WSL 2025–26 Gameweek 11 Recap – City Hit Six as United and Spurs Share a Six-Goal Thriller
Shaw scores four as City thrash Villa 6–1; United claw back from 0–3 to draw Spurs 3–3; Arsenal beat Everton 3–1; Chelsea dispatch Brighton 3–0; West Ham and Liverpool draw 2–2; Leicester nick it 1–0.
Overview
Gameweek 11 delivered 25 goals across six fixtures, including two wild high-scoring draws. City dismantled Aston Villa 6–1 at the Joie Stadium, with Khadija Shaw scoring four as the league’s most potent attack kept rolling.
At the other end of the chaos scale, Manchester United 3–3 Tottenham Hotspur somehow finished level despite United producing a barrage of chances (and repeatedly hitting the woodwork). Arsenal handled business away at Everton 3–1, Chelsea responded in style with a 3–0 win at Brighton, while Leicester snatched a 1–0 win over London City Lionesses in a game the visitors “should” have taken on the numbers.
Match-by-Match Breakdown
Everton 1–3 Arsenal
Venue: Goodison Park (Liverpool) | Attendance: 4,343
Arsenal took control early and never let go. Katie McCabe opened the scoring on 11′, Everton hit back through Honoka Hayashi on 13′ (assist Ornella Vignola), but Alessia Russo restored Arsenal’s lead on 15′ (assist Kim Little). Olivia Smith sealed it late on 87′ (assist McCabe).
Key stats that influenced the outcome
Total control: Arsenal dominated possession (71%), shots (22–3), and xG (3.02–0.27).
Sustained pressure: Arsenal logged 53 box touches and 12 corners (Everton had 0).
Everton’s last-ditch resistance: Everton still produced a heavy defensive workload (49 clearances, 8 blocks, 6 saves) but couldn’t withstand wave after wave.
Retrospection
The model strongly favoured Arsenal (75%) with 0–2 / 0–3 / 1–2 the most likely scorelines. The result aligned with the forecast – and the underlying numbers suggest the margin could have been even larger.
Player spotlight – Alessia Russo (Arsenal, ST)
West Ham United 2–2 Liverpool
Venue: Chigwell Construction Stadium (Dagenham, Essex) | Attendance: TBC
A breathless draw with momentum swings. Riko Ueki fired West Ham ahead on 57′ (assist Viviane Asseyi), Liverpool responded immediately via Mia Enderby on 59′ (assist Beata Olsson), West Ham retook the lead through Anna Csiki on 68′ (assist Ffion Morgan), and Olsson rescued a point late on 87′.
Key stats that influenced the outcome
West Ham’s volume: West Ham out-shot Liverpool 20–7 and led box touches 30–13.
Set-piece bite: West Ham generated 0.71 xG from set plays (Liverpool: 0.06), keeping their threat high even when open-play chances were limited.
Liverpool’s survival mode: Liverpool recorded a red card and still held out, with 5 saves, 33 clearances, and 5 blocks supporting the point.
Retrospection
The model had this as near-balanced (37%) with low-scoring outcomes most likely (1–1 / 0–1 / 1–0). The draw fit the “tight game” call – but the 2–2 scoreline was a more chaotic version of it.
Player spotlight – Beata Olsson (Liverpool, ST)
Manchester City 6–1 Aston Villa
Venue: Joie Stadium (Manchester) | Attendance: TBC
City didn’t just win – they overwhelmed Villa. Shaw struck twice before the break (37′, 45+′), Aoba Fujino made it three on 63′, Villa briefly replied through Lucy Parker on 70′, then City turned the final quarter-hour into a rout: Vivianne Miedema (74′), Shaw (84′, 90+′) to complete a four-goal haul.
Key stats that influenced the outcome
Chance creation + ruthlessness: City posted 3.92 xG and converted at an elite rate (80% big-chance conversion, 5 big chances).
Territory and pressure: 11 corners, 52 box touches, and 11 shots on target kept Villa pinned.
Villa couldn’t match the pace: Villa created some moments (1.18 xG, 11 shots) but the defensive workload was relentless (30 clearances, 4 blocks, 5 saves).
