WSL 2025–26 Gameweek 4 Recap: Chelsea and City Ruthless as Arsenal Stumble Late
Chelsea and Manchester City ran riot with emphatic wins, Arsenal were pegged back by Villa in stoppage time, and Tottenham, Brighton and United all claimed key victories in a goal-laden round.
Overview
The WSL gameweek four produced 17 goals (an average of 2.83 per game), with Chelsea and Manchester City particularly ruthless in their emphatic wins (4–0 and 4–1 respectively).
Attendance peaked at 24,712 at the Emirates for Arsenal vs Aston Villa, where Villa stunned the home crowd with a stoppage-time equaliser. Elsewhere, Liverpool’s derby clash with Manchester United drew over 3,000 fans at St Helens, while Brighton hosted 1,722 against Everton.
Key storylines included Tottenham bouncing back from their City thrashing with a gritty 2–1 win at Leicester, Brighton edging Everton thanks to teenage star Michelle Agyemang, and Manchester United securing a professional 2–0 victory at Liverpool. Chelsea, meanwhile, blew West Ham away inside 15 minutes, while Manchester City’s firepower once again overwhelmed London City Lionesses.
At the top, Chelsea remain perfect (4–0–0, 12 points), while Manchester City and Manchester United sit close behind, each continuing strong starts. Arsenal, meanwhile, dropped points late at home — a reminder of how competitive the campaign is already shaping up to be.
Match-by-Match Breakdown
Arsenal 1–1 Aston Villa
Venue: Emirates Stadium (London) | Attendance: 24,712
Arsenal looked set for another home win after Frida Maanum struck early (10′) from close range, assisted by Mariona Caldentey. The Gunners dominated much of the play but failed to convert pressure into a decisive second goal. Aston Villa, disciplined throughout, earned their reward deep into stoppage time when Lucy Parker smashed home a corner (90+5′) to stun the Emirates.
Despite Arsenal’s territorial control and higher xG, Villa’s resilience and set-piece threat carried through to the very last kick.
Key Stats: Arsenal had the bulk of possession and created more chances (14 shots to Villa’s 8, SOT 5–3). Villa’s equaliser was their only big chance of the game.
Player Spotlight – Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, MF): Pulled strings in midfield with 1 assist, 4 chances created, 65/78 passes completed (83%), and a match-high 100 touches. She dictated tempo but lacked support in the final third.
Retrospection: Our preview tipped Arsenal strongly (74% win probability; most likely scorelines 2–0, 3–0, 4–0) given form and squad depth. The Gunners did strike first and looked in command, but Villa’s “puncher’s chance” via compact shape and set pieces proved decisive. Arsenal’s failure to kill the game left the door open, and Villa’s late corner underscored their capacity to sting top sides — just as flagged in the head-to-head caveat.
Leicester City 1–2 Tottenham Hotspur
Venue: King Power Stadium (Leicester) | Attendance: TBC
Tottenham bounced back from their Manchester City thrashing with a gritty away win. Two early strikes put Spurs in command – Cathinka Tandberg broke the deadlock on 15 minutes before Olivia Holdt doubled the lead six minutes later (assist Eveliina Summanen). Leicester responded before the break through Samantha Tierney (40’), but despite plenty of effort, they couldn’t break Spurs down in the second half.
The match was cagey after the interval, littered with yellow cards (four in total), but Spurs’ defensive unit and midfield organisation held firm to secure three points.
Key Stats: Leicester had 1 goal from 10 shots (xG ~0.20 on Tierney’s finish), while Spurs converted 2 of their 5 efforts on target.
Player Spotlight – Eveliina Summanen (Tottenham, MF): The Finnish midfielder was outstanding. She registered 1 assist, created 2 chances, completed 35/47 passes (74%), and won 7/9 ground duels. Added 10 defensive actions (4 tackles, 3 interceptions, 3 blocks).
Retrospection: Our preview model had Spurs at 51% to win, Leicester 22%, and a 27% draw probability – with most likely scorelines predicted at 1–2, 0–1, or 0–2. That proved accurate, as Spurs’ greater efficiency told: a narrow 2–1 away win, exactly in the expected range.
Manchester City 4–1 London City Lionesses
Venue: Joie Stadium (Manchester) | Attendance: TBC
City made light work of London City Lionesses, scoring twice inside 15 minutes through Vivianne Miedema (11′, header from Casparij’s cross) and Laura Blindkilde (14′, corner finish). Nikita Parris briefly pulled one back for the visitors (19′), but second-half penalties from Khadija Shaw (69′, 89′) sealed another emphatic win.
Despite LCL’s spirited counters, City dictated tempo and threat throughout. Their attack produced volume and precision, with Shaw relentless in leading the line and Miedema sharp early on.
Key Stats: City attempted 22 shots (7 on target) to LCL’s 8 (2 on target).
