Late Own Goal From Sarah Mayling Keeps Chelsea Flying At WSL Summit

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Chelsea narrowly secured a win against Aston Villa in the Women's Super League, thanks to an own goal by Sarah Mayling. With just eight minutes left at Villa Park, Mayling accidentally turned Maika Hamano's pass intended for Mayra Ramirez into her own net. This victory allowed Chelsea to maintain their seven-point lead at the top of the league.

Villa started strong and nearly took an early lead when Gabi Nunes' lob was barely caught by Chelsea's goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton. Kirsty Hanson also came close, hitting the crossbar early in the second half. Despite these efforts, Mayling's mistake handed Chelsea their 12th win in 13 matches.

Manchester United is closely trailing Chelsea after Elisabeth Terland scored a stunning goal in the sixth minute, securing a 1-0 victory over Tottenham. This win marked United's fifth consecutive triumph in the league, moving them back to second place following Arsenal's earlier success against Manchester City.

Terland's goal came from Jayde Riviere's cross, with a first-time volley that beat Lize Kop. United continued to press for another goal but were unable to extend their lead before halftime. Ella Toone hit the post, while Terland, Leah Galton, and Dominique Janssen missed further chances.

Everton moved away from relegation danger with a convincing 4-1 win over Leicester City at Walton Hall Park. Brian Sorensen's team celebrated their first league victory since December and climbed to eighth place with their third win of the season.

Kelly Gago opened the scoring early on after Heather Payne's assist. Although Shannon O'Brien equalised soon after, Everton regained control three minutes into the second half through Katja Snoeijs' finish. Honoka Hayashi added another goal before Gago completed her brace in the 69th minute.

Crystal Palace and Liverpool Updates

Crystal Palace ended a five-match losing streak with a late draw against Brighton, who played with ten players after Maisie Symonds received a red card for a high challenge on Aimee Everett. Palace initially fell behind due to Lily Woodham's own goal but equalised through My Cato in the 88th minute.

Liverpool also bounced back from their previous defeat to Leicester by defeating West Ham 1-0. Leanne Kiernan scored the decisive goal, helping Liverpool secure back-to-back home wins for the first time this season and move ten points clear of relegation.

Natalia Arroyo experienced her first game as Villa manager against Chelsea and found it challenging despite promising signs from her team. "We feel disappointed because we were so, so close," Arroyo told BBC Two at full-time. "I'm unhappy because the girls were pushing really hard, and it's a strange goal."