Barclays FA Women’s Super League title rivals Arsenal and Chelsea won comfortably, while Reading and Tottenham Hotspur rose to fourth and fifth place respectively.
BARCLAYS FA WSL results – 12 January
Liverpool P-P Manchester United (waterlogged pitch)
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-4 Arsenal (Att: 1,312)
Chelsea 6-1 Bristol City (Att: 2,866)
Reading 1-0 Birmingham City (Att: 733)
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 West Ham United (Att: 855)
Van de Donk’e early goal sets up win for Gunners
Arsenal again went three points clear after easing to a 4-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Danielle van de Donk scored just 3 minutes in, connecting with Leah Williamson’s crossfield pass to get in round the back and squeeze her shot inside Megan Walsh’s near post.
Jill Roord had one effort blocked on the line by Danique Kerkdijk but did double the lead after 31 minutes.
Vivianne Miedema left a Van de Donk pass for Jordan Nobbs to net the third soon after the interval and Beth Mead wrapped up the scoring late on.
Blues come from behind to hit Bristol for six
Bristol City threatened a shock result at Chelsea but the hosts hit back hard after falling behind to again sit a point short of second-placed Manchester City, with a game in hand.
Ebony Salmon was again on target for the Robins 15 minutes in but Beth England equalised and three goals in 7 minutes before the break by Hannah Blundell, Jess Carter and Ji So-yun effectively sealed the points.
Ji got her second 5 minutes afer the resumption and England also doubled her tally for the game from a Jonna Andersson cross.
Reading edge Birmingham with Eikeland effort
There’s no stopping that one 🔥
Amalie Eikeland with the lob to give @ReadingFCWomen the lead!#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/ZxWG8aQhrq
— Barclays FA Women’s Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) January 12, 2020
Reading went fourth with a narrow victory over Birmingham City thanks to Amelie Eikeland’s strike.
The Royals broke the deadlock 6 minutes before the break when Eikeland controlled a ball over the top and lobbed goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
Claudia Walker was closest to replying for City, while in the dying minutes the visitors cleared after Hampton was unable to hold Eikeland’s shot.
Late winner sends Spurs fifthÂ
Tottenham Hotspur were pegged back by West Ham late on but grabbed the winner in the sixth minute of added time.
Spurs new loan signing Emma Mitchell fired home from outside the box after a corner kick was only half cleared.
Kenza Dali semmed to have earned West Ham a draw with an equaliser on 90 minutes, only for Rianna Dean to restore the advantage with a header from Angela Addison’s cross.
