FA WSL round-up: Man Utd falls behind Arsenal in the race for third UCL spot

Topics: FA WSL, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Sam Kerr, Vivianne Miedema, Fran Kirby, Martha Thomas, Inessa Kaagman, West Ham

The FA Barclays Women’s Super League will return to action in two weeks after a pivotal Matchday 19, which saw Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, and Manchester United fall to Brighton.

The FA WSL matchday began with a surprising West Ham United 5-0 away win over Reading on Saturday. Scottish international Martha Thomas led the team to a victory by claiming a first-half hattrick. The victory saw the Hammers jump from twelfth to ninth place. Also, they are two points clear of relegation with two games in hand.

Birmingham City became Chelsea's latest victim after forward Sam Kerr led the Blues to a 6-0 home win with a hattrick. The Blues remain at the top of the table by two points above Manchester City.

Everton secured three points at home against Aston Villa after a 3-1 win on Sunday. The result plunged the Villains to the bottom of the table, putting them at risk of relegation with just weeks left in the competition.

Manchester City kept the pressure on Chelsea by defeating Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 on Sunday. Canada's Janine Beckie and Scotland's Caroline Weir each scored a goal.

Finally, Arsenal leaped over Manchester United in the league table. The Gunners thrashed Bristol City 4-0 and were led by Vivianne Miedema, who scored a brace. On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion dealt the Red Devils a deadly blow on Sunday. A penalty conversion by forward Inessa Kaagman and fearless defending awarded the Seagulls three points. With a game in hand, Arsenal is now third in the table above Manchester United by goal differential.

Top five teams in the FA WSL up to April 5, 2021

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Who are the three top scorers in the FA WSL?

Chelsea's Sam Kerr overtook Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema in the goalscoring charts after scoring three goals against Birmingham City on Sunday morning. However, Miedema scored a brace later in the day to level Kerr at 17 goals apiece.

Forward Fran Kirby ranks third in the league with 14 goals after scoring a late-game brace against Birmingham City.

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FA WSL top headlines

Leicester City gained promotion to the Women's Super League for the first time in its history after winning the 2020-21 FA Women's Championship.
The Sky Blues win over Tottenham became their 12th consecutive league win
Brighton's top scorer Inessa Kaagman is the only player in the top 10 goalscorers chart who is not an Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City player. The 24-year-old forward has seven goals after 19 games.
Matchday 19 saw two first-half hattricks from Sam Kerr and Martha Thomas.
Vivianne Miedema has scored 15 times and dished out four assists in just six WSL appearances against Bristol City, the most direct goal involvements by any player against a single side in the history of the competition.
Aston Villa's Jodie Hutton reached 100 appearances for the club on Sunday.

Top FA WSL games to watch, April 24-25

The most anticipated FA WSL match of the season will arrive on Sunday, April 25, when Manchester City will host Chelsea to decide which of the two will lift the title. The game is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET. Also, do not miss a relegation battle clash between Aston Villa and Bristol City on Saturday, March 24, at 7:30 a.m. ET.