Beyond the Top Four: Reflection, tough losses, and breakthroughs
The WSL pauses to honour Matt Beard, West Ham's struggles deepen, and a closer look at London City's first win
The tragic death of former Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham manager Matt Beard cast a long shadow over the league in the last two weeks. Liverpool postponed their fixture against Aston Villa in the wake of the news as players, staff, and supporters came to terms with the loss. Across the WSL, a minute’s silence was held before matches in his memory. It has been a fortnight marked by as much remembrance and reflection as by the results on the pitch.
Tottenham sit fourth in the table after the opening month, edging ahead of Arsenal. Their 2–1 victory over Leicester, sealed by goals from Cathinka Tandberg and Olivia Holdt, underlined their ability to grind out results, even if defensive frailties remain. Off the pitch, Spurs were forced to confront an all-too-familiar problem: Jess Naz was subjected to racist abuse on social media, an incident the club condemned as an “unacceptable and cowardly act.”
West Ham are sitting in last place after a difficult few weeks and are yet to pick up a point. They were thrashed 4-1 by Brighton in one fixture and then beaten 4-0 by Chelsea in the next. Both performances highlighted defensive vulnerabilities and a lack of composure. In the Chelsea game, West Ham were reduced to 10 players after Inès Belloumou was sent off for pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair.
After back-to-back losses, Leicester City find themselves in a precarious position. They sacked manager Amandine Miquel in August just before the season began, which may still be affecting the team’s cohesion. They are struggling to create high-quality chances, so consistency in attack is key to not being left behind early in the campaign.
Memorable moments
Liverpool’s Gemma Bonner made her 200th appearance in the WSL in their match against Manchester United.
Michelle Agyemang scored her first goal of the WSL season for Brighton in their narrow 1-0 victory over Everton. After shining at the Euros, maintaining her striking ability will be vital both for her development and for Brighton to continue turning tight matches into points.
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Standout performances
Elene Lete, the Spanish goalkeeper for London City Lionesses, earned deserved Player of the Match honours for her crucial saves against Everton.
Tactics corner
London City Lionesses earned their first WSL win of the season at Everton, and the most interesting part wasn’t the score line; it was the shift that made it possible. After opening in a 3-4-1-2 and looking loose between units, LCL switched to a 4-2-3-1 that gave them a cleaner build-up, clearer roles, and a front line that worked to complementary rhythms rather than colliding.
Build-up
The shape reads as a 4-2-3-1, but with the ball LCL often build up in a 3+1. Two centre-backs are joined usually by right-back Jana Fernández tucking in or by Saki Kumagai dropping deeper to the back line; ahead of them, a pivot – frequently Kumagai herself – acts as the “+1”, offering a first outlet under pressure and widening passing lanes. That simple rebalance reduced early turnovers and helped them escape Everton’s first press.
Rotations up the pitch
The biggest gain was higher up. Kosovare Asllani, the team’s number 10, and Lucía Corrales, the left-winger, alternated short/long movements: one dropped to link, the other ran in behind to stretch the back line. With Isobel Goodwin as a strong central reference, happy receiving to feet, reliable at holding off contact and quick to lay off. LCL began to connect through the centre rather than surviving on hopeful diagonals. The direct ball remains in the toolkit – especially towards Goodwin – but their best moments came from quick exchanges between the lines that pulled Everton out of shape.
On the right, Nikita Parris starts as a winger but often moves inside to form a temporary midfield trio with Kumagai and Asllani. That adjustment gave LCL more short options in the middle third and a platform to progress without forcing low-percentage passes wide. Compared to the opening weeks, Parris’ narrower starting points were a clear sign of a team wanting to be braver and leaning into short combinations rather than defaulting to long deliveries. The long ball is still available, but the team’s identity is beginning to form through interplay.
The Lindström–Corrales connection that sealed the game
After the break, Lotta Lindström came on at left-wing and Corrales slid to left-back. Their partnership wasn’t just about inverting or hugging the touchline; it was, again, movements to feet/in behind: one dropping, the other attacking the gap. That near–far dynamic repeatedly unsettled Everton’s full-back–centre-back channel and directly preceded LCL’s second goal.
A more compact, but still aggressive, team
There’s still risk in LCL’s high line, but distances between units were noticeably tighter. Wide players tracked back, and the counter-press was sharper. Their pressing also looked more deliberate: often five players pushed up to block central routes, forcing Everton wide before springing to trap. When they timed it well, it created turnovers in advanced zones. When they mistimed it, Everton occasionally found space behind the midfield with line-breaking passes, a flaw that was brutally exposed against Arsenal and United, but more manageable here.
It’s one win, not a destination. But the 4-2-3-1 gave LCL both structure and fluidity: a steadier first phase, rotations that make sense, and an attacking pattern that plays to their strengths. If they keep leaning into those on-pitch relationships and keep Parris, Asllani and Goodwin connected between the lines, this could be the foundation of their season rather than a one-off uptick.
What to watch
Everton’s response after three consecutive losses: Midfielder Clare Wheeler said that their match against Brighton was “one of the ones we wished we could’ve done better.” She stated: “We want to do better. Now we have a really big game ahead against Leicester and we have to get ourselves out of this position. It’s a tough competition but we need to be tougher. We need to come away with the three points.”
Villa are yet to win a match this season after one defeat and two draws. The search for a first victory is becoming increasingly important in order to build momentum and prove themselves as threats in the league.
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