The international break brought a mix of high drama and stark reminders of football’s acceptable margins in the Women’s Super League. For one, young Michelle Agyemang’s season came to a premature end after she ruptured her ACL while playing for England. Elsewhere, players returned with renewed scoring streaks and optimism, while the spectre of red cards again hung around the game, introducing fresh selection headaches for coaches. With squads coming back together and momentum needing to be maintained, this weekend marks the first significant test of the next phase of the season for clubs across the league.
Manchester City vs West Ham United
Joie Stadium — Saturday 1 November, 12:00pm
Manchester City return from the international break with confidence, momentum and positive injury news as they chase a sixth straight WSL victory. Head coach Andrée Jeglertz confirmed that Rebecca Knaak and Grace Clinton “have been training fully for the last week and … I expect them to be involved in the squad.” Meanwhile, Lauren Hemp and Lily Murphy have been “part of the session a little bit,” although their reintegration remains cautious, with Jeglertz emphasising that “Kerolin and Mary are still doing their own stuff.” The careful management reflects City’s desire to protect fitness levels as they build toward sustained title pressure.
City come into this game on the league’s longest winning streak and could match last year’s six-match run with another victory. They also carry renewed attacking threat, led by Iman Beney, who has been a revelation. Jeglertz praised her “calmness and confidence,” saying, “She’s just playing her game, and that is one of the most important things for a young player,” while adding City are still learning how to “optimise” and “maximise” her talents. Her impact — with decisive goals against Arsenal and Liverpool — has given City an extra dimension.
For West Ham, the picture is stark. The Hammers have lost all six league matches this season and find themselves on an eight-game losing streak in the WSL — their worst ever run, and the longest active streak in the league. Yet manager Rehanne Skinner remains determined to find belief and gains, and draws inspiration from their 1-1 draw with City last March. “We worked really hard to get a point out of them last time at home and there was parts of that game where we felt like we could have had more,” she said. “When we’re functioning at our best, we’re definitely in a position to compete with those teams and make life hard for them.”
West Ham will need that resilience again as they chase their first points of the season. Skinner stressed their commitment to being competitive even away from home: “We want to make ourselves as hard to beat as possible.” With key internationals like Katrina Gorry and Ffion Morgan returning from global duty, Skinner acknowledged the challenge of reintegrating a squad who “had a record number of call-ups” and played many minutes during the break.
City will aim to assert possession, width and control, while West Ham must rely on defensive discipline, set pieces and counterattacks. With City pushing for top-of-the-table pressure and West Ham fighting for survival, this match carries weight at both ends of the league.
Chelsea vs London City Lionesses
Stamford Bridge — Saturday 1 November, 12:00pm
Chelsea return from the break almost at full power, bolstered by Naomi Girma’s return and ready to reestablish rhythm in front of a home crowd at Stamford Bridge. Head coach Sonia Bompastor confirmed, “There is positive news because everyone has returned fit and healthy from the international break – and we also have Naomi back in the group.” She also confirmed Sam Kerr is ready to start her first club match of the season, saying, “Sam is in a really good place… I know she is in a good place to be able to start a game.”
However, Lauren James’ return will take slightly longer after a minor setback. “LJ is doing really well,” Bompastor said. “She just had a few steps back but not for long… maybe we’ll have to wait a few more weeks, but not long.” Chelsea’s depth, bolstered by Girma’s long-awaited return, remains formidable — and this fixture offers a chance to gather momentum ahead of a demanding winter schedule.
London City Lionesses face a massive task but are eager to embrace it. Manager Jocelyn Prêcheur acknowledged the scale of the challenge, saying, “It will be hard to beat Chelsea,” but insisted his squad are “ready to be brave” and “take the game on.” There is extra intrigue as this match reunites Bompastor and Prêcheur, who battled for French domestic and European dominance last season, with Bompastor’s Lyon edging Prêcheur’s PSG to both the league title and Champions League final place. Another layer of story: Chelsea's Ellie Carpenter faces her wife, Daniëlle van de Donk, now a Lionesses leader — adding a personal subplot to a meeting already loaded with narrative.
Chelsea will seek to dominate transitions, tempo and territory, while London City must stay compact, communicate constantly, and take advantage of rare moments in transition. For Chelsea, anything short of control raises questions; for LCL, any point here would be statement-level.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
BetWright Stadium — Sunday 2 November, 12:00pm
Tottenham enter this clash with belief and structure under Martin Howe, who says his team have built “an identity around bravery and energy” but now must turn performances into consistent results. Spurs’ only league defeats this season came against Manchester City and Chelsea, reinforcing their competitive rise. However, Maite Oroz’s second ACL rupture — a devastating blow — adds to the WSL’s ongoing injury crisis.
