Record-breaker Nobbs likened to Modric
The Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Nobbs became the Women’s Super League’s all-time leading appearance maker when she played in her 193rd WSL match, an entertaining 4-2 loss at Brighton. The Villa manager, Robert de Pauw, said: “The energy and the experience she brings on the pitch, I know she’s one of the older players on the team, but good enough is old enough, like a little [Luka] Modric in midfield. If I compare it to one player it would be him. I have all the respect in the world for what she’s doing and the level that she brings.” The 71-times capped England international is being deployed in a deeper, holding role by De Pauw, rather than as the No 10 she became known as earlier in her career, and De Pauw said of the 31-year-old former Arsenal player: “If you read the game well like Jordan, then you can play in both roles.” TG
Match report: Brighton 4-2 Aston Villa
Kaminski keeps Palace grounded
The Crystal Palace head coach, Laura Kaminski, was determined not to get carried away after her side secured their first WSL win. Her promoted team were deserved winners at Leicester, after conceding 11 goals without scoring in their opening fixtures against Tottenham and Chelsea, and Kaminski told the Guardian: “It’s made history for the club, which I’m extremely proud of. The players deserved the points from their performance. We’ve worked extremely hard and been through a really tough start in the WSL, and to keep their minds focused and learning throughout the weeks we’ve had, to apply the execution today was fantastic. Now we really need to keep our feet on the ground, not be too high with the highs, not too low with the lows. I was asking the players to stay steady when we lost so now I certainly won’t be asking them to celebrate too hard. It’s one game, but we need to take the positives and really keep trying to improve.” TG
Blunt Arsenal hit familiar problem
It was a case of the same old story for Arsenal as they played out a goalless draw with Everton at the Emirates. Their inability to break down a deep, compact defence has become a running theme in the Jonas Eidevall era and it led to the dropping of another two points. The stats illustrated the crux of issue: Arsenal created 21 chances but managed only five efforts on target. That kind of ineffectiveness in front of goal rarely allows you to mount a title challenge. In contrast, it was a performance that will have given Everton a much-needed boost after a difficult start to this campaign. Brian Sørensen was full of praise for his team who dug deep to take home an important point. “The resilience, the togetherness, the willingness to fight for each other, the coolness, the calmness … I’m super-proud,” he said. SD
City showcase strength in depth
Manchester City went top with a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham. Gareth Taylor made five changes to his XI, with Jill Roord starting for the first time since her anterior cruciate ligament injury. Chloe Kelly, Laura Blindkilde Brown and Mary Fowler made their first league starts of the campaign, while Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw dropped to the bench. City struggled to extend their advantage after Lauren Hemp’s 10th-minute opener, but that changed when Shaw came on to assist Fowler with her fourth touch. “I’m really pleased,” Taylor said. “We changed a few things obviously with new personnel coming in. We have to be patient in letting them settle and finding their rhythm. Second half I felt we needed that injection from the sidelines and we got that with Bunny [Shaw] and Aoba [Fujino]. We’ve got improved options I feel this season now, which is going to help the team.” EH
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Lundgaard injury mars Liverpool win
Liverpool’s first win of the WSL season was marred by what looked to be a serious injury to the midfielder Sofie Lundgaard. The 22-year-old was forced off after her left knee buckled while she was challenging Tottenham’s Amanda Nildén. Lundgaard left the pitch in tears with the help of two physios in the 32nd minute. Liverpool’s manager, Matt Beard, said her injury was “probably” related to her anterior cruciate ligament. “I’m gutted for Sofie,” he said. “I think you could see the girls at half-time were visibly upset with the Sofie Lundgaard situation. I know Marie Höbinger put herself under pressure to win the game for her at half-time.” EH