Archive September 27, 2025

The query that appears in the piece’s headline seems absurd at first glance.

Arsenal are unbeaten in its fourth game of the Women’s Super League (WSL) season. They are reigning European champions, one point behind leaders Chelsea, and they have named four players in the top seven of the 2025 Ballon d’Or this week.

Arsenal fans’ comments in the BBC Sport inbox, such as “So poor from Arsenal” and “There you go Chelsea, all yours again,” could be read as fan hysteria.

Yes, two points were lost in the Emirates Stadium’s late equalizer against Aston Villa. But seriously, blowing the title race?

However, scratch beneath the surface and the clickbait’s apparent substance is revealed.

The main issue is Chelsea. Sonia Bompastor’s team finished with just six points overall in their WSL campaign last year, which was their first of its kind in a 22-game run.

After four games, Arsenal has already lost four points, including a poor 0-0 draw at home to Villa on Saturday and a drab 0-0 draw at Manchester United last weekend.

Any points lost in such a small league could be very detrimental.

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers told Sky Sports, “What we need to do better is find those ways of winning, even though we’re not at our highest level today,” which is going to happen throughout the season. The second goal “would have been very significant for us,” he said.

How preventable this was is what most worries Arsenal. Aside from the defeat from last year, tiredness, a focus on the Champions League, and an inspiring Villa display all contributed.

However, it appeared to be self-inflicted on Saturday. After ten minutes, Arsenal took the lead, but the pace dropped as the game got longer. And they conceded the victory to set-pieces just as it appeared to have won by a narrow margin.

Lynn Wilms made a good save from Daphne van Domselaar after receiving a soft free kick outside the box. And Lucy Parker bundled home from the corner that Arsenal did not defend.

Any side that is regarded as serious title contenders shouldn’t be dropping points in this manner. It’s difficult to imagine Chelsea doing that.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright stated to Sky Sports, “Chelsea dominate this WSL because of those games they are able to finish.”

Chelsea win that game, Chelsea don’t lose that game, and Chelsea don’t draw that game.

The players and the manager both have to bear the blame for Arsenal’s poor second half.

Arsenal had 19 shots in the first half, which made it impossible for them to miss.

But they were almost 35 minutes into the second half without scoring until Katie McCabe’s well-timed save from Sabrina D’Angelo. Following their draw against Manchester United, which saw only one shot on target.

It is a worrying drop-off after their first two league games, where they scored nine goals.

Slegers criticized the team’s performance, saying, “The quality we have in the team didn’t bring in the final third today.”

They need too many touches on the ball, according to Wright, who described it as “very negative, backwards passing.” There isn’t enough energy, it says.

Because of how poorly a team is going to try to win the league, I believe these games show them just how they are.

Concerning Slegers, questions will be raised about how she uses the squad and substitutes.

At her Thursday press conference, she was faced with questions about American defender Jenna Nighswonger, who had not played since signing in January.

And on Saturday, she left Kyra Cooney-Cross and Stina Blackstenius on the bench, while Chloe Kelly, who finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or, only started in the 87th minute.

Taylor Hinds has started for McCabe in each of his four league starts this year.

Blackstenius, Maanum, Kelly, Beth Mead, and Victoria Pelova have largely been interchangeable, starting one person as a sub or switching them out. It gives Slegers’ side a sense of predictability.

She has to have faith in that team, Wright remarked.

She consistently uses the same substitutes. The game doesn’t change at all. Because she is using the same players, there is no change in how someone is going to start playing and suddenly make it quicker and sharper for us.

You have players who are probably upset right now because they have drawn a game that you ought to be winning and aren’t even close to a team.

Arsenal will be four points adrift of Chelsea if Chelsea defeats them on Sunday.

West Ham have appointed former Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach after sacking Graham Potter.

Nuno, 51, has signed a three-year contract with the Hammers and will take charge of his first match on Monday away at Everton in the Premier League.

Potter was dismissed on Saturday morning after only eight months in charge, with the club 19th in the table.

