The 2024/25 WSL season began at the weekend and the return to action was no disappointment.

Chelsea began their new era under coach Sonia Bompastor with a narrow 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Kingsmeadow on Friday evening. On Saturday, Manchester United beat West Ham 3-0 at Old Trafford, while Brighton swept aside Everton 4-0.

The weekend’s eye-catching game between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates ended in a 2-2 draw, while Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City on Sunday.

Finally, Tottenham Hotspur started the season with a comfortable 4-0 win over newly promoted Crystal Palace. So, here’s a look at it five Things we learned from opening weekend.

Hayley Raso is back

The WSL is familiar territory for Australian international Hayley Raso, having spent three years in England with Everton and Manchester City between 2020 and 2023. After a season in Spain with Real Madrid, she was available on a free transfer this summer and Tottenham quickly moved there to get a deal over the line.

It took less than 20 minutes for the 30-year-old to score on her competitive debut for Spurs. With three Palace players around her, she jumped past the opposition defense and fired a low shot into the far corner.

The Spurs won the game 4-0 after further goals from Jess Naz, Drew Spence and Olga Ahtinen. It’s been a fantastic start to the season for Robert Vilahamn’s side and he will be delighted with Raso’s return to the league.

Vivianne Miedema returns with a vengeance

All eyes were on the Emirates on Sunday as Arsenal hosted rivals Manchester City. It was a dream start for Jonas Eidevall’s team as Frida Maanum gave the hosts the lead in the first ten minutes.

However, one of the biggest transfers of the summer was Vivianne Miedema’s move from Arsenal to City after her contract with the Gunners expired. So it was only fitting that the Dutch international brought the visitors back on level terms before half-time.

Miedema didn’t celebrate after her deflected shot hit the net, but then again, she never celebrated her own goals either.

Summer business in Brighton is paying off

Brighton were arguably one of the surprises of the weekend after their 4-0 win over Everton on Saturday. Few knew what to expect from the Seagulls this season after another managerial change and a major player refresh over the summer.

Nevertheless, it was a dream start for Dario Vidosic’s side, and new signing Kiko Seike wrote herself into the history books with a hat-trick on her WSL debut. Another summer signing, Fran Kirby, was also among the goals when she scored a penalty in the second half.

Six of Brighton’s summer signings were involved in Saturday’s action and the early signs are positive. The Seagulls are expected to have another year of transition after so many changes, but if things work out early in the season they could be the surprise this season.

Grace Clinton feels comfortable in red again

Grace Clinton was the star of the 2023/24 season during her loan spell at Tottenham and it is no surprise that the north London club were keen to keep her. However, Manchester United and Marc Skinner had other plans.

The 21-year-old is back with the Red Devils this season and is ready to establish herself not only in the United team but also with England ahead of next summer’s European Championships. That’s a testament to her development over the last 12 months, but it was no surprise that she got on the scoresheet in the 3-0 win over the Hammers.

Vidosic wasn’t the only coach to pick up points in the first WSL game, with Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea also recording a win. Amandine Miquel’s Leicester City held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at St Helens and were tough opponents for Matt Beard’s side.

Robert de Pauw’s Aston Villa failed to pick up any points but were inches away from causing an upset against Chelsea on matchday one. They ensured Bompastor’s side took all three points on Friday evening and De Pauw will be pleased with how his team kept the game away from their opponents, particularly in the second half.

It’s still early days and the WSL isn’t an easy league for a new manager, but in terms of performances it’s been a positive start for the newcomers.

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