Soccer-Champions Chelsea complete unbeaten WSL league season, Arsenal finish second
Soccer Football - Women's Super League - Chelsea v Liverpool - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 10, 2025 Chelsea's Agnes Beever-Jones celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea completed an unbeaten season in the Women's Super League with a 1-0 home win over Liverpool on Saturday and Arsenal held on for a 4-3 victory over Manchester United to finish second in the standings.
Chelsea, who sealed their sixth consecutive WSL title last month, were unable to break down Liverpool's defence at Stamford Bridge until the 91st minute when Ashley Lawrence played in Aggie Beever-Jones and the England international produced an excellent right-foot shot from a tight angle.
Chelsea, record eight-times champions, finished with 19 wins and three draws to earn 60 points - the highest total in a WSL season.
They also become the first team to go unbeaten in a 22-match WSL campaign, though Arsenal (2012), Manchester City (2016) and Chelsea (2017-18) have achieved the feat in previous seasons with fewer games.
At the Emirates Stadium, Chloe Kelly scored in the second minute to give Arsenal an early lead but United's Ella Toone levelled in the 13th minute, before strikes from Mariona Caldentey, Frida Maanum and Kim Little put the hosts in the driving seat.
Renee Slegers' team endured a nerve-wracking finish to the match as Elisabeth Terland and Maya Le Tissier scored but United could not complete the comeback.
Arsenal, who face Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final this month, ended the season with 48 points, four ahead of third-placed United.
Bottom club Crystal Palace, relegated from the WSL last month and set to be replaced by the London City Lionesses, were beaten 5-2 by fourth-placed Manchester City.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Malay Mail
EPL keeps £30 away ticket limit as supporters rally against soaring matchday costs
LONDON, June 4 — Premier League clubs unanimously agreed on Tuesday to extend the current 30 pounds (US$40.56) cap on away ticket prices for a 10th season, the league said in a statement. Since the price cap was introduced in 2016, away game attendance has risen from 82 per cent to 91 per cent. The cumulative away attendance for the 380 matches during the 2024-25 season was 953,420. 'The Premier League and clubs recognise the additional costs associated with fans following their team during the season, and the incredible atmospheres they create at matches,' the league said in a statement. This comes after fans of several Premier League clubs united under the Football Supporters' Association campaign 'Stop Exploiting Loyalty', prompting a ticket price freeze next season from clubs like Liverpool, Brentford, and Manchester City. The new season of England's top flight will begin on August 15 and conclude on May 24, 2026. (US$1 = 0.7396 pounds) — Reuters
The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
Cricket-Ashes tickets sell at record rate
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - Ashes - Fifth Test - England v Australia - The Oval, London, Britain - July 31, 2023 Australia's Pat Cummins and teammates pose with the urn and trophies after drawing the series and retaining the Ashes Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) -Tickets for the Ashes series were snapped up at a record rate when they went on sale on Tuesday with the allocations for the first three days of the Brisbane and Sydney tests as well as day one of the Melbourne test all exhausted. Cricket Australia said a total of 311,066 tickets were purchased on Tuesday for international matches in the home 2025-26 season, when the hosts will defend the urn against England in a five-test series. The previous record for a single day's sale was 111,741 tickets ahead of the 2017-18 Ashes series, CA said. "The record demand for tickets shows the excitement fans are feeling about the fantastic international season to come," said Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg. Australia won both the 2017-18 series and following home series in 2021–22 4-0 before drawing 2-2 in England in 2023 to retain the urn. England last triumphed in Australia in 2010-11, which is also the last time the tourists won a test Down Under. This year's series begins in Perth in late November before a day-night match in Brisbane, the third test in Adelaide and the traditional Melbourne and Sydney tests in December and January. More tranches of tickets will be made available for those fans who signed up for pre-allocation at a later date, while the general public will be able to make purchases from June 13. Australia also host both South Africa and India in Twenty20 and one-day series before the Ashes, while the women's team will play India in all three formats in February and March. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
New Straits Times
17 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Pina fires Spain past England into Nations League semis
CORNELLÀ DE LLOBREGAT, SPAIN: Super-sub Claudia Pina struck twice as Spain came from behind to beat England 2-1 on Tuesday in a heavyweight clash and reach the women's Nations League semi-finals. Sweden romped to a 6-1 win over Scandinavian rivals Denmark to progress to the final four, along with already-qualified France and Germany. World champions Spain won Group A3 by five points from Euro 2022 winners England, who could have progressed themselves with a victory at the RCDE Stadium on the outskirts of Barcelona. Alessia Russo stroked Sarina Wiegman's side ahead after 22 minutes but Pina's brace off the bench in the second half booked the holders' ticket to the final four in October. Spain and England will be the favourites to lift the Euros trophy this summer in Switzerland and after a narrow defeat at Wembley in February, Montse Tome's side flexed their muscles by outclassing the Lionesses. Pina did the damage with a cool first finish and then a blast from the edge of the box for her second. "I received the ball (for the second) and I didn't even think about it, I hit it with my soul," said Pina, who often shines off the bench for her club too. "I always try to do my best, and I am ready, I'm happy to be able to help," she added. Featuring seven Barcelona players, who finished as Champions League final runners-up last week, and one winner in Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey, Spain started the stronger. They almost took the lead after three minutes but Hannah Hampton made a superb reflex save to deny Esther Gonzalez from close range. The Chelsea goalkeeper was under the spotlight after Mary Earps' shock decision to retire from international football ahead of the Euros this summer and swiftly offered evidence of why she is England's number one. Despite the hosts' dominance they could not find a way in front and England capitalised. Niamh Charles got away with a slight foul on Salma Paralluelo inside her own half which enabled England to spring forward. Former Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh guided a superb ball through for Russo to chase and the Arsenal forward stroked home clinically. Spain were left outraged when left-back Charles then blatantly handled the ball in her area without punishment. Spain, who beat England in the 2023 World Cup final, found a way back through substitute Pina, who netted two minutes after coming on. Pina flashed a quick shot across Hampton to equalise, and the 23-year-old grabbed another 10 minutes later. She bagged her second from the edge of the box, with a shot which crashed in off the post past the helpless Hampton. England never seemed capable of wrestling the momentum away from a Spain side that began to cruise, starving the visitors of the ball. They were run ragged and beyond missing out on the Nations League will be left with some concerns ahead of their European Championship defence this summer. "(It was) a very intense game... they are very tight on the ball, I thought we did well," Wiegman told ITV. "In the second half they (were)... pressing a bit higher and we struggled to get out of the press and keep the ball." England midfielder Fran Kirby announced her retirement from international duty after the game, having been told earlier in the week she would not be part of the Euros squad. "I'm really proud of her and grateful to work with her (over the years)," Wiegman told reporters. "She's been an inspiration for a lot of people and an incredible example." With Earps and Kirby retired and question marks over Millie Bright's availability after she stepped away from the camp because of burn-out, England could lack some experience in their Euros squad. Sweden clinched Group A4 victory with a thumping triumph against sorry Denmark. Stina Blackstenius followed up her Champions League-winning goal with a hat-trick at the Strawberry Arena in Solna to inspire her team to victory. France, who were runaway winners of Group A2, beat Iceland in their final match with goals from Sandy Baltimore and Grace Geyoro.
