Bristol City kicked off 2020 with their first Barclays FA Women’s Super League win of the campaign away at Manchester United.
Barclays FA WSL results – 5 January
Manchester United 0-1 Bristol City (Att: 2,021)
Chelsea 3-1 Reading (Att: 2,828)
Arsenal 2-0 Birmingham City (Att: 2,106)
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Liverpool (Att: 947)
Tottenham Hotspur 1-4 Manchester City (Att: 1,056)
West Ham United P-P Everton
Salmon sinks former side
Bristol City began the day bottom of the table but pulled off a first win of the season at fourth-placed Manchester United as Ebony Salmon scored the only goal.
Salmon got away from Abbie McManus to shoot through the legs of goalkeeper Mary Earps in the 34th minute.
Sophie Baggaley made a number of crucial saves for City, while United’s Lizzie Arnott and Ella Toone both struck the frame of the goal in the last 10 minutes.
Chelsea recover to beat ten-player Reading
Chelsea had to come from behind to win against a Reading side reduced to ten players by an early red card.
A dramatic couple of minutes saw Brooke Chaplen chest the ball down for Fara Williams to fire Reading ahead, only for the visitors’ goalkeeper Grace Moloney to be sent off for taking out Sam Kerr just outside the box.
Chelsea pulled level on 40 minutes with a fantatic flowing move from the back, Kerr backheeling the ball for Beth England to round substitute keeper Rachel Laws and score.
Midway through the second half Kerr was denied by Laws but woth the keeper out of her goal, Guro Reiten struck a perfect volley from over 20 yards into the back of the net.
Erin Cuthbert came off the bench to get Chelsea’s third, following up Laws’ save from England’s header, before Millie Farrow went on a great solo run but was denied by Ann-Katrin Berger.
Gunners stay top
Arsenal continued their good form following on from Joe Montemurro winning the December Manager of the Month award, as Birmingham City were seen off with a first-half double.
Kim Little took just 9 minutes to open the scotring for the Gunners and Jordan Nobbs doubled the lead midway through the half with a spectacular strike.
Claudia Walker almost replied straight away but for a save by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, after which Nobbs had a goal ruled out and Vivianne Miedema hit a Blues’ upright.
Hannah Hampton did well to keep out efforts from Miedema and Little as the Gunners failed to add to their tally after the break.
Bremer bags brace as Man City net four
Manchester City remained three point behind the leaders with a comfortable 4-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur, with all the goals in the first half.
Goals in the first 5 minutes from Pauline Bremer and Ellen White got Manchester City off to a flying start, before Spurs hit back with a Rianna Dean penalty.
Bremer restored the two-goal cushion and Laurn Hemp gave the visitors a 4-1 advantage going into the interval.
Seagulls send Reds bottom
Brighton & Hove Albion banked a crucial three points against Liverpool to climb to ninth in the table, while the Reds dropped back into the relegation place.
Aileen Whelan got a big goal in Brighton’s bid to get away from danger, netting on 33 minutes when turning in from a Lea Le Garrec cross.
The Reds agonisngly had a late Niamh Fahey effort ruled out for offside, as they fell three points adrift.
