Matildas Abroad Review: Fowler, Kerr and Wheeler on the scoresheet; Arsenal drop first points of the WSL season

Our Matildas Abroad had a weekend to remember, with three Aussies finding the back of the net for their clubs. While the season is coming to a close in Denmark, with Fortuna Hjørring sitting in second place.

Three Aussies found the back of the net over the weekend to lead their side's to convincing wins. Meanwhile, the top to the table is heating up in the WSL, with only one point separating ladder leaders Arsenal and Chelsea. Lyon hit PSG for six in the top of the table clash in France. 

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Kyah Simon and Steph Catley made the start for their respective sides in the North London derby. Arsenal looked the most likely to find the back of the net in the first half, hitting the woodwork on two separate occasions. 

Despite the Gunners first-half dominance it would be the hosts Tottenham Hotspur who would open the scoring, Simon was able to deliver a cross to Spurs' skipper Kit Graham at the back post. Graham's shot was deflected into the path of Rachel Williams who found the opener. 

Kyah Simon of Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal (Photo: @SpursWomen Twitter)
Kyah Simon of Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal (Photo: @SpursWomen Twitter)

Arsenal looked to be without an answer for the remainder of the second half, starring their first defeat in the WSL this season in the face. However, always dependable Vivianne Miedema found the equaliser for the Gunners in the 92nd minute to secure the draw. 

With this draw the first point Arsenal has dropped all season, Caitlin Foord came off the bench in the 85th minute. While Lydia Williams was an unused substitute. 

Emily Gielnik's Aston Villa broke their three-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Birmingham City. 

Anita Asante scored the winner just before the half-hour mark, rising highest in the corner to give Villa the lead.

Gielnik did not appear in the matchday squad, posting on social media that she is back training with the side after seven weeks out due to injury. 

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It took just two minutes for Chelsea to find the opener against Manchester City. Sam Kerr put pressure on City's keeper Karima Taieb, forcing a poor pass out from the keeper which Jessie Fleming capitalised off. 

The Blues added their second just before the halftime break, Ji So-yun delivered a deep cross into the far post, Guro Reiten was able to nod the ball into the path of Kerr to double Chelsea's advantage. With Kerr scoring her sixth of the WSL season. 

Fran Kirby and captain Magdalena Eriksson added one each early in the second half to wrap up the points for Chelsea.

Hayley Raso saw her first minutes in the WSL since City's opening round 4-0 win against Everton coming on in the 79th minute. Alanna Kennedy was an unused substitute. 

Elsewhere, Mackenzie Arnold and Tameka Yallop made the start for West Ham United as they hosted Reading. 

Lisa Evans opened the scoring for the hosts, scoring her first in claret & blue singing making the loan move from Arsenal. 

Grace Fisk added another before the break to give the Hammers a 2-0 advantage going into the break.

Tameka Yallop of West Ham United shoots at goal with an overhead kick during the Barclays FA Women's Super League match between West Ham United Women and Reading Women (Photo: GettyImages)
Tameka Yallop of West Ham United shoots at goal with an overhead kick during the Barclays FA Women's Super League match between West Ham United Women and Reading Women (Photo: GettyImages)

Yallop had an attempt at goal in the second half cleared off the line by the Reading defence.

The visitors were next to find the back of the net, a free-kick from outside the box was saw a West Ham defender put it into the back of her own net. 

Reading found the equaliser in the 92nd minute, Arnold thought she had done enough to keep Emma Harries' effort from crossing the line but was deemed a goal by the referee. 

Moving over to France, Montpellier hosted Issy FF in search of their fourth win of the season. 

The hosts opened the scoring in the 12th minute to go into the break with a 1-0 advantage.

Mary Fowler was a super-sub off the bench for Montpellier, coming on in the 59th minute and doubling her sides' advantage just two minutes later. 

Fowler added her second goal quickly after, getting on the end of Dominika Škorvánková driven cross into the box to seal the 3-0 win. 

Meanwhile, Ellie Carpenter's Lyon hosted Paris Saint-Germain in the top of the table clash in Division 1 Féminine in front of 13,000 fans.

Catarina Macario opened the scoring from the penalty spot just 15 minutes into the encounter, Daniëlle van de Donk added Lyon's second just three minutes later.

Paris Saint-Germain was in all sorts of trouble when Ashley Lawrence saw red for her challenge on Melvine Malard, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity for Lyon.

Ellie Carpenter in Lyon's 6-1 win. (Source: @OLfeminin Instagram)
Ellie Carpenter in Lyon's 6-1 win. (Source: @OLfeminin Instagram)

Damaris Egurrola added Lyon's third from a corner before PSG clawed one back through Amanda Ilestedt. 

Carpenter picked up an assist on Lyon's next goal, threading a perfect cross through PSG defence to find Ada Hegerberg. With Hegerberg scoring for Lyon for the first time since coming back from a two-year absence due to injury.

Hegerberg found the net again just three minutes later to finish it at 6-1. 

Over in Denmark, Fortuna Hjørring had just two games left to secure their UWCL spot for next season.

Angela Beard, Clare Wheeler and Indi Riley all made the start for Hjørring in their game against Kolding.

Fortuna opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark, Beard's free-kick found Janelle Cordia in the box to give Hjørring the lead going into the break. 


Clare Wheeler netted just her second goal from Hjørring in fantastic style, picking up the ball outside the box and striking it the first time to find the back of the net. 

Fortuna Hjørring has secured the second spot on the ladder and has clinched an automatic qualification to next season's Champions League, with third-place Brøndby IF unable to overtake them on the ladder

Ladder leaders HB Køge showed a dominant display against Jenna McCormick's AGF, scoring just three minutes into the game. 

Køge scored another in the second half to secure the win, McCormick played the whole game in defence for AGF.

In Norway, LSK Kvinner hosted first place IL Sandviken in their last game of the season, Sandviken opened the scoring in the 7th minute through Maria Brochmann.

An own goal in the 13th minute added the second for IL Sandviken to seal the 2-0 win. 

Karly Roestbakken came off the bench in the 92nd minute.