WSL roundup - gameweek 8

The WSL signed off before the November international break with another big week of action.

There were winners in six games up and down the division, with gaps starting to open up at both ends of the table that will ultimately define the season come May.

Here's a recap of all the games played in the latest round of fixtures...

Man City 5-0 Aston Villa

Manchester City grabbed a much-needed win as Aston Villa visited the Academy Stadium in Saturday's only WSL game.

City have had an awful start to the season by their usual standards, largely thanks to injuries, which has piled the pressure on manager Gareth Taylor. But he was delighted to get a response from his team, although there was a nervous wait until the second half for any goals.

Caroline Weir, Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp netted, while Hayley Raso got two. A total lack of goalkeeping depth saw Stanway become City's designated back-up should they have needed it, even having a goalkeeper shirt made up for her just in case.

Man Utd 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal stayed a point clear at the top of the WSL thanks to their fairly comfortable 2-0 win on the road against Manchester United.

The Gunners limited United to just a single shot on target over the 90 minutes and controlled large portions of the game. Vivianne Miedema scored the crucial breakthrough shortly after half-time, before a Katie McCabe penalty made sure of the result just shy of the hour mark.

United are struggling to keep pace with the top sides in what is a transitional season for the club.

Chelsea 5-0 Birmingham

Chelsea made light work of Birmingham at Kingsmeadow, staying within touching distance of leaders Arsenal in the hope of pouncing on a slip up from the Gunners in the coming weeks.

Sam Kerr netted a hat-trick in the one-sided affair, which saw Chelsea control 75% of the ball and pepper the Birmingham goal with 25 attempts.

Fran Kirby got the ball rolling only four minutes in, before Kerr's treble made it 4-0 within the first half. Kirby later rounded off the scoring to make it five for Chelsea, while Birmingham were consigned to their seventh defeat of the season and remain 11th in the table.

Leicester 0-1 Everton

The only reason Birmingham are not bottom is because Leicester's agonising search for a first-ever WSL point goes on.

The Foxes have only conceded more than twice in two of their eight defeats this season and this was more of the same for them. The only goal was scored by Everton forward Simone Magill in the final 10 minutes of the match.

For Everton, the welcome victory sees them go ninth, still only five points off a top-three place in what is becoming a highly competitive and congested middle portion of the table.

Reading 2-0 Brighton

Brighton's run of three consecutive wins came to a firm end as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against a Reading side that has suddenly awoken in recent weeks.

An early goal for veteran summer signing Natasha Dowie and a late one from emerging teenage talent Emma Harries secured maximum points for the Royals. It is now 10 from a possible 12 for them in their last four WSL games after a previously poor start.

Brighton stay third, holding onto the last Champions League place, but are now six points adrift of the top two after the weekend's results.

West Ham 1-0 Tottenham

Tottenham missed an opportunity to capitalise on Brighton slipping up and stay fourth as a result of their 1-0 defeat to London rivals West Ham.

Dagny Brynjarsdottir scored the only goal of the contest midway through the second half in what was a fairly even game. Spurs did have the ball in the net through Chioma Ubogagu, but the former Real Madrid forward was flagged offside.

West Ham themselves move into fifth place thanks to their first win since beating Manchester City in gameweek four at the start of October.

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