Vidosic’s Brighton win again in Women’s Super League
Brighton’s Australian manager Dario Vidosic has continued the striking impression he’s quickly made in the Women’s Super League, steering the Seagulls to the top of the table – for one day at least – with an eventful 4-2 win over Aston Villa.
After a game in which both sides ended up with 10 players, Brighton found themselves in heady company on Saturday as they moved on to six points, second only to champions Chelsea on goal difference and above Manchester United, who also have half-a-dozen points.
The Seagulls’ high-flying position will doubtless not last long as the rest of the week-three programme is played on Sunday but ambitious Brighton again demonstrated why they could become a force to be reckoned with this season under their new boss.
Brighton have won three of their four matches in all competitions under the former Melbourne City boss so far, with their only WSL defeat coming at the hands of powerhouses Manchester City, a 1-0 loss, last week.
That match ended with City boss Gareth Taylor acknowledging: “I have to say Brighton are a very well coached team. Dario has brought in some new ideas and I think they’re going to surprise a few teams.”
On Wednesday, Brighton earned a 3-0 win in the League Cup group stage at Birmingham, and they continued their progress with their new star signings, England internationals Nikita Parris and Fran Kirby both getting on the scoresheet against Villa.
Indeed, Vidosic’s summer signings all appear to be impressing, with eight of their 14 goals having been scored by new recruits.
Parris, making her first league start since her signing from Manchester United, also notched an assist on Saturday, while former Chelsea star Kirby, Sam Kerr’s old strike partner, scored her third for the season from the penalty spot.
At the end of the match, exciting 18-year-old loan signing Michelle Agyemang, snapped up from Arsenal, also netted her first top-flight goal to seal Brighton’s win.
Winless Villa had taken the lead in the first half through captain Rachel Daly before Parris equalised just 75 seconds later before then setting up Pauline Bremer to give Brighton a halftime lead.
Daly converted from the penalty spot to equalise but Brighton went ahead again through Kirby’s spot kick, awarded after Villa’s Paula Tomas was shown a straight red card for a foul on Brighton sub Kiko Seike.
Brighton also ended the game with 10 after Poppy Pattinson was shown a second yellow card late on, but it didn’t stop Agyemang sealing the deal with a brilliant finish after a swift counter-attack.
In Sunday’s matches, the Matildas’ Olympic captain Steph Catley is in line to make a return for Arsenal against Everton at the Emirates Stadium after injury kept her out of the Gunners’ opening matches.
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