WSL Gameweek 16 Review: Spurs Hit Seven in Villa Park Goal Fest as City March On
Competition: Barclays Women’s Super League
Dates: Friday 13th & Sunday 15th February 2026
Total Goals: 22 goals from 5 matches [Brighton vs Arsenal postponed – waterlogged pitch]
Headline Result: Aston Villa 3-7 Tottenham Hotspur
Gameweek 16 delivered 22 goals across five fixtures as the WSL served up one of its most entertaining weekends of the season. Manchester City responded to their Arsenal defeat with a ruthless 6-0 demolition of Leicester on Friday night, while Sunday’s action was headlined by a breathtaking 10-goal thriller at Villa Park where Tottenham ran riot against a disintegrating Aston Villa defence. Chelsea kept their Champions League hopes firmly on track with a professional 2-0 win over Liverpool, Manchester United extended their winning run to seven with a hard-fought comeback against London City Lionesses, and Everton continued their impressive recent form with a narrow victory over West Ham. Brighton’s clash with Arsenal fell victim to Storm Herminia and a waterlogged pitch at Broadfield Stadium, meaning the Gunners still have two games in hand on most of their rivals.
Gameweek 16 Results Overview
All Results – Goals vs xG Analysis
Wsl - Matchday 16 Review
Season 2025-26 | Post-Match Analysis
Manchester City W
Leicester City WFC
Chelsea W
Liverpool W
Everton W
West Ham W
Manchester United W
London City Lionesses
Aston Villa W
Tottenham Hotspur W
Brighton W
Arsenal WUpdated WSL Table
WSL Table After Gameweek 16
Women's Super League
Updated: 03 Jun 2026, 6:11 AM
BTP Analysis & Talking Points
Key Talking Points
- City’s title march looks unstoppable: Manchester City’s 6-0 demolition of Leicester was the perfect response to their rare defeat at Arsenal the previous week. Four goals inside 16 first-half minutes buried the game before half-time, with Vivianne Miedema grabbing a brace and Lauren Hemp delivering a masterclass of creative play — 11 chances created, two assists, and 14 crosses. City recorded an xG of 4.61 and had 31 shots, both season-highs for any WSL side. With a goal difference of +34 and an eight-point cushion at minimum heading into the international break, it would take a historic collapse for the title to go anywhere else.
- The Champions League race is heating up: Chelsea’s back-to-back 2-0 wins have steadied the ship after defeats to Arsenal and City, but the off-field turbulence surrounding Paul Green’s departure adds uncertainty. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s seven-goal Villa Park masterclass took them level on 29 points with Arsenal — though the Gunners crucially have two games in hand. With Man United sitting on 34 points and fighting on four fronts, the battle for second through fourth will go right down to the wire. Arsenal’s postponed fixture against Brighton means they could leapfrog Chelsea with their games in hand.
- Villa’s defensive crisis is dragging them towards trouble: Seven goals conceded at home — and 25 in their last six league matches — is the kind of form that turns mid-table comfort into a genuine relegation scrap. Villa are just seven points above bottom-placed Leicester, and with four consecutive defeats in 2026, the trajectory is alarming. As Natalia Arroyo put it after the Spurs thrashing, it was “like being thrown in a swimming pool and not allowed to get air.” They face league leaders Manchester City next — so the international break comes at the right time for Arroyo to regroup.
Match of the Week: Aston Villa W 3-7 Tottenham W
This was one of the most remarkable games the WSL has produced this season. Spurs were rampant from the off, racking up 27 shots and 12 on target as they dismantled a Villa side in freefall. What made this game truly extraordinary was the second-half goal rush — six of the ten goals came after the 68th minute, with Tottenham responding within 12 seconds of Jean-François’ goal to kill any hope of a Villa comeback. Martin Ho’s Scandinavian contingent were the stars: Gaupset, Blakstad, Tandberg, and Holdt all scored, with substitute Tandberg needing just three touches to bag a brace. It was Spurs’ second-biggest WSL win in history and a genuine statement of intent in the Champions League qualification race. For Villa, though, 25 goals conceded in six games and 12 shipped in the final 15 minutes of matches this season points to a deep-rooted defensive problem that the international break needs to fix.
The 20-year-old Norwegian, who only arrived from SK Brann in January, was outstanding on her first WSL start at Villa Park. Gaupset opened the scoring with a well-struck effort past Roebuck on 10 minutes — her first Spurs goal — and added an assist for Hamano’s effort in the second half. Her energy and willingness to press high set the tone for everything that followed. BBC Sport users gave her a match-leading rating of 8.40, ahead of even Tandberg’s 8.30, and it’s clear that Ho’s Scandinavian pipeline is producing immediate dividends. With Gaupset, Tandberg, Holdt, and Blakstad all contributing goals and assists, Spurs have assembled an exciting young Nordic attack that could trouble anyone in this league.
Signe Gaupset - Recent Form
Tottenham Hotspur W
| Date | Opponent | Result | Goals | Assists | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Feb 2026 | West Ham W (A) | W 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 |
| 25 Jan 2026 | Liverpool W (A) | L 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Leicester City WFC (H) | W 1-0 | 0 | 0 | 6.6 |
Everton W Review
Could not find match between Everton W and West Ham W
The Performance: It wasn’t pretty, but three consecutive WSL wins for the first time since January 2023 tells its own story. Interim boss Scott Phelan has injected real fight into this Everton side, and they defended valiantly throughout a second half where West Ham dominated possession. Phelan said afterwards he wants opposition teams to “come here and feel the difference” — and that mentality was evident at Goodison Park.
