Chelsea go top of WSL as Man United and Arsenal play out a goalless draw
Chelsea moved top of the Women's Super League with nine points from three games after edging Leicester City 1-0 on Sunday, before Manchester United and Arsenal played out a goalless draw at Leigh Sports Village.
Liverpool's WSL fixture at Aston Villa on Sunday was postponed, and a minute's silence was observed in the other games of the day for former Liverpool and Chelsea manager Matt Beard, who died at the age of 47.
Aggie Beever-Jones kept up her scoring streak with her third goal in as many games as Sonia Bompastor's side edged Leicester 1-0 at home to preserve their perfect start to the season.
Chelsea went ahead in the seventh minute when Erin Cuthbert's clever backheel from just outside the box split the Leicester defence and found Beever-Jones, who rifled her shot into the roof of the net past Janina Leitzig.
Leitzig also denied Cuthbert twice and produced a superb fingertip save to keep out Keira Walsh's first-half strike.
Although the visitors pushed forward, they rarely carved out clear openings. Their best chance came deep into stoppage time when Rosella Ayane rattled the crossbar and Emily van Egmond fired the rebound over.
Either Manchester United or Arsenal would have moved above the champions on goal difference with victory, but the stalemate left both trailing leaders Chelsea.
United tested Daphne van Domselaar early through Melvine Malard and Jess Park, with Malard remaining lively throughout. At the other end, United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce tipped Olivia Smith's strike from outside the box onto the crossbar.
Chloe Kelly replaced Arsenal's 1 million pounds ($1.35 million) close-season signing Smith in the second half. Kelly was later teed up by Alessia Russo but shot wide, as both sides were limited to bursts of momentum without ever taking control of the game.
"You want to win games at home against teams like Arsenal. I thought the girls were incredible," United manager Marc Skinner told BBC Sport.
"It ends in a draw deservedly, you'd be disappointed not to take a point at least. Sometimes it's a boring draw, but both teams were trying to win it which is credit to both teams."
West Ham United were left bottom and without a point after a 4-1 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.
On Friday, Vivianne Miedema and Laura Coombs scored as Manchester City thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 5-1. Grace Clinton netted the fourth goal on her City debut against her former club and also set up Coombs' stoppage-time curler.
Also on Friday, London City Lionesses secured their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Everton thanks to Isobel Goodwin's brace.
($1 = 0.7426 pounds)
