Birmingham City moved off the bottom of the table after stunning Barclays FA Women’s Super League leaders Arsenal.
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-6 Manchester City (Att: 1,345)
Birmingham City 2-0 Arsenal
Reading 1-0 Leicester City
Birmingham gain first win in style
Birmingham City stunned an out of sorts Arsenal with victory over the leaders at St Andrews.
The Blues made a sensational start, as Lucy Quinn sent Libby Smith clear to score a third-minute goal past Manuela Zinsberger.
Four minutes before the break Veatriki Sarri doubling the lead, when the ball fell to her from a Jamie Finn cross.
Gemma Lawley blocked Kim Little’s goal-bound shot with keeper Ramsey struggling to regain her ground, as the Gunners ended up drawing a blank.
Man City sink Seagulls with six-goal second-half salvo
Manchester City leapfrogged Brighton into fifth spot after scoring six second-half goals in Sussex.
Megan Walsh made two first-half saves from Lauren Hemp and Hayley Raso saw her shot land on the roof of the Albion net, while for the hosts Inessa Kaagman pulled a shot just wide of City’s far post.
The visitors then stormed into a 4-0 lead in the first ten minutes after the restart. Hemp forced an own-goal by Victoria Williams before chipping in the second, Georgia Stanway finished when the ball wasn’t cleared and Laura Coombs fired home from outside the box when gifted possession by Brighton.
Raso made it 5-0 in the last 20 minutes after White headed on Steph Houghton’s long ball, Vicky Losada’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected over the keeper and into the net.
Dowie gives Reading victory
Reading went sixth with a narrow win over Leicester City, who slipped to the foot of the table.
Natasha Dowie put the Royals ahead inside a dozen minutes with a strike from outside the box.
Dowie missed the chance to get a second from a penalty after half an hour, Abbie McManus conceding the spot-kick but Demi Lambourne making the save.
The flag went up for offside to deny Dowie a second-half goal, while Royals’ Grace Moloney saved Shannon O’Brien’s effort from distance and Sophie Howard fired wide with another long-range strike.
Up Next
Leicester City host Manchester City in the delayed final Conti Cup group game on Wednesday 12 January, kick-off 7pm at Burton Albion FC with the game live on The FA Player. A place in the quarter-finals a week later is at stake.