Nuno joins West Ham after being sacked on 9 September by Forest, who he guided to seventh in the Premier League last season – their highest finish since 1994-95.

“I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United,” he said.

“My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be. The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”

Nuno joins West Ham shortly after a 21-month stint at the City Ground, where he was sacked only three games into this season.

He took his first training session in east London on Saturday afternoon before the club’s match at Everton on Monday.

West Ham said Nuno will be assisted in the interim by academy coaches Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, with a further announcement on his coaching and backroom staff to be made in due course.

The Hammers took only three points from their opening five league games this season under Potter.

After dismissing the 50-year-old, West Ham said they believed “a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible”.

They added: “Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025-26 season have not matched expectations.”

In a statement via the League Managers Association, Potter said: “I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in east London.

Former West Ham winger Matt Jarvis:

I think as a manager, Nuno has been excellent. He went in at Forest and what he did there was incredible.

If you look at the number of players he put into a team… he somehow found a formation and style of play. And everyone was so together. That’s what he’s going to have to do again at West Ham.

It needs a bit of a reshuffle. There are a lot of players there who are not confident.

Will the West Ham fans be patient? David Moyes did an incredible job, and won a European trophy, but they weren’t really pleased with the style of play. They then got Julen Lopetegui in and they thought the style of play was going to be amazing and it wasn’t. They got Potter in thinking the exactly the same.

Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked in January after six months in charge when West Ham were 14th in the table.

But the former Chelsea and Brighton boss found wins difficult to come by.

West Ham, who sold Ghana forward Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £55m in July, spent £126m on eight signings in the summer, including the £38m purchase of Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from Southampton.

But losses to Sunderland, Chelsea, Tottenham and Palace left them in the bottom three. They went out of the Carabao Cup in the second round with a 3-2 defeat by fellow strugglers Wolves.

That led to West Ham issuing a statement acknowledging “results and performances on the pitch over the past two seasons have not met the standards we set for ourselves”.

Disgruntled fans staged a demonstration against the board before the Palace match.

West Ham’s fortunes have declined since David Moyes’ departure a year after he won the Europa Conference League in 2023, the club’s first trophy in 43 years.

Despite Forest’s success during Nuno’s time as manager, his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis deteriorated in his final few months at the club.

In August, Nuno revealed he feared for his job, with internal tensions believed to centre around disagreements over their transfer business, which was conducted by new global head of football Edu.

Despite spending about £196m on 13 players, former Wolves and Tottenham coach Nuno criticised the activity in the summer transfer window, saying Forest had wasted a good chance.

Forest suffered a poor run of form towards the end of 2024-25, taking only eight points from their final eight matches to slide out of Champions League contention.

In May, Marinakis appeared to confront Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw against relegated Leicester, although Forest said there was “no confrontation” and it was “fake news” to suggest otherwise.

Third-place play-off for the Women’s Rugby World Cup

New Zealand: (26) 42

Cons: Holmes (3) Pens: Holmes (2) Tries: Demant, Brunt, Holmes, Bayfield, Sorensen-McGee, and

France: (7) 26

With a dominant display at Twickenham, New Zealand defeated France to finish third in their World Cup defense.

The Black Ferns rallied from France’s early try to take the lead at half-time by 26-7 in a lively atmosphere before England’s final match against Canada.

Midway through the second half, teenage Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored two more tries to finish the tournament, extending her try-scoring lead.

The six-time world champions were done with the outcome after France scored three more successful scores in the final three scores.

Ruahei Demant, the captain of the Black Ferns, praised the team and the French for their heart, passion, and pride in our play today.

“This tournament in England deserves a lot more reflection, but fair play to England for staging such an incredible tournament.”

New Zealand, who had hoped to win a third successive World Cup record-breaking match, saw their 11-year unbeaten streak ended by Canada in the pair’s semi-final eight days prior.

In the 57th minute, Katelyn Vaha’akolo replaced their legendary winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who had earlier become New Zealand’s record try-scorer. She received a standing ovation and was then brought to tears.

