Manchester United maintained their unbeaten record in the Women's Super League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Reading.
Leah Galton fired the visitors ahead in the 32nd minute after being sent clear by Hayley Ladd (pictured), but Reading equalised 10 minutes into the second half when Jess Fishlock's shot went in off Millie Turner. Ladd scored what proved to be the winner seven minutes from time, heading home from close range after Reading failed to clear a corner.
United's victory extended their lead at the top of the table to three points as Arsenal conceded an injury-time winner at Manchester City.
Chelsea moved above Arsenal into second place in the table thanks to a 1-0 win at Brighton, Sam Kerr following on from her hat-trick last week with the winner in the 21st minute. Inessa Kaagman struck the crossbar early in the second half but the home side were unable to find an equaliser.
World Cup winner Alex Morgan scored for the second game in succession as Tottenham beat Aston Villa 3-1 to climb to eighth in the table. Morgan was brought down in the area after 12 minutes and coolly converted the resulting penalty, but Villa equalised in fine style when Nadine Hanssen picked up a loose ball and chipped the goalkeeper from long range.
Spurs went back in front after 37 minutes as Morgan's cross was turned into her own net by Caroline Siems and Rosella Ayane made certain of the points shortly after the hour mark with her first goal for the club.
Bristol City remain rooted to the bottom of the table after being thrashed 4-0 at home by West Ham, while the game between Birmingham and Everton was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. PA Media
And finally, here’s our report. Thanks all for your company – enjoy the rest of the weekend. Ta-ra.
Consider the cat pigeoned. Bobby Decordova-Reid has given Fulham the lead against Liverpool.
Back to the WSL, the second half of the season should be absolutely brilliant, with four teams chasing the title. I think United might’ve thought that their chance would come next season – I’m almost certain the teams behind them did – but from here, they’ll be going all-out for it. They and Chelsea look the two best sides, but chances are the champions will be the team who fare best in the head-to-heads, and there’s nowhere near enough between them teams to be certain about who that’ll be.
No penalty, apparently – as the ref had already decided some two minutes previously. Nonsense.
What on earth is going on. At Craven Cottage, there’s a review for a penalty – a purported foul by Fabinho, then they go back to check there was no offside in the move – and really, is our game better for all this?
Meanwhile, Fulham and Liverpool are just underway. You can follow that one here, with Tumaini Carayol.
Here’s our report from Palace 1-1 Spurs.
Here’s the inspirational Jen Beattie: She says that she’s overwhelmed by how supportive everyone’s been and that it sums up the football world. She tried to stay off social media yesterday because she wanted to focus on the game, but also wanted to make sure that the message of checking yourself was heard by those needing to hear it.
Today, she was really touched by the support from her ex-team-mates. Being able to train and play while undergoing treatment was great for keeping her mind off her health, and she’s got six more radiotherapy sessions, but after that she should be done and done, ready to go back to Scotland for Christmas with her family. She’s really clear that she wants to share her story so that other women check themselves out and feels that it’s her responsibility to use her platform to help people/
Weir tells BT that Arsenal made it hard for them, but they dominated possession and she’s delighted to have contributed. She thinks the team played quite well and you can see how they’re trying to play, more on the same page than at the start of the season. It’s very competitive at the top, she reckons, and City needed that win to stay in touch. As for her Beattie, she says “It’s obvious that there are things more important than football” and that she can’t say enough about what a great person her pal is.
That was such a finish from Caroline Weir, who had a really good second half. She could have snatched at the chance - it was barely a chance at all – but she took her time and delivered a perfect finish, just as Miedema did in the first half.
So what does that mean? Well, United stay top with 23 points from nine games; Chelsea are second with 20 from eight, Arsenal third with 19 from nine and City fourth with 18 from nine.
Full-time: Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal
City fully earned that. Arsenal were devastating for five minutes, then absolutely terrible afterwards, while City didn’t produce loads of quality but stuck at it and when they needed someone to do something spectacular, Caroline Weir grabbed hold of the game and made it hers.
WHAT A GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal (Weir 90+4)
The ball pings about as Arsenal try to clear and can’t, taking too long or trying to be too precise in possession, and eventually the ball arrives at the foot of Caroline Weir, on the edge of the box. She takes a touch, then bends a glorious low left-footer into the far corner, just as her team’s title chances are fading into the past tense. Brilliant, brilliant behaviour.
