WSL 2025–26 Gameweek 3 Recap: City and Brighton Shine as London City Lionesses Earn First Win
Manchester City and Brighton produce emphatic wins, London City Lionesses record a historic maiden WSL victory, and title-contenders remain unbeaten in an action-packed Round 3.
Overview
The weekend’s five fixtures yielded 15 goals (an average of 3.0 per game), with Manchester City and Brighton especially clinical (5–1 and 4–1 wins).
Attendance peaked at 8,665 for Manchester United vs Arsenal (a record crowd at Leigh Sports Village); Everton’s move to Goodison Park also attracted a strong 4,313 fans.
Standout storylines included newly promoted London City Lionesses earning their first ever WSL win (beating Everton 2–1), and Manchester City thrashing Tottenham 5–1.
The familiar leaders held firm – Chelsea moved to 3–0–0 (9 points), with Manchester United and Arsenal on 7 each – as the title race is already shaping up to be multi-team.
Away from the pitch, the league paused to reflect on the passing of former Liverpool manager Matt Beard, who died over the weekend. A respected figure and two-time WSL champion, Beard played a pivotal role in the growth of the women’s game in England. His legacy as a builder of teams and mentor to players was widely acknowledged across the league, and tributes poured in from clubs, players, and fans alike.
Match-by-Match Breakdown
Tottenham Hotspur 1–5 Manchester City
Venue: BetWright Stadium (Brisbane Road, Leyton) | Attendance: 1,631
Spurs’ 100% start ended in catastrophe as City struck three times before half-time (Fujino 23′, Miedema 39′, Casparij 43′) and two more after the break (Clinton 80′, Coombs 90+5′). Tottenham’s only goal came late from Olivia Holdt (87′). City dominated the attacking stats, outshooting Spurs 25–6 (on target 10–3). Despite Tottenham edging possession, City’s finishing was ruthless: 5 goals from 10 shots on target.
Key Stats: City had 25 shots to Spurs’ 6 (SOT 10–3).
Player Spotlight – Vivianne Miedema (Man City, FW): She was a handful. 1 goal (joint-most) | 3 shots, 3 on target (100% accuracy) | Most touches in the opposition box (12). She was an ever-present danger.
Retrospection: We predicted a City win (15–20–65 probability split) with Tottenham’s defense flagged as a one to decide the match. That proved spot on – Spurs conceded five, and City’s clinical attack punished every lapse.
Everton 1–2 London City Lionesses
Venue: Goodison Park (Liverpool) | Attendance: 6,473
London City secured their first top-flight win in dramatic fashion. Isobel Goodwin (a former Everton player) scored twice (13′, 58′). Everton pulled one back via a 71′ penalty (Momiki), but LCL held on despite late pressure. LCL outshot Everton 14–12 and edged possession (54%–46%).
Key Stats: LCL scored 2 goals from just 4 shots on target (50% conversion) despite Everton having twice that number of shots on target (9) they scored only 1 (11% conversion).
Player Spotlight – Isobel Goodwin (LCL, FW): Netted both goals with lethal finishing. Had 3 shots | 3 on target | 2 goals | 7 duels won, all match-high. Clinical finishing at its finest!
Retrospection: Our preview leaned narrowly toward LCL (39% win probability) on underlying quality indicators, but highlighted Goodison Park and Everton’s experience as potential equalisers. In reality, the model call was right: London City edged the match exactly as projected, with Goodwin’s finishing proving decisive.
Chelsea 1–0 Leicester City
Venue: Kingsmeadow (Kingston) | Attendance: TBC
Chelsea continued their perfect start with a narrow win. Aggie Beever-Jones scored in the 7th minute and Chelsea then controlled the game. Leicester created little, though Janina Leitzig’s saves (7) kept the scoreline close. Chelsea held 58% possession and had 8 shots on target to Leicester’s 2.
Key Stats: Chelsea’s 58–42% possession and 8–2 SOT showed control.
Player Spotlight – Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea, FW): Scored the winner and stretched Leicester’s backline. She has now scored 3 in 3 of the opening WSL matches this season – absolutely in red-hot form.
Retrospection: The preview framed this as a “routine win” for Chelsea with an 82% probability of victory. That prediction held true – though Chelsea weren’t spectacular, they were efficient. Leicester battled but ultimately couldn’t change the script.
Brighton & Hove Albion 4–1 West Ham United
Venue: Broadfield Stadium (Crawley) | Attendance: 1,810
Brighton’s front line ran riot as they routed West Ham 4–1. Hayes (23′), Seike (35′), Kafaji (58′) and Olislagers (86′) scored, while Asseyi pulled one back via penalty (51′). Brighton had 15 shots (9 on target) to West Ham’s 15 (7 on target), but converted ruthlessly.
Key Stats: Brighton scored 4 goals from 9 SOT (44% conversion).
Player Spotlight – Viviane Asseyi (West Ham, FW): Despite defeat, she dominated the attacking stats. 1 Goal ( Joint 1st) | Created the most chances in the match (3) | Had the most shots (6), most shot on target (4). Apparently her team-mates let her down.
Retrospection: The preview called this the “coin-flip” fixture with near-identical win probabilities (41–27–32). Instead, Brighton turned it into a rout. Prediction models underestimated how sharp Brighton would be in the final third.
Manchester United 0–0 Arsenal
Venue: Leigh Sports Village (Manchester) | Attendance: 8,665
A much-anticipated title clash ended goalless. Arsenal dominated possession (57%–43%) but managed just 1 shot on target to United’s 3. Both defenses held firm, leaving Chelsea top on 9 points, with United and Arsenal close behind on 7.
Key Stats: Arsenal’s 57% possession but only 1 SOT summed up their frustrations.
Player Spotlight – Katie Reid (Arsenal, DF): At just 18, she looked assured. Completed most passes in the match (69) | Won most duels (6) | Won most Fouls (3) - a bright WSL future ahead.
Retrospection: The preview spotlighted this as the “marquee clash” with fine margins and a possible draw outcome. That proved accurate – the predicted cagey affair materialised.
Final Word
Matchweek 3 underlined both predictability and surprise. Some results tracked exactly with our preview calls – Chelsea’s routine win, a tense Arsenal–United draw, and City’s dominance. Others caught us off-guard – Brighton dismantling West Ham in what was billed a toss-up, while London City’s historic first WSL victory validated our slight model lean in their favour and eased fears over their summer cohesion.
The league’s unpredictability is part of its appeal: while Chelsea, Arsenal and United remain unbeaten, Manchester City and Brighton showed they belong in the conversation. London City’s breakthrough gives them a platform to push on.
Which result or performance impressed you most? Drop your take in the comments 👇
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Missed our Matchweek 3 Preview with win probabilities and scoreline forecasts? Read it here