Matildas Abroad Review: City host record-breaking crowd; PSG move to first place

The last round of the WSL before the holiday break saw some exciting games, with Chelsea maintaining their spot at the top of the table while Arsenal and West Ham recorded victories. 

Read our wrap of all the action!

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England

Kicking off in Manchester, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy's Manchester City host second-place Manchester United, with a record-breaking crowd of 44,259 watching the derby. 

United opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark through Leah Galton, with Ella Toone and Galton linking up for the opener. 

Lauren Coombs netted the equaliser just before the hour mark to draw things back level, with chances at either end for both sides to take all three points in an exciting derby game.

Raso was the only substitute made by Gareth Taylor, replacing Chloe Kelly in the 85th minute of the game. 

Over in Brighton, Clare Wheeler's Everton game was postponed due to a frozen pitch, with the game set to be rescheduled.

Meanwhile, Kyah Simon's Spurs went down 2-0 to Mackenzie Arnold's West Ham United.

The Hammers collected their fifth win of the season, thanks to goals from Dagný Brynjarsdóttir and a delightful chip from Hawa Cissoko in the second half. 

Arnold kept a clean sheet in goals for the third time this season. 

In Birmingham, Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa hosted Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley's Arsenal, with Foord and Cately both starting for the visitors. 

Villa opened the scoring just six minutes into the game through Kirsty Hanson, however, an own goal to Aston Villa's skipper Rachel Corsie and a goal to Vivianne Miedema saw Arsenal take a 2-1 lead into the break.

The Arsenal team pose for a photo prior to the Barclays FA Women's Super League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on December 11, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The Arsenal team pose for a photo prior to the Barclays FA Women's Super League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on December 11, 2022, in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Katie McCabe and Jordan Nobbs added their name's to the scoresheet in the second half, with Foord picking up the assist on the Gunners' fourth of the day. 

Gielnik came off the bench in the 66th minute, but couldn't help Villa find the back of the net. 

Lastly,  Sam Kerr's ladder leaders Chelsea went down to the wire against Reading FC, recording a 3-2 win to keep their spot at the top of the table.

Emma Hayes opted to change her squad after their midweek UWCL outing, with Kerr starting on the bench and Bethany England making a rare start. 

Chelsea took a 3-0 lead going into the break, with Fran Kirby opening the scoring and then Jelena Čanković scoring a double on her WSL starting debut. 


Reading clawed back two goals in just one minute, but couldn't find the all-important third goal to level things up on a snowy night in London. 

Kerr came off the bench in the 70th minute, replacing England in the nail-biting win as the Blues made it nine wins for the WSL season and maintained their lead at the top.

France

Moving over to France, a top-of-the-table clash is set in the D1, as Ellie Carpenter's Lyon hosted Lydia Williams's Paris Saint-Germain.

Williams did not appear in the matchday squad, while Carpenter is still rehabbing an ACL injury sustained last year. Chances at both ends saw either side unable to squeeze the opener in the first half, going into the break locked at 0-0. 

Kadidiatou Diani scored an 87th-minute matchwinner for PSG, handing Lyon their first defeat of the D1 season as Paris move to first place.