The opening weekend of the Women's Super League offered an early glimpse of the season ahead, with reigning champions Manchester City sending a strong signal of intent while last season's runners-up Chelsea endured a frustrating start to their title defence hopes.
Manchester City, despite an injury-hit squad, eased to a 3-1 victory over newly-promoted Birmingham City at the Joie Stadium. The result was comfortable, though manager Andree Jeglertz felt his side could have been even more clinical. "In the first half, it was almost getting into it again. We turned it around and the second half was much smoother," the Swedish coach said. "It's about driving the game and we did that. Even though we scored goals, we wanted more." Birmingham, back in the top flight after winning WSL 2, showed plenty of promise despite the defeat.
Across London, Chelsea's title credentials came under early scrutiny as Sonia Bompastor's side were held 1-1 by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. The hosts dominated territorially, registering 57 touches in the opposition box and 23 shots from inside the area, while also striking the crossbar and having a goal ruled out for offside. Despite the pressure, Chelsea could not find a breakthrough, extending concerns about the finishing struggles that contributed to their slide to third place last season after six consecutive WSL titles.
Arsenal, widely tipped as favourites for the title, had to work hard for a narrow win at Brighton, where new head coach Arturo Ruiz took charge of his first match. The Gunners fielded high-profile debutants Ona Batlle and Georgia Stanway, but it was 19-year-old Lisa Baum who provided the decisive moment, scoring on her own debut to secure a 1-0 victory over a well-organised Brighton side considered by many as potential dark horses this season.
Tottenham also began strongly, beating West Ham 3-1 in London to build on last season's fifth-place finish under Martin Ho. New signing Kirsty Hanson, who arrived after finishing as Aston Villa's top scorer last term, scored twice on her debut to spearhead the win.
One of the standout performances of the weekend came from Liverpool, who thrashed newly-promoted Charlton 4-0 in an impressive display under Gareth Taylor. New arrival Vivien Endemann was a key figure in the victory, marking a dramatic improvement from a side that struggled at the bottom of the table for much of last season, not recording a win until January. "It feels very, very good. We had a clean sheet, scored four goals and won the first match," Endemann said after the match. "Last season, it was really tough, so now to start with a win is very important for us. We want to keep going."
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace provided encouragement for the league's newly-promoted clubs with a 1-0 win over Everton. Lexi Lloyd-Smith scored the only goal in the first half, and Palace held firm defensively as Everton's only shot on target arrived in stoppage time. "No words can explain. I'm buzzing. To get to do this in front of my friends and family, it was an unbelievable feeling," Lloyd-Smith said afterward. "We knew it was going to be hard, we knew we were going into these games as underdogs. It's so good that in the first game we show we're here to put out a statement. I feel like we've got a lot to give."
With Katie McCabe also making her Chelsea debut after switching allegiances from Arsenal, the opening weekend hinted at a competitive and unpredictable season ahead, as City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and others jostle for supremacy in the newly expanded 14-team league.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.