Retrospection
City were favoured (76%) but the model expected something like 2–0 / 3–0 / 1–0. The 6–1 outcome is a major “tail event” – City finished far beyond typical expectation.
Player spotlight – Khadija Shaw (Manchester City, ST)
Brighton 0–3 Chelsea
Venue: Broadfield Stadium (Crawley, West Sussex) | Attendance: TBC
Chelsea were professional and sharp away from home. Sandy Baltimore opened the scoring on 43′ (assist Alyssa Thompson), Brighton’s Caitlin Hayes scored an own goal on 51′ to make it 0–2, and Alyssa Thompson added a third on 73′ (assist Samantha Kerr).
Key stats that influenced the outcome
Chelsea’s control: 66% possession, shots 16–8, and xG 1.97–0.41.
Box dominance: Chelsea produced 49 box touches to Brighton’s 9, keeping the game in Brighton’s third.
Brighton held up as long as they could: 43 clearances, 4 blocks, 6 saves – but the volume kept coming.
Retrospection
Chelsea were clear favourites (69%) with 0–2 / 1–2 / 0–1 projected. The 0–3 scoreline was simply a more emphatic version of the expected away win.
Player spotlight – Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea, LW)
Leicester City 1–0 London City Lionesses
Venue: King Power Stadium (Leicester, Leicestershire) | Attendance: TBC
Leicester took the points with a single second-half strike: Shannon O’Brien scored on 59′ (assist Asmita Ale).
Key stats that influenced the outcome
LCL had the ball and the chances: 71% possession, 1.71 xG, and 5 big chances – but scored none (0% conversion, 5 big chances missed).
Leicester made their moment count: 1.39 xG and 2 big chances, converting at 50%.
Goalkeeping edge: Leicester’s defensive shape plus key saves (and a busy night) ensured the one-goal lead held.
Retrospection
The model gave London City a slight edge (43%) in what looked like a tight game, with 1–1, 0–1, and 1–0 all plausible. Leicester’s 1–0 wasn’t a shock on the scoreline – the surprise was how it happened: London City created the bigger chances (1.71 xG, 5 big chances) but couldn’t finish, while Leicester took their moment.
Player spotlight – Janina Leitzig (Leicester City, GK)
Manchester United 3–3 Tottenham Hotspur
Venue: Progress with Unity Stadium (Leigh, Greater Manchester) | Attendance: 3,148
One of the most chaotic matches of the season. Spurs hit first through Bethany England (37′, assist Olivia Holdt), doubled via Eveliina Summanen (45+′, assist Ashleigh Neville), and made it three through Martha Thomas (62′, assist Holdt). United responded late: Ella Toone (74′), then Fridolina Rolfö twice (82′, 90+′), with Leah Galton assisting the equaliser.
Key stats that influenced the outcome
United’s dominance was extreme: shots 34–5, xG 4.98–0.78, big chances 9–1, box touches 45–10.
Spurs’ low-volume efficiency: Spurs converted their key moments (including 100% big-chance conversion) while absorbing pressure (45 clearances, 12 blocks, 4 saves).
Fine margins (and woodwork): United hit the woodwork four times, a major factor in why this wasn’t a comfortable home win.
Retrospection
United were heavy favourites pre-match (72%). And during the game they played like a team that should win (34–5 shots, 4.98–0.78 xG). But Spurs were ruthless to go 3–0 up, and United needed a late comeback just to draw.
Player spotlight – Fridolina Rolfö (Manchester United)
Final Word
Gameweek 11 was a case study in how results can follow – or completely defy – the underlying performance.
Manchester City and Chelsea delivered clean, high-authority wins – the kind that typically match both the eye test and the xG model. Manchester United and London City Lionesses, meanwhile, produced the sort of chance profiles that normally win matches – yet both left points on the table due to ruthless opposition execution and wasteful finishing at the decisive moments.
The weekend’s narratives ranged from Shaw’s four-goal masterclass to Spurs nearly pulling off a first-ever win over United (at the 16th attempt) despite being outshot 34–5, before United’s late rescue, reminding us that while data tells us what should happen, football still has the final say on what does happen.
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