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Bunny Shaw scored two second-half goals, including a stunning stoppage-time winner, as Manchester City came from behind to maintain their unbeaten start in the Women's Super League with a 2-1 victory at Liverpool, moving them top of the table.

​​​​​​The Jamaican striker rose to head home the equaliser from a Lauren Hemp cross in the 58th minute after Olivia Smith had put the hosts ahead just before the break at Anfield.

The formidable Shaw then hit a post as City pressed for a winner in the latter stages and finally broke through with a ferocious strike into the roof of the net in injury time.

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Shaw told Sky Sports: "It's a very important win because we know how tight this league is. Fine margins will decide the championship. We knew it was going to be tough but we wanted to stick to what we know we are capable of doing.

"It was very difficult as they went with five at the back. Credit to Liverpool. We spoke at half-time about how we can cause problems with balls into the box. I got the goal so it worked!

"For me, I knew where the goal was and so I positioned myself in between the ball and the defender. I just focused on hitting it as hard as possible and getting it on target."

The result means Liverpool are still without a win when playing at Anfield.

Man Utd 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United's excellent start to the WSL season continued as they beat Tottenham 3-0.

How the teams lined up | Match stats

Marc Skinner's team had won all three of their games in all competitions, without conceding a goal, prior to welcoming the north London side to Leigh Sports Village - and they extended that to four games.

Spurs pressed aggressively from the off, forcing United back and almost capitalising on errors when playing out from the back. The hosts weathered the storm, though, and grabbed the opener after 44 minutes.

Celin Bizet swung in a cross from the right, with Elisabeth Terland beating Molly Bartrip to the punch and smashing a volley in off the underside of the bar, which was worthy of winning any game of football.

In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage-time, Bizet and Terland combined again. This time, Bizet's cross was met with a deft header that beat Becky Spencer in the Tottenham goal. The double turned the momentum of the game.

Early in the second half, a timely stop from Spencer prevented Terland completing her hat-trick, but there was no way back for the visitors once Maya Le Tissier had coolly converted a penalty just before the hour after a handball by Ashleigh Neville.

Crystal Palace 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Bruna Vilamala's controversial first-half goal was enough to see Brighton win 1-0 at Crystal Palace and continue their good start to the season as they recorded their third victory of the new campaign.

How the teams lined up | Match stats

However, Palace were furious the on-loan Barcelona forward's effort was allowed to stand after Eagles No 1 Shae Yanez appeared to be fouled by Brighton striker Nikita Parris as the shot stopper came to claim a high ball into the box.

But after dropping the lofted ball, Vilamala was there in the right place to tap home into the unguarded net, with the closest Palace coming to equalising being in stoppage time, only for Brighton 'keeper Sophie Baggaley to dive full length to tip over Annabel Blanchard's long-range strike.

Aston Villa 0-0 Leicester City

Aston Villa and Leicester played out an eventful goalless draw at Villa Park as they both continue their wait for a first league victory of the new campaign.

How the teams lined up | Match stats

The home side went closest to claiming all three points, only for Leicester 'keeper Janina Leitzig to first turn over Villa substitute Adriana Leon's angled strike, before producing an even better stop to keep out Anna Patten's close-range injury-time effort.

As for the visitors, they were largely subdued and happy to play for a point, although Sophie Howard nearly netted from a tight angle after a rare second-half counter-attack.

Everton 1-1 West Ham United

Camila Saez's second-half own goal earned Everton a deserved point against West Ham at Walton Hall Park, although both sides remain winless in the WSL so far this season.

How the teams lined up | Match stats

The Hammers took a 10th-minute lead thanks to Anouk Denton's close-range finish after good approach play from Viviane Asseyi.

However, the hosts' pressure finally told when Melissa Lawley saw her cross from the right deflect in off unfortunate West Ham defender Saez.

It was the turn of Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears to take over London as they powered past the sorry Jacksonville Jaguars to clinch a 35-16 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Cole Kmet and Keenan Allen scored two touchdowns each to sink the Jags to 1-5 as the Bears won their third straight game to improve to 4-2, increasing the pressure on Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson ahead of next Sunday's meeting with the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium.

Caleb Williams out-duelled Trevor Lawrence in a battle of No 1 pick quarterbacks as the rookie finished 23 of 29 for 226 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Lawrence meanwhile went 23 of 35 for 234 yards, two touchdowns and a pick before being replaced by Mac Jones with the game over in the final three minutes.

