Key events
Kick-off
Tottenham v Leicester and Aston Villa v Brighton are back under way. We’re still waiting on the other two games.
Here’s the goal that did not stand for Everton. Thoughts?
Half-time scores:
Half-time
It’s half-time across the grounds! Still all to play for in three games, but I think it would be safe to say there is no way back for West Ham at Kingsmeadow…
Manchester City 1-0 Everton: We’re into stoppage time but there has been a lengthy delay due to a serious injury to Snoeijs, who was carried off on a stretcher.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 West Ham (Sandy Baltimore, 44)
What a strike! Baltimore makes a brilliant run into the box before blasting her shot into the top-right corner!
Chelsea are flying!
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 West Ham (Alyssa Thompson, 41)
A very well-worked goal for the hosts as Kaneryd plays Carpenter through in the box. The full-back cuts back and returns it before the midfielder drills a low pass across goal. Thompson then taps it into the net from close range.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Leicester City (Ashleigh Neville OG, 40)
It’s a nightmare for Neville on her Leicester debut… against her former club… just three days after leaving.
Summanen sends a corner into the box and it deflects off the former Spurs defender and into the net.
Manchester City 1-0 Everton: Fernández puts the ball in the net for Everton, but it won’t count! The referee instead gives Manchester City a free-kick for a foul on Yamashita. A controversial decision.
Tottenham 0-0 Leicester: Spurs hit the bar! Holdt plays Gaupset through, who has a shot saved by Clark. The ball runs back out to Holdt, who goes for an almost-open goal, but hits the crossbar!
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 West Ham (Lauren James, 28)
James makes it two for Chelsea, but it’s another terrible goal to concede for West Ham.
A pass is played back to Szemik in goal, who looks to clear it away, but James closes her down and deflects the ball straight into the net.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Everton (Martina Fernández OG, 26)
After piling the pressure on, Manchester City finally break the deadlock! Kerolin eases past Pacheco with a brilliant bit of skill on the right before firing the ball across goal. It deflects off the leg of Fernández before flying past Brosnan.
Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton: Maltby makes a run down the left before crossing the ball into the box. Daly is there and goes for goal with a header but rattles the crossbar! A huge chance for the hosts.
Tottenham 0-0 Leicester: Mayling breaks down the right and sends a cross to Van Egmond, who tests Kop with a strike from around 12 yards out. Spurs can eventually clear.
Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton: Chance for Villa to equalise as Daly sends a cross into the box, but Taylor heads it over.
Chelsea 1-0 West Ham: Ueki is back on the pitch, but Asseyi is now down with a head knock following a collision.
Manchester City 0-0 Everton: Brosnan keeps the score level with a brilliant reaction save from a close-range Shaw strike.
Chelsea 1-0 West Ham: Some injury concern for the Hammers now as Ueki limps off to the sidelines. It is currently unclear if she will be able to continue.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton (Fuka Tsunoda, 12)
Sabrina D’Angelo attempts to play the ball out from the back but instead gifts it to Tsunoda, who passes her shot into the net with ease.
A very cheap goal to give away for Villa.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 West Ham (Yu Endo OG, 1)
Well, that’s a nightmare start for West Ham.
James plays Carpenter through on the overlap. The full-back drills the ball into a dangerous area and Endo accidentally taps it into her own net.
Kick-off
We’re under way in each of the four games!
You can click here for daily updates on every transfer in women’s football this month:
We have also seen plenty of transfer movement in recent weeks, particularly from Tottenham and Manchester United.
Spurs have signed Julie Blakstad, Maika Hamano, Matilda Nilden, Hanna Wijk and Signe Gaupset so far in the winter window. Meanwhile, club legend Ashleigh Neville left to join Leicester City.
Manchester United have added Hanna Lundkvist and Lea Schüller to their ranks so far, with Hannah Blundell joining Everton on loan.
Elsewhere, Arsenal have signed Smilla Holmberg – who made her WSL debut yesterday – with Jenna Nighswonger joining Aston Villa on loan.
Meanwhile, London City Lionesses cut ties with Jocelyn Prêcheur despite being sixth in the table. Prêcheur had been in charge of the club since the summer of 2024 and led them to the Championship title last term.