Updated
90+2 min Another Weir corner, but this time Williams is able to punch clear at the near post.
90+1 min City win a corner and Weir’s delivery is again really good ... and it’s dropping to Houghton. It must be! But McCabe stops brilliantly on the line and 79 of her mates then stand in front of the ball to stop any follow-up.
90 min There’ll be four added minutes.
90 min Mewis wins Lucy Ward’s player of the match award and rightly so – she’s been great, the best player on the pitch by far.
90 min Miedema, who’s barely had a touch in the second half, tries some jinking by the corner flag and winds up tripping Stokes when she loses the ball.
88 min Excellent from Weir, who shapes to slide in Stanway out wide only to change the angle at the last second, sticking her inside instead. So Beattie comes over and should see away easily, but instead clears directly into her opponent’s ankle, relieved to watch the ball loop over the bar.
86 min McCabe trips Beckie and is booked. She’s had a decent game today.
85 min It’s a decent ball in from Weir too, but Houghton can only head wide.
Updated
84 min Arsenal can’t keep the ball well enough to threaten, and McCabe does well to stop Mewis’ cross with Weir and Stanway inside the box. Here comes the corner....
83 min Weir mooches down the left and slings over a cross, but Williams collects easily about the midriff.
81 min Those changes from Arsenal suggest Montemurro wants them to win this, which makes it al the stranger that he wait so long to make them. His team have look liable to concede all half, so keeping the ball down the other end seemed a better plan than just hoping to improve,
80 min Oh, and Chelsea own at Brighton. A draw here suits neither side.
79 min Nobbs and Van de Donk replace Mead and Foord.
78 min Arsenal win a free-kick 4o yards out which McCabe sends short to Mead. Her cross is a poor one, but Roebuck loses her bearings and paws behind, when she could just have let it go. And she’s almost punished when Beattie gets a solid head on the corner, but Houghton is well-placed to block.
76 min Nobbs and Van de Donk are preparing themselves, but as Nobbs removes earrings, her team almost conceding when the terrific Mewis drives to the line, swerving beautifully outside McCabe, but Catley does brilliantly to get in the way of her cross, blocking behind. The corner comes to nothing.
74 min In the meantime, City make a change, Beckie replacing Kelly.
Updated
74 min Mead bangs her knee in a challenge with Stokes, so goes down for treatment.
73 min But here comes Stanway, driving forward at inside-left and sliding a reverse-pass through for Weir, but she’s running towards touch and can’t turn on it.
72 min That said, City have had a quieter last few minutes and Arsenal have had a few more non-desperate touches of the ball.
71 min I find it really hard to understand what Montemurro is waiting for. His team might score, or might not concede again, but nothing we’re seeing suggests either is all that likely, and he’s doing nothing to alter the flow of things though he has options on the bench. Strange.
70 min Elsewhere, Jeffrey Schlupp has equalised Harry Kane’s opener for Spurs. You can follow that with Rob Smyth, right here.
68 min Eesh! Williams looks to pass clear and instead picks out Weir, who connects beautifully with a first-time shot that he the keeper scurrying back towards her near post and the ball passes just wide of it.
67 min Nice from City, Weir feeding Kelly down the right, and he cross is a brute, but Mewis can’t quite slide it in. She was offside, but we don’t know if the lino caught it.
66 min Catley replaces Maier, who’s had a difficult half. But that won’t help Arsenal exert the midfield control that they’re missing.
64 min Mewis slides a fine ball inside Maier, who’s all over Stanway and still can’t stop her. She should probably cross but you can understand why she shoots, Williamson doing really well to block behind. She’s having an excellent half, and if her team come out of this with anything, she’ll be a lot of the reason why.
63 min I’d expect City to try and put Williams under pressure with crosses now that White is in the middle and Stanway is on the wide.
63 min Change for City, Hemp – who’s played really well without quite enough end product – departing, with White coming on.
62 min The corner is headed away, but City immediately step up the pressure again. A goal looks inevitable.
61 min A bit of possession for Arsenal, but it only gives them the chance to lose the ball, Kelly feeding Hemp, whose cross is again well cut-out by Williamson at cost of a corner.
