LONDON — Chelsea returned to the top of the Women’s Super League (WSL) with a controversial 2-0 win over second-bottom West Ham.
Aggie Beever-Jones’ second-minute strike put the visitors’ in control but West Ham should have been level through Honoka Hayashi only for the equaliser to be ruled out for offside.
The result leaves the Gunners on 37 points, six points behind the top two with five games of the 22-game season left to play, Reuters reported.
Replays suggested the goal should have stood but without VAR there was no opportunity to overturn the decision and Erin Cuthbert’s 88th-minute effort saw Chelsea reclaim top spot, level on points with Manchester City but with a goal difference two superior.
Liverpool’s winless streak against neighbours Everton was extended to a fifth league game after a goalless draw at Goodison Park, although the point moved them above Manchester United into fourth.
Bethany England’s first league goal of the season saw Tottenham beat bottom side Bristol City 1-0 to move within four points of Liverpool.
The 29-year-old striker, who has struggled with injury, struck in only the second minute to increase Bristol City’s woes as they are now six points adrift with top-three sides Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal still to play in their remaining five matches.
Elisabeth Terland volleyed a fine winner five minutes from time as Brighton edged a five-goal thriller with Leicester.
Lena Petermann had equalised moments earlier for the hosts, who had opened the scoring through Jutta Rantala only for Madison Haley and Katie Robinson to turn things around for Brighton before the late drama.
Arsenal strengthened their position in third as they recovered from Ebony Salmon’s opener to win 3-1 at Aston Villa courtesy of second-half goals from Victoria Pelova, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Stina Blackstenius.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Bethany England netted for a 1-0 win at bottom side Bristol City to become only the second woman after Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema to score 70 in the WSL. Sixth-placed Spurs have 25 points while City is languishing on six.
The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool ended 0-0 to leave the visiting Reds in fourth spot on 29 points, one ahead of Manchester United.
West Ham manager, Rehanne Skinner, said she is “getting sick” of poor Women’s Super League officiating after her side were denied a first-half equaliser by an incorrect offside call, before Chelsea went on to secure a 2-0 win.
“To be honest, it seems like at the time that we scored the goal, which was more than a metre onside, obviously we go in [at half‑time] in a completely different landscape,” Skinner said.
“I’m getting a bit sick of it to be honest. We have had chances and obviously we need to make sure we take those chances but just the way that the game goes on, we just cannot keep having those types of mistakes because it completely ruins the game.”
For Skinner, there were two changes after her team’s 3-1 defeat against Liverpool last weekend.
Chelsea’s attempt to go six wins from six games in March, with two still to play this month, got off to a quick start, but it was far from one-way traffic for the reigning champions.
West Ham should have been two up inside five minutes, but instead they found themselves a goal down at home to a team that have won 12 of the past 12 WSL games when they have scored first.
In less than a minute Riko Ueki’s ball in was met by Viviane Asseyi. But the forward’s header flew agonisingly wide.
They were instantly punished, with Chelsea working the ball to Lauren James on the left who clipped it backwards into the run of Beever-Jones who turned in.
