WSL talking points: Shaw’s mixed messages, Arsenal farewell, Kerr record

Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat West Ham 4-1, but the WSL champions’ post-match focus was on her future. With her contract expiring this summer, fans chanted for her to stay. Shaw told Sky Sports: “I’ve always said Manchester is my home, it’s where I want to be, but there’s a lot of things which go on behind the scenes which I won’t talk about now. But I’ve always been proud of all the girls and everything. Manchester is where I would want to be, but ultimately we’ll see.”

For Arsenal, securing second place and avoiding Champions League qualifiers offered little consolation at the end of a disappointing season. The 3-1 victory over Liverpool served as a farewell for Katie McCabe, Beth Mead, Victoria Pelova and Laia Codina.

McCabe and Mead demonstrated what Arsenal will lose. McCabe assisted Mariona Caldentey’s goal, while Mead played a key role in Alessia Russo’s second strike. Interim coach Renée Slegers said: “They are both very vocal and create energy when it is needed, they speak up when it is needed, so that is something we will miss: their energy, their presence and also their football intelligence.”

Sam Kerr bid Chelsea farewell in style, equaling Fran Kirby’s club goalscoring record with her 116th strike. The goal secured a 1-0 win over Manchester United, marking the eighth WSL goal Kerr has scored against United — more than any other player against a single opponent. United finished winless in their last six games across all competitions.

Leicester showed signs of improvement before their relegation playoff but lost 1-0 to a stoppage-time goal by Everton’s Maz Pacheco. The WSL’s bottom side conceded their 52nd league goal, the most in the division, and have scored only four times this calendar year.

London City Lionesses capped their debut WSL season with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Aston Villa, securing sixth place. Freya Godfrey’s stoppage-time winner completed the turnaround after Danielle van de Donk canceled Lynn Wilms’ opener. Godfrey said: “We’ve had a historic season. This is just the start.”

Tottenham ended their season with a late 2-1 comeback win at Brighton, adding to a club-record points tally. Toko Koga, a 20-year-old center-back, scored a 92nd-minute winner from distance. Koga has been ever-present since joining from Feyenoord and signed off with her second goal for the club.