by Michelle Jones

London won the Battle of Two Cities when Chelsea and Arsenal defeated Everton and Liverpool as the Women’s Super League returned this weekend.

Arsenal got the two games underway as they looked to follow up their recent FA Cup victory over Everton with a win in Wisden.

Casey Stoney’s second-half goal was enough to inflict the first defeat of the season for Liverpool in a game which won’t be remembered for its goals.

The first half was a quiet affair, with neither team creating many chances.

The second started the same way. But 10 minutes in, Liverpool failed to clear the ball from an Arsenal corner and after initially missing her first attempt the England international bundled home to give her side the lead.

Liverpool made a few changes in order to find a way back into the game but were unable to move to the top of the league.

Stoney took to Twitter after the game to praise the result and her teammates.

She said: “Well that defo was the most embarrassing goal I’ve ever scored but thank god it went in. Fantastic to get 3 points and great team effort.”

In London, Chelsea edged a close 2-1 victory over Everton, which kept the team from Mersyside rooted to the bottom of the table with three points after five games.

Eniola Aluko gave Chelsea the lead 10 minutes into the first-half when she was the first player to follow up her own shot which was well saved by goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.

Ten minutes before the first-half ended Nikita Parris equalised to send the two sides level at half-time.

But an inspired substitution  after the break proved to be the difference, as seven minutes after coming on Ana Borges scored what proved to be the winner.

And the Blues managed to hold on for the rest of the game to move up to second in the table, three points behind leaders Birmingham.