Arsenal handle pressure by beating Brighton to stay clear at top of WSL

Stina Blackstenius scored twice as Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Women’s Super League with a 3-0 win at Brighton on Sunday evening.

The Gunners’ advantage had been cut to two points by Chelsea’s last-gasp 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier in the day but Jonas Eidevall’s side responded superbly.

Their goals at the Peoples Pension Stadium came in a flurry towards the end of the first half after Blackstenius opened the scoring in the 27th minute.

Beth Mead doubled the advantage seven minutes later and Blackstenius notched the third four minutes before the interval.

Champions Chelsea, after a week of off-field turmoil, kept their hopes alive thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Sam Kerr at Kingsmeadow.

Emma Hayes’ side, who have two games in hand, had chances to go ahead earlier but Hannah Hampton made two brilliant saves to deny both Kerr and Guro Reiten. Remi Allen also went close for the visitors when her curling shot flicked off the post.

Kerr snatched the winner in the late stages after goalkeeper Zecira Musovic launched the ball upfield and the Australian latched onto it and stabbed home.

Caroline Weir’s second-half strike was the difference as Manchester City made it back-to-back league wins by beating Tottenham 1-0.

Weir came close to breaking the deadlock just after half-time when her free-kick rattled the post and Spurs goalkeeper Becky Spencer denied the visitors multiple times in the second half, making decisive punches and saves.

Spencer was called into action again in the 64th minute and parried away Hayley Raso’s cross, but the rebound fell to Weir who bundled the ball into the net.

West Ham moved up to sixth in the table after beating bottom side Birmingham 1-0.

The Hammers struck four minutes before half-time when Katerina Svitkova’s corner found Adriana Leon and she poked home at the back post.

Birmingham had a chance to equalise in the final stages but Veatriki Sarri’s free-kick flew over the bar.