Euro women’s recap: Chelsea cruise amid Hayes exit, Barca hit eight

After an interesting international break, the domestic game returned to action and did not disappoint as Chelsea hammered Aston Villa, but then announced that their manager would be leaving, most likely for the USWNT job. These are the main talking points from the Women’s Super League (WSL), plus some highlights from Europe.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)

Hayes’ shock announcement after Chelsea dominate Villa

After Chelsea’s 6-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, no one expected the Blues to issue a statement announcing that much-loved boss Emma Hayes would be leaving her role at the end of the season. It was a surprise to everyone in the WSL, and another surprise soon followed, as sources told ESPN that Hayes was close to landing the vacant US job in what will be a fascinating chapter of the history of American football.

The plaudits for Hayes’ impact on the WSL dominated things this weekend, but his team was also dominant on the pitch. The Blues, who have not entirely convinced so far this season, made sure to assert their authority throughout the match and, as they have so often done, used a match as a statement to remind the competition how good they are.

Millie Bright and Fran Kirby scored in the first half, but it was an 11-minute spell with three goals between the 56th and 67th minutes that saw the hosts collapse, before a sixth from Niamh Charles n adds more shine to the score.

It’s back to the drawing board for Villa – who have five defeats in five WSL matches – but the result showed the champions arrived after a somewhat shaky start. The team’s depth and experience is clear and while Hayes’ announcement adds some intrigue to the rest of the season, May is a long way off and the team’s goal will be the same as every year : absolutely win everything.

Arsenal punish Man City for missed chances

The story of Manchester City’s 2022-23 season was one of a team that didn’t want shot creation but repeatedly failed to convert their chances. And that was the problem in the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at Borehamwood on Sunday, which saw their unbeaten run this season come to an end.

Once again, it was a story of City creating with ease, but lacking a razor-sharp end product. City had 17 shots to Arsenal’s 10 and fell into a lull when the Gunners found their footing in the 14th minute and scored with their first shot on target. Indeed, City didn’t look too dangerous until they found parity from Chloe Kelly 18 minutes from time, but couldn’t hold on as Stina Blackstenius took advantage of an error in judgment from goalkeeper Khiara Keating to seal a late winner.

The worry for City is not just that they were the better team on the day and still managed to lose, but that there are similar patterns of dominance without wins last season. They have players who clearly have talent but can’t make it count for them when it counts: something like Chelsea and even Man United have done. Losing points like this could ultimately cost them dearly at the end of the season.

Brighton show growth but stumble at the end

Manchester United have a habit of scoring late goals in both the men’s and women’s teams. And on Sunday, it was super substitute Rachel Williams – who has scored four times from the bench this season – who was the savior again to snatch a 2-2 draw against Brighton in the 98th minute.

Despite nearly doubling the possession (63%) and shots (23), the visitors were repeatedly thwarted by a mixture of good work from former United back-up goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley and their own sloppy finish. While, at the other end, it was United’s number one, Mary Earps, who made some exceptional saves to keep the Seagulls out.

Brighton took the lead after half an hour, but Ella Toone’s 78th-minute screamer leveled things up. The pace of the match kept the fans in suspense and it ended when Guro Bergsvand headed home in the final minute. But as injury time progressed into the eighth minute, Williams fired home after being left unmarked in a corner.

For both teams, it will be like a loss of points. The new Mel Phillips-led project on the south coast will require patience, although they showed resilience and belief to take the game to United late on.

Robins wins first WSL victory

The pendulum swung at Dagenham as Bristol City secured their first WSL victory since March 2021 with a 3-2 victory over West Ham. After a Viviane Asseyi penalty, Bristol needed a bit of luck as Amalie Thestrup and then Ella Powell got the better of the sun-stricken Mackenzie Arnold to put them ahead.

But their advantage was erased at half-time as Riko Ueki’s injury time leveled things at 2-2.

However, as coach Lauren Smith has said after every defeat so far this season, the newly promoted side have learned from their mistakes and the players showed this by reducing their opponents’ chances in the second half.

Brooke Aspin’s 55th minute header gave them something to hold on to and, while it may not have been the most comfortable performance, it highlighted Bristol’s growth in a short space of time as they weathered the storm.

Salma plays Barcelona’s role in winning eight

play

Lawson: Bonmati ‘deserves’ Women’s Ballon d’Or more than anyone else

Sophie Lawson says Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is “a level above” other players after winning the women’s Ballon d’Or.

Barcelona continued their perfect start to the Liga F season with a seventh win in seven games and put eight goals past Sevilla.

With 28 goals scored and just two conceded so far, Barca are firmly on course to defend their title and needed just 45 minutes to demonstrate their dominance as they led 4-0 at halftime. -time. An incredible tally of four goals during this period from 19-year-old sensation Salma Paralluelo set the tone, as Caroline Graham also notched a hat-trick of assists.

On the day Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí presented her Ballon d’Or to the fans, it was Salma who took center stage on the pitch.

Stylish Roma find cushion in Serie A

Having been crowned best team in Italy with its first Scudetto Last season, undefeated Roma opened a three-point lead at the top of the table with a strong 3-1 win over second-placed Juventus on Sunday.

The match offered few surprises as Roma (who have six wins in six games) continued to demonstrate the free-flowing style favored by coach Alessandro Spugna, scoring three goals in an hour, while Juventus seemed short of goals. new ideas and lacked the spark that existed. them in such a good place in their first years in Serie A.

The attacking style that Spugna imparted is great to watch and created the best opportunities in this match. Roma will only get better as the team continues to build him into their DNA.

Bayern returns to form at the right time

In a battle between Germany’s two top clubs, Bayern Munich got the better of Wolfsburg in a 2-1 victory to take first place. First-half goals from Linda Dallmann and Klara Bühl were ultimately enough, despite a late rally sparked by a fine finish from Lena Oberdorf after an hour with Wolfsburg’s first shot of the match.

Wolfsburg, who have long reserved their best football for their Bavarian rivals, seem to be falling further and further behind. Unable to really gain a foothold in the first half, they worked hard – as they did in the two Champions League matches against Paris FC – and seemed far too dependent on striker Alexandra Popp.

Injuries (and pregnancies) within Wolfsburg’s forward line have clearly hampered the way the team wishes to move forward, but there is a growing disconnect within a team that was only in the final of the Champions League than six months ago. Wolfsburg are a team with a brilliant history in women’s football, so it won’t be panic just yet. But there are warning signs that cannot be ignored.

Another postponement from PSG

While their match against Stade de Reims on October 15 was suspended due to fireworks last month, PSG have now seen their second league match postponed, with their Saturday encounter against Guingamp canceled in due to unplayable terrain after heavy rain.

Heading into a lengthy Champions League group stage this month, PSG now face possible match congestion and are already nine points behind Ligue 1 leaders Lyon after played two fewer games.

And finally… Pomigliano plunges Serie A into turmoil

Following Pomigliano’s 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria in Serie A on Saturday afternoon, the club took the highly unusual position of announcing their withdrawal from the competition with “immediate effect”.

Denouncing the league’s management, financial rewards and officials’ involvement in the defeat that saw Gaia Apicella receive a red card and a late penalty, Pomigliano insisted in a statement that: “Fighting against an opponent invisible becomes an unequal struggle that saps your energy and your desire to continue.

It remains to be seen whether Pomigliano will be allowed to carry out the Italian Federation’s threat. The team are ninth in the league, one point better than Napoli after six games, but appear destined for the relegation round.