🏅 WSL Awards: Stoppage time queens, Man Utd get serious, first to 500 | OneFootball

What a weekend in the WSL as just one of the top five managed to pick up all three points.

The Award for Biggest Helping Hand

Where else to start but Manchester City and Khadija Shaw’s opener against Arsenal? The Gunners were caught completely off guard and out of position when a Lucy Bronze pass struck the referee and play was allowed to continue.

City were ahead seconds later — take nothing away from them and the fantastic Lauren Hemp assist — but Arsenal were furious.

The Skin of their Teeth Award Part One

With that, Arsenal went into stoppage time a goal down and facing a fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions. But you can never write them off.

Tobin Heath struck a superb late goal, Arsenal’s 11th stoppage time strike of the WSL season, to equalise and end that run of defeats.

The Skin of their Teeth Award Part Two

Heath’s wasn’t the day’s only big stoppage time strike, with Aston Villa’s Alisha Lehmann netting a 93rd minute winner against Leicester.

The goal handed Villa their first WSL win since 14 November and meant they ended the day seven points ahead of the Foxes rather than four. That should be enough to keep them out of a relegation scrap.

The Heading Upwards Award

Two superb headers from Vilde Bøe Risa and Hayley Ladd saw Manchester United ease into a deserved lead against high-flying Tottenham. A third was added by Leah Galton and United have now won six in a row without conceding.

A team on the up.

The Long Shot Award

Hope Powell’s side had lost six in a row without scoring across all competitions so Chelsea were expected to add to their misery at the weekend. Think again.

It’s now seven since Brighton scored (though Danielle Carter twice came close) but they did finally keep a clean sheet as Megan Walsh made WSL history.

For their part, a big two points dropped and an opportunity missed for Chelsea.

The Terrific 10 Award

West Ham were excellent as they beat Everton 3-0 but our last award of the week goes to another side who scored three.

Reading were two down to Birmingham but pulled one back with a late first half strike before getting their noses in front by the 55th minute thanks to a superb cushioned volley from Emma Harries.

Ten minutes, three goals, three points for the in-form Royals.

The Award for Tightest Title Race

All of that means we’ve got a small gap between the top three, who have all played a different number of games.

The next two sides, Tottenham and Man City, are chasing for a shot at the third Champions League spot but also have Reading and West Ham right behind them. It’s tight.