James saves Chelsea, Kelly returns, Wolfsburg thrash Frankfurt

Following a brief hiatus for the FA Cup, the Women’s Super League (WSL) returned in full force over the weekend and, once again, the question was: can anyone stop Chelsea? Lauren James’ last-gasp winner to seal a 2-1 victory against Everton quickly suggested that, even when they are run close, no … no-one can.

On what was a crushing weekend for away teams, the Toffees got off lightly as bottom side Crystal Palace fell to a 3-1 loss away to Manchester United, Arsenal routed Spurs 5-0, Leicester City hit Aston Villa for three, West Ham delivered a 3-1 defeat to Brighton, and Manchester City eased to a 4-0 win over Liverpool.

In Europe, French league leaders Lyon put in another strong showing to wreck Guingamp 7-0, while Paris FC claimed a 4-0 win at home to Saint-Étienne. Real Madrid snatched all three points deep in stoppage time against Levante Badalona in Liga F and, in Germany, VfL Wolfsburg were the big winners as they took Frauen-Bundesliga leaders Eintracht Frankfurt apart 6-1.

James delivers last-gasp winner

After a goal drought dating back to September and spells on the sidelines due to injury, England star Lauren James delivered a dramatic winner for Chelsea against Everton.

The hosts appeared destined to drop points for only the second time this season after the Toffees struck first just after half-time. Chelsea managed to equalize through Mayra Ramírez, but they struggled to break down Everton’s defence as the minutes ticked on. Then, deep into stoppage time, James stepped up to send a rocket of a shot into the bottom corner.

James’ heroics came just days after she earned a recall to the England squad on Tuesday. The 23-year-old, who hadn’t featured for Sarina Wiegman’s side since April 2024 due to persistent lower-leg injuries, now looks set to make her long-awaited return to the international stage after returning to the pitch for the Blues at the start of January. — EK

Leicester win sparks trouble for Palace

Leicester’s commanding 3-0 victory over fellow strugglers Aston Villa is a remarkable achievement for a team that have had issues all season — especially when you consider that those three goals account for a third of their total tally (9) this campaign. However, the result also spells trouble for Crystal Palace, who now sit four points adrift of Villa at the bottom.

Promoted at the end of last season, Palace are the latest victims of the widening gulf between the WSL’s top and bottom sides. Like Bristol City before them, they have shown signs of progress, even managing to score against Manchester United — something no other lower-ranked side had done this season — but, despite their improvements, Palace now appear destined to drop straight back down to the second tier. — EK

Wolves maul Eagles

In mid-October, having already surrendered five points in the league and fresh off a Champions League group-stage defeat (1-0 away to Roma), Wolfsburg beat Bayern Munich 2-0. In mid-December, after a damaging defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the league, they smashed six past AS Roma to ensure progression to the knockout stages of the UWCL.

So, having struggled to a 0-0 draw against FC Köln last weekend before losing 1-0 to Hoffenheim in the DFB-Pokal Frauen in midweek, there was only one course of action for Wolfsburg when they stepped onto the pitch against league leaders Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

It is not just about exorcising bad results for the She Wolves; it’s about picking up statement wins to remind everyone of the team they once were.

Inside eight minutes, Alex Popp’s header and Lineth Beerensteyn’s neat finish put them 2-0 up. By half-time, two penalties and an own goal saw Frankfurt, who had the best defence in the league (with only five goals conceded in total before this game), torn apart and 5-0 down.

The second half saw a late consolation from Carlotta Wamser but Frankfurt were never going to come back from their early struggles. Coming into the game off 120 Pokal minutes against Bayern in the midweek, the Eagles looked tired. But, crucially, Wolfsburg did what they used to do best and punished them completely. — SL

QUICK HITS

EIGHT. A Real late showing. Despite their perpetual struggles against Barcelona in Liga F and beyond, there is no question Real Madrid have improved this season. But an area of improvement we should talk about more is their self-belief and resilience. Once again, this weekend saw Madrid grab all three points in stoppage time as they delivered a painful 3-2 loss to Levante Badalona for the second time this season [the first was 3-1 with two late goals in November] with Alba Redondo scoring the vital goal. But it’s not just in Liga F that Madrid have pushed until the final whistle, with Melanie Leupolz’s stoppage-time winner a vital springboard for their progression in the Champions League back in September.