Player Spotlight – Khadija Shaw (Man City, FW): The Jamaican striker delivered again. 2 goals (both pens) | 7 shots, 3 on target | 16 touches in the opposition box (match-high).
Retrospection: Our preview forecasted a City win (78% probability) with the most likely scorelines 2–0, 2–1, or 3–0. City duly obliged, their firepower proving too much despite Parris’ strike.
West Ham United 0–4 Chelsea
Venue: Chigwell Construction Stadium (Dagenham) | Attendance: 2,423
Chelsea blitzed West Ham with three goals inside the opening 15 minutes to effectively kill the contest. Agnes Beever-Jones struck first (8′), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd doubled the lead (12′, assisted by Kaptein), and Erin Cuthbert made it 3–0 (15′). West Ham’s Inès Belloumou was sent off midway through the half (23′), compounding their misery.
With the Hammers down to ten, Chelsea controlled the game comfortably. Dutch teenager Wieke Kaptein capped her excellent display with a goal on 70 minutes, assisted by Catarina Macario, to round off the 4–0 rout.
Key Stats: Chelsea registered 17 shots (7 on target) to West Ham’s 4 (0 on target). West Ham failed to test Zecira Musovic once.
Player Spotlight – Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea, MF): Just 20 years old, she dictated midfield and capped it with a goal. 1 goal, 1 assist | 3 shots (hit woodwork once) | 22/24 passes completed (92%) | 4 chances created
Retrospection: Our preview gave Chelsea a 79% win probability and highlighted West Ham’s need for defensive discipline and transition moments. That scenario evaporated within 15 minutes as Chelsea’s firepower overwhelmed the Hammers. The red card also didn’t help matters as the Blues ran out emphatic winners.
Brighton & Hove Albion 1–0 Everton
Venue: Broadfield Stadium (Crawley, West Sussex) | Attendance: 1,722
Brighton edged a tight contest through Michelle Agyemang’s composed finish on 26 minutes, set up by Rosa Kafaji. It proved the decisive moment in a game of fine margins: both sides tallied 8 shots, but Brighton’s cutting edge (5 on target vs Everton’s 2) and xG superiority (1.20 vs 0.51) made the difference. Everton rallied after half-time but found Chiamaka Nnadozie in inspired form, the Brighton keeper delivering a match-high 8.1 rating and a vital clean sheet.
Key Stats: Even on total shots (8–8), but Brighton led in shots on target (5–2) and big chances (3–1).
Player Spotlight – Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton, GK): Outstanding between the posts again. 5 saves | 83% passing accuracy | 8 recoveries. A commanding presence who shut Everton out.
Retrospection: Our preview leaned Brighton (55% win probability) given their sharper chance creation and momentum. That call was justified — Agyemang’s strike delivered the points, while Everton’s lack of incision in the final third reinforced concerns flagged pre-match.
Liverpool 0–2 Manchester United
Venue: LFC Academy, St Helens | Attendance: 3,022
United struck early and never looked back. Hinata Miyazawa opened the scoring after just 4 minutes, pouncing from a corner, before Ella Toone doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time (45+2’) from close range after an Elisabeth Terland assist. Liverpool pushed in spells but failed to find incision, registering just 2 shots on target across 90 minutes. United managed the game well after the interval, leaning on midfield control and disciplined defending to secure a valuable away win.
Key Stats: United had 12 total shots (5 on target) to Liverpool’s 6 shots (2 on target). United also created the only big chance of the match (Toone’s goal).
Player Spotlight – Hinata Miyazawa (Man United, MF): Player of the Match. 1 goal | 2 shots, 1 on target | 43/48 passes completed (90%+) | 6 defensive actions. Influential in both phases, she dictated tempo and struck early to tilt the tie.
Retrospection: Our preview model leaned strongly United (65% win probability), noting their deeper squad and Liverpool’s need for set-piece efficiency. The match played to script — United’s quality and control told.
Final Word
Gameweek 4 offered fireworks at both ends of the table. Our preview leaned on Chelsea and City to deliver — and they did emphatically, with 4–0 and 4–1 routs that underlined their firepower. Manchester United also justified the model with a professional derby win, while Tottenham’s gritty bounce-back at Leicester tracked closely with our probabilities.
Elsewhere, surprises added colour. Arsenal’s late collapse at the Emirates, stunned by Lucy Parker’s stoppage-time leveller, highlighted just how fine the margins are even for title contenders. Brighton’s teenage star Michelle Agyemang delivered the decisive touch against Everton, while Chiamaka Nnadozie’s goalkeeping heroics kept the clean sheet intact.
Which storyline stood out most for you this week?
If you enjoyed this review, consider subscribing and sharing — and join the conversation on X (Twitter) @WSLAnalytics for more WSL analysis all season.
Missed our Matchweek 4 Preview with win probabilities and forecast scorelines? Read it here