Eder Maestre took over as the club’s new head coach on New Year’s Day. Upon his arrival, he said: “I am delighted to join London City Lionesses. I love English football and representing this club is a real honour. In my opinion this project is now the best project in women’s football. The ambitions are very aligned with my values and I’m very excited.”
Rehanne Skinner was sacked by West Ham last month following a poor start to the WSL season. Her dismissal came three days before the club’s 5-1 League Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City.
Rita Guarino was appointed as the club’s new head coach just before Christmas. Today marks her first game in charge.
Plenty has happened in the WSL over the last month, so let’s quickly recap some of the main talking points and headlines…
Ashleigh Neville STARTS for Leicester against Tottenham this afternoon, just a few days after leaving Spurs for the Foxes.
Team news – Aston Villa v Brighton
Aston Villa starting line-up: D’Angelo, Maritz, Patten, Parker, Wilms, Kendall, Taylor, Maltby, Hijikata, Hanson, Daly.
Substitutes: Roebuck, Kelly, Sallaway, Deslandes, Staniforth, Kearns, Salmon, Mullett.
Brighton starting line-up: Baggaley, Vanegas, Minami, Kafaji, Symonds, Seike, Kirby, Olislagers, Haley, Tsunoda, Rule.
Substitutes: Naordam, Noordam, Hayes, Tvedten, Camacho, McLauchlan, Martin.
Team news – Tottenham v Leicester City
Tottenham starting line-up: Kop, A. Nildén, Gaupset, England, Holdt, Rybrink, Vinberg, Hunt, Spence, Summanen, Koga.
Substitutes: Heeps, Jackson, Bartrip, M. Nildén, Wijk, Hamano, Thomas, Gunning-Williams, Dennis.
Leicester City starting line-up: Clark, Kees, Tierney, Van Egmond, Ale, Mayling, Cain, McLoughlin, O’Brien, Neville, Swaby.
Substitutes: Leitzig, Thibaud, Payne, Las, Jansson, Ayane, Goodwin, Mouchon.
Team news – Manchester City v Everton
Manchester City starting line-up: Yamashita, Rose, Knak, Greenwood, Casparij, Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa, Hemp, kerolin, Miedema, Shaw.
Substitutes: Keating, Clinton, Coombs, Wienroither, Ouahabi, Beney, Prior, Thomas, Murphy.
Everton starting line-up: Brosnan, Pacheco, Fernandez, Mace, Holmgaard, Wheeler, Hayashi, Van Gool, Payne, Vignola, Vignola.
Substitutes: Ramsey, Blundell, Hobson, Gago, Kitagawa, Lawley, Galli, Weir, Momiki.
Team news – Chelsea v West Ham
Chelsea starting line-up: Hampton, Carpenter, Bright, Buurman, Girma, Baltimore, Nüsken, Cuthbert, Kaneryd, Thompson, James.
Substitutes: Spencer, Peng, Reiten, Kaptein, Kerr, Bronze, Potter, Sarwie, Shooter.
West Ham starting line-up: Szemik, Morgan, Endo, Nyström, Hanshaw, Belloumou, Siren, Gorry, Ueki, Asseyi, Martinez.
Substitutes: Walsh, Csiki, Brasero, Wandeler, Cascarino, Houssein, Taylor-Brown, Cemal, Piubel.
Today’s fixtures (12pm GMT kick-off unless stated otherwise)
Chelsea at West Ham
Tottenham at Leicester City
Aston Villa v Brighton
Manchester City v Everton
Liverpool v London City Lionesses (2:30pm GMT)
Preamble
Hello and welcome to another WSL clockwatch! The winter break is finally over and the league is back in full swing. Arsenal and Manchester United kicked off the new year with a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium yesterday, leaving them third and fourth in the table respectively. Manchester City and Chelsea will have the chance to extend the gap at the top of the league this afternoon, which could all-but make it a two-team title race.
It is also a huge day for Gareth Taylor and Liverpool, who will be determined to kick off 2026 with their first WSL win of the season.
I’ll be guiding you through the 12pm GMT kick-offs – join me!
