LONDON — Manchester United edged closer to securing their first Women’s Super League title with a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur to stay on top of the standings, as Chelsea hammered Everton 7-0 to move into second with two games in hand as the season approaches its finale.
The Red Devils have 50 points from 20 games, four more than reigning champions Chelsea, who they face in next week’s FA Cup final at a sold-out Wembley Stadium, but having played two games more than the west London side.
Manchester City slipped to third on 44 points from 20 matches following a surprise 2-1 defeat at Liverpool, while Arsenal remain fourth on 41 after 18 games following a 1-0 home win over Leicester City, Reuters reported.
United dominated from the kick-off but it took until the 32nd minute for Leah Galton to open the scoring, pouncing on a poor back-pass from Amy Turner and slotting the ball home.
Alessia Russo added the second three minutes later with a close-range volley and Nikita Parris wrapped up the three points in the 53rd minute, hooking the ball home after the Spurs defence failed to deal with a Galton cross.
Man United’s next game is the Women’s FA Cup final against Chelsea at a sold-out Wembley Stadium next Sunday.
United was gifted another chance after a horrible mistake at the back from Tottenham. Shelina Zadorsky mistimes her jump and misses the ball after a mistimed cross, it landed on the back of Molly Bartrip and sits up kindly for Parris who made the most of the mistake from Tottenham, bringing the ball down and slotting it into goal from short range.
Skinner’s side came close to a fourth but Russo’s powerful shot was stopped on the line and the crowd could not believe the ball had not gone in.
Against the run of play England found herself in plenty of space in the box. She passed the ball back to substitute Mana Iwabuchi but Earps pulled off an impressive save to deny her before getting back and up and stopping the rebound as well.
Elsewhere Rachel Daly netted a hat-trick in Aston Villa’s 5-0 thrashing of struggling Reading to move to the top of the scoring charts on 20 league goals for the season.
Reading’s best chance of the match came just two minutes later when Justine Vanhaevermaet’s pass found Sanne Troelsgaard and her shot, from a tight angle, hit the near post, and rebounded across the goal and cleared to safety.
Although Reading had some possession they didn’t test Hannah Hampton in the Aston Villa goal after this attempt, and it was the visitors in control and threatening on the attack.
It took Villa until the 41st minute to double the scoreline when the Royals were caught on the counter-attack.
This time Daly provided the assist, again from the left-hand side, to square the ball for a chance that Alisha Lehmann wasn’t going to miss. 0-2.
Brighton & Hove Albion climbed to ninth with 16 points following a 1-0 win over West Ham United. They are one point behind the Hammers.
Reading is last in the 12-team standings with 11 points. One side will be relegated.
