Wsl Talking Points: Time For Var And Shaw Masterclass Sends City Top

Time to present VAR

There were galore absorbing talking points from nan melodramatic stalemate betwixt Arsenal and Chelsea – Alyssa Thompson’s stunning extremity for nan Blues, nan awesome protect capacity of Lotte Wubben-Moy, nan 56,537-strong crowd, Chelsea’s prime of a backmost 4 complete a backmost five, Arsenal’s determination not to play pinch a earthy No 6 – but, disappointingly, it is nan value of nan officiating that has and will dominate. Both Renée Slegers and Sonia Bompastor said afterwards that they deliberation nan introduction of video adjunct referees would beryllium a affirmative measurement successful helping destruct nan astir evident of errors, specified arsenic Blackstenius’s extremity being ruled retired for a nonexistent handball, and successful assisting pinch nan much marginal calls: whether Alessia Russo was offside for her extremity aliases Frida Maanum was offside erstwhile her effort was ruled out.

The reality is that while location has been a large push to amended nan modular of officiating successful nan Women’s Super League – location is finance successful coaching and support astir officials and steps are being taken to guarantee arsenic galore arsenic imaginable tin run arsenic full-time professionals – refereeing is still playing catchup. VAR brings problems of its ain but if exertion tin assistance nan unit connected referees successful nan WSL and thief guarantee they get nan mostly of large decisions correct past it feels for illustration a no-brainer. It’s a perchance costly endeavour, but if WSL wants nan attraction to beryllium connected nan shot successful a fixture that, arsenic Bompastor put it, “is 1 of nan astir beautiful successful nan world”, past they request to guarantee nan controversies are astatine a minimum, for nan liking of nan crippled and nan referees. Suzanne Wrack

• ‘We request justice’: Slegers calls for VAR aft officials contradict Arsenal

• Russo earns tie pinch Chelsea but Arsenal rue decisions

Shaw shows people successful sending City top

By Bunny Shaw’s highly precocious standards, it has felt for illustration a slow commencement to nan play for past year’s WSL Golden Boot winner. However, pinch her extremity against Everton connected Sunday – a trademark thunderbolt header to make nan people 2-1 – she proved erstwhile again conscionable really important she is to Manchester City. It should not travel arsenic a astonishment erstwhile you excavation into nan data. Shaw has nan highest expected goals successful nan convention by immoderate separator (5.8), has produced nan top number of shots (33) and won nan astir aerial duels (also 33). City could person easy slipped up against nan indefatigable Toffees but Andrée Jeglertz has added a caller resilience since his arrival. Shaw put this down to “a mentality shift” wrong nan group, 1 that now has them apical for nan first clip this season. Sophie Downey

• WSL roundup: City spell top, Liverpool and West Ham enactment winless

Lionesses nutrient connection win

Two erstwhile Arsenal stars sunk Tottenham arsenic London City Lionesses earned their first connection WSL victory. The top-flight debutants person enjoyed a dependable commencement to nan season, but Sunday marked their biggest triumph astatine this level. The Former Arsenal academy prima Freya Godfrey, who joined successful nan summertime for an undisclosed fee, was subordinate of nan match, netting doubly and providing an assist. Former Gunner Nikita Parris besides sewage connected nan scoresheet – and looked thrilled astir it arsenic she passionately punched nan aerial successful celebration. It would beryllium adjacent to opportunity nan Red broadside of northbound London was peculiarly happy pinch nan result – particularly arsenic it meant Spurs dropped beneath Arsenal successful nan table. “It was tough, it was a fight,” Godfrey said. “I deliberation it was much of a fighting crippled than a tactical game. Sometimes you person those games successful shot and we had to beryllium fresh to accommodate to it.” Emillia Hawkins

Liverpool fto points gaffe yet again

Liverpool person a first constituent connected nan committee aft their 1-1 tie pinch Brighton but their nonaccomplishment to clasp connected to a lead continues to beryllium a awesome interest amid a grim commencement to nan season. Gareth Taylor’s broadside person now dropped 11 points from games successful which they person scored first successful their 7 WSL fixtures this season. Against Brighton location were existent signs of progress. Liverpool looked nan slickest they person this word and Beata Olsson turned nan shot successful astatine nan adjacent post, her 2nd extremity successful 2 games, to unfastened nan scoring. Fuka Nagano’s effort past forced nan Brighton goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, to push nan shot connected to nan barroom and Sam Kerr besides deed nan woodwork. They created chances, and each head will constituent retired that you can’t people if you aren’t creating chances, but Liverpool’s conversion complaint has to amended to alleviate nan unit a one-goal separator ensures. The concession of nan equaliser successful nan 93rd-minute was a sadistic blow, but it was 1 of their ain making, again. SW

Brighton’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, thwarts Liverpool during nan 1-1 draw. Photograph: Steve Taylor/PPAUK/Shutterstock

Skinner proud contempt last-minute heartbreak

Rehanne Skinner praised her players’ desire to get their play connected way contempt different setback connected Sunday. West Ham were connected people for their first triumph of nan play only for Leicester’s Shannon O’Brien to equalise successful nan 97th minute. “Everyone’s trying really difficult to get nan result,” nan West Ham head said. “The determination, desire and work-rate successful training has been phenomenal … That’s a monolithic in installments to nan desire and intent of nan side.” There are surely positives she tin take. Her squad controlled proceedings for nan astir part. Once again, however, they were made to salary for their wastefulness successful beforehand of extremity and had only 1 changeable connected target. That deficiency of value successful extremity merchandise is nan astir worrying inclination and poses nan eventual mobility astir nan mentality of players who get themselves successful bully positions but are incapable to find nan backmost of nan net. It is simply a conundrum that needs to beryllium solved. SD

Arroyo looks up, not down, for Villa

Natalia Arroyo is hopeful that Aston Villa’s triumph complete Manchester United will spur nan squad connected for nan remainder of nan season. Before nan lucifer connected Saturday, she said Villa wanted to “be a problem for nan bigger teams” successful nan league. They surely achieved that against in-form United distant from home. The visitors were objective erstwhile they needed to beryllium while remaining defensively robust to support a cleanable expanse and triumph 1-0. In fact, they could person easy scored a fewer much successful nan 2nd half. “We cognize that for these types of games astir apt nary 1 expects america to win,” Arroyo said afterwards. “So if we tin return something, nan constituent astatine nan Emirates and these 3 present astatine United, that allows america to judge and dream bigger.” EH