The third week of Champions League action ended without any major surprises, as Lyon, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester City maintained their top spot in their groups.
The four groups have the same points, with teams having played three, two, one or zero games respectively. It shows how ready the competition is for change, as the gap between top and bottom has not narrowed in the four years since its introduction.
Despite the introduction of a league system in the men’s Champions League this season, the women’s competition will not switch to the same format until next year. The men’s competition may not be without its risks, but the variety of rivals the teams face has propelled teams such as Celtic and Brest to the start of the competition.
This type of change is very necessary in the women’s competition, where it is clear in the draw who will advance to the quarterfinals. This week’s consistent results only underline this: six of the eight games were won by three goals or more. Regardless of how well the league phase works in the men’s competitions, the opportunity to play against different teams will be a much-needed boost for women’s football.
All eyes on City and Chelsea on Saturday…
The biggest match of the WSL season will take place on Saturday, when the top two face off. Manchester City will play at home against Chelsea. It will be the first time City have played Chelsea at home and will mark Sonja Bopastor’s biggest test as manager since she replaced Emma Hayes.
The two teams took different approaches to their Champions League matches as City, who top the table with six wins and one draw from their seven games, fielded a strong team against Hammarby. At the same time, Chelsea left out several key players for the trip to Glasgow to play Celtic at home. Myra Ramirez, Sjoek Nusken, Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan, who have not even traveled to Scotland. Everything can be expected to start on Saturday.
Neither team defeated their much weaker rival: City won 2-0 and Chelsea 2-1, although both had opportunities to make things easier. They will have an extra day off when City play on Tuesday, which may have been a factor in allowing City manager Gareth Taylor to be more relaxed about where he started. Second half goals from Laura Blindkild Brown and Aoba Fujino clinched the result.
Fujino heads City’s second goal (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Chelsea, who won all six WSL games and scored 23 goals, had some nervous moments against Celtic in a changed system. They played with three goals in the first half, as Bompastor risked using the “B team” and only resorted to the restricted bench. They should have come back too: Murphy Agnew put Celtic ahead in the 22nd minute, but Maika Hamano and Ashley Lawrence responded within 10 minutes.
But Taylor has a concern. Lauren Hemp has been the star of the WSL season, but it is unclear if she will be fit for Saturday after missing the game against Hammarby with an undisclosed injury.
“We have to take our time tomorrow, have a good conversation and find out where we are with the medical staff,” Taylor said.
Another intrigue will be the impact of Taylor’s durability and Bopastor’s rotation. On the face of it, the players had to be new to Chelsea and even the starters who traveled north of the border didn’t play more than 45 minutes.
But at the same time, Taylor’s first-choice team is stable and seems to benefit from playing together regularly. It will be an interesting encounter and, while it won’t define the season, it could provide a strong indication of the favorite in the title race.
Liquid Arsenal continues to entertain with Slegers
Arsenal recorded a crucial 4-0 victory over Juventus on Tuesday night, giving them their second victory of the group stage. Defeated in the opening match against Bayern Munich, this trip to Turin could decide whether Juventus or Arsenal finish second in the group.
Frieda Maanum gave Arsenal the lead in the first half, but at the end of the second the goals were crucial. Stina Blackstenius, Mariona Caldentei and Caitlin Food scored within 12 minutes to give Arsenal a crucial goal difference. If teams are tied in the UWCL, tiebreakers will focus on results between the two teams, then goal difference, then goals scored. Those three extra goals put Arsenal in a strong position, even ahead of next week’s second leg.
Scoring goals en masse has become a hallmark of interim coach René Slegers’ management. The former assistant manager hasn’t changed much from Jonas Eidevall’s system, but his substitutions and their impact have caught the eye. Arsenal have scored two or more goals after the 70th minute in four of the Slagers’ five games.
Laia Codina and the Arsenal squad after beating Juventus (Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
He was criticized for replacing striker Alessia Russo in one match (a 1-1 draw against Manchester United), but his performances have continued and the introduction of new legs appears to be paying off.
It’s very similar to what Eidevall did, but the players are in a much better position thanks to Slegers’ management style. Recent results against Brighton & Hove Albion (5-0) and Juventus have been against teams that match Arsenal’s style in their attempt to dominate possession. But it cannot be ignored that Arsenal are winning close games again and comprehensively.
This will not go unnoticed as they look to name a new head coach. What’s next: North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
(Top photo: Chelsea team thanks their fans in Glasgow after beating Celtic; credit: Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)
