Chelsea avenged their earlier thrashing by Arsenal with a 2-1 victory away to the Gunners, allowing Manchester City to go top with a win at West Ham, while Birmingham City went down at home to Bristol City.
FAWSL results for 13 Jan
Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea (Att: 3,019)
Birmingham City 0-1 Bristol City (Att: 610)
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Everton (Att: 454)
West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City (Att: 640)
Yeovil Town 1-2 Liverpool (Att: 984)
Cuthbert brace sees Chelsea beat Arsenal
Chelsea overcame Arsenal with an Erin Cuthbert brace to move within two points of them but from a game more.
The Blues led 1-0 at the break after a Hannah Blundell cross was headed past Pauline Peyraud-Magnin by Erin Cuthbert.
The advantage was doubled midway through the second half, again the home defence failing to deal with a cross, Louise Quinn’s header falling for Cuthbert to volley home.
Vivianne Miedema replied on 80 minutes with a close range finish from a Kim Little pass to set up a grandstand finish and the Gunners did go close to levelling more than once.
Hedvig Lindahl twice saved well from Miedema and a crucial tackle by Magda Eriksson stopped Little going through on goal.
Manchester City new leaders
Manchester City took full advantage of Arsenal’s loss, seeing off West Ham 3-1 to take over at the top of the table by one point but from a game more than the Gunners.
Man City took a 15th-minute lead when a through ball sent Caroline Weir clear to slot the ball past keeper Anna Moorhouse.
It was 2-0 on the counter attack 6 minutes before the break, with Lauren Hemp curling a shot over the keeper and in.
The Hammers’ Gilly Flaherty had to sprint back to clear off her own goal-line before Jane Ross got the hosts back in the game on 57 minutes, Alisha Lehmann having intercepted as City tried to play out of defence.
Moorhouse did well to stop a Janine Beckie strike that was headed for the top corner but on 85 minutes it was Beckie who played in Nikita Parris to fire home and make sure of a crucial three points.
Bristol win at Birmingham
Bristol City got the only goal of the game at fourth-placed Birmingham City to go level on pints with Reading in fifth.
The Vixens struck on 16 minutes from a set-piece, Gemma Evans nodding in a delivery to the near post by Julie Biesmans.
Ella Rutherford had her volley blocked by Birmingham defender Meaghan Sargeant right before Sophie Baggaley denied Emma Follis at the other end.
Hannah Hampton made a fine double save for the hosts, twice getting down to her left to stop efforts from Rosella Ayane and Lucy Graham, while Baggaley beat away a powerful Lucy Staniforth strike.
Last-gasp winner for Liverpool
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk ended Liverpool’s long run of games without a victory in dramatic style last on at Yeovil.
Sweetman-Kirk put away a 25th-minute penalty for Liverpool, after Yana Daniels was taken down by Megan Walsh.
Yeovil equalised 6 minutes after the interval, Emily Donovan the scorer from Annie Heatherson’s through ball.
Reds’ substitute Leandra Little saw her effort tipped over the bar by Walsh in the last couple of minutes on normal time but basement side Yeovil did miss out on a point as Sweetman-Kirk struck the winner with a stoppage-time overhead kick.
Brighton and Everton end goalless
Brighton and Everton stayed ninth and tenth respectively after playing out a goalless draw at Crawley Town FC.
Albion’s Aileen Whelan struck the bar in the opening minutes, Everton’s Angharad James and Elise Hughes went close, while Georgia Brougham came to the rescue as Fliss Gibbons threatened a winner for the hosts.
