Another weekend of action across the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Super League 2 brought plenty of standout performances, with players making their mark at both ends of the pitch.
From midfield maestros and goalkeeping heroics to rising stars and defensive dynamos, there were some impressive individual displays, and some big Fantasy returns to match.
With goals, assists, clean sheets and plenty of defensive contributions on the board, here are five of the standout performers from the weekend.
The Midfield Magic — Keira Walsh, Chelsea
Keira Walsh produced a standout all-round display for Chelsea this weekend, combining her usual composure in possession with a decisive contribution in the final third.
The midfielder finished the game with a goal and an assist, giving her a direct hand in two goals and helping her side make a strong attacking impact.
Walsh was also impressive when it came to creating opportunities, registering three chances created and an expected assists figure of 1.12.
Her passing remained a key part of her performance too, with the Chelsea midfielder completing 87% of her passes and helping her side control the game from the middle of the pitch.
But Walsh's contribution wasn't limited to attacking numbers. She also made six recoveries and three interceptions, underlining the all-round nature of her display.
It all added up to 9 Fantasy points, making Walsh one of the weekend's standout performers and showing just how valuable her ability to influence the game in multiple areas can be.
The Safe Hands — Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Crystal Palace
There was no shortage of action for Pauline Peyraud-Magnin as Crystal Palace secured a clean sheet against Arsenal, with the goalkeeper playing a huge role in keeping the Gunners off the scoresheet.
Peyraud-Magnin produced 8 saves throughout the match, including 6 diving saves and 6 stops from inside the box.
Her performance was particularly impressive given the quality and volume of the chances she faced. The goalkeeper recorded an expected goals on target figure faced of 1.28, while repeatedly keeping Arsenal at bay.
She also contributed 8 recoveries as Palace stood firm defensively.
The performance earned Peyraud-Magnin the Player of the Match award, while her clean sheet and string of saves also translated into a strong Fantasy BWSL return.
With 9 Fantasy points, the Palace goalkeeper was one of the biggest defensive performers of the weekend.
The Double Threat — Océane Hurtré, Birmingham City
Océane Hurtré continued to show exactly why she can be such a dangerous attacking option after another eye-catching performance for Birmingham City.
The forward finished with a goal and an assist, immediately putting herself among the weekend's standout attacking performers.
Hurtré wasn't simply relying on her goal contribution either. She took the joint-most shots in the game, showing her willingness to test the goalkeeper and make things happen in the final third.
Her creativity was another major part of her performance, with three chances created, while she completed 76% of her passes.
Hurtré also showed her willingness to contribute away from the ball, making four recoveries and three interceptions.
The combination of a goal, assist, shooting threat and creativity earned her 10 Fantasy points, making her one of the weekend's most productive attacking players.
The Rising Star — Alana Murphy, Nottingham Forest
Alana Murphy was arguably the biggest Fantasy standout from the weekend, producing an impressive all-round performance for Nottingham Forest.
The 20-year-old found the back of the net once again, meaning she has now scored in back-to-back games for Forest.
But her attacking contribution was only part of the story.
Murphy created 4 chances, the joint-most in the game, while completing 83% of her passes and constantly looking to influence proceedings in possession.
She was just as effective without the ball, making an impressive 8 tackles and 11 recoveries as Forest battled for control.
That combination of attacking and defensive contributions made Murphy's performance particularly eye-catching, with the midfielder finding ways to influence the game at both ends of the pitch.
Her efforts were rewarded with a huge 12.5 Fantasy points, the highest return among our five performers this weekend.
At just 20, Murphy is already showing signs of becoming an important player for Forest, and her back-to-back goals make her one to keep a close eye on as the BWSL2 campaign continues.
The Defensive Dynamo — Amy Sims, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Amy Sims rounds off our five after producing a strong defensive display for Wolverhampton Wanderers, while also finding the back of the net.
The Wolves player scored once, giving her side an important attacking contribution from a player whose performance was largely built around her work without the ball.
Sims completed 71% of her passes and showed her defensive awareness throughout the game, recording 2 tackles, 5 clearances and 3 interceptions.
She was also effective in one-on-one situations, winning 75% of her ground duels, while adding 2 recoveries to her performance.
That ability to combine a goal with a strong defensive contribution made Sims an important figure for Wolves and demonstrated the different ways she can influence a match.
Her efforts earned her 6.5 Fantasy points, rounding off our five standout performers from the weekend.
Who impressed you most?
From Walsh's midfield influence and Peyraud-Magnin's heroics between the sticks to Hurtré's attacking output, Murphy's all-round display and Sims' defensive work, there was plenty to admire across both divisions.
And with Fantasy BWSL and BWSL2 points adding another layer to the weekend's performances, these five certainly gave fantasy managers plenty to talk about.