Gabe Davis cut Chicago's lead to 11 points in the third quarter before Allen's second end zone trip stretched Chicago's advantage. Lawrence was then intercepted by Josh Blackwell before D'Andre Swift put the game out of reach for good with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Matt Eberflus and Eric Washington's Bears defense starred once more as Elijah Hicks recorded two pass breakups in the end zone as well as recovering a fumble, while DeMarcus Walker recorded a sack and two quarterback hits and a flying Kyler Gordon produced seven tackles with a tackle for loss before leaving with a hamstring injury.

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Kmet's double had put the Bears in command with a 14-3 lead at half-time, before disaster struck for the Jaguars on the opening play from scrimmage in the third quarter when Evan Engram fumbled under pressure from TJ Edwards, with Hicks recovering.

Williams punished emphatically with a nine-yard scoring strike to Allen to make it 21-3 moments after the duo had connected to move the chains on third-and-eight.

It prompted the Jaguars' best drive of the game, with Engram converting on third-and-five before Lawrence's pass intended for Brenton Strange was broken up brilliantly in the end zone by a back-peddling Kevin Byard.

Lawrence refused to be denied again three plays later, rolling out to his left and firing a 21-yard pass to Davis inside the pylon to make it an 11-point game after the extra point.

The Bears quashed hopes of a fight back as Williams orchestrated a 10-play 70-yard drive culminating in Allen's three-yard touchdown catch after runs of 17 and 19 yards from Swift.

Chicago had entered the game with a third-most takeaways in the NFL, and racked up another as Blackwell intercepted Lawrence on the ensuing drive, by which point the Bears party had begun.

The noise levels were amplified again when the outstanding Swift punched in a one-yard rushing touchdown after DJ Moore had been stopped short on the previous play.

Davis added a consolation touchdown mid-way through the fourth quarter when he held onto Lawrence's pass in traffic for a four-yard score.

Stats leaders

Jacksonville Jaguars

Passing: Trevor Lawrence, 23/35, 234 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing: D'Ernest Johnson, 6 carries, 28 yards

Receiving: Evan Engram, 10 catches, 102 yards

Chicago Bears

Passing: Caleb Williams, 23/29, 226 yards 4 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing: D'Andre Swift, 17 carries, 91 yards, 1 TD

Receiving: Cole Kmet, 5 catches, 70 yards, 2 TDs

Cam Little kicked the Jags into an early lead with 30-yard field goal after a 14-play drive lasting eight minutes in the opening quarter after Davis' would-be touchdown catch was broken up in the end zone by Hicks.

Kmet was on hand to issue Chicago's response when he exposed a blown read at mid-field to haul in Williams' pass before breaking through two tackles on the way to a 31-yard touchdown catch-and-run.

The Jags woes nearly continued seconds later when Tremaine Edmunds knocked the ball out of the hands of Brian Thomas Jr, only for a review to rule it an incomplete pass.

Jacksonville threatened to swing momentum in their favour when Andre Cisco intercepted Williams at the goalline during a deep-shot intended for Moore. The Tottenham crowd seemed to spot the open Bears receiver seconds before the rookie quarterback, who eventually let rip only to see the Jaguars safety scurry across to make the pick.

Gordon then continued his fine game by stuffing Evan Engram on third down to prevent the Jaguars from punishing the Williams interception.

Williams then sought to make amends for his pick by leading a 10-play 85-yard touchdown drive ending in Kmet's two-yard grab after the former Heisman Trophy winner set the march in motion with a 23-yard scramble.

Scoring summary

What's next?

The Jaguars will remain in London as they prepare to host the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium, playing back-to-back games in the UK for the second year running. Chicago meanwhile head into a bye week before visiting the Washington Commanders in Week Eight.

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Football's use of data has skyrocketed in recent years. It's used in the recruitment process, to analyse player performance and identify opposition weaknesses, to aid injury prevention and risk, and much more besides. The data revolution is here, and it's here to stay.

But, Marc Skinner, who has overseen a near-perfect start to Manchester United's Women's Super League campaign - winning two from two, with two clean sheets - takes more of an empirical view.

"Numbers are good for review, but I like to analyse the rhythm of a game," he says from Manchester United's Carrington base, ahead of facing Tottenham live on Sky Sports on Sunday.

"Anyone can read a stat, but there is so much context, and so data gives us a concept but it doesn't account for human contact. Human behaviour is the biggest driving force."

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Skinner believes crunching the numbers can only be helpful alongside a first-hand account - which caters for the 'why'. Analysing Manchester United's expected goals (xG) value for example, without the wider xNarrative is, to him, not much use at all. And it got us thinking.

So, we asked Skinner to wrap the context around some eye-catching numbers in an exclusive feature that looks at Manchester United's best tactical weapons, and how they can be used to help create a winning formula on a more consistent basis this term.