The 34-year-old retired from professional football to play for the Black Ferns.

Green, Tangen-Wainohu, Rule, Bremner, Sae, Joseph, Setefano, and Vaha’akolo are the replacements.

France: Boulard, Grisez, Konde, Vernier, Menager, Arbez, Bourdon, Brosseau, Gerin, Bernadou, Maka, Fall, Escudero, Champon, Feleu.

Women’s Rugby World Cup third-place play-off

New Zealand: (26) 42

Tries: Demant, Brunt, Holmes, Bayfield, Sorensen-McGee (2) Cons: Holmes (3) Pens: Holmes (2)

France: (7) 26

New Zealand’s World Cup defence ended with a third-placed finish as they thrashed France in a dominant display at Twickenham.

Playing before England’s final with Canada amid a lively atmosphere, the Black Ferns recovered from France’s early try to lead 26-7 at half-time.

Teenager Braxton Sorensen-McGee crossed twice midway through the second half to finish the tournament with 11 tries and extend her lead in the tournament’s try-scoring chart.

France then scored three late tries to make the scoreline more respectable, but the six-time world champions had the result wrapped up.

“I’m proud of us and the French of how much heart, passion and pride we played with today,” said Black Ferns captain Ruahei Demant.

“There will be a lot more reflection, but this tournament in England – fair play to England for putting on such an incredible tournament.”

New Zealand, who were hoping to win a record-matching third consecutive World Cup, had their 11-year unbeaten streak in the tournament ended by Canada in the pair’s semi-final eight days ago.

Their legendary winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who earlier this tournament became New Zealand’s record try-scorer, was brought to tears by a standing ovation when she was replaced by Katelyn Vaha’akolo in the 57th minute.

The 34-year-old came out of retirement to play for the Black Ferns in the tournament.

New Zealand: Holmes; Sorensen-McGee, Waaka, Brunt, Woodman, Demant, Pouri-Lane; Viliko, Ponsonby, Kalounivale, Roos, Bayfield, Mikaele-Tu’u, Miller, Olsen-Baker.

Replacements: Green, Tangen-Wainohu, Rule, Bremner, Sae, Joseph, Setefano, Vaha’akolo.

France: Boulard; Grisez, Konde, Vernier, Menager, Arbez, Bourdon; Brosseau, Gerin, Bernadou, Maka, Fall, Escudero, Champon, Feleu.

Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal of Great Britain won the China Open in Beijing in straight sets.

Cristina Bucsa, the unseeded Spaniard, fought it out to win the British number one, 6-3, 6-3.

In less than an hour, Kartal put on a strong performance to defeat Australian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-0.

The 30th seeded world number 31 Raducanu, who had only 16 victories over Bucsa’s 28, but remained in control of the crucial discussions.

In a fierce first set, she saved six break points before winning the match’s final two to appear to be in charge.

Raducanu won the opening two games of the second, but Bucsa eventually broke serve to level the match at 2-2 after missing the chance to go 3-0 up.

She immediately won four of the final five games and won.

Raducanu, who received a first-round bye, missed three match points while playing for the first time since losing to Barbora Krejcikova in the Korea Open this month’s quarter-finals.

After impressing the audience with his Mandarin speaking, Raducanu said, “I’m very happy that I’ve gotten over it and a tough one last week to bounce back.”

“I’m really hoping to do well here.” It’s great to return because I’m half Chinese.

In her first-round victory over Alycia Parks, the three-time world champion and 81-year-old Kartal only lost five games.

She swung past world number 20 Kasatkina on Saturday, turning in six of her 11 break points, making it even more polished.

Kartal won against a top 20 opponent for the third time this year.

She will have to face off against 19-year-old Joint, who holds the WTA title twice and is 45 places ahead of Kartal in the rankings.

Iga Swiatek, the top seed, defeated Yue Yuan of China 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the third-round against Colombian Camila Osorio, who is unseeded.