BUNNY Shaw’s late winner was enough to keep Manchester City at the top of table as this weekend’s WSL action delivered major consequences for the title race, the Champions League chase and the fight for survival, reports Olivia Clark.
Man City tightened their grip at the top, Liverpool revived their season with a stoppage‑time surge, and Manchester United reignited their European push in a game week packed with turning points.
Bunny Shaw named December player of the month
London City Lionesses will count themselves unfortunate as their spirited performance was undone by Shaw’s 86th minute winner. Manchester City took the lead early through a well-worked Kerolin Nicoli goal, but Freya Godfrey’s second-half equaliser gave the visitors hope before Shaw settled the contest later on. The 2-1 win means City move nine points clear at the top, tightening their grip on the title race.
Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in a big six-pointer at the top of the table. Ending their winless run away at their London rivals, a six-minute burst in the early second half with Beth Mead scoring and assisting Mariona Caldentey brought the Gunners’ to a statement victory. The gap between the two now closes to just one point.
Liverpool left it until the 94th minute to secure their first league win of the season, beating Tottenham 2-0. A Mia Enderby double brings them within one point of safety from the relegation play-off. This ends Spurs’ unbeaten run of four league games, losing for the first time in the competition since November.
With a helping hand from Liverpool’s win against Spurs, Manchester United took full advantage to put themselves within two points of a Champions League spot. A flurry of three goals in ten minutes ultimately decided the game which ended 4-1. Villa’s poor form against the Red Devils continues as they once again failed to overcome them at home.
Despite a late own goal courtesy of Eva Nyström, the Hammers held on to take home all three points from an out-of-form Leicester City, ending in a 2-1 victory. Earlier goals from Verena Hanshaw and Shekiera Martinez proved enough to close the space between the two teams, as West Ham marked just their second away win in their last 22.
Brighton stole all three points at Goodison Park, marking Everton’s third loss in a row for the second time in this WSL campaign. No side has scored more goals than Brighton following an opposition error this season, and the trend continued as Martina Fernandez’s poorly attempted clearance provided Jelena Čankovic with a golden opportunity to get that crucial goal for a 1-0 Seagulls win.
This week’s games close the gap between second and fifth, and between ninth and twelfth, tightening the table at both ends. With Man City’s nine point lead, it looks like the title is theirs to lose.
Mia Enderby delivered a standout performance this week for Liverpool, despite only being on the pitch for 15 minutes.
All eyes now turn to next weekend, where Manchester City and Chelsea meet in a clash that could solidify top spot for the Citizens.
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