Updated
59 min I can’t believe Arsenal haven’t changed this already. Hemp glides past Maier easily, but Williamson is shadowing her team-mate and not only blocks the cross but wins the goalkick.
58 min Nice again from Hemp, turning in midfield and losing Gut easily, but the pass she slides through to Stanway has a little too much on it, giving the slickness of the surface; it is, as you may have noticed from photos and from your knowledge of the world, raining in Manchester.
56 min Arsenal need to change something. It’s quite some time since they constructed an attack of note, and their best players are being kept out of the game because their midfield are getting a doing.
54 min And Mewis quickly regains possession, voicing disquiet when the ref gives a foul; she wanted to carry on. The ensuing free-kick is aimed at Bronze, who can’t get anything on it.
54 min City, though, come again and Stanway predates inside the box, rushing Willamson and winning the ball, but she can’t quite keep her feet, nor when she tries to regain them.
53 min City win a free-kick down the left and Mewis slings over a decent cross, which Williams punches clear, just about.
52 min Weir sticks one in behind Maier, and again it’s Mewis chasing down. And she delivers a proper cross too, but none of her mates are attacking the danger area, so it zips all the way across the box, unmolested.
51 min Mewis is having an excellent afternoon’ at the moment, she’s bossing Little, Gut and Roord. I’d not be at all surprised to see Nobbs coming on to disrupt things.
50 min Mewis curves down the line for Kelly, who stretches away from Beattie; I think she gets a touch with a slide, but Kelly rides it, only to direct her cross into Williams’ arms. That’s such a waste.
49 min I wonder how long it’ll be before we see changes. City will toss on White, I’m sure, if they don’t score in the next 15 minutes or so, while I’d expect to see Arsenal try Nobbs or Van de Donk, probably both.
48 min Maier into Mead, who turns nicely and finds Little. But they can get anywhere and Hemp does well to filch possession – she’s looking good – guiding inside to Stanway, who shoots wide.
46 min I can’t help but think Arsenal are the better of these. If they can play for even 20 minutes, that should be enough to win, because City don’t really have the ingenuity to pick them apart.
46 min Off we go again! This is an absolutely monstrous half for both teams.
Updated
Elsewhere, West Ham are 3-0 up away to Bristol City, and Chelsea lead Brighton 1-0, Sam Kerr with the only goal. There are 27 minutes left in both games.
Half-time: Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal
A half of one sixth and five sixths. Arsenal were wonderful for about seven minutes, scoring a beautiful goal in the process, but then sat back as City dominated possession and eventually forced a scrappy equaliser. I’ve not a clue what’s going to happen next; but join me in 15 to find out.
45+1 min Mewis has had a really good half and she powers down the right and crosses low, but there’s no one attacking the near post.
45 min There’ll be two added minutes.
45 min Nice form Foord, winning possession deep inside her own half and cracking a diag out to Miedema. She’s being held, she reckons, and can’t find the cross she’s after.
44 min A lovely switch from Walsh sends Hemp away down the left and she tricks her way to the line, has a look, and cuts back for no one.
44 min And, well.
The 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 is amongst the goals again! 🔥@sammymewy heads in her third of the season! 👏 pic.twitter.com/nOcBmGbZph
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020
43 min I mean.
👀 @ArsenalWFC take an early lead in Manchester!
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 13, 2020
Who else but @VivianneMiedema? 😎#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/VwE7PHEueG
42 min Bronze gets on the ball down the right side of the box and attacks McCabe, dipping inside and out, but just as she looks to have found an angle to square, she gets lost in the supermarket and goes again. When the cross eventually comes, it’s easily snuffed out.
40 min Mewis finds Kelly out wide and accepts the return, but Gut and Little quickly surround her to win back possession.
38 min Montemurro gives McCabe the ball as she comes for a throw, then takes a few seconds to give her some instructions. Well, that’s what I’m assuming, maybe he was giving her his thoughts about the new versions of Goldie’s Timeless. Either way, Arsenal are coming back into things – though, as I type that, Kelly breaks through the lines and is allowed to progress, so she whacks a shot high and wide.
36 min And here’s some Arsenal! Mead wins the ball high up the pitch when Stokes’ touch is heavy, dashing into the space behind her and curving a lovely cross around Houghton for Miedema. But there’s just too much pop on it, and though at first glance it looked like a slide would’ve done the trick, from the in front, we can see that it was too far in front of her.
