WSL First-Half Recap: Records Broken, Title Drama & History Made

Published on 19 December 2025 at 11:15

The battles between the top four were the defining moments of the title race, truly the only thing separating the sides.

The title race started from the opener. Chelsea beat Man City 2-1 to continue where they left off at the end of last season.

Arsenal's 1-1 draw away against United, and 3-2 loss to Man City away, only temporarily pushed them out of the title frame.

Man Utd v Chelsea ended 1-1 in October, a pivotal result that was the first time the Blues had dropped points since March. The second point United has taken in 12 league encounters.

 

The biggest game that defined the first half of the season was Arsenal v Chelsea. This is a game that has always defined the title race. 

The most significant talking point of the game was when Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius’ goal was ruled out for handball. No VAR in the WSL meant there was no intervention or replay possible. Alessia Russo got the equaliser, though there was potential for offside. When Arsenal thought they had finally got the winner, Frida Maanum's stoppage-time effort was disallowed for offside. Other moments in the game saw late tackles from Katie McCabe and Victoria Pelova raise further questions. This game was heavily scrutinised and projected as an example of why VAR and semi-automated offside technology should be introduced in the WSL.

 

This game and Man City's 2-1 victory against Everton put them top of the table. A standout play for them has to be Khadija Shaw, who is leading the way for the Golden Boot with 12 goals, which is seven ahead of the next top scorer.

 

Regelation battle

At the start of the season, everyone expected London City Lionesses, the team that had just been promoted, to be at the bottom, as this had been the recurring theme for the last few seasons.

 

The battle is currently between Liverpool and West Ham.

 

Liverpool started poorly, losing again at Anfield in the opening weekend, 4-1 to Everton. The loss of their former manager, Matt Beard, had a massive impact on the side.

 

They have yet to win a single WSL game this season. Their loss to London City in October was the first time since 2012 that the Reds had suffered six successive WSL defeats, a run that continued into last season's campaign. That hit eight games before they grabbed a point.

 

The two sides fighting at the bottom came to a head when they faced each other in the last game of the first half of the season. Liverpool were reduced to ten players after Gemma Bonner was sent off in the 19th minute. Despite this, West Ham could not capitalise, and Liverpool came from behind twice to finish the relegation clash 2-2.

 

While the points have not been there, the records have. Beata Olsson scored five goals and set a WSL record as the first player to score in four of her first five starts, serving as the core of Liverpool's attack.

 

Records made and broken

Chelsea's draw at Liverpool set a new WSL unbeaten record of 34 games, surpassing the league's previous mark of 33, which Chelsea also held.

 

However, the next game saw the end of their 585-day unbeaten run when they lost 1-0 to Everton, the first time Everton had earned a point at Chelsea in 12 and a half years.

 

Aggie Beever-Jones became the first Chelsea player to score in the opening four games of the WSL season. Her most notable goal was her free kick against West Ham.

 

Arsenal had their worst first nine games in the WSL since 2014, including a 0-0 draw against North London rivals Spurs.

City's last game of the season, in which they beat Aston Villa 6-1, saw Shaw score her fourth goal, marking her 100th for the club.

Millie Bright made her 300th WSL appearance in the 1-0 win over Spurs, more than any other player in the modern era.

 

Sam Kerr made her return after 20 months out with her ACL injury, scoring in her first game back and reaching her 100th goal for the club in their 3-1 victory at Aston Villa.

 

Everton's dramatic 4-1 victory in the opening weekend of the WSL was the first time in 94 years that a player has scored a hat-trick in a Merseyside derby, as Orenella Vignola became the first Everton men's or women’s player to achieve this since Dixie Dean in 1931.


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