Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action | OneFootball

Fox gets timing right despite delayed flight

The Arsenal right-back Emily Fox defied her busier-than-usual international window to play a key role in their 1-1 draw at Manchester United. Fox was involved in all three of the United States’ games between 25 and 30 October, including playing the final half an hour of their 3-0 victory over Argentina on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky. It is understood that the 26-year-old’s flight home did not land until late on Friday afternoon, yet she was at her typically energetic best on Sunday. She played the full 90 minutes and crucially made a bursting run into the penalty area to unlock Manchester United’s defence and provide the assist for Alessia Russo’s opening goal. Arsenal’s interim head coach, Renee Slegers, said: “She came back with a delayed flight and performs like this, I’m very impressed. Foxy ended up making that run into the box pocket, and the timing of that run is just great, the first touch is very good and then her awareness of the run in the box, it’s a very good part of her performance.” TG

Struggling Everton short on numbers

The Everton manager, Brian Sørensen, is hoping to add much-needed reinforcements to his injury-hit squad in the January transfer window after being forced to play players out of position in their 5-0 loss to Chelsea. The Greece winger Veatriki Sarri was deployed as a left-back in a makeshift lineup and the Dane said: “I don’t think she’s ever played left-back in her entire life and then she was against probably the best winger in the league at the minute [Johanna Rytting Kaneryd]. It was a tough ask for a lot of the players. We need to focus on getting numbers back.” Asked if he will be busy in January, the Dane replied: “I hope so, otherwise it’s going to be a long season.” Everton are last after six games on two points. TG

Parris thriving on the south coast

It is obvious that Nikita Parris is loving life at her new club, Brighton. After making the move to the south coast over the summer, the 30-year-old forward has now scored three in the last three games, sitting just one off Bunny Shaw’s total in the scoring charts. Her 20th-minute finish on Sunday proved to be a vital winner for the Seagulls over Leicester, an instinctive header to turn home Jorelyn Carabali’s cross. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Parris was keen to praise her new manager Dario Vidosic’s approach to football and his desire to set up a team at both ends of the pitch to thrive in possession. “We tried to attack with the ball and to also defend with the ball and then that way we were solid,” he said after the win over Leicester that sent them up to third in the table. SD

Park unlocks Palace’s resistance

With every match she plays in a Manchester City shirt, Jess Park continues to come of age. Since the start of the year, the 23-year-old midfielder has established herself as one of the first names on Gareth Taylor’s team sheet, ever reliable and ever capable of creating moments of magic. On Sunday, she was the key that unlocked Crystal Palace’s stubborn first-half resistance. Realising that her side were struggling to break down the hosts’ back five despite dominating, she spotted her opportunity from distance in the 40th minute with a sublime curling finish. It was the perfect time to score, giving the league leaders the platform from which to build. After Jill Roord had notched her second club goal since returning from an ACL injury, Park played an integral role in City’s third when her pinpoint cross in from the right was headed home by Bunny Shaw. SD

Hinds gets Liverpool back on track

Liverpool’s Taylor Hinds struck twice in almost identical fashion in the club’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa. The forward was prowling on the edge of the box for both goals. The ball was sent into the right area on both occasions with captain Hinds running in unmarked to score with one-touch finishes. The goals were enough to give the Reds all three points despite Villa’s attempt to get something from the game after a Gabi Nunes’ goal cut Liverpool’s advantage in half. Victory for Liverpool has given the club their best away run in WSL history as they have gone eight consecutive games unbeaten on the road. The win for Liverpool means they are sixth but are level on points with fifth-place Arsenal, the clubs only separated by goal difference. SR

Own goal costs struggling Hammers

West Ham’s wait for their first win of the season continues despite being in front against Tottenham at half-time on Sunday. Riko Ueki had put the Hammers ahead in the first 45 but a goal from Beth England levelled the game and a crushing own goal in injury time by Camila Sáez gifted Spurs the win. In an attempt to prevent an on-running Lenna Gunning-Williams from scoring, Sáez lofted the ball into the air but in doing so she also lobbed her own keeper. It is the second time this season that Sáez has scored an own goal after also doing so against Everton. The loss means West Ham are 11th, on the same points as Aston Villa and Everton. SR

Header image: [Composite: Guardian design]