34 min Arsenal still look to have the more incisive forwards. The problem is that they’re not getting them enough of the ball because they’re sitting back; understandable, because City want to be pressed to move the ball on and create overloads, but ultimately not currently working.
33 min On the touchline, Joe Montemurro, the Arsenal manager, is shouting his team through the game. Meanwhile, Kelly has a dig from outside the box and Hemp almost collects as she follows in, but her touch is poor and the ball runs through to Williams.
32 min Beattie sticks one on Stanway and is booked.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal (Mewis 30)
Dearie me, this is dreadful from Arsenal. Hemp punts the corner into the air and Williams comes and gets nowhere near, while Beattie does nothing to stop Mewis nodding down, the ball bouncing over both of them and into the net.
Updated
28 min Hemp gets the ball out of her feet and immediately attacks Maier, shifting it and crossing. Nothing comes of it, but then Bronze joins in the attack and finds Kelly down the left of the box; she stands up a cross to no one, that ends up winning a corner.
28 min Almost all of Arsenal’s play has come down the left, but now Williamson feeds Mead; she attacks Stokes, who does well to see her away and win a goalkick.
27 min Arsenal try and play their way out, and City try and shut them down; neither side does either activity especially effectively.
24 min Arsenal start to move the ball again, after a period of consolidation. Thy look much the better side, though they’re no longer dominating – even if, as I type that, Mewis tees up Hemp to waft high and then some from just outside the box.
Updated
22 min Miedema’s goal was her ninth in 22 games against Chelsea, Man United and Man City. That’s not bad, given Karen Carney criticised her output in that regard – and I’d expect it to get a lot better.
21 min City haven’t lost at home in 35 games in all competitions, a run that encompasses 24 league matches.
Updated
20 min Nice from Weir, darting down the left and finding a decent cross, but McCabe is calm, noting that there’s no one near her – why not? – so she controls on her thigh and boots away.
19 min Ultimately, the differences between these two teams at the moment are that Arsenal have the better individuals and move the ball quicker. Obviously these aspects are connected.
17 min Mewis clips a ball into the box that Kelly takes down nicely, but with defenders all over her, she can only lash high.
16 min “‘An artist and an expert’,” says Charles Antaki. “Yes, certainly; and with the exceptional virtue of looking less like either than a mildly bored slouchy teenager who hates games. A wonderful footballer who doesn’t look like a wonderful footballer, making her all the more wonderful.”
Agreed. She’s Villanelle without the couture.
14 min City look a little as they did in the second half the league derby when United set about them. They like to invite the challenge then move the ball on, but when the challenges come and there’s no one free to receive the ball, they panic. On top of that, their passing and movement both lack incision.
13 min Things have quietened a little.
11 min “Afternoon Daniel,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Currently following the Arsenal as much for what the women’s team and the youngsters in Europe are doing, as that PL mob. Oof, that Miedema: she can kick a ball alright.”
She’s brilliant isn’t she, an absolute football-playing machine. What I loved about that goal was how efficient it was, immediately doing what had to be done as soon as possible. It reminded me a bit of Mason Greenwood, but she is, of course, a one-off and entirely her own thing.
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Arsenal (Miedema 3)
This is a blazing start from Arsenal! They get the ball into Miedema, just outside the box, and she clips a wonderful shot with just enough power and curl, low into the far bottom corner.
Updated
10 min City have started playing, but when Weir’s cross is headed clear, Miedema almost gets away on the counter, Greenwood holding her up just as Roord turns up in support.
9 min Miedema’s goal was the right-footed version of this.
OTD 74 - @LouMacari10 and Pancho Pearson combine for one of the iconic goals of the 70s - to Barry Davies’ intense delight. pic.twitter.com/wxLRcwg59t
— unitedrewind (@unitedrewind) November 30, 2020
8 min Kelly goes down the right and crosses, but Hemp can’t control and it won’t drop for Weir, whose touch lets her down.
6 min City spend a few seconds inside the Arsenal half, not doing very much. It’s a start, I guess.
5 min It seems a mad thing to say after so little of the match, but that goal was coming. The question now is whether Arsenal sit back and try to pick City off on the break, or carry on getting in amongst them to try and finish the game – and City’s league season.