SEVEN. Shaw sends a message. There is no question that Bunny Shaw is one of the WSL’s classiest and best strikers, just like there’s no question about how much City miss the Jamaica international when she’s not in the squad. Having taken herself out of contention for a midweek cup game against Arsenal earlier this month due to suffering racist and misogynistic abuse after their WSL clash with the Gunners days earlier, Shaw chose to celebrate her opener against Liverpool this weekend by bowing her head and raising her right fist. The “Black Power” salute was a silent show of defiance and City manager Gareth Taylor said of the gesture after the 4-0 win: “It’s powerful. She’s a proud Black woman and, where she is from, means a lot to her. We will always support her, and the reaction of the crowd meant a lot to her.”

SIX. Chapéu, Fenottes. When Division 1 Féminine leaders Lyon play the team at the foot of the table, there’s only ever going to be one outcome: a soul-destroying defeat for their opposition. Against Guingamp, a side with only three points and as many goals conceded this season as Lyon have scored (61), Lyon were always going to be dominant. Kadidiatou Diani’s hat trick was the highlight on paper but, really, Lyon’s effortless football — where they moved the ball around with ease and never looked like they were overexerting themselves — should be what’s talked about.

FIVE. West Ham iron out the creases. Brighton did themselves no favours in Dagenham on Sunday afternoon but, once again in the WSL, the development of a team at the lower end of the table was palpable as West Ham eased to victory. With half of the possession but twice as many shots, the Irons keep showing their resilience and growth that has followed each transfer window. And Brighton, who started the season so well, are now 10 points adrift of the top four.

FOUR. Granada looking up. With an hour gone against Granada, Espanyol looked to be on their way to a first win in seven games until the hosts hit them for two goals in as many minutes to seal a 2-1 win. First, Edna Imade made up for an earlier penalty miss by sweeping home, before Ariadna Mingueza fired in from outside the area. It was a long way from a fluke for Granada. A team just two points off relegation last season, the Nazaríes have been consistent all season, with just one loss in their last 12 matches in all competitions — and even that was against Real Madrid. They are scoring more, conceding less and look entirely at home as a midtable Liga F team.

THREE. Hope for Köln? It has not been a particularly enjoyable season for the Billygoats. Indeed, across the club’s whole history, Köln have rarely excelled in the women’s game and too often look out of their depth in the top flight. However, since bringing Britta Carlson into the head coach role at the turn of the year, the team have taken quick steps and although they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Freiburg this weekend, they were the first goals the team have conceded in three league outings.

TWO. Paris FC flex. With Clara Matéo leading the Première Liege goal-scoring charts on 15 goals, it would be easy to suggest that Paris FC are a one-woman team. But with Matéo ruled out against Saint-Étienne, the second-placed team showed their depth and strength with Maëlle Garbino (2), Mathilde Bourdieu and Kessya Bussy all getting on the scoresheet in a 4-0 win.

ONE. Kelly returns. Emily Fox’s stunning strike was the cherry on the cake for Arsenal as they took apart a Tottenham side that looked entirely out of their depth in a 5-0 defeat at the Emirates. But one of the subplots of the day was Chloe Kelly’s first minutes for the Gunners in 2,815 days [she last played for them in 2017]. Having spent most of the season sitting on the bench in Manchester, with little hope of making the England squad ahead of this summer’s Euro 2025 tournament, Kelly would have wanted the transfer saga to end sooner than it did. But, on Sunday, it was amazing how little rust she showed as she creating four chances against Spurs from just a 30-minute cameo. — SL