line clearances and two efforts off the bar somehow kept the ball out as Everton claimed their first WSL win over Chelsea in 12 years. The defeat leaves Chelsea six points behind leaders Manchester City with the season approaching its halfway stage.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Livia Peng (6/10): Had nothing to do except pick the ball out of her net after Hayashi’s opener.

Ellie Carpenter (5/10): Beaten to the ball by Hayashi for the game’s decisive moment. A costly lapse.

Lucy Bronze (6/10): Marshalled Gago well in an intriguing individual battle despite playing an unfamiliar position.

Naomi Girma (6/10): Moved the ball well and dealt effectively with Everton’s counter-attacks to prevent further damage.

Sandy Baltimore (7/10): Chelsea’s brightest performer. Consistently troubled Everton with positive, confident runs at defenders while delivering dangerous set pieces. Hit the bar with the last kick.

Midfield & Attack

Keira Walsh (5/10): Tidy on the ball but couldn’t provide the moment of quality needed to carve Everton open.

Maika Hamano (5/10): Some decent possession moments but needed better off-ball movement to become more threatening.

Catarina Macario (5/10): Linked play nicely and forced Brosnan’s fantastic early save but operated too deep to be a consistent threat.

Alyssa Thompson (6/10): One of Chelsea’s livelier performers. Unlucky not to score after Brosnan’s first-half save, then fired just wide after the break.

Aggie Beever-Jones (5/10): Worked hard with nice creative moments but lacked service.

Lauren James (5/10): Got 55 minutes under her belt on her first start since injury. Looked lively considering her layoff and forced a good Brosnan save but lacked incision.

Sam Kerr (4/10): On the end of plenty of chances but couldn’t provide her trademark clinical finish, with one particularly bad miss.

Bompastor’s attacking lineup lacked structure at times as players got in each other’s way. Her substitutions addressed the problem but the ball simply wouldn’t go in.

Also read: Less Than 12 Months Since Joining The Club, Arsenal Full-Back’s Exit Looks Inevitable

Khadija Shaw’s late brace secured Manchester City an unconvincing 3-0 victory over resolute Leicester at the King Power Stadium, extending their WSL lead to six points. The Jamaica international was wasteful throughout before finally breaking through 16 minutes from time, with substitute Kerolin adding gloss with a stoppage-time third.

City dominated from the start but found Leicester’s defensive block impenetrable for 74 minutes. Shaw spurned multiple gilt-edged chances, hitting the side netting early and looping a header onto the roof of the net after the break. Vivianne Miedema was also repeatedly denied by inspired goalkeeper Janina Leitzig as City racked up 29 shots to Leicester’s two.

The breakthrough finally came when Shaw pounced on Celeste Boureille’s mistake to fire home. She added her second with a header in the 84th minute before Kerolin’s sublime finish in the 94th capped off City’s best-ever start to a WSL season.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Ayaka Yamashita (6/10): Had virtually nothing to do beyond passing to teammates. A training session for the Japanese keeper.

Kerstin Casparij (6/10): Never troubled defensively and got forward freely but didn’t significantly impact proceedings.

Jade Rose (6/10): The statistics of 29 shots to two tell the story. Precious little defending required.

Rebecca Knaak (7/10): Continues proving a handful in the air at both ends. Commanded the backline well.

Leila Ouahabi (7/10): Comfortable in possession and dealt with everything that came her way efficiently.

Midfield

Yui Hasegawa (6/10): Needed more style to her substance but played some nice touches to free teammates.

Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10): Passing could have been quicker but stopped Leicester’s rare attacks with combative play.

Vivianne Miedema (7/10): Her first-half trickery came closest to unlocking Leicester’s dogged defence before her effectiveness waned.

Attack & Subs

Aoba Fujino (6/10): Ran at Leicester’s defence with wilful abandon but couldn’t bypass their low block.

Khadija Shaw (7/10): Missed a hatful before delivering when it mattered with two crucial goals. You only need a few seconds to have a successful game up front.

Lauren Hemp (6/10): Well shackled by Leicester’s doubled-up defence but assisted Shaw’s second.

Kerolin (8/10) ⭐: Added quality and dynamism off the bench. Got the crucial assist for Shaw’s opener before scoring a sublime late goal.

Andree Jeglertz’s side lacked creativity for long periods but his substitutions, particularly Kerolin, ultimately got the job done despite an unconvincing performance.

Also read: Renee Slegers Confirms The Position Arsenal Women Are Looking To Sign a Player From in January Transfer Window

Manchester United Women ended their first-ever threat of three consecutive WSL defeats with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over West Ham at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday.

Dominique Janssen’s sublime free-kick proved decisive after Shekiera Martinez’s stunning overhead kick had cancelled out Elisabeth Terland’s 10th goal of the season.

The Red Devils desperately needed to bounce back after consecutive losses to Aston Villa and Manchester City, and they delivered exactly that, leapfrogging Arsenal back into third in the WSL table.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Phallon Tullis-Joyce (6/10): Showed understandable rust on her return from a fractured eye socket that kept her out three weeks. Wore a protective mask throughout and was generally solid despite the adjustment. Couldn’t do anything about Martinez’s spectacular overhead kick.

Jayde Riviere (7/10): Buzzed up and down the right flank with relentless energy. Delivered dangerous crosses that created several chances and helped stretch West Ham’s defence.

Maya Le Tissier (7/10): Carried confidence from a positive England camp into another strong captain’s performance. Handled the lively Martinez effectively and marshalled United’s backline well.

Dominique Janssen (8/10) : Produced the moment of brilliance that won the game. Her perfectly executed free-kick capped off a solid defensive display, showcasing both her defensive nous and attacking quality when it mattered most.

Anna Sandberg (8/10): One of United’s standout performers this season delivered again. Her sublime cross for Terland’s opener was inch-perfect, putting the ball on a plate for the Norwegian striker.

Midfield & Attack

Julia Zigiotti Olme (7/10): Lively and effective throughout. Her pressing, passing and intelligent movement made her difficult to contain. Hit the post before Janssen’s winner.

Hinata Miyazawa (7/10): Superb in possession while anchoring the deeper midfield areas, allowing Zigiotti to roam forward and cause problems.

Ella Toone (7/10): Tidy performance where she was consistently involved in United’s best passing combinations and kept things ticking over in midfield.

Jess Park (6/10): Had a lively game down the right against her former employers but lacked her usual end product, creating just one notable chance.

Elisabeth Terland (7/10): Right place, right time to break the deadlock, though she should have added to her tally with the opportunities that came her way.

Melvine Malard (6/10): Movement was excellent as always but her finishing was surprisingly wayward considering her recent form. Headed over the bar when she should have scored.

Marc Skinner deserves credit for trusting his starting XI to get the job done, resisting the temptation to make early changes despite West Ham’s equaliser.

Also read: Why is Chloe Kelly a Doubt for Arsenal’s WSL Fixture Against Liverpool Women? All About What Really Happened During England vs. Ghana