Chelsea go goal-crazy (again)
Can anyone stop Chelsea? With Sunday’s 6-0 rout away to Charlton Athletic, the league leaders made it seven BWSL wins on the spin – rendering the opening-weekend draw with Aston Villa an even more distant memory. They’ve recorded those seven victories by an aggregate scoreline of 26-3, racking up 15 goals in their last three games alone.
Neither Tottenham Hotspur nor Manchester City are far off, but Chelsea are currently the only team in the BWSL or BWSL2 averaging three or more goals per game this season – and they’re doing that quite comfortably too, averaging 3.37. Then again, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised: the Blues were the last side to average three or more goals per game over the course of a full BWSL campaign (3.22 en route to the title in 2023/24).
Also noteworthy is how well they’re spreading the goals around. Chelsea have had 13 different BWSL scorers this term, with six of them finding the net at least twice – and top scorer Melvine Malard (six goals) striking four times in the last two games.
Man City’s main two into double figures
Man City stayed hot on Chelsea’s heels with a 2-1 win at London City Lionesses – and, as one has come to expect, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp both played integral parts as their side got back on track. The pair are the first two players to reach 10 goals and assists combined in this season’s BWSL.
Off the back of her third-placed finish at the Ballon d’Or reinforcing what we already knew – that she’s one of the very best strikers in the world – Shaw moved to nine goals in eight BWSL appearances with the opener on Sunday, taking her to 10 goal contributions overall thanks to her one assist so far.
And it was apt that Shaw’s deadlock-breaker should have been set up by Hemp – who, in notching the winner just moments after the Lionesses had drawn themselves level, made it five goals and five assists in seven outings this campaign. It’s the second time this term that she’s scored and assisted in the same match, also doing so in last month’s 4-2 triumph over Arsenal.
Villa show ultimate efficiency
Aston Villa have made a bit of a habit of frustrating the pre-season title favourites so far, and they continued their solid start to the season by holding Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday – having done likewise to Chelsea on the opening weekend.
Remarkably, Villa clinched a point while having a solitary shot against the Gunners. Chasity Grant took full advantage to put the visitors ahead – and they almost held onto that lead, Alessia Russo bailing Arsenal out five minutes from time.
Up until then, Villa had stayed in front through a backs-to-the-wall defensive performance backed up by the goalkeeping heroics of Akane Okuma – who posted 1.36 goals prevented (relative to expected goals on target faced) in her latest impressive performance since arriving in the summer.
Asseyi does something no one did last season
Viviane Asseyi has started the season in fine form, taking her 2026/27 BWSL tally to five goals with a brace in West Ham United’s 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool, the first of those goals coming from the penalty spot.
And that penalty was a significant one: it’s the second spot-kick Asseyi has won this term – no BWSL player has won multiple penalties in a campaign since 2024/25.
It’s mark of how hard to defend against the former France winger is – as further exemplified by her average of 2.0 dribbles completed per 90, ranking towards the higher end among BWSL players.
Neville still No1
Charlton Athletic are still searching for their first point since returning to the BWSL – but it’s not for the want of trying, especially not in the case of Ashleigh Neville, who continues to what she does best.
The experienced full-back leads the way for tackles per 90 in the BWSL with 5.3 – at least 0.8 more than any other player in the division – having made five challenges in Charlton’s 6-0 drubbing by Chelsea.
Neville has picked up where she left off last season, when she topped the BWSL tackling charts by a fair distance with 6.1 per 90. Indeed, she’s placed in the top two for that metric in each of the last five top-flight campaigns.
Fantasy in numbers: Leg 2 | Matchweek 8
Standout individual
Picking up 13 points for Chelsea against Charlton thanks in no small part to her fifth goal of the season in all competitions, Ellie Carpenter leads the way for Fantasy points with 79 overall.
The Australia wing-back is one of five players to reach or pass the 70-point mark, with the aforementioned Hemp (75 points) and Shaw (72) behind her – along with Birmingham City’s Oceane Hurtre (73) and Spurs’ Victoria Pelova (70).
Top of the league
Holding onto to spot in the Barclays Season Race are OnaBattleAfterAnothr, managed by Samo Bobnar.
They collected 98 points this week to take their overall tally to 760, with four players scoring 10 points or more – including captain Shaw (nine points doubled to 18).
James Newhill’s Winter WonTerland and Alex Williams’ Williams sit second and third in the table on 747 and 733 points respectively.
