Manchester City show the right mentality<\/p>\n
How much has Manchester City\u2019s mentality evolved and strengthened? After they overcame a stubborn Leicester City side 3-0 on Sunday<\/a> to claim a ninth straight win, it would appear the answer to that question is \u201csignificantly\u201d compared to recent seasons, as they demonstrated a unity and a composure that has perhaps evaded many title hopefuls of old. December last year brought moments when Manchester City\u2019s campaign began to unravel, through a combination of injuries and surprise defeats. On Sunday they looked like potential champions in the sense that they found a way to win what could very easily have become a frustrating game, against a back five in a low block. Andr\u00e9e Jeglertz pointed to this professionalism and calmness at full time: \u201cI\u2019m very proud and pleased with the patience the players are showing, the trust, the belief. They are not starting to yell at each other, they just keep believing in each other and believing in what we are doing.\u201d Tom Garry<\/p>\n Chelsea\u2019s historic unbeaten run ended<\/p>\n It had to happen at some point, didn\u2019t it? But few would have anticipated that Everton would be the team to end Chelsea\u2019s historic 34-game unbeaten WSL run. The reigning champions had not lost a league fixture in 585 days, dating back to May 2024 when they suffered a defeat to Liverpool. Despite having 79% of the possession against Everton and 30 shots on goal, Chelsea could not make the most of their chances and ultimately paid the price, leaving them six points behind league leaders Manchester City. Sonia Bompastor, for whom this was a first taste of defeat in the WSL, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a really frustrating result. It\u2019s tough, but I think if we analyse the performance and look at the statistics, I don\u2019t think the players could have done a lot more. Maybe we could have been more clinical. We created enough shots, crosses, and we hit the woodwork three times. It\u2019s just one of these games where the ball didn\u2019t want to go in.\u201d Emillia Hawkins<\/p>\n Spurs eye Champions League spot under Ho<\/p>\n Martin Ho\u2019s shake-up of Tottenham is starting to show results. A frantic final 10 minutes against Aston Villa was blockbuster viewing as Bethany England and Olivia Holdt scored to seal a stunning 2-1 comeback. Already they are just one point short of their total points haul (20) last season. They\u2019re also a point away from a Champions League spot. The Spurs squad has not changed hugely, with a handful of players exiting in the summer and two signings. But what seems to have changed is their mentality. Jessica Naz being carried off with an injury in the second half felt like a make-or-break situation \u2013 they chose to make the best of it. \u201cIt\u2019s just a never-say-never attitude,\u201d said England, \u201cIt was important to make sure we weren\u2019t sulking or accepting a defeat to a team we know we can beat.\u201d Renuka Odedra<\/p>\n Olivia Holdt celebrates after scoring Tottenham\u2019s winner against Aston Villa. Photograph: Jess Hornby\/WSL\/Getty ImagesFamiliar failings for West Ham before six-pointer<\/p>\n On the face of it maybe West Ham shouldn\u2019t be too disappointed with the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday. After all United had won each of their five home games against the Hammers in the WSL by an aggregate score of 17-0. As it happened it was a familiar theme that undid the visitors with Dominique Janssen\u2019s fantastic free-kick securing the three points for Marc Skinner\u2019s side. West Ham have struggled with set-pieces this season and have now conceded from seven of them in their 10 league games \u2013 the most in the top flight. The West Ham manager, Rehanne Skinner, was not too downbeat after the defeat. \u201cThe way we showed ourselves today shows the improvements we have made,\u201d she told the BBC. \u201cThe fact that we are so disappointed not to have come away with anything shows the attitude and belief among the players.\u201d Next, though, comes a game against Liverpool, the only side behind the Hammers in the WSL table. R\u00e9shma Rao<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Moving the Goalposts<\/p>\n No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women\u2019s football<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Give Gareth Taylor what he needs<\/p>\n