*data range is from the start of the 2023-24 season until present day unless stated otherwise

Laying traps

Manchester United have scored a league-high nine goals following a high turnover since the start of last season, and as Skinner explains, the devil is in the detail.

An average of 14.6 high turnovers per game actually ranks fourth in the league, but it's goal-ending high turnovers where United excel against their competition.

"I'm a big believer in not letting an opponent dictate anything in games. My style is not to let anybody take advantage, on or off the field - you have to stamp your authority," he says.

"It's about trapping the opponent, identifying the weak point and getting after it. We all know that winning the ball high means you've got less work to do to score.

"When I started out at Birmingham City I was all about possession, but you learn and grow, and also the game has changed since then. In modern football, we're evolving to the point where teams want to go one for one in the press, which I'd love to do but it's very pressurised.

"We try to suffocate and most of the time it works, but every detail matters: body shape, areas to trap and trigger points all play a vital part."

Pack mentality

Only Arsenal (9.5), and by a fractional amount, allow fewer passes per defensive action than Man Utd (9.6). PPDA tends to be a good measure of the effectiveness and intensity of a team's ability to press.

United are set up to get after teams, but balancing risk with reward is crucial.

Committing five players to a frontline press, as illustrated by United's average positions against West Ham in the graphic below, means the pressure against the ball has to be a precise mechanism.

"This is Manchester United, we have to attack, including when you don't have the ball. It's built in our DNA," Skinner explains. "But teams are getting better at the mid-defensive block, so it's harder to break down.

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"The language we use is a mid-block press, because the word 'block' can be passive, and that causes a negative domino effect. You jump late, she jumps late, the space is still there to hurt you.

"So when we press we call it a 'hunt', it's not about simply winning the ball back, you have to win it and be able to see options. When we hunt we do it in packs for that reason."

This season (albeit a very small data set), Manchester United have won two games and scored four goals while taking the fewest touches of the ball of any side in the league (1,325).

Importance of unpredictability

Skinner's style calls for both aggression and patience, which sounds conflicting, but the right blend can be used to pick teams off whether you have a majority share of the ball or not. Flexing between direct and more measured build-up holds an obvious advantage.

Only Manchester City have scored more goals (11) following a sequence of 10+ passes than Manchester United (6).

For context, champions Chelsea, whose approach under Emma Hayes was less about fixed philosophy and more about an ability to adapt to any opponent, have scored two such goals.

"Most of my players play inside the team shape," Skinner says, "because there is greater chance of turning the ball over, but it means when we win the ball, you have to get out of pressure zone because it's a crowded space - if you don't there's no advantage.

"We're built in a structure but I really like the mix. We don't call it patterns of play, you can't pattern human beings, we give options and train players to make good decisions.

"There are usually four or five decisions you could make on a football field in any one moment, and if we can actively do the majority of them, how does an opponent stop that? It keeps teams guessing.

"The biggest compliment any opposition manager can pay me is to say: 'I just don't know what you're going to do.'"

Super Ella Toone

Skinner is unsurprised to learn that only five midfielders/forwards received more passes than Ella Toone's 700 last season. No player in the league received more through balls.

And only four received more forward passes than Toone's 340.

The No 7 shifts seamlessly between the left half-space and the central pockets, and is the WSL's highest-ranking attacking midfielder for goal contributions (10), and second-highest for chances created behind Aston Villa's Kenza Dali in the period.

"I'd like that number to be 1,400 passes," says Skinner. "I call her the 'Angel of the North', because she's constantly stood with her arms out saying, 'give me the ball'. I want us to be able to find the pockets better to unlock Tooney.

"She's such an important part of this team, but there are factors we can accelerate - when receiving the ball on the half turn, how many times does she take a touch forwards rather than a touch backwards, for example.

"And we can help her to open the pitch up more, too, by changing the way we get the ball to her. Can we get her facing forwards? We can be bolder and braver with Ella because of her quality."

Growing influence of Clinton

Grace Clinton spent the whole of last season on loan at Tottenham, and will line up against Robert Vilahamn's side for the first time since returning to Manchester United on Sunday.

She was a huge hit at Spurs, playing her way into the England fold as a result, and on Sunday, has the opportunity to become the first Manchester United player to score in each of her first three WSL appearances.

The 21-year-old also excels at collecting forward passes, ranking marginally behind Toone (332), but it's her defensive improvement that has caught Skinner's eye.

"The whole reason we sent Grace on loan was to come back and be a starting player for us," he says. "We identified her potential at 16 because of the way she sees the game, but because she's so good at possessing the football, she forgets to defend.

"My first principle is everyone on the pitch has to defend, so she had to learn that part of the game. She's still growing back into us and yet she's scored twice already. I want to be patient with her, but she's going to be so bright for the future of Manchester United."