Liverpool have endured a harrowing few months emotionally and competitively. The tragic losses of former manager Matt Beard and kit manager Jonathan Humble cast a heavy shadow, while the squad has also suffered two ACL injuries in October — to Sophie Roman Haug and Marie-Therese Höbinger. These events, coupled with Liverpool’s winless start to the WSL season, create a test of resilience and identity. Yet the club insists it remains united and ambitious, with the coaching staff expressing belief in the players’ ability to respond despite adversity.
Spurs will base their approach on width, pressing and transitions; Liverpool will rely on structure, set-piece threat and clinical moments. The teams drew last time they met, and given Liverpool’s need to spark their campaign and Tottenham’s push toward the league’s upper tier, the margins could be razor-thin.
This match feels emotional as much as tactical — a moment where one positive performance could reset Liverpool’s trajectory. As the club says, “It only takes one point, one positive performance, to spark a season.”
Leicester City vs Arsenal
King Power Stadium — Sunday 2 November, 12:00pm
Both sides return from the break with belief and recent improvements. Arsenal manager Renee Slegers says her squad “understand their responsibilities” after a mixed start, but she is encouraged after two wins and clean sheets before the pause. “We know what we are capable of,” she said. “We want to show our strengths as a team… we want to show Arsenal at its very best.” With big fixtures looming — including Chelsea and Champions League meetings with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid — Slegers stressed focus: “We will take this block game by game… treating every game like it’s the biggest we’ve played.”
Katie Reid, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Olivia Smith are back in training and available, though Leah Williamson and Manuela Zinsberger remain out. Arsenal’s away form is a concern, with only one win in their last five on the road, and they risk setting an unwanted record if they lose again.
Leicester, unbeaten in their last three before the break, are gradually building under Rick Passmoor, who says the club “needs to evolve” to cement long-term WSL status. “We’re building,” he explained. “We don’t listen to the outside noise… let’s remind ourselves why we came into this building, this fantastic game.” Leicester still struggle for goals — just three this campaign — but are improving defensively and tactically. Injured duo Celeste Boureille and Missy Goodwin remain out.
Arsenal will look to dominate possession, create overloads and probe Leicester’s full-backs; Leicester will press with courage, protect central zones and counter at speed. Arsenal chase momentum and standards; Leicester chase proof that they can belong with the league’s elite.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United
Broadfield Stadium — Sunday 2 November, 12:00pm
Brighton return intending to reset and fortify, especially defensively, after acknowledging the break was valuable to “reset and re-focus.” They are strong at home, losing just twice in their last 14 WSL matches at the Broadfield Stadium. But they face United without Michelle Agyemang, whose ACL injury removes a key attacking spark.
Manchester United arrive with energy and the league’s best defensive record — just four goals conceded across all competitions — and eight clean sheets already. Jess Park, who withdrew from England duty with concussion symptoms, is fit again and has been praised by Marc Skinner as having made an “incredible difference,” especially in connection with Ella Toone. “She awoken players around her,” Skinner said. “She comes in and plays football. My job was to release her to do that.”
Brighton will look to be compact and spring transitions, while United aim to control tempo and supply their creative hubs. With European qualification ambitions and strong defensive foundations, United enter as favourites — but Brighton’s home resilience adds tension to this test of composure and sharpness.
Aston Villa vs Everton
Villa Park — Sunday 2 November, 12:00pm
Separated by only two points, both sides see opportunity. Aston Villa have transformed defensively this season, conceding just four goals in five WSL matches. Goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo leads the league in save percentage (91.7%), while manager Natalia Arroyo praised her squad’s “energy and fire” out of possession. Villa are also buoyed by Lucia Kendall’s full England debut, with Arroyo calling her “a smart player technically” who “dictates the tempo” despite her youth.
Everton, meanwhile, have suffered injuries and inconsistency but showed promise before the break. Manager Brian Sorensen insists there is “no panic,” saying, “It’s a process… I’ve seen progress.” With players returning — Rion Ishikawa, Ruby Mace and Hikaru Kitagawa back in training — Everton hope for greater continuity. Katja Snoeijs remains out with a hamstring issue.
Everton possess one of the league’s best shot conversion rates and could threaten if they strike first, though they have lost five points from winning positions already. Villa will press high, defend aggressively and try to suffocate Everton’s build-up; Everton aim to stay organised and take chances when they come.
This match feels like a battle of fine margins and rising sides — a low-scoring tactical contest where quality in both boxes may decide the points.
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