WSL: Chelsea thrash Man City; Everton hold Manchester United
Chelsea thrashed Man City 4-0 at the City Football Academy to move within a point of Arsenal at the top of the Women’s Super League.
Jessie Fleming gave Chelsea a dream start when taking advantage of a mix-up at the back between back-up City goalkeeper Karima Taieb and Georgia Stanway to fire her side ahead after just two minutes.
Despite the home team’s pressure, Chelsea then hit their rivals on the break in first-half stoppage time as Stanway lost possession on halfway, allowing So-Yun Ji to break up field, before picking out the unmarked Guro Reiten at the far post.
And from her clever headed knockdown, there was Sam Kerr to acrobatically hook in her sixth WSL goal of the season, with the champions then adding a third seven minutes after half-time.
The hosts failed to clear a corner, although there appeared little danger when Fran Kirby picked up the ball on the right side of the box, only for the England international forward to somehow find the far corner with a delightful curler.
Three nil then became four minutes later as Magdalena Eriksson rose highest to head home a left-wing corner, with more questions over City ‘keeper Taieb as Chelsea comfortably saw out the rest of the match to record their first-ever win at the City Football Academy, a ground which has now seen City lose their last three games at as they drop to ninth in the table.
Everton 1-1 Man Utd
Simone Magill’s second-half strike earned Everton a 1-1 draw at home to Man Utd in the WSL.
The visitors deservedly led at half-time at Walton Hall Park thanks to Ella Toone’s well-taken goal after just 10 minutes.
However, the hosts levelled matters 14 minutes from time after a mix-up in the United defence, their first goal and point under new manager Jean-Luc Vasseur as Everton move up to ninth in the table, while Marc Skinner’s team stay in fifth place.
New Everton manager Vasseur was looking to see his side score their first goal under him, but it was the visitors who began the brighter, taking an early lead after a well-worked team goal.
Vilde Boe Risa launched the counter after an Everton attack broke down, then releasing Martha Thomas into the home team’s half and when she picked out Toone on the edge of the area, the England forward did brilliantly to find the bottom right-hand corner with Sandy MacIver rooted to her line.
United dominated most of the first period, although Claire Emslie did give them a warning when she rattled the bar with a thumping effort just before the break and that near miss seemed to breathe new life into Everton’s players in the second period.
However, despite their territorial pressure, Mary Earps was not really called upon in the visitors’ goal, that is moments after getting treatment for a knock, she somehow allowed Magill to score after a mix-up with Maria Thorisdottir, who was trying to shepherd a long throw back to her ‘keeper.
Birmingham 0-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa Women climbed to seventh in the WSL with a 1-0 victory at Birmingham City Women in the Second City derby.
Villa dominated the first half at St. Andrew’s and took a deserved lead when defender Anita Asante’s back-post header found its way into the back of the net.
Asante’s strike proved enough to claim all three points despite Birmingham producing an improved yet fruitless second-half showing.
Victory sees Villa move onto 10 points after seven games and leapfrog Manchester City into seventh place, while Birmingham remain winless and second bottom in the table with just a single point on the board.
Brighton 1-0 Leicester
Brighton snatched a late 1-0 win against Leicester, with 18-year-old Maisie Symonds’ curling free-kick securing the Seagulls their third successive WSL victory.
Jonathan Morgan’s side had been two minutes away from their first clean sheet and point of the campaign after a much-improved second half, but Symonds’ stunning effort see them remain rock bottom of the table.
Brighton move above Tottenham into third, just four points from Arsenal at the top.
West Ham 2-2 Reading
Reading overturned a two-goal half-time deficit to draw 2-2 with West Ham at Victoria Road.
The Hammers looked on course for their third WSL victory of the season when Lisa Evans and Grace Fisk put them in complete control at the interval.
But Reading’s revival was sparked by a 70th-minute own goal by Abbey-Leigh Stringer before a dramatic final twist in stoppage-time.
West Ham looked to have seen out the win before Emma Harries prodded effort was adjudged to have crossed the whole of the goal line by the officials as Reading’s late-show ensured the gap between the two sides in the WSL remained at two points.
