Manchester City’s title credentials were dealt a significant blow as they fell to a 2-1 defeat away to Liverpool. The Reds, buoyed by their recent performance against Chelsea, saw their energetic press rewarded early. Pouncing on a loose backpass from Laura Coombs, Natasha Dowie opened the scoring with her first goal since returning to the club. Gareth Taylor’s side found an equaliser as Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp combined once more, the latter rising to float home a header. City might have been expected to push on, but the hosts restored their advantage immediately after the break when Missy Bo Kearns drove home to the delight of the Prenton Park faithful. A knock to goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck saw nine minutes added on but Taylor’s side could not find an equaliser, denting both their title and Champions League ambitions. Meanwhile, Manchester United set their stall out in the early kickoff as they cruised past Tottenham. Three goals with no reply saw them maintain their cushion as they continue to lead the way at the top of the WSL. Marc Skinner’s side dominated struggling Tottenham in front of almost 6,000 fans. Leah Galton pounced on a defensive error to score from the tightest of angles to give the hosts a 32nd-minute lead. It was her 10th goal of an impressive league campaign. She added an assist to a sparkling performance, flicking on for Alessia Russo to finish instinctively before the break. Nikita Parris added United’s third early in the second half to wrap up the three points. Despite the victory, the title remains out of United’s control with Skinner cutting a pragmatic figure post-match. “Reality is we have to win our games,” he told BBC Sport. “We will stay focused on us, and I won’t let anything deviate from that.” It was a result that left Tottenham firmly in the battle at the bottom. If anyone had any doubts about Chelsea’s energy in this season’s run-in, they were quickly quashed at Kingsmeadow. Emma Hayes’s side put the rest of the title chasers on notice as they fired five rapid first-half goals past Everton and went on to win 7-0. Guro Reiten opened the scoring in sublime fashion before Sam Kerr hit her 10th league goal. The Blues were dealt a blow when Kerr was forced off with an ankle injury but her replacement, Pernille Harder, hit their third with her first touch. Sophie Ingle and Jessie Fleming added two more before the break. Whether it was Everton tightening things up or Chelsea taking their foot off the gas, the hosts had to wait until late to add two more. Harder sealed her comeback in the 81st minute before Erin Cuthbert added a seventh in injury time. It was a win that saw them rise to second, capitalising on City’s slip. Reading’s WSL future has looked bleak recently and their troubles deepened against Aston Villa. Carla Ward’s team ran riot, putting five past an exhausted home side that looked out of ideas. Rachel Daly opened the scoring in the 14th minute before turning provider for both Alicia Lehmann and Kirsty Hanson before the break. The England striker brought up her 20th league goal of the campaign, sealing her hat-trick in the second half. While Villa are looking steady in fifth, the result means Kelly Chambers’ side must win against Tottenham in a fortnight to retain any chance of survival. In contrast, Brighton’s fortunes continued their upward turn under Melissa Phillips with a 1-0 victory over West Ham. In a cagey affair, the Seagulls secured their first clean sheet of the season and moved five points clear of the drop zone. Kayleigh Green’s second-half header was the difference as she turned home a pinpoint Katie Robinson cross. It’s back to the training ground for Paul Konchesky and West Ham who are still searching for their first league win in 2023.