Arsenal too familiar, Man United underwhelming: Lessons from WSL's opening weekend

It is far too early to draw any firm conclusions about the new Women's Super League (WSL) season. After the first weekend of fixtures in an expanded 14-team league, every side has taken its first tentative steps into the unknown, with some results proving easier to predict than others.

Aston Villa surprised everyone -- including Chelsea -- by holding the eight-time champions to a 1-1 draw, earning their first-ever point against the club in the process. Meanwhile, Manchester City began their title defence with a 3-1 victory over newly promoted Birmingham City, who returned to the WSL after a five-year absence, and a new-look Tottenham Hotspur also made a winning start, easing past West Ham 3-1, their new attacking recruits taking centre stage.

Manchester United lost 2-1 to London City Lionesses, Arsenal earned a narrow 1-0 win over Brighton, and Everton suffered a surprising loss to Palace.

With every team out of the blocks, here are five things we learned from the first weekend of WSL action.

Everton have long been a stalwart of the women's game, but as investment across the league has grown, the club have struggled to keep pace. After parting ways with manager Brian Sorensen last season, Everton remain in a period of transition, with Scott Phelan now taking the reins on a full-time basis.

The club made some important additions in forward Holly McNamara and midfielder Zara Kramžar, who are expected to provide much of the attacking threat, while several rotational options arrived from relegated Leicester City. On paper, the squad has enough experience and quality to avoid a relegation battle. But Crystal Palace's victory -- the final result is subject to a challenge over an alleged breach of the substitution rules -- should serve as a much-needed wake-up call.

Everton created 14 chances but managed just two shots on target, while their set pieces rarely troubled Palace. The lack of a cutting edge, combined with tactical shortcomings, leaves Phelan with several glaring issues to address before they become impossible to ignore.

The next two fixtures against Charlton Athletic and West Ham United offer Everton an opportunity to respond. Both are winnable games for a side with Everton's experience, but defeats to two of their arguably more vulnerable opponents could leave their season in serious trouble before it has even had a chance to begin.

Judging by Liverpool's slow start to last season, the side already looks fundamentally improved this time around. Last summer marked manager Gareth Taylor's first foray into a new role after leaving Manchester City, and Liverpool were scrambling to complete their business ahead of the new campaign. Their struggles were reflected in the table, with the Reds sitting in the relegation zone before an improved January transfer window helped turn their season around, eventually lifting them to 11th.

This season should be a different story. Liverpool have made a number of impressive additions, including forward Vivian Endemann, who marked her arrival by scoring one of the Reds' four goals against newly promoted Charlton.

It was, admittedly, one of Liverpool's more favourable fixtures on paper: a meeting with a newly promoted side still finding its feet. But Liverpool's ability to settle into a rhythm, create chances and finish clinically was encouraging. If they can reproduce that level of control against stronger opposition, there is every reason to believe this is a Liverpool side capable of pushing beyond mid-table.

As comfortably as Liverpool eased past Charlton, using their experience to secure all three points, the south London side offered little resistance in what was a disappointing opening outing.

Charlton failed to register a single shot on target, managing just two attempts compared with Liverpool's 15. They recorded only six touches in the opposition box and failed to test debutant goalkeeper Khiara Keating even once. With just 20 successful passes in the final third and six crosses, it is clear why Charlton struggled to create any meaningful threat.

Some of that can undoubtedly be attributed to Liverpool's improvement and the pressure they applied throughout the game, but make no mistake: These are early warning signs for Charlton. If they are to avoid being dragged towards the bottom of the table, their attack needs to quickly find structure and consistency.

A more risk-seeking approach could vastly increase Charlton's chances of pressing sides into mistakes, allowing them to capitalize. They do not have much time to find answers, though, as they can ill-afford for their relegation rivals to gain an advantage.

When Arsenal signed seven players during the summer in an attempt to overhaul the squad and give the team a fresh look, fans expected those new additions to form the foundation of the club's future. They might do so eventually, but after an opening game in which manager Renee Slegers opted for many of last season's stars, there are questions over how quickly the new recruits will make their impact felt.

Arsenal can register a matchday squad of just 20 players, and summer arrivals Elisa de Almeida, Selina Cerci and Géraldine Reuteler did not even make the squad. Slegers favoured trusted players Chloe Kelly, Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius to be on the bench, choosing experience over some of the fresh options brought in during the summer.

There were positives, though. Winger Lisa Baum made an immediate impact inside 10 minutes with an emphatic opening goal that would later prove to be the winner. Meanwhile, defender Ona Batlle impressed and goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez appeared to have established herself as the first-choice, seemingly displacing Anneke Borbe with Daphne van Domselaar still sidelined through injury.

It is early days for Slegers and her revamped squad, but for many Arsenal fans, the summer represented a renewed sense of change and optimism, particularly after the club addressed several positions that had been crying out for attention. Yet, by largely sticking with the familiar in the opening game, Slegers offered little indication that this is a fundamentally different Arsenal team.

For a club entering its eighth consecutive season without a women's league title, a persistent reluctance to change may be the biggest concern of all.

After a summer transfer window in which the club did little to bolster a squad that already looked threadbare at the end of last season, Manchester United's narrow defeat to London City did little to ease supporters' concerns about the season ahead. Six players departed, two on loan, while just four replacements arrived, leaving new manager Eva Olid with a squad that potentially appears weaker than last season.

It took United until the second half to even register a shot, and ended the evening tallying only four attempts, and their singular goal being the only one on target. Their 19 touches in the opposition box pales in comparison to London City, who showcased what investment can do for a team that on paper shouldn't be easing past a top four contender.

There are reasons to explain away the early stumble. It was Olid's first game in charge, London City once again spent heavily in their pursuit of a top-three finish, and United had only completed the signings of two players less than two weeks earlier. Those excuses will not last long.

With Chelsea and Arsenal next on the schedule, United face arguably their toughest test of the season just as they are finding their feet. If they emerge from those opening three games pointless, the former European contenders could already find themselves in an almost impossible position to recover from.