2 min This is really good from Arsenal, Miedema holding up finding McCabe, who’s getting loads of the ball. She crosses, Rood tees up, and Foord can’t get her shot away.
1 min BT reckon Arsenal will be playing 4-5-1, but they won’t be going forward, at least. And they don’t when make a good start immediately pinning City back and looking to get at them down the left, two dangerous crosses coming over but missing everyone out.
1 min Off we go!
The players take the knee. All black lives matter.
Here come the teams!
Full-time: Reading 1-2 Manchester United
Back at Reading, Tobin Heath has just picked up on a poor clearance to ping from distance, just past the post. They’re into the final minute of injury-time now, and it’s over! United now have 23 points from nine games; Chelsea, who already lead at Brighton, have 17 from seven, Arsenal have 19 from eight and City have 15 from eight.
This is a huge game for Georgia Stanway, who has the chance to cement herself as her team’s first-choice centre-forward. Carney days that when she first got picked for England, she irritated some of the older players by smashing them about in training, exactly the kind of thing you love to hear, and that she is “so tenacious” but “so lovable”.
You’d take that as an epitaph.
Gareth Taylor said that after the international break, they looked at five games in 15 days and have won two now. Having Hemp back is like a new signing, and they need to manager her and their expectations in the right way. His team always seem themselves as title contenders and they’re trying to stay in touch with the leaders, but it’s almost the halfway point. Finally, he talks about how well he knows Jen Beattie, who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer and his team are wearing t-shirts in honour of her today, which shows the solidarity in women’s football.
Updated
GOAL! Reading 1-2 Manchester United (Ladd 83)
That – a header from a bundled-on corner – was coming. If United can hang on, they’ll be top at the end of the weekend.
On BT, we’re watching tape of Kim Little, who’s such a player. Then we move onto Miedema, who’s criticised herself for perhaps being too laid back, and who Karen Carney says needs to perform against the better teams [insert snide comment about Arsenal here].
Reading-United is still 1-1. If it stays like that, that’ll be a decent start to the game for both sides.
Arsenal selection thoughts: Not much to say here. They’re unchanged following last weekend’s win over Birmingham, so we can expect to see Miedema playing through the middle. It’s a sort of Messi situation really – players like her tend to find themselves on the wing because they’re so skilful and quick, but actually, they’re so good you want them in the middle of the pitch so that they’re on the ball as often as possible.
City selection thoughts: City bring in Greenwood for Bonner in the middle of their defence, and give Lauren Hemp her first start of the season after returning from injury. That means Georgia Stanway will play through the middle, and Ellen White has to settle for a spot on the bench.
Updated
Teams!
Manchester City (a non-negotiable 4-3-3): Robeuck; Bronze, Houghton, Greenwood, Stokes; Walsh, Mewis, Weir; Kelly, Stanway, Hemp. Subs: Bardsley, Taieb, Scott, White, Bonner, Park, Coombs, Morgan, Beckie.
Arsenal (an almost non-negotiable 4-3-3): Williams; Maier, Williamson, Beattie, McCabe; Little, Gut, Roord; Mead, Miedema, Foord. Subs: Zinsberger, Stenson, Catlrey, Evans, Nobbs, Van de Donk.
Updated
News!
Millie Turner has deflected Jess Fishlock’s shot past Mary Earps. It’s Reading 1-1 Man United!
Preamble
It’s only December, but already this has the feel of a crucial match. it’s now four seasons since City last won the title, and a defeat today would would widen the gap between them and Arsenal to seven points. Nor is that all – they’d also be a fair way behind Manchester United, who currently lead Reading 1-0, and Chelsea, who kick-off at Brighton in half an hour.
The truth is that neither of today’s teams have been quite at it so far this season, not quite Nick Cushing’s team and not quite Gareth Taylor’s team. Their close-passing style is very nice when it works, but when it’s disturbed they struggle to find a way, and don’t quite have the individuals able to redeem things. They’ve got a lot of work to do.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have recently diverged from the all-out attacking style that has has made them such a pleasure to watch, but circumstances are now swinging in their favour. Kim Little is back, Jordan Nobbs is working her way back, Beth Mead is a class act and Vivianne Miedema might just be the best player in the world. If they play well they’re incredibly hard to stop, and if they play badly their best players are still incredibly hard to stop. This should be a belter.
Kick-off: 2.30pm GMT
Updated