Key Moments: Honoka Hayashi’s early tap-in from Hannah Blundell’s cross on eight minutes proved decisive. Everton should have been more comfortable — a mix-up between Tuva Hansen and Kinga Szemik nearly gifted a second, and Inma Gabarro was denied brilliantly by Szemik from close range on two separate occasions. West Ham pushed hard for an equaliser but couldn’t test Courtney Brosnan often enough, failing to score for the seventh time in 16 games this season — the worst record in the division.
xG Verdict: Everton had the better chances despite seeing less of the ball — West Ham’s 56.3% possession was largely sterile, with their 7 shots unable to truly trouble Brosnan. The result felt deserved on the balance of clear-cut opportunities, with Everton more clinical in front of goal even if Gabarro should have put the game to bed earlier.
The young centre-back was outstanding, marshalling the Everton backline impressively to earn a BBC Sport rating of 6.92 — the highest of any player on the pitch. Mace was composed on the ball, decisive in the tackle, and swept up everything that came near her. Her partnership with Martina Fernández gave Everton a defensive solidity that has been crucial to this three-game winning run. With the relegation battle intensifying around them, performances like this from Mace are exactly what Everton need to stay clear of trouble.
Ruby Mace - Recent Form
Everton W
| Date | Opponent | Result | Goals | Assists | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Feb 2026 | Aston Villa W (H) | W 2-1 | 0 | 2 | 7.3 |
| 23 Jan 2026 | Brighton W (H) | L 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 |
| 11 Jan 2026 | Manchester City W (A) | L 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 |
| 13 Dec 2025 | Arsenal W (H) | L 1-3 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 |
| 07 Dec 2025 | Chelsea W (A) | W 1-0 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 |
xG Deep Dive
Goals vs Expected Goals Chart
xG Overperformers
Tottenham (7 goals): Even accounting for their dominance, seven goals from 27 shots suggests Spurs significantly overperformed their expected output. Tandberg’s two goals from minimal touches and the rapid-fire second-half burst point to clinical finishing well above expectation.
Manchester City (6 goals, xG 4.61): City outscored their xG by over a goal, though with 31 shots and 15 on target, the sheer volume meant goals were inevitable. Kerolin’s top-corner screamer was the kind of low-probability strike that drives overperformance.
xG Underperformers
Aston Villa (3 goals from limited xG): While Villa scored three, their wider defensive performance was catastrophic — the goals they scored were somewhat flattering given how often they were carved open at the other end.
West Ham (0 goals): Despite 56.3% possession and seven shots, West Ham failed to score — continuing a season-long pattern of failing to convert chances. Seven blanks in 16 games is the worst in the division and points to a fundamental problem in the final third.
Shock Result of the Week
On paper, second-placed Man United beating newly promoted London City Lionesses is no surprise — but the 90 minutes told a very different story. United were rattled from the first whistle, falling behind inside five minutes to Nikita Parris’ header and looking disjointed for much of the first half after their midweek Champions League exertions in Madrid. London City dominated the opening 45 minutes, pinning United back and creating several chances to extend their lead, with Freya Godfrey tormenting Gabby George down the flank. United needed just two shots on target to score twice — Jess Park’s individual brilliance and Millie Turner’s late header — but this was as close as London City have come to a statement WSL scalp. As boss Eder Maestre lamented: “Two shots on target and two goals. When you see the stats, it’s very painful.” Izzy Goodwin’s stoppage-time header going just wide underlined how close the visitors came to a point they thoroughly deserved.
Team Performance Ratings
No xG data available for matchday 16.
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 16 Verdict
Gameweek 16 produced 22 goals and some of the most dramatic football of the WSL season so far. The title race feels settled barring a miracle, but the Champions League battle and relegation fight are wide open heading into the international break. With Arsenal holding two games in hand and Tottenham surging under Martin Ho, the final six rounds promise to be unmissable.
Tottenham Hotspur — Seven goals, level on points with Arsenal, and a genuine Champions League push building under Martin Ho. The Scandinavian signings are firing.
Manchester City — The perfect response to their Arsenal defeat. 6-0 with an xG of 4.61 and 31 shots. Title all but wrapped up.
Everton — Three straight WSL wins for the first time in three years. Scott Phelan has transformed the mentality and they’ve pulled clear of the bottom three.
Aston Villa — 25 goals conceded in six games, four straight defeats, and a slide towards the relegation conversation. The international break can’t come soon enough.
Leicester City — Bottom of the table, hammered 6-0 by City, and now a four-point gap to safety. Time is running out for the Foxes.
West Ham United — Seven games without scoring this season tells you everything. Despite dominating possession at Goodison, they couldn’t break down a resolute Everton defence.
Looking Ahead: The WSL now enters an international break, with Gameweek 17 not scheduled until Sunday 15th March. Before that, there’s FA Cup fifth-round action on 22nd February, plus Champions League knockout playoff second legs in midweek — including Man United hosting Atletico Madrid with a commanding 3-0 first-leg lead. Arsenal’s postponed fixture against Brighton will also need rescheduling, and the rearranged date could prove pivotal in the Champions League places race.
Key Fixture to Watch: The next league action sees London City Lionesses host Arsenal (15th March) — a huge game for both sides. Arsenal will be looking to capitalise on their games in hand and close the gap on Chelsea, while London City need points to stay clear of a relegation battle that is tightening by the week. Sixth-placed London City on 19 points have daylight above them, but a run of defeats could change that quickly.
Check out our Gameweek 17 preview for full stats and predictions!
