Chelsea hit five at United as Arsenal are held by Palace
Chelsea beat Manchester United 5-0 away on 13 September to claim their first win of the Women's Super League season.
The game kicked off at 12:00. By full time, it was over as a contest. Five goals. Five different scorers. Three points. ESPN recorded the 5-0 away win, and BBC Sport confirmed it was Chelsea's opening victory of the league campaign.
The Women's Super League is England's top division. Chelsea are its serial winners. To start without a win had felt strange. This was a reset.
That spread of scorers matters for a casual viewer. One striker in form can win a match. Five players scoring in one game points to a team where danger comes from everywhere. It was the performance picked out for praise on The Guardian's Women's Football Weekly, with Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Marva Kreel and Chris Paouros reviewing the weekend on the 15 September edition.
Arsenal told a very different story. They drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on 13 September.
The match kicked off at 2:45pm on Sunday. It was Arsenal's first league game at the Emirates in the 2026/27 season. Palace arrived as newcomers to the division. New teams are often expected to struggle at big grounds. Palace did not. BBC Sport recorded the goalless draw and noted Palace's status as new arrivals.
Arsenal pushed. The ball would not go in. For the home crowd, it was frustration. For Palace, it was a point to remember.
Elsewhere in the division, Manchester City won with Bunny Shaw on the scoresheet. Shaw is City's focal point in attack, a classic No 9 who leads the line and finishes moves. West Ham defeated London City Lionesses. Brighton struck late to draw with Birmingham, a late equaliser changing the mood of the whole afternoon.
The season itself is still young. The 2026-27 campaign kicked off with the Lionesses hosting Manchester United on Friday night. That quick turnaround from opening night to a heavy defeat at home shows how fast the table can shift.
In WSL 2, England's second tier, three teams still hold perfect records. Sunderland, Newcastle United and Leicester City all won again. Early season, yes. But winning every game builds rhythm and belief.
What makes this stand out is the contrast. Chelsea clicked into gear in one ruthless afternoon. Arsenal could not find a way through over 90 minutes. One city celebrates depth. Another puzzles over a blank.
For fans, this means a lively table already. Arsenal face Manchester United at home next, then travel to Chelsea. Palace will take confidence from the Emirates. United must lift